Carpet Experiments

SO... I attempted to place my carpet in an outside passage way and I don't love the results. I wanted the carpet to fit perfectly in the space and be longer than it is. I think I need to find somewhere narrower to achieve this, or place it right to the edge and photograph it differently. Either way, I like the idea of the outdoor flooring but not the way it has worked in this instance. This experiment was worthwhile attempting though as I have now learnt how I want it to look. Hopefully this weekend when I decorate my outside space I can adjust to fit. 

February Rain

Three more days of rain than in January...

February Arguments...

One less than January...!

Frame Experiments

To expand on my outside art idea I have framed images containing the words 'home sweet home' and 'home, what home?' as these are the phrases I have been working with. I have placed them individually and together on an outside wall as an initial response. Currently they hang outside my home, but ideally they will be placed in a better location which will represent the reality of where the homeless sleep.

The words 'home sweet home' are supposed to be obvious to the audience, yet in an ironic location making them think deeper about why the text would be hanging outdoors. The 'home, what home?' text should be more subtle, perhaps at this point the viewer simply assumes the text states 'home sweet home', yet they have to look closely to realise the reality.

I think as an initial response I am pleased with the images as they look how I anticipated. However, the aim of the project is importantly location based therefore when my photo shoot with all the objects I have acquired takes place, it will make much more sense and will hopefully show everything coming together.

The area which I found difficult was the actual nailing into the wall, which was harder than I expected! The walls are really tough and often the nail bends and won't budge! Therefore I am pleased to have done a tester as I can now work on how to resolve this... hopefully....

Krzysztof Wodiczko - The Homeless Vehicle Project

Project Summary

Here is another strangely similar project by Krysztof Wodiczko, in which he created a vehicle for the homeless whilst living in Canada. This project directly involved the homeless by creating 'The Homeless Vehicle' which was an object which would draw

"attention from the work of art as dissent to the work of art as social action: in this case, the discussions and design collaboration with members of the homeless community to develop both a physical object and a conceptual design that would make their participation in the urban economy visible and self-directed.”- Krzysztof Wodiczko 

My Thoughts

The object itself makes complete sense to me as I have spent some time in Vancouver, Canada where homelessness is a huge issue. If you have ever wandered the streets there as a member of the public it astounded me personally to turn a street to find hundreds of homeless people all congretated together in a small community. It seems they are almost herded together in an area which doesn't attract too much tourism. The main thing you would notice about the homeless in Vancouver is how often they are seen pushing shopping trolleys, filled with aluminium cans which they then take to factories to swap for money. Even the rubbish bins are surrounded with holes which the public place their cans in to make it an easier task for the homeless.

Therefore when looking at Wodiczko's 'Homeless Vehicle' to me it represents the shopping trolley idea, yet a more conventional object. For me, it relates nicely to my portable home, somewhere which can be moved from place to place, similar to the homeless vehicle, however mine will involve the person getting inside the box, somewhere with a shelter. It is interesting to view other artist's who follow a similar theme as it helps to influence the decision making process when it comes to the final degree show.

Krystof Wodiczko - Projections

I have come across artist Krystof Wodickzo who uses projection to create temporary pieces of public art. Many of his projections have an controversial, underlying, political theme and have been forced to be removed by the police claiming they are a 'public nuisance'. From looking at his work I find his projections very powerful and as I have been doing the same it seems possible for me to try them on a bigger scale.

He chooses to project in large cities, onto large, imposing buildings that will catch the eye of the passing public. I want my work to be noticed by the public and not just too focused in a gallery space as that way more people will be aware of the point I am aiming to make. If my projections can be used in public spaces, though temporary it draws in a wider audience and sends a message to those who wouldn't ordinarily visit a gallery. When I see art I wonder why often it has to be kept in the confines of a gallery and I believe through artists like Wodickzo that art can make sense when exposed to anything, anywhere.

By projecting onto well known monuments it completely changes their original intent and makes the projection the most important thing about the building. The projections are also then noticed as these are buildings we pass everyday without even realising what we see. I like the idea of changing what the public see everyday and altering their usual environment and surroundings. Hopefully, similarly to Wodickzo my projections can be taken further afield and used in other outdoor locations.

Key To The City

(images http://www.fastcompany.com/1658516/key-to-the-city-new-york-public-art-project)

Project Summary 

I have come across an art project which took place in New York last Summer, named 'Key to the City', in which keys are produced to unlock secret locations around the city. Artist, Paul Ramirez Jonas is responsible for the project. The keys unlock several areas around New York, including a locker, secret gardens and hidden rooms and add up to 24 locations.

My Thoughts

I was drawn to this project as I feel it compares nicely with what I am currently exploring, the idea of public art combined with finding areas of shelter in a community. As I plan on creating a portable home, this ties in nicely, the idea of different areas around a city which could be used as homes. I could envisage repeating this project around Manchester, almost like a treasure hunt to find a home. 

Ramirez's work focuses on the locked and unlocked and is not the first time he has included keys in a project. One project involved mailing 5,000 keys to an area of public art which could only be accessed by those 5,000 to create a feeling of shared ownership. Although my portable home is more of a statement than something which truly belongs to someone I like that it could be a shared piece, that it could be used between people for those in need. His use of the 'key' as something which requires trust and social communication rather than just an object intrigues me and makes me wonder whether my portable home should also require a key.