One mummified chicken, one over sized pocket knife, 3/4 inch plywood (laminated), acrylic paint, earthquake/ shatter resistant plastic film, wood glue, fluorescent pink spray paint, gold leaf Rub n Buff.
2. What was attractive about these subjects?
I am attracted to the knife because of the fascination of pocket knives that the men in my family have, Including myself. I was given an antique knife collection when I was born, I never see my dad or grandfather without one. In my family they are used to dig splinters, cut wire, clean fingernails, as screwdrivers, pry bars etc.... I remember collecting them when I was a boy. To this day I could probably round up a dozen or so knives from my truck, backpack, garage, dresser, and storage. My youngest brother seems to be obsessed with them, though his love for knives has grown, literally to include very large knives.
The knife is also attractive because of its ridiculous size (18"), the intent of it to commemorate firefighters after 9/11, also because my dad bought it from the Co-Op and gave it to my grandfather as a gift. I am most attracted to the fact that the faces of the men on the knife have been blurred to have ghost-like features. I am not sure if they are the ghosts of fallen firefighters or prophets that plead us to see the current state of affairs.
I'm not so sure about the mummified chicken. It probably has something to do with how we met and that it is now simply a shell. This is an obvious connection for me after researching Pierre Huyghe's No Ghost Just a Shell project in 1999 where he used a common manga cartoon and took it out of the market and filled it with meaning (soul).
The plywood is attractive for its ability to be transformed into an elongated stand for this knife.
The shatter proof film is attractive because of its use in commercial building applications and its sheen that it has when applied to matte surfaces.
Hot Pink is attractive because I am red-green color blind so it stands out much like billboards do, or car commercials. This is important.
Gold is attractive (fake and real) for its symbolism, good and bad. Good, as according the Father Partheneos of the Orthodox Christian tradition, because it is the closest color and material to the heavenly realms. Bad, because it is often overused and counterfeit.
3. What is the cultural and individual history of these subjects?
First off, the pocket knife was made in China. Someone, somewhere thought to themselves that it would be a great idea to make an over-sized pocketknife to sell to the people. I will note that the only places that I have seen these for sale are at gas stations, truck stops, and Kmart. What do the distributors know about their targeted demographic? Who will spend $49.99 on this type of product?
My dad bought cases of them. He claims that he had an "insider" named Bernie at the Ashland City Co-Op that would mark them down for him so that in his words, he could "just order cases of them." I asked him why he bought so many and what he liked about them and he said he bought them to give as gifts. He said they "were different, unique, something you don't ever see, something you could decorate with, or just sit around, or use.... a weapon if you needed it."
I guess that answers the question of how it came to rest on my grandfather's bedroom entertainment center. I remember the shock and disbelief of seeing it for the first time, of wondering what in the world my dad was thinking in buying so many of them and how ridiculous it is. But then I saw the blurred faces.
The chicken came from Father Partheneous's house. I loaded seven 5' clay drainage pipes in my truck and took them to the church to be installed. As I was unloading them from my truck, this chicken fell to the ground. I couldn't believe it. I told Father Partheneous about it and he said that it must have crawled into the pipe running from a predator (hawk, dog) or been after something to eat. Both possibilities are filled with narrative as they relate to those in the World Trade Center on 9/11. I have often imagined this bird's struggle. I imagine the first failed attempts at freeing itself, I imagine it panting and wide eyed, gasping for breath. I imagine the moment it gave up, accepted its fate to die trapped in this column.
I found out from my dad that the clear, thick, sticky plastic is used for making large plate glass safe for earthquakes, hurricanes, and bombs. He told me that it became real popular after 9/11. I found the roll that I'm using in our family's old pawn shop. It came from what he called "a failed business venture" with a few guys in the window tinting business. They were going to open up at our place, didn't work out and they left it there.
Fluorescent paint is mainly used in advertising and other commercial pursuits according to Wikipedia. In theory the chicken should glow under a black light. The spray paint that I used for the chicken is from the same can that I have used in at least three other projects. It is very unnatural for anyone living outside of Tron and the Super Bowl XLV halftime show.
Gold, specifically fake gold leaf in a squeeze tube called Rub n Buff, may be a bit more than I can handle here. I will say that the manger of a local art store gave it to me for free, she uses it on frames to "give it that look."
4. How does the subject's story intersect with my own (where did we meet)?
The main components of this piece intersected with my story through paying attention to the "oddness" of everyday life. I noticed them in a special way. The knife was pretty much a forgotten piece of clutter, most people would have just thrown the chicken away, the plastic was buried under junk. This practice of "paying attention" is, for me, the most important thing about my relationship with these subject, I noticed them, gave them a chance to be heard, introducing them to one another, allowing them to have a conversation. I am trying to listen to what they want.
This is where my doubt about the piece comes in. I am not sure about the plywood, it doesn't have the same character or story. It is an overused artistic device. It makes it look like art, this might be a problem. The bomb/earthquake plastic on the other hand is quite perfect... hmmm....
I painted the wishbone of the chicken gold.
The wishbone or furcula is the bone on the bird that gives its frame stability for flight. It is also the bone, once broken by two people grants the wish of the one with the larger portion.
5. How have I manipulated the subjects?
Not much, other than a little paint, gravity and plywood lamination. They manipulated me. Which is pretty impressive actually. Here I am giving them thought, hours of time and consideration at the expense of my reputation as an artist. How is it that they were able to convince me to think so much about them and consider them in the presentation of my senior thesis exhibition?
6. How has the subject been transformed?
The subjects have been given new life as symbols for consideration positioned in a totem-like hierarchy but as an equal between it and I. I do not see this as a transformation into idolatry or fetish. This is the story of the found object.
7. What have I been reading about?
I have been reading about picture theory by W.J. T. Mitchell in a book called What Do Pictures Want? The Lives and Loves of Images. I am also reading Lila: An Inquiry Into Morals by Robert Pirsig, the author of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintanance. I am also reading the daily prayers, epistle, and gospel texts suggested by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. I also read a lot of news from the Drudge Report, Huffington Post, and ESPN. I try to read Art Forum, they mostly sit on my desk.
8. What have I been looking at?
I look at the bird feeders that hang outside of my kitchen window a lot. I have been looking at a lot of the art blog web sites. I spend on average of 4-6 hours a week standing in an Eastern Orthodox church looking at icons, and the decoration of the church, mostly the hand woven rug beneath my feet. I look at the objects I have collected in my studio a lot. I look at Laura, my fiance. I spend a lot of time looking at the road, the billboards. I look for mistletoe and red-tailed hawks. I look at traffic cones.
9. What have I been listening to?
I have been listening to a mix of byzantine liturgical chanting, machine-like electronic music, opera, and sports talk radio.
10. What have I been thinking about?
This is the hardest question because I don't know the parameters in which to answer. Do I mean in general, this past week, today, right now?
I guess I have been thinking about my upcoming wedding in June, this senior thesis show, and my faith. Those are the big three.
As for the "art" catagory (though I know they all realate), I am trying to develop a practice to sustain myself as an artist. I do not know why I do what I do, or why I am making the work I am. This is the secondary reason for this project, the first being to discover the title of a work. The third reason for doing this project, which I have failed to mention so far, is that I feel compelled to use "blogging" and "Facebook" as part of my practice, even if no one reads this or gives me a thumbs up on Facebook. This in integrally related to everything I am working on especially AnnLee.
I am thinking about the relationships we have with the world through the hyper-reality of technology vs. my relationship with my roommate or fiance. (this is an abbreviated disclosure, more to come.)
