I'm in one of those moments where I have a rare moment of clarity (like the eye of a storm), where I'm still in the middle of writing a dissertation, planning for the most important exhibition of our MFA program and at the same time trying to figure out how to not bring any of the stress home and to give myself as much time to reflect on everything as I can, so this is me taking a break to take stock on everything that is going on...
But before I get into it I just have one thing to say: I can't believe that graduate school is about disciplining the self while deconstructing everything you've ever held dear AND trying to enjoy things and finding clarity at the same time so that you don't just go crazy.
0. Got back from spending a week in the Scottish highlands, for me vacation is still the key to productivity... Just like how I procrastinate artistically...
1. Still continuing my dissertation of "list-based artworks" as they relate to the development of art, absurdity, positive psychology, the placebo effect, and my own relationship to them.
2. I have three works in the pipelines for the degree show on June 5th which all involve taking on the role of the jester, poking fun at some art trends in Glasgow but also playing with the expectations we have now of site-specific installations, performance/interactivity and pedagogy-based artwork.
One of my projects is very involved and quite fragile at the moment, I've just realized that the bulk of the content of one particular work has a lot to do with thinking about what people of my generation do in terms of transitioning from higher education (and specifically volunteering) to work. If education is meant to prepare us for careers, why are so many of us having to sometimes create our own internships and volunteer positions? Detroit has a lot of people who are creating their own opportunities due to the inability of businesses to adapt to the kinds of meaningful jobs that they are seeking. So many of us are footing the bill for our own chance at being creative and productive, and the other side of that are institutions that demand proposals which only allow for calculated risks and to reproduce their values through their sanctioning of particular artistic labor.
4. Thinking about the transition to Detroit and how I want to be involved more with creative writing, and maybe producing some kind of tangible publication from a year of online discussions... Currently I'm most inspired by this lecture that is from a year ago online by Claire Bishop: https://vimeo.com/
Through all of this I learned about a very interesting mayor: http://www.news.
5. I may be involved sometime this month with planning a publication that will include my AnyonesIdea.com site and my absurd suggestion boxes. (I don't think I've told many people about this project yet... it's all still in the works)
6. I tested out a project during a critique wherein a visitor can receive a free work of art through an office copy machine, but in order to receive it the visitor must first contribute something to be copied and press the copy button. Once pressed not only will their image feed back into the machine, but their contribution will overlays the artwork that they are to also receive. This is something I'll probably try to do in Detroit when I get back, although it involves finding someone to help me alter a Xerox machine so that it can function the way I want...
7. Planning to begin applying for residencies etc, at least 3 applications a month once I actually graduate...
8. Downloading as many articles from October, JStor and other journals as I can while I still have access to them as a student and sharing them with everyone back in Detroit...
9. I'm realizing that if I want to keep challenging myself with my current interests I'll have to learn another language...
For experimental practices I'll need to learn dutch,
for conceptualising and theorizing about art I'll need to learn german,
for being part of where the art world is looking right now I'll need to learn portuguese.
for understanding more about my own roots I'll need to learn chinese and tagalog,
and I only have a rudimentary understanding currently of Spanish... Which really... who am I kidding, I need to take classes again.
10. Still working on my list of 365 movies that are worth watching more than three times.
See my progress here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ACr55W4pjIDWDosR4RpHRseWSSLKYuybBsRh2chSf4o/edit?usp=sharing
11. I have a big secret project with... to culminate in a ... in ..., I'm very excited and yet I have no time to think about it fully.
12. I'll be putting online videos and documentation of 3 different projects (Equilibrium, Night Bus, probably at the end of June as well as considering a complete overhaul of my website as it is so that it can better describe where my practice is heading... or just have Re:View be my only website...
Ok, back to work...
