weekly update: end q1!
posted 12/11
Our end of quarter show was yesterday, and it went really well overall. There were some great projects, it’s really neat how completely different all the work is. I was happy with my review, there was some good feedback on the presentation and method of my work, some other directions and things to think about, and a number of different reads that people had when talking to them about it later. When I think about my work I generally just focus on the problems and unresolved aspects of it, and it was nice to take a break and step back and see it as a whole. It really feels like the beginning of something I can work on for a while (not the tools specifically, but the generally area of focus and methods). In general, I felt that the reviews were thoughtful, focused, and honest – I like that.
In other news, I just received a grant from the Awesome Foundation in Boston to complete this work and extend it by putting on a workshop with Dorkbot Boston in January. Participants will identify their own social interacting issues and then design and build their own training devices to affect their behavior. More than just a how to technical workshop, this will be a continued exploration of the ideas involved in the series. What expectations do we have of each other and of ourselves in social situations and how do we feel we fit into these? How is it unique to each individual?
I am really looking forward to taking this break and having some time to read and think without feeling like I need to constantly be making and producing. I’m excited to work on some new ideas!
weekly update: up next
posted 12/04
thinking about: Just did a little identity creation for the Tools series. Now the devices will all have matching tags and labels on them.
For next quarter, I have a few things planned. I want to do a series of performances/experiments, exploring the possibilities of changing myself psychologically or mentally, using technology, and seeing how it affects me and those around me. I am thinking about the work of artists like Orlan and Stelarc, but I am more interested in making nonphysical or invisible changes. I met with Casey today, and he also reminded me of the work of Cindy Sherman and Lynn Hershman. I’m going to work with visiting professor/designer Gail Swanlund on the documentation and presentation of this series of experiments.
I also would like to work on a large project for the entire quarter in studio with Robert Israel, one that is a single entity and not a collection of many smaller parts. This is in direct conflict with the way I work best, which is with smaller experiments and iterations, evolving and building up over time to form a coherent larger project. While the other series will be like that, I want to force myself with this project to commit to an idea and stick with it for 10 weeks. So it will be two very different approaches to the same area of ideas.
I’m also taking a data visualization class with Victoria Vesna, a theory class with Erkki Huhtamo, and a psychology class about culture, brain, and development.
reading: Powers of Horror (Kristeva), Expressive Processing (Wardrip-Fruin)