a lot of red and then some… for Popshot Magazine
Chapman Brothers
Another one of my favourite artists. These pieces are disturbing but not in a negative way. They are allowing you to stare at something that you normally would shy away from. It is acceptable to talk about these deformities in this situation, whereas in the street you wouldn’t stop and stare at someone who was born with a disability. Their work is wonderfully offensive/morbid/gruesome/torturous. I just love it.
Chihiharu Shiota - Installation Artist
Chiharu Shiota is an amazing artist, using threads and yarns to create these webs that are attached to objects which are caught in these webs. Shiota is influences by fairy tales, old hospitals, dark dreams and memories. Sometimes she believes that reality is her dream and that her dreams are her reality. The Suitcases in one of the above images represents identity and memories of people. These installations are stunningly beautiful but with an edge to give you shivers. The thought and depth to these pieces represents nightmares, and it is so dark that it can give you nightmares.
I AM
(acrylic, mixed media)by Kiam Marcelo Junio
Installation shot by Heidi Norton—-
The “I AM” project is a movable street installation made of mirrored acrylic sheets, and installed with post-its and a pen. When installed in public, passersby can stop and see their reflection, and write on a post-it to leave behind.
So far, I have installed it in 5 different locations around Chicago, and have gotten different responses that run the gamut from serious (I AM: “proud to have come this far with no clue”), funny (I AM: “too sober for this”) and romantic (I AM: “so in love with him” “and I with her!”). Some posts even elicited responses from others: (I AM: “awesome” “more awesome than that guy”), or reflect the current economic state (I AM: “unemployed” “me too”).
I find interactive art to be the most engaging, and for so long, it had been my intent to create pieces that elicit responses from others. While living in Spain, I had a large plank of wood in my living room, my “Inspiration Wall” on which my friends and visitors (often Couchsurfers from over 15 countries), could write, draw, glue, and express what inspires them. The “I AM” project stems from this same idea, of sharing an internal reflection with the external world.
During the critique for my work, a lot of topics were brought up that I plan to consider when taking the project further.
* Color selection - whether or not each location should be color-coded with regards to post-its, perhaps limiting one location with one color; placement of the work.
* Placement/location - consider what is more important: seeing people’s interaction with the work, or what they write. Too often, people will write only passing statements, nothing that reveals their true state. No one wants to confess or spill their emotional content in public. Furthermore, where should I be in relation to the work?
* Collecting/archiving - I have various stills from each location, but my classmates all seemed to agree that video documentation would be much more effective. In this case, where should I be in relation to the work? How will I get a video of people interacting, writing on the post-its if I’m trying to be inconspicuous? My previous approach was to sit in a restaurant or cafe across the street. Is this still the best approach?
* Installation - my idea is to keep the actual piece as a street installation. Having it in a gallery setting seems to take it out of context, and gives it a formalized structure that I don’t intend. On a gallery wall, the “I AM” project looks cold and unwelcoming. The reflections would be that of a gallery space, rather than the street, people, and the moving, bustling life of the city. In the future, only the documentation would exist in a gallery setting. The actual “I AM” project would only exist outside.I plan to continue the project. If you live in the Chicago area, keep your eyes open!
