Thursday, November 25, 2004

The sequel

The platform made of medium density fiberboard sits about six inches above the floor and acts as a shallow pool from which the rusted legs of three steel office chairs submerge into. A foot deep wall about four feet high stands directly behind, attached to the base of its adjoining structure, forming a reverse L-shape. On the opposite side is a twenty gallon aquarium perched atop a narrow pedestal, its guts revealed. From room to object, the whole feeling of this piece transforms physically, embracing a newer yet traditional formalism. The three spigots connected by hose to the tank from underneath slowly leaks, drips a droplet of water every minute or so onto the cracked vinyl seat of each chair.

Exposed lumber studs replace mudded surface in deference to its cardiovascular system that is hidden plumbing dangle as intertwined knots. Perhaps milk replaces water and video, the photographs which acts to update the original translation beyond the politics of representation.

Friday, November 19, 2004

The Art of War

Wait and see because the cat and mouse suddenly decided to observe the proprieties. So who outlasts whom squeezes the breath out in a gasp. The first one to flinch loses usually but the deck is stacked with many aces up the proverbial sleeves. March off ten paces on his mark, turn and shoot. So much for that theory as strategy. But somehow the ball bounces away freely on the other side of the basket, an electron buzzing about willy nilly and the crowd reacts, screaming backcourt violation. Sacrifice the body and launch shoulder first out-of-bounds to save the possession or start backpedalling fast, getting into a strong defensive position depends on instinct. Stop and go, stop or go before the referee blows the whistle for travelling.

The race is on, the game is afoot.

Friday, November 12, 2004

Notes on sash

Black then red then blue then green then yellow then orange then white represents but one order of many viable systems of belief whereas an antiNeoplasticist world by contrast or bias opts for a palette of white to yellow to orange to green to purple to blue to brown to black instead. But Maurice Chevral advocates the optical rather than sociopolitical effects of hue that becomes basic color theory. Yet the abstract quality of such groupings of color suggests otherwise. It also speaks of other associations related to the mental as phenomenological in direct response to visual stimuli. Thus the reference to the martial arts. Color transcends the spiritual as artistic record of process.

But the subtractive process relies on the interpretation of an appropriate architectural role model which functions to convey the coded information. That is precisely why the VanderRohian concept of less is more shakes off its Bauhausian roots to perfectly fit within the constructs of the larger project.