09/06/2010

Well, we have been here for a day and I have to say it’s wonderful! Ox-Bow is an artist retreat and summertime school located in Saugatuck, Michigan off of Lake Michigan. It looks and feel like a cross between a miniature village and campground. We have a modest size living quarters shared by five or six other artist complete with heat, running water and shower facilities. Our Studio is located above the printmaking studio and normally functions as the campground's only computer lab. And it’s all ours! Plus there is a gallery space that we have also annexed that has white walls perfect for projection, wood floors as well as pre-mounted projector and sound system.
Meals are proving to be very impressive. Continental breakfast at 8am (I don’t know if I can get up EVERY morning at 8am) with a lunch consisting of soup, sandwiches and leftovers from the night before. There is always coffee and small snacks no matter what time of the day.
We are a small crew in the fall, seventeen artist/residents and a handful support staff/artist. Some of the residents will be here for up to five weeks. Part of me is envious, but I am still trying to imagine what it must be like here after a couple of weeks. The camp seems pretty remote in some senses. Maybe that is because it rained for most of the day today. I spent a good chunk of it recording the raindrops. We will use it for a piece that is in the works that started out primarily as studies in capturing images of rain on the windshield of the car. A month or so ago I had intended on shooting an outdoor production of a Midnight Summer’s Dream in Petersburg, VA. The place where it was to be held was at a place called “Battlesea.” Unfortunately it was rained out. Fortunately Jennida had a video camera and we proceeded to take advantage of the severe thunderstorm that put the play out of commission. Some of those images are being used to construct an instillation of sound and video. An added conceptual component has been added which refers to a sense of place and the implications that technology is bringing to our perception and interaction to the physical and the virtual. I have been thinking a lot about the idea of locative arts, which in some sense has not yet materialized but has been proposed through writings by authors such as William Gibson in Spook Country. I find the thought interesting that soon we will have the possibility of virtual landmarks and signposts accessible purely thorough GPS enabled devices. The future’s virtual graffiti where anyone can leave their tag, mark their passing, tell their tale. Imagine. But this is one of many projects on deck. Images and progress to come!