Today I was an early riser, but I skipped breakfast because breakfast is for suckers! I stayed up very late working on my vocal track for the installation and combined it with the sounds of rainfall I collected. Having worked so constantly over the summer and spring, it is refreshing to simply listen to things and enjoy being aware of my senses. There have been times when rushing to and from one job to another has hindered even the most basic of day-to-day functions. Don’t get me wrong, this is all work. But it’s the satisfying type of work of seeing something accomplished, or sensing the progress being made on a project. Having direction feels good- even if I have six of them!
I have met a few very interesting people so far. I am torn between the desire to work and the desire to make connections. Part of the residency experience is meeting new artist, comparing notes and exchanging ideas. Being as though we have only one week, it’s a mean line to toe. We could probably stay another week but we don’t have the money really and there are a few commitments we must keep. Ever the responsibilities of life make no breaks for work or fun. The agenda is to get as much out of Ox-Bow as possible, and carry it to Elsewhere and on and on and on.
Here is a small list of artist on the scene at Ox-Bow:
Mitchell Squire- http://mitchellsquire.com
Lisa Walcot- http://www.lisawalcott.com
Joelle Francht- http://www.joellefrancht.com
Maren Miller- http://www.marenmiller.com
Jennida Chase- http://www.jennidachase.com
Hassan Pitts- http://www.hassanpitts.com opps! That's me. ;)
We spent the day deciding what to do and directions to march to. It is a balancing act, trying to embark on new experiments while working on current projects. I am still trying to get the vibe here. I am doing a lot of looking and listening. There is a lot to observe and understand about a place if you just stop and pay attention. One common theme for Jennida and I is that we have moved so often that places become explorations more than they become homes. Often habitations are temporary and feel like costumes to be discarded after they have fulfilled their use. She is interested in exploring the idea of interacting with our surroundings the way that children invent new places from existing structures through imagination. I am simultaneously interested in trying to understand how our surroundings function and feel to exist within. I think the two concepts will co-mingle and affect each other’s approach as we consider an as of yet unnamed idea on temporary domiciles.
More field recording today. This time, wind in the trees and video footage of leaves in motion affected by the wind. Mostly studies and ways of engaging the senses. Hopefully all of this will make sense at some point but I’ll wait for it. I’ve got time. I’m just playing the collector now. Tomorrow will bring more possibilities and the need to revisit an old project dealing with my grandmother who passed two years ago. I have the material and now may finally be the time to react to it.
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