Paul Talbot, Exhibit

3 different projects in one space.


- Photograph from different sources, also video to run in a loop. The video would run through actions and marches from different aspects of the movement.

http://www.youtube.com/user/NEREphotography?ob=0


- signs from occupy archives that would hang from the ceiling so people could simulate themselves in a rally. They would be able to hold the sign and get photographed or a group of people could be photographed together to look like they are in a march.


- the third part of the project would be collages of a large scale put together of many 4x6 photos with plywood as the substrate. Along with the collages would be scrapbooks made by OWS material from marches and rallies.

Franc Palaia, Sustainable Energy Workshops/Demos

Since 1990, my mixed media works have been about light. I make illuminated photo-sculpture using found and recycled materials and fitting these constructions with photographic transparencies and light. Since 2005 I have shifted my light source from a traditional power grid electricity source to a natural sunlight and solar powered light.  I have been striving to make my illuminated photo works as natural as possible.

I can add a more obvious art component to my Occupy Bottle Bulb project by incorporating photo or hand painted transparencies to the illuminated bottle bulbs. Doing this also relates the project to my own illuminated photography works which I have been making for over 20 years.

My Occupy Catskill project proposal is a continuation of this philosophy. I recently became aware of an amazing simple way to create a lighting device that is as  green as possible. It is called the “Bottle Bulb”. 

The Bottle Bulb was invented by a Brazilian named Alfredo Moser in 2002.

The plight of the poor is an overwhelming global ordeal in terms of lack of food, water, shelter, healthcare and electricity.  However, the bottle bulb is a simple and easy solution for the approximately 35% of the world’s population without domestic electricity.

The Bottle Bulb is made of recycled two liter plastic soft drink bottles. They are  filled with clean water along with an added soda capful of chlorine bleach which prevents algae growth over a long period of time.   When the bottle is exposed to sunlight a prismatic reaction occurs and magically, this creates a luminescence equivalent to a 50-60 watt incandescent bulb. The water in the bottle simply defuses sunlight so it spread out after passing through the water rather than in a straight sunbeam if the light was going through a hole in the roof.

   The process of making a bottle bulb is very easy. The bottle is fitted with a 12”x12” metal skirt that fits around the middle of the bottle, then the bottle is inserted vertically with the top half the bottle sticking out above a tin or similar thin roof and the bottom half the bottle hangs down inside the structure below the roof. The skirt is then screwed or glued to the roof and the holes filled with water- proof sealant or caulking and that is all there is to it.  A soft glowing natural illumination will automatically come from the bottom half of the bottle and brightens a dark interior living or work space. This only works during the day when the sun is shining, however there are always interior spaces that are dark during the day for lack if windows or sky lights.  The Bottle Bulb will assist in lighting sheds, club houses, tree houses, tents, cabanas, any small structure and even homes and work spaces with a thin penetrable roof exposed to sunlight.

My Occupy project will consist of workshops in an unused storefront or empty building where we can set up tables and teach people how to make Bottle Bulbs. An extra salient bonus of this project is clearing the environment of empty discarded plastic bottles.

The materials involved are basic and easily procured such as scrap metal, metal snips, drills, sealants, putty knives, plastic bottles, water and chlorine bleach.

My part will consist of one or several demo workshops with a short power point on the history of the Bottle Bulb and then the workshops can be conducted with assistants and community artists and volunteers.  The finished Bottle Bulbs can be distributed to local citizens who need them and we can ask for a nominal donation in return to help with supply costs.  This idea can be taken to a national level because even today there are many places in the United States where electricity is still a luxury.

Jessica Eis, video/audio

I have created two video/audio pieces that would be installed in a storefront or isolated room. The images will be displayed in the storefront window by video projection or in an isolated room/space in a larger exhibition and would be on a loop. While, speakers strategically placed outside, or within the room depending on location, will be playing an audio loop as well, creating a micro-environment of what life through my eyes was like at Zuccotti Park, a functioning village in the heart of New York City, created by people that could no longer stand idly by as our society yearns for change.

The first piece is called Sights&Sounds, 30min video piece, which is the combination of still images from a day at Zuccotti Park as well as audio from another day. My hope with this piece is to put the observer in the heart of Occupy Wall Street, the village and the movement created in the middle of a bustling city, where everyone was fed, sheltered, and nurtured, and where the possibility for change was palpable and ideas for that change were welcomed. Images will be inter dispersed between black screen or “empty spaces” forcing the viewer into a closed eye state, which encourages the observer to listen and feel what an amazing environment was forged at Zuccotti Park, creating a moment of imagination and interaction for the viewers to place themselves in the OWS movement.

http://vimeo.com/jessicaleis/sightsandsound

                 http://vimeo.com/jessicaleis/take-back-11-15-11

The second piece, Take Back, 16min video piece, during the day after the NYPD had raided the park, while everyone awaited the court’s decision and then eventually the inevitable re-taking of the park. And although Zuccotti Park never got back to its previous incarnation of what I like to call “Village of the People”, it was a incredibly symbolic moment, that no matter what the government organizations would do, they could not stop the movement of enlightenment and change that had begun. This piece too has both audio and visual components that would be set up in a loop just as the previous piece. However, Take Back has an expanded format- in addition to the black screen there are quotes by Thomas Jefferson interspersed throughout that address the need for public dissent- forcing and focusing the listener/viewer into both a closed eye state as well as a reflective state on our society and its founding ideals and principles.

Both pieces, Sight&Sound and Take Back, create a space that transports the viewer back to a moment of origination of Occupy Wall Street, and shows how ideals and change can reverberate through time, people, and space.

Buckminster Fuller Institute

The Buckminster Fuller Institute is housed in Williamsburg, Brooklyn above Hyperallergic,  where Occupy With Art has a residency through March.  Paul McLean reports that the BFI is interested in working with us on creative design and sustainability projects.

http://www.bfi.org/programs/prototype


Recap of conversation with the BFI Challenge Director, Jen Joy Roybal:

They have 4-6 project boards, 4'x6' mounted on foamcore.  Each board features 8 finalists from the Buckminster Fuller Design Challenge addressing whole system solutions and integrated strategies for solving sustainability issues and ecological problems- They show how art, energy, economy, design, science engineering, technology can all work together.

They may be interested in a presentation on alternative economies, land use issues such as the watershed, agriculture and tourism relating NYC to the Hudson Valley.  

Also Jen Joy is available for two weeks in March to help install.  We plan another conversation for Mon 2/13.

Susan Wides, Photographs

Photographs from Harper's Magazine story, Oct 5, 2011

Violetta Vollrath, painter, installation artist, Germany

I am an artist (painting, installation, action) from Germany (Mainz).

Probably and unexpectedly I will be in NY some when between July 23 and august 11.

When I was looking for an opportunity to make some art there I found your site. I would like to contribute a series of 42 paintings. (see below how to show them in NYC) Each of the 42 pictures shows, what is worth or could be a billion (1 000 000 000) Euro (1 320 000 000 US$). This
value is derived from

#the different valuation of different achievements and products within a
currency area and

# from the different costs of same or similar achievements or products in
different currency areas, to attribute to the rates of exchange.

The data, which stand behind the pictures, from the Internet and other
sources, were investigated for example from the statistic yearbook 2008 of
the statistic federal office. Inaccuracies result from the changing rates of
exchange, which were as far as possible always determined for the proven
year. Annual details indicate the newest available data, which are
accordingly differently old depending upon origin of the data and the
statistic processing. The most important sources are indicated in a source
collection (internet link), which can be requested by the authoress and
painter.

See all titles (although not well translated), an example of pictures with titles and my biography in the attached files.

HOW TO SHOW :

As I can not be there during the exhibition time I want to ask you to exhibit copies of the pictures. If you can sponsor some prints (e.g. in a copy shop) you may print all pictures and all titles and make an exhibition how you like, e.g. simply glued by tape on a wall or a window. 

As weel anybody may find all pictures and titles in

https://picasaweb.google.com/113525018995923638520/Das1MilliardeEuroProjektAlleBilder

  

You can also publish the link to any interested people.

In 2009 the work was exhibited in Worms/Germany:

http://www.schauraum-fabrik.de/AKTIONEN.HTM  

 

http://picasaweb.google.de/Violetta.Vollrath/Das1MilliardeEuroProjektSchauraumWorms?authkey=Gv1sRgCOqOoJX_qN7fywE&feat=email#

I also can send you cheap copies of the pictures on paper with all titles and you may fix them as described above.

 

I would be pleased, if I could contribute to a better comprehension of money with my project.

 Violetta Vollrath

FURTHER DETAILS

IN ENGLISH

One Billion Euro is ...

Could be: a good non-fiction book for every household 2008

Coffee consumption of Bavaria, Baden-Wurttemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate, 2007

Annual income of 520 000 coffee workers in Brazil 2006

Triple fold of the annual expenditure of all world states for humanitarian demining, 2005,

which equals to 500 000 units or 0.6% of landmines lying around

Cost of 176 million anti-personnel mines in stockpiles of the armies of the world, 2007

Price for 12 fighter-bombers 2007

Cost for seven G8 Summits 2008

Salary increase for all 540 000 metal workers in Germany 2008

Gross Domestic Product of Bhutan, 2007

Could be: sports, music or art lessons for everyone of these 3 million children receiving social

assistance, Germany 2008

Could be: tax rate increase from 41 to 45% for every income greater than € 1 million in

Germany, for the year 2003

The governmental UNICEF contributions worldwide, 2005

Power consumption of all tumble driers in Germany in 2008

Could be: public annual housing allowance increase to more than double from 90 to 200 € /

household / month, 2008

Fuel for car traffic in the district of Kassel (administrative district in Germany), per year 2006

Could be: 2200 km of amphibian protection fence on both sides with tunnels, satisfies about

the needs in the new federal states of Germany and the state of Hessen, 2008

Could be: slaughter cattle farming in organic farms in Germany, extra cost per year after

conversion (2008)

Gross income of the geriatric nurses in Brandenburg, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia

(countries in Germany), 2006

Operating costs of all national parks in SE and Central Africa, possibly the whole of Africa

2008 (estimated)

Price for 77 000 hand prosthesis with movable fingers 2008

Could be: annual investment / depreciation for solar power systems for all households in

Mittelfranken (region of Germany) 2008

Electric power of all German internet servers 2001 (estimated 1 / 4 of 2010)

Construction costs (without additional expenses) for 100 km highway with an average bridge

portion of Germany, e.g. from Münster to Wuppertal, 2007

1 / 3 of public expenditure on coastal protection the EU 2006

Cost for 1 / 8 Gotthard Base Tunnel, 2008

Approx. 1 / 250 of the federal budget of Germany, 2007

80% of the annual investment of the producing industries for environmental protection in

Germany, 2005

Could be: construction costs for all urgently needed drinking water wells for the whole of

Western, Eastern and Central Africa, 2008

1.1 times the expenditure of federal and countries research 2008 for nuclear energy, retreating

of NPP, fusion, coal and renewable energy

Public expenditure for all 154 000 asylum seekers in Germany, 2007

Add-on cost for pork instead of (theoretically possible) substituttion by lentils in Germany

during two weeks / year (retail price) 2008

Could be: cost for 21,800 student apartments 2008

Prescribed lipid-lowering drugs in Germany, Netherlands and Belgium, retail prices 2007

Global public spending on malaria treatment, 1 / 5 of the needs, 2008

Could be: 25 new theatre buildings in Germany 2008

Annual income of the 20 most earning individuals in Germany, 2001

Annual spending on diapers estimated in Germany, 2008

Black market price for the annual consumption of heroin, of approx. half of the 120 000

heroin addicts in Germany 2008

Punishment of the EU Commission for a well-known IT chip company because of

competition-distorting arrangements and contracts, 2009

0.6% of the World Rice Production (stock market prices) 2007

Could be: 13 million solar- or crank-powered learning laptops, e.g. for all children of Dem.

Rep. Congo, 2008

The sales prices of the 15 most expensive pictures in the world, 2009

Sarah Barker, Paintings

x

4 ft. painting on steel,  Star Series + one on paper I am finishing now. The star series questions power structures and has a lot of environmental and political edges.  More on my website. www.sarahbarker.com.

Yellow Rose references to the oil industry, lost souls and a desire for things past. 

Prey, Pay, Pray, Relates to matters of war and money corruption and peace. The piece is on Steel 4'x4', it is painted with the same pigments as on the stealth bombers. In the middle you will find a goldfish band relating to the anti fraud band running try money and the laurel or peace plant is represented in the center circle.

Health and Wealth is from the plant series still using the stars and referencing chamomile for its calming effects and wealth, This piece contemplates a deeper meaning of the term wealth, that of spirit and soul.

Sandy Parsons, Collage

Print of collage- submission for group show

http://www.visualnews.com/2011/12/09/one-an-art-piece-brings-inspiration-to-occupy/

Sam Truit, Dymaxion Occupation Map

Dymaxion Occupation Map

It would be useful to commit a wall on which to hang a Dymaxion Air Ocean World Map. With the map we could have pins with flags attached to them, on which people can attach a number, which in turn would correspond to an entry in a book. Each entry would be for an organization anyplace on Earth that is doing significant, occupy-oriented cultural activities. Once the show is over, the map and entries could be converted into digital form and placed on the web, with the possibility of both editing and adding/subtracting entries.

This will give a concrete representation of movement happenings - including opportunities for people around the world to join locally and be aware globally.

LINK TO DYMAXION MAP: http://www.spaceshipearthsalon.com/blog/2008/12/fuller-dymaxion-map/
My Name: Sam Truitt
My E-mail: samtruitt@gmail.com
My Website: http://www.samtruitt.org

Nute Nicholson, Paintings

miChelle Vera, Sculpture

76. Occupy  2011

          84” h x 47”w x 24” Metal, Found objects, wood in raw finish.

This piece makes premise of no adornment. The abstract of subject complexity is explored through metal from many angels. The work entices the onlooker to participate by using the sculptures interactive gong. I through the work activate, mimic and explore all the senses of Occupy Wall Streets movement from both sides. This piece not only dimensional but multi perspectives abound with metaphor.This piece is an interactive gong- sculpture, the piece is intended to work on multiple levels not just visual.

75. Wall Street 2010

          22”h x 15”

          Metal welded (exercise equipment, building steel, gusset, drain cover,) and painted in  enamel

http://www.michellevara.com

http://michellevara-art.blogspot.com/

http://picasaweb.google.com/michellevara09

Melinda DiGiovanna, Tiles

This piece was created to bring awareness to the Occupy Movement. There are forty-four pressed white clay tiles. Each tile was underglazed and fired. The designs were then screen printed with black ink onto decal paper and transferred to each tile. After the final firing, the tiles were assembled and grouted together.

Matt Bua, Shelter Drawings

I would like to produce a wall of drawings(filling a space roughly 4x 4 ft) dealing with occu-pods and other ways to build quick shelters and stay warm during the winter months.
A small zine could be produced for visitors. Living with Less and Loving It.
http://bhomepark.blogspot.com/2011/11/occu-pod-building-workshops-dec-26th.html

Also maybe a visionary drawing building workshop.

Emily Peters and Yinka Orafidiya, Collaborative Sculpture Exhibit

 Emily Peters                                                              







Yinka Orafidiya                                                                       

Collaborative Proposal

In response to the question "Who is the 99%?” artists Emily Peters and Yinka Orafidiya would like to present a collaborative artwork.

    

Every individual in the 99% has a unique life circumstance and identity, and it is the nature of human beings to separate and categorize ourselves by these identifying factors which include race, gender, sexual orientation, etc.  However, in the Occupy Wall Street movement, lending too much attention to such personal identifiers is often avoided in the effort to facilitate consensus and maintain group unity. While this avoidance helps to preserve the strength of the group, it does not leave much opportunity for an individual to emphasize their unique cultural perspective.  It is exciting that individuals are nevertheless willing to join together as one voice, even if it means not always feeling completely understood.

     

Just like everyone else in the 99% Emily and Yinka have very different backgrounds and life situations, which makes their collaborative process very much in-sync with the Occupy movement.  Specifically, Yinka is a 31 year old black female born and raised in Philadelphia, PA and Emily is a 24 year old white female from Missouri.  Although a supporter of the movement, Yinka did not attend Occupy meetings while Emily has actively participated in the Occupy Wall Street movement.

    

The proposed collaborative piece will be comprised of 99 slip-casted ceramic objects that represent the unique life situations of ninety-nine different Occupy supporters. The objects will be imprinted with the financial status, demographics, and/or personal grievances of these 99 people to convey and pay respect to their individualism and unique stories. The objects will then be connected together with fibers of different hues creating an intricate ceramic quilt.  In doing so, the individual ceramic objects become connected, unified, and part of a larger whole.

As an artwork, this ceramic quilt symbolizes a display of separate-togetherness, a way to simultaneously celebrate and acknowledge the individual while also demonstrating the strength in connecting and bonding in unity.

Emily Breunig, Artists Books Exhibit and Workshop

Hi, my name is Emily Breunig and I would love to submit some occupy artist books to exhibit and sell for ‘From Wall Street to Main Street’. These books are made of recycled and repurposed handouts, pamphlets and signage found at occupy events and gatherings mainly from OWS/nyc, but I have books that are made from materials from various occupies including Boston, Albany, Manchester NH (during the primaries!) and Washington D.C. (during occupy congress!).  I put everything I find in these books, even handouts on topics I know nothing about or that I don’t agree with. The point of my books is to give artfully collaged first hand documentation so that people can educate themselves on the actual topics, conversations, mentalities and groups representing themselves in the movement.  

They have already been shown in Gallery 51 in North Adams, MA during December and the Upstate Artist Guild in Albany, NY during January.  All profit is split up and used as follows (and I include little handouts outlining this as well): 

1/3 purchasing art supplies and materials for occupiers to make their own signage, 1/3 for my own transportation costs, 1/3 towards a project or group I support.  In the past it was Tim Pool/Occumentary and also Parents for Occupy.

As far as events ago, I would love to give a short teach in or workshop on basic artist book making during any sort of larger gathering/fair/opening? I am also with the OWS Screen Printers Guild. Im sure we could do some live demos/a teach in.  I don’t know how events are being planned, but Im assuming that workshops of this nature would be best in a larger, collaborative atmosphere. 

Elizabeth Blum, Installation

This proposal suggests two versions on a similar concept.

They suggest the visual representation of money and greed on Wall St. by the banking industry particularly those that received government funds as part of the bail out process.

The first version is a play on status, the 1%, the exclusivity from the rest of the 99%.

In the center of the storefront window on red carpet flooring a pedestal/vitrine contains  ‘diamond ‘ (Czech Preciosa Rhinestones) covered handcuffs atop a black velvet cushion.

In the background a ‘step and repeat banner’ similar to those as photo op backdrops at film festivals or corporate events is screened with banking logos.

The handcuffs are illustrative of OWS arrests and suggest indictment of high profile financial money launderers.

The second version includes the same pedestal/vitrine with handcuffs, substituting the background banner and red carpet, with window light projection of stock market LED ticker tape.

Handcuffs would mimic this object example in covered Czech Preciosa Rhinestones.

Occupy light window - pedestal/vitrine, handcuffs, and light projection of stock market LED ticker tape.

 Occupy status window - pedestal/vitrine, handcuffs, step and repeat bank banner, red carpet.

Dick Crenson, Sculpture

The piece I have been thinking about is a window display which ilustrates the idea of 99% to 1%.

it is a circle of 99  ping pong balls, with faces painted on.  They are mounted on a circluar board approx 5feet.

Each ball is mounted on  a wire in such a way that it shakes from side to side (all are powered by one small elctric motor).

The moving is what I am working on...but I don't think it's too difficult.

The piece I have been thinking about is a window display which ilustrates the idea of 99% to 1%.

it is a circle of 99  ping pong balls, with faces painted on.  They are mounted on a circluar board approx 5feet.

Each ball is mounted on  a wire in such a way that it shakes from side to side (all are powered by one small elctric motor).

The moving is what I am working on...but I don't think it's too difficult.

The drawing is a little rough but you get the idea.

Brett Messenger, Performance/Installation

I am a recent graduate of School of Visual Arts in new york and a current graduate student at the San Francisco Art Institute, working towards an MFA in New Genres as well as an MA in Contemporary Art History and Theory. I live and work in new york city during the year and participated in the last round of Masters on Main Street. In the last round of Masters on Main Street, I showed three different pieces that were influenced by notions of space, energy and theatricality. I am interested in moving forward in work that explores theater in art. The piece I would like to put forward for your consideration for this show is A Production of Sisyphus for Catskill. 

I would place  an advertisement  in the local paper for one days work. The work would consist of moving a pile of rocks from one location to another, one by one. I am open to the idea of either having two store fronts or two public locations to stage this piece. If, and when someone applies for the days work, I would hire them to move the rocks and then place a new ad in the paper to have them moved back to their original location. The two sites for the rocks would have a black wooden frame in the position that the rocks would be placed any participant that is hired to move the rocks would be able to configure them however they wish within the frame. By paralleling the Greek myth of Sisyphus to the current state of the economy and jobs I hope To highlight the desperation many qualified and ablebodied individuals face in their search for work and the frustration many people face in work situations where their individual efforts can seem repetitive and meaningless. By using stone, I reference classical sculpture and architecture which brings the current issues into a broader discourse surrounding the worker throughout history, from slaves moving the massive rocks to build the Pyramids to the current state of the worker. This piece also highlights the fact that often credit for work by an individual is lost to the ‘higher ups’ or brand, in this case the artist. By offering the equivalent of one days minimum wage, it also calls attention to this wage for peoples consideration. The theatrical nature of the piece invites the public to engage in the piece that illustrates a big picture issue in our society while offering a small amount of actual work into the local economy. Even if the ad never receives a response, and the rocks never move from one location to the next this piece invites the public into the discourse through the physical piece, and by bringing it into homes through the advertisement In the paper. A minimum time period for this piece would be two weeks but I am open to having it run through the course of this round of masters on main street. I can budget $600 for this piece to cover the advertisement costs, moving supplies for the rocks to be provided to one that might apply to move them, pay for the worker that may apply to move the rocks and miscellaneous costs that may occur. 

I am very excited about this collaboration between Masters on Main Street and Occupy Wall Street and I think that many exciting projects could help shed lights on the many facets of the movement.

BooLynn Walsh, Collaborative Social Art Project

OCCUPY THE WALLS – OUR STORY PAST & PRESENT - a visual collaborative social art project

PROJECT SUMMARY:

The intention of this proposal is to create a welcoming, informal meeting space for everyone to participate in an interactive, all inclusive, community art piece which will evolve for the duration of this collaborative event, creating a bond among attendees (both locals, visitors and beyond). It would provide documentation and expressions of the Occupy Movement that many have not been exposed to due to the censorship of mainstream media, lack of internet access or the broad array of lesser known channels. This is “Our Story, Past & Present”.

The installation contains two main components (labeled A and B below) both related to the Occupy Movement and are intended to be presented in the same physical space. “A” is art created during the event on canvas. “B” is a people’s theatre, an informal screening space for the multimedia presentation of short films, animations, photo and puppet shows. I believe this type of community involvement, uncensored creative expression and exposure to be an invaluable component of the event which could be produced for a minimal investment in physical space and materials. I would suggest this be done on the ground floor of the Catskill Community Center and also include a welcome information station with map of events and schedules component.

(A) OCCUPY THE WALLS, PAST AND PRESENT:

This is done with two walls, each covered in a separate piece of large canvas. One wall canvas is labeled “OCCUPY PAST” a second wall canvas is labeled “OCCUPY  PRESENT:” People enter the space and are invited to bring or create a postcard size (4”X6”) flat artwork memento of photos, writings, poetry, newspaper clipping and collages related to the OWS movement and affix it to the appropriate canvas. For OCCUPY PAST, images and impressions that relates to the events of the past. For the OCCUPY PRESENT People are encouraged to document the current events within the time frame of this event particularly local images and feedback as the events are continuously unfolding.

The canvas would begin to fill up with these images respectfully placed in lines like a quilt creating a living testimony of our experience and visions, giving it a voice while evolving into a communal art piece. When the canvas becomes full another piece of canvas will be installed to continue to collect more memobillia. The finished canvases would be sealed with a protective, covering substance, becoming part of the Creative Commons art and image resources collection of OWS, under the care of the Arts & Culture group, to be utilized as needed for future exhibitions, political action etc. (online and physical).

(B) MOVING IMAGES, SLIDE SHOWS, ANIMATIONS AND SHORT FILMS

Moving visual arts, mini movies and animations related to OWS.

In the same room as the living canvases, there is one wall or a screen that would be available to artists to show their Occupy related slide shows, independent documentaries live feeds, animations or do shadow puppet style shows throughout the event’s duration. 

Maraya Lopez and Arthur Polendo, Mulit-Media Installation

Proposal for Wall Street to Main Street

Artists: Maraya Lopez and Arthur Polendo

We request that our artwork, 2012 Space Transparency, be included in the upcoming art project, Wall Street to Main Street. The proposed artwork would ideally be housed in a large room with frontal windows. This work would be a multimedia, site-specific installation focusing on the central structure of a 15 by 10 foot translucent tent (floor area), which will house two seated figures (See figures 1 through 4). The ideal room floor area would be 21 feet by 16 feet. The minimum height of the ceiling would be 10 feet. Electricity would be necessary and although the tent structure is designed to be freestanding, the permissibility to place several small screws in the ceiling would be highly valued. A statement about the work would be placed on a wall of the interior space as well as on the front glass paneled window.

The tent will be closed except for two small openings for viewers to look into. Text of various colors associated with economic and social concerns will be silk-screened on the interior walls of the tent. Additionally, sound, light and video will be emitted from the interior of the tent. Some of the audio to be transmitted will include recorded sounds from the Catskill area along with other sources including musical instruments and crowds of human voices. The tent will be illuminated from the inside, creating a different experience as the daylight subsides. The installation would be visible from the outside the storefront window and the interior of the room. The window(s) would have an opaque covering in the daytime, except for a 6-inch tall opening across the width of the glass. This would aid in keeping the room interior dark in the daytime and would be removed at night for a fuller experience when viewed from the outside. The experience of the public would vary dependent on if viewed during the day or night, whether they view the piece from the interior or exterior of the building and whether or not they approach the openings of the tent wall, revealing the interior.

Upon looking within the interior of the tent, there will be a dichotomy between the printed text pointing out various issues and the two seated figures facing different continents of the world clasping colored threads. These threads connect to opposite walls within the interior of the tent demarcating a multiple of key cities and points of occupation throughout the world. Interior wall text, sound, light and various shadows and projected video imagery would also be visible when situated on the outside of the tent, as the walls are translucent. Sound on the exterior of the building via small mounted speakers provide individuals on the sidewalk with the audio from inside the tent along with the ambient sounds of Main Street.

2012 Space Transparency calls attention to social concerns previously addressed by various Occupy protests at locations throughout the globe, but by no means are these resolved issues. Like the Buddha who sits and meditates, the seated figures contemplate the anticipated actions to be taken in the immediate future. The tent is a metaphor for the myriad of issues that are housed in the present minds that previous and present occupiers face. This temporal artwork will provide an opportunity for viewers to raise their awareness of social issues while simultaneously engaging in a multi-sensorial aesthetic experience in a setting along side other art included in Wall Street to Main Street.

Figure 1. Illuminated Tent in Darkened Room Interior

Figure 2. Tent Interior Viewed Through Small Opening

Figure 3. Overhead Diagram View of Room Interior

Figure 4. Storefront Building Exterior