Images from the Opening

Towards the exhibition

On Friday, we suddenly had a long list of work to do. We read through a rough statement and talked at length about the role that words could play in our installation. Oddly, we never thought to talk about the name, but we can follow through with that next week. There were strong feelings against giving too much away or being overly directive in our statement, and agreement all around that we want people to enter the space and have their own experience.

We also talked about breaking into groups and being present in shifts during the exhibition, so that our presence in the space was not overwhelming.

In the gallery, we looked at the way we might site the cocoon, and also looked at the relationship between the wall of envelopes and the cocoon, talking about ways we might connect them to each other visually. We agree that we need MORE BRAIDS and MORE ENVELOPES.

We made lots of long braids and are beginning to work with the space in a more comprehensive way.

Next week, we will break into teams and finish the work so that we are ready for Art Saves Lives.

Adding words

Yesterday, in addition to our discarded clothing, we began adding silk strips that were stamped with words that spoke of other things we might leave behind. The transparent silk organza is torn and frayed, and tied inside the cocoon to make a lining, like the feathers a goose or the fur a rabbit might use to line a nest. Fortunately, one of the students thought to turn the cocoon inside-out while we worked, making the tying much easier. Above is a view of the inside-out cocoon.

We began to plan our participation in Art Saves Lives, the annual school-wide visual art exhibit that will be held on May 12. The art class will have an in-school field trip that day, during which they will install their work and prepare it for presentation to the public that afternoon and evening. We talked about the ways we might engage the visitors, inviting them to participate in the making of the cocoon, whether by continuing to braid and weave, or by stamping and adding their own words to the lining. We also talked about the connections between the folded envelope quilts and the cocoon that we were making, and the ways we might connect them more clearly.

ATCG

Parallel with the Cocoon that the student artists are making, I am filling a wall of the Gallery 370 with a pattern of red, white, gold and black hand-folded envelopes. The sequence of colors is transcribed from the human genome, substituting colors for the four nucleotides (adenine, thymine, cytosine and guanine) that make up all known living life. Instead of the double-helix in which these building blocks are arranged within our DNA, I am flattening them out into quilt-like panels that read from left to right. Even if we were able to cover all four walls of the gallery, we would not begin to approach the 3 billion characters that compose the entire human genome. Friends, family and students continue to help me fold the many envelopes, currently approaching 4500.

Falling out of our fingers

We've met several times since the last entry. The cocoon has been moved to Gallery 370 where we are continuing to work on it. We have torn large piles of clothes into strips, then braid and weave these strips into the rapidly growing object. On Friday, we worked outside, and several of us tried the cocoon on. It is very heavy and swallows some of us up more than others. If walking, the wearer needs a guide as it obscures vision of all but the gound in front of their feet. We continue to talk about what might emerge out of it, as well as ways in which others might add to it when it is on display for the Art Saves Lives exhibition, beginning May 15th.

All Connected

We got a lot of braiding done on Friday, and the cocoon is beginning to have a shape. Some ideas we tossed around while we worked were of making the cocoon large enough for a human being, wondering what would come out of the cocoon, and also, what could we put into it.

We also talked about the idea of making it out of discarded clothing, how that spoke of what we left behind. Some of us wondered how we could weave our own descriptions of what we were leaving, outgrowing, or shedding. I've been thinking about that a lot, and I wonder if as we braid and weave, if we are already making those things part of our cocoon?

I'm not sure if everyone heard us talking about the students at Needham High School, where I am working on another project with their Public Art class. They are making a beautiful installation out of discarded water bottles that are cut into spirals and hung from the ceiling of their entry lobby. I've inserted a link to their site so that you can look at what they are doing. We've already met several times and are almost finished. Their teacher, Linda Burke, has suggested that they take a look at what you are doing and share their own responses. Anton (from NHS) has already added a comment under the Metamorphosis post below.

I know that they would like to hear from you on their project blog as well.

By the way, two big bags of water bottles used at Needham High came from Holliston High via your Environmental Club. Maybe they will send you some of their discarded clothes for your installation, too.

Working photos

Beginning the transformation

On Friday March 28th we began working with the pile of discarded clothing that we had collected, along with some strings and strips of fabric that had been donated to our project. By the end of the class we had discovered several ways that we could use the fabric in the construction of a cocoon. We will continue next week by braiding and weaving on the framework that we established.

Metamorphosis

We had a great discussion today. I know that this blog is open to anyone who choose to visit, but my postings will be written directly to the participating class. For future classes, we should appoint a scribe (to capture our ideas in writing) and a photographer to visually document our process.

I heard a recurrent theme in our group discussion that centered around the sense of disconnection or disembodiment that we experience as our use of communications technology increases and physical contact with people and the natural world decreases.

Our pile of discarded clothing has possibilities as a material to explore old ways/new ways of being in the world.

Mr. Lack's story about his pet tarantula who became "two" tarantulas when she shed her skin is sticking with me. Have you ever had a conversation with someone online, and then seen them in person, and not remembered to continue that topic until you are back online again? I have and experience that as a peculiar splitting of my self.

Our next meeting won't be held until March 28th, just over two weeks from today. If we can continue our conversation here in this blog, we can make use of the time between to push our ideas around and keep them fresh.

Each of us will remember different aspects of today's conversations. Please add what you recall, especially what had particular resonance for you.

Names & Old Clothes

Friday, March 7th I visited the class for a few minutes. Students introduced themselves adding details that would help me learn their names quickly. Classmates often added the most memorable details. I asked the students to bring in an old item of clothing, something outgrown physically or emotionally or simply too worn out to wear. I've also enlisted my friends to gather more clothing.

When we meet for our first full class tomorrow, we will use this clothing to begin our discussion of growth and change, launching our collaborative project, Metamorphosis (working title).