For this project, I took inspiration from a performance earth artist whose work I have studied many times: Ana Mendieta.
Particularly in her "Silueta" series, Mendieta utilizes her body to perform in a non-spectacle way and to intervene on the earth. She leaves behind haunting feminine figures through the combined use of her own shape and materials found in nature. Much like Andy Goldsworthy, her media consists of whatever is already in the environment. She does not disrupt nature during her process, and it can seamlessly continue once she has left. She leaves nothing behind that will cause harm to her chosen space of work.
Keeping with Goldsworthy's method of making work in places which he is attached to, I chose to work on the public grounds of the elementary school I attended from Kindergarten to 6th grade.
Artist Statement:
I spent the entirety of my childhood and some of the happiest days of my life attending Aldrin Elementary School. Many of the friendships I have today started there, as did my love and appreciation for art. This place represents simpler times for me; times when the biggest worry I had was deciding what type of ice cream I should get.
It's been almost ten years since I last attended Aldrin, but on some level I still feel that it's my school and I know that it will always have a special place in my heart. I did not want to harm this place with my art, but I still wanted to leave a part of myself behind.
In the summer, the school grounds are completely open to the public. Those who traverse it before the next rain will see my figure clearly outlined in various places around the perimeter of the building. The curvature of my form will indicate to them that I am a matured individual, yet they will still understand that I must have some sort of attachment to this place. I really wanted them to understand that this place is special.
Ever since being home, I have been wearing my favorite fuzzy red slippers all around the house. They are very old and worn with a large hole in the right sole, but I still love how they keep my toes warm and separate my feet from the cold hardwood floors.
I figured that since I had been wearing the slippers so often in the privacy of my home, why not wear them non-stop for a whole day? I would wear them in the house, of course, but also if i had to go out into public. Although it was a small modification to the fabric of everyday life, I was sure it would not go unnoticed by by anyone I might encounter that day
I stayed in my house most of the morning, but I decided to take my dog for a walk in the early afternoon. I changed out of my pajamas, put on jean capris and a v-neck shirt, and slid my feet back into my cozy slippers.
I felt slightly awkward wearing my slippers somewhere besides my house, but I have to admit that it was much more comfortable than wearing flip-flops. I passed a few other dog walkers, a runner or two, and a woman pushing a stroller. I noticed most of them stare down at my feet as they went by, but none of them said anything to me. This is the type of reaction I was expecting at the very least. Some cars drove by as well. I noticed some of the motorists look my way while others may not have noticed I was there at all.
Later in the day, I had to make a trip to Target. So in my slippers, I grabbed my keys and my purse, got in my car, drove to the store, and walked through the automatic sliding doors. Again, I felt very awkward; almost out of place. However, I went on shopping as I normally would as if I were just wearing my flip-flops.
I had many people looking at me and my feet. One man cheerfully said to me, "You look comfortable". And indeed I was. I even overheard a little girl say to her mother, "She gets to wear her slippers to the store!". I laughed to myself after this remark. I found it really funny that a little girl had the same idea as me. I finished my shopping without hearing any additional comments, but with plenty of stares.
I ran a few other errands that day and had lots of people look at me and mumble comments to one another, but no one else said anything directly to me. After a while, I almost forgot I was wearing anything out of the ordinary.
When I arrived home, my dad met me at the door. He took notice of my feet and said, "Did you really wear those out?". I told him yes and that I just felt like staying comfortable all day because that's what summer vacation is for.Although I felt awkward for majority of the day, it was an experiment I had never tried before so it was interesting to note people's reactions.
I tend to have a difficult time taking pictures in public, especially if there are lots of other people around. I usually focus on feeling shy rather than keeping my goal in mind. I think that if I occasionally do exercises such as this one, it will help me to become a better public/street photographer. I will probably learn to better deal with that uncomfortable feeling I get so often if I intentionally expose myself to it more often.
After speaking with my mother, there was no doubt in my mind that I would be walking in the name of her mother, my Nonna. She was a very prominent figure in my life until she passed away when I was 17.
Although she died due to a series of complications following a shoulder surgery, she suffered through severe rheumatoid arthritis and its side effects for as long as I can remember. The intense pain she experienced as a result of this disease made it very difficult for her to get around. She had increased difficulty with driving, climbing stairs, and even walking from one end of her apartment to the other.
She walked most of the time either using a cane or relying on the presence of walls and railings to lean on. Once even that became too trying, she acquired mobility through the use of a motorized wheelchair.
However, it was her perseverance through the harsh effects of this disease which gave her the opportunity to play an active role in my life, the lives of my two siblings, and the lives of my four cousins. This was my main motivation to take my mother's advice and respectfully walk in her name.
The best way I could think of to walk so as to make it as relevant as possible to my Nonna's condition was to take a route where I would have something to lean on all along the way. As I was wandering around my neighborhood, I came across this stretch of path which would allow me to do just that.
As I approached the beginning of this small bridge while keeping in mind how I was going to make my way across it, I started to realize how much time it would take to accomplish this and how physically jarring it would be. Keeping these things in mind made the bridge seem intimidating; almost as if it was taunting me, daring me to try to cross it in my intended manner.
I wanted to walk my way across this bridge by holding on to and leaning against the railing with every step I took. I know this was the way in which arthritis caused my Nonna to walk and I wanted to make my temporary experience as close to her everyday reality as possible.
As I reached the end, I looked back at the progress I had made. I couldn't believe how long it took me to traverse such a short distance. I can only imagine how much longer it would have taken me if I had actually experienced the same amount of pain my Nonna had. I only hope that she was looking down on me and smiling at the fact that I was taking a walk in her shoes.
I noticed a winding path ahead of me. I was not ready to head home yet, so I followed it around the bend. Once I saw that it lead to another bridge lined with railings, I knew I had to walk it in the same way I walked the one I had just crossed.
Once I reached the start of the second bridge, I realized it was much longer and had a few twists and turns. This would be more of a challenge, but I was determined to do it in honor of my Nonna.
After I had made some progress, I looked behind me. Compared to what was ahead of me, I felt like I had hardly moved anywhere at all. Although I was slightly frustrated at this point, I kept thinking that my Nonna had to deal with this feeling anytime she needed to walk somewhere. I had the ability to start walking normally whenever I chose; she did not.
After the first sharp turn, I came to the realization that not every path she walked was completely straight nor was every path the same as the one before it; she had to worry about turns, corners, and places with uneven footing. Things like this which don't phase those of us who can walk comfortably may be a nightmare for someone like my Nonna.
After the second turn, I was in sight of the path's conclusion. Still gripping and leaning on the railings, I made it to the end which turned into an observation deck projecting out onto a pond. I felt so free standing against that final railing and looking out over the water, sun on my face and light breeze in my hair. It made me consider how my Nonna is in a place now where she does not need railings, canes, or wheelchairs. She has walked her walk, and now she is resting peacefully. From now on, I will walk in her name.
Arthritis is not a disease recognized or readily discussed by many people. It can, however, cause discomfort, pain, and lead to other serious health complications if not taken control of. I would encourage others to take at least one walk of this nature so as to understand the impact it has on the simple functions, such as everyday mobility, which the rest of us tend to take for granted.
Tactical media practitioners rely highly on experimental techniques because every day that passes challenges them to come up with something new and exciting; something no one has ever seen before. They depend on social and knowledge systems to serve as the materials for their works, yet these are things which can shift on a daily basis. In order to keep up with the rapidly changing times, experimenting is absolutely necessary.
While tactical media practitioners are some of the most innovative thinkers of our time, they don’t often get the recognition they deserve. They are the people who are going out on limbs, taking chances, and trying new things yet their lack of title and absence of complete expertise in any one area keeps them from falling into a category with all the great artists.
If you were to ask the average person about the great, well-known artists we typically study, they would probably say something like, “Picasso was a painter” and “Ansel Adams was a photographer”. What they may not know is that Picasso has also put out multiple sculptures and Ansel Adams was an accomplished pianist. They may not realize that even the fine artists dabble in and experiment with alternate forms of expression. If this is so, why can’t the tactical media practitioners be part of their group?
Perhaps it is due to the fact that the groups comprised of tactical media practitioners are starting to be labeled and therefore being surrounded by boundaries and restrictions. The resulting structure will only make experimentation more difficult which is the foundation of this practice in the first place.
The photograph of the man holding the sign reading “By Any Media Necessary” cleverly conveys the point made throughout the article that in order to clearly get the point of any work across to viewers, the most communicative media (different for every piece) should be utilized. To determine this, experimentation is often needed. At this point, I stopped to think about my own artistic practices: Although I am strictly a photography major, I should not rule out painting as the conveyor of my message if it is the medium which would most clearly do so.
I also took into consideration for my own practices how “differentiated skill bases are developed through collaboration and collective efforts.” At this point in my artistic career, I have not yet done a collective project. After reading this, I am positive that I can only benefit from taking part in a collaboration and I hope to do so before I graduate.
Something else about this article which I found interesting was how the author referred to tactical media as, like Andy Goldsworthy’s work, ephemeral. I suppose I always thought of digital media as permanent, but it really does not last forever. Take television commercials for example; they are only aired for a short time and then are never seen again. In today’s society, almost any commercial can be re-accessed through YouTube, but even then the work does not exist in its original form.
Whenever I think of marching bands, I tend to picture them as the militant-looking ones you see at high school football games which are organized, in uniform, moving completely in unison, and performing very intricate, well-rehearsed marching patterns. At my high school, marching band members were often referred to as “Bandos” and even sometimes as “Band Geeks”. This was due to the fact that majority of them were very serious about and unnecessarily dedicated to their extracurricular activity.
Having never heard of the Infernal Noise Brigade prior to reading these articles, I was very intrigued to find out that there was a marching band somewhere that decided to break the previously mentioned stereotype. I think they were very smart to find a way to protest while simultaneously having a good time and encouraging others to do the same. I believe that their intention to inject art and creativity into the often stale political spaces was a great attempt to unite these two worlds and to give loud voices to those who may not usually get to speak.
The Infernal Noise Brigade was capable of invading public space, private space, and even the uncertain areas in between. In public spaces such as protests and marches, they were very difficult to avoid. Their music would fill every corner of the place they were in and therefore would be heard by everyone around them. One of their main concerns when performing anywhere in public was how they could creatively use elements in the space to engage spectators visually as well as audibly.
The originality of the Infernal Noise Brigade’s protest methods makes them incredibly memorable to anyone who witnesses them in action. This allows them to stay with these people even after they have left the public space and have entered into the privacy of their homes, for chances are they will be thinking about the Infernal Noise Brigade’s performance at some point after the fact.
They were also capable of having an effect within the space in between public and private. Such an instance took place when they entered a Starbucks full of people going about their normal morning routines, formed a circle, and started playing their instruments. Although Starbucks is a public place, people go there expecting to enter their own private worlds once they receive their drink order. Whether they go there to work on their laptop, to read the paper, or to get lost in a book, they expect privacy and consideration while doing so. I can imagine that the people in that particular Starbucks were not particularly happy the Infernal Noise Brigade was playing there, but they made an impression on them regardless.
The Infernal Noise Brigade chooses to engage their viewers outside of expected venues such as galleries and theaters. They did not like to perform on stages and I think it was because stages made them feel creatively restricted. They preferred to play at public rallies or even on the bus or subway as they were on their way home. They have also performed on the decks of ships in Germany which offered them endless opportunities in terms of creatively using the spaces in their entireties. Their ability to adapt to any space is what allowed them to successfully engage viewers in unexpected places such as these.
An audience expects to be entertained in a gallery or theater setting. However, finding entertainment in an unexpected venue catches viewers off guard and therefore sparks their excitement right from the very beginning. An observer would be more likely to participate in exciting, engaging events occurring directly around them than expected, mundane events happening up on a stage fifteen rows in front of them. The former describes the demonstrations of the Infernal Noise Brigade. They made their viewers feel as if they were part of the action rather than passively observing the action. I think that this was the way in which they made their audiences feel as if they had voices too.
I believe that audio is extremely capable of influencing, provoking, and inspiring its listeners. Certain sounds (music in particular) are capable of moving its audiences in ways that mere words cannot, especially in an environment where words are the only things anyone expects to hear. Music can tap into the emotions of unsuspecting listeners, causing them to honestly consider their feelings on one issue or another. The Infernal Noise Brigade’s sounds breathed life, creativity, and fun back into the arena of political protest. I would think that such a dramatic change within this scene would have influenced others to make significant changes elsewhere.
I believe there is a large amount of anonymity when it comes to the Infernal Noise Brigade. They did not seem to seek recognition as individuals nor did they portray themselves as a group of vastly different individuals. To me, they came off as one large group of anonymous members who collectively had the same intention: To act as one big voice and to spread energy and creativity as far as they possibly could through music so as to inspire change. No one individual could produce a strong enough musical effect on his/her own; therefore the individuals are not paramount when considering the demonstrations of the Infernal Noise Brigade.
Even without being familiar with the individual members of the Infernal Noise Brigade, I do not feel there would be a huge question of authorship. One could easily seek out authorship if they so desired, but I do not think it would be a pressing issue for majority of the INB spectators. For me, it is more than enough to believe that all of the group’s members had an equal part in authoring their work.
I want to finish by mentioning how extreme people’s reactions are to the Infernal Noise Brigade and their intentions. I have read a few other responses from my classmates and saw that some find their methods disruptive and obnoxious while others find them intriguing and refreshing. I happened to agree with the latter, so I was thinking a lot about the people who may not have appreciated the group’s mission. Suppose those people did not feel strongly one way or the other about an issue, but the sheer fact that they did not like the additional noise made them side against what the INB was speaking for? Wouldn’t that cause them to lose support? It made me wonder if that’s perhaps why the group does not still exist today; perhaps they were too extreme of an effect for their own good.
For this project, I took inspiration from a performance earth artist whose work I have studied many times: Ana Mendieta.
