Elevator Pitch...SO WHAT?

Elevator button at studio Papenbroeksteeg Amsterdam

Artists are storytellers... SO WHAT? Whatever your creative endeavor, you have to be able to tell the story of your personal brand, and describe your artistic vision, if you want to make a difference. SO WHAT? Today the DOGtime 5th year will give their elevator pitch. What do I want to talk about? What can I do for others? What is it that I hope to do? Questions that will be featured in my pitch: what is it about me, what matters most and what do I bring to the 'art' table? These questions are followed by a SO WHAT...just to pinpoint the exact energy that should be received. I will go and try to build a relationship with the audience, I have nothing written down from A to B. I will go with the flow. Just a few words that grasp who I am and what I like to do. It starts with a 'did you know...' spoken in a rather soft tone of voice and then alters quickly by me screaming to the audience.

'Ambition is not what a man would do,

 but what a man does,  for ambition without action is fantasy' 

Bryant H. McGill

YES, I really am going to scream to the government committed jury, the teachers and students! For it reflects my energy, my need for more and my struggles. I hope I'll keep my nerves under control. Because a loud mouth should be backed up by actions, composure, body language and shift back to a more comfortable way of telling my story. Diversification is key to express what I want to show in this 5 minute opportunity with a CEO. But most of all I would like to transfer a sense of energy instead of a rational train of thoughts.

To Roam With The Buffalo

Strength.    Courage.     Prosperity.     Challenge.     Survival.      Gratitude.

Me working on the frame
at KB FABRIEK

These, and many more, are words that the American Bison has come to symbolize. For hundreds of years the Native Americans of the Great Plains relied on the bison for food, clothing and to get them through the harsh winters. The bison became a symbol of many things for the people who depended upon them. The large head symbolizes an intelligence of a higher order and their strong bodies ground them, connecting them to the earth. I'm very interested in the White American Bison, or also called The White Buffalo. When the White Buffalo comes into our awareness (dreams, vision or even while hiking) it is a huge sign of promise, and great prosperity is soon to come after sighting this regal creature.

"With the return of the White Buffalo it is a sign that prayers are being heard, that the sacred pipe is being honored, and that the promises of prophecy are being fulfilled. White Buffalo signals a time of abundance and plenty"

Sams & Carson, Medicine cards.

Preparing the wire mesh to be attached to the frame

Since my Hare research last november there was a similar interest in herds of cattle. My first preliminary design was based on a real cow giving birth to her calf, while she fell through her hoofs on the ground. With the calf being dragged behind her this image is very unsettling and disturbing and NOT AT ALL in line with my current state of mind. I do not know why, where and how but all of a sudden  I was fascinated with the American Bison. Maybe it is connected with the reason why my head was in doubt a lot for the last couple of weeks. I wasn't grateful for my talent, I did not respect my work as a artist and most of all I ignored all needs for expression. This  passive state vanished as soon as my mind got hold of the Bison idea. My research really began with the dolphin realization. And it spread through my cells contaminating all further research. Now I find myself listening to sound tapes, video reports dozens of pictures of Bisons and have requested Royal Amsterdam Zoo Artist for a day with the Bison keepers! I simply must know, feel and honor the animal during the exam in July. Because I hope its presence and effect will be felt by others....

The Beginning Of The End

Recently my mind has begun to ponder the idea if I truly am as free as I think I'am. Reason for this train of thoughts is a article that compared the human brain with that of a dolphins brain. Apparently new MRI scans show that dolphin brains are four to five times larger for their body size compared to other animals with a similar size. They discovered that the neocortex - the part of the brain that is involved in high-order thinking and processing of emotional information - is even thicker in dolphins than in humans! This means that they rely on their emotional state of being more than we do. If we look at their communication skills,  their complex forms of play or even their use of tools we must accept that they are a very high intelligent form of life, just like us. It sounds so simple to say 'Yes they are intelligent, they adapted to  water and we to land' but it implies much more. It came to my mind that they do not have jobs, they all enjoy sexual activities with members of the opposite AND the same sex without social discrimination and there is no record of a dolphin attacking a human being! Now I ask you, who is more intelligent? Did they have a Christ Dolphin? Who knows... but collecting more and more discoveries from this species I realized how humans  are influenced by our upbringing and surrounding: our parents and teachers and presidents and doctors and priests and television-sets  and newspapers and magazines. The whole lot! And yet the one remaining question still stands: What is the meaning of life? 

'All animals, except man, know that the principal business of life is to enjoy it'

Samuel Butler


Conclusion: what is freedom and am I really happy about it all? I enjoy the material world a lot. But do I need everything that is available? We need and we want, more, faster, harder and cleaner. Not so much for the other person to be happy with it NO WE MUST HAVE IT OURSELF! That is kind of strange and I believe old fashioned. We live in a world filled with abundance and yet in Holland we are told that we have a crisis. But I see no crisis, on a sunny day the terraces are full, when its cold we put on the heating. And yet our government needs more money to save the economy so that there won't be a financial disaster as in Greece. Wait a second, but you just told me we had a crisis and now we must pay to prevent the crisis before it becomes worst? Anyone with a sane set of brains knows that something else is going down the drain. What can you do about it? I'd go out for a swim, hunt some fishes and have fun with my fellow dolphin friends.... THINK ABOUT IT!

A process cannot be understood by stopping it

First try out LAB series  with four light boxes

Rietveld spins dates towards me as if they are chocolate candy bars! I've received multiple time slots for all sorts of official arrangements. There are photo-shoots for the catalogue, artist statements, elevator pitches, meetings and work plans on demand. They know I like it, i love it. It becomes all very official and that reflects in my work where I try to find solutions for all sorts of dilemmas. What feels right and what feels wrong. Are there things that add up or do they distract?  Should electrical wires be visible or can it be integrated in the work? Does it change the meaning? Should the wall be white at all? It's all part of a process that rolls out in front of me and it's as challenging as much as it is rewarding!

Second composition of the LAB series 

With the attitude 'less is more' the second composition from the LAB series has emerged. The LAB performance was a exploration of space and body. Where  new tension arose by adding a simple awkward twist. They started out very elaborate but got quickly replaced by more subtle forms of twists. At the base is still my fascination for laboratory animals. How the uncomfortable can create a comfortable zone. And so the first concepts for the graduation exhibit show follow the same stream as the rest. They will be discussed, altered and are useful right now as a simple guideline. Next chapter...

Concept for graduation exhibit in July 2012

Where Little Things Hide

It seems that little things gather together and just hang out in equal space that I temporarily call my own. I may think I'am the creator of my life but maybe the little things rule my world. And I'm just enslaved to collect them. To provide a thing called 'home' where they thrive and enjoy each others company. They remain solid in my presence but might get into all sorts of trouble once I've left. It becomes visible when words are attached and a story unfolds. How long is a day for them? It turns out their echo lingers on into all sorts of constructions once they are spoken. But very often we dismiss them in our busy life. If I had a maid who would clean everything then I doubt he/she would even notice them...These little ones....

Pony Performance HD @ Paradiso

STOFF calling

Route from Amsterdam to Stockholm by car

Out of 1300 applications from artists from 65 countries the curators of Stockholm's performance art festival STOFF have selected my Pony Performance! I will travel to Sweden together will my Pony Collection and join the festivities  from 22nd to the 25th of August 2012. The contracts and productions schedules are signed. And my mind is spinning to come up with a suitable way to find sponsors for the event. There are the expanses of traveling and staying there as well as building materials and the need to extend my collection with another 100 toy horses. With 315 My Little Ponies onboard I will have the majority of items that have my interest, this amount will look even more haunting than the 212 that I've got already. This might be the shortest blog update since I've started but I would like to leave you with a quote from Charles Eames: 'Take your pleasure seriously'

Drawing Continues

Researching pose-body relation 2012

Yesterday we celebrated our 6420 days of friendship, I decorated the table, got flowers and cooked us a very spicy dinner! Our get-togethers are like my favorite clothes;  effortlessly comfortable mixed with a posh edge. And our laughter is the diamond studded brim! You didn't expect any of this so to see the surprise in your eyes gave me the biggest gratification. From the linen napkins, the Louis XIV silver cutlery to the crystal glasses that sing when we toast, you drank every little detail with the expression of wonder and joy. You love your family unconditionally, but having a little boy and a baby can get the better part of any mother! No worries they all went through it. So to sit back and enjoy the luxury of someone that has taken care of every little detail can indeed be a blissful experience. It was when we had our soup that you asked about my development and what it is I'm currently working on.  I showed you some photo's and talked about the graduation show ideas when you interrupted me with the question;' have you stopped drawing and painting?' I answered that; while they are not very high on my priority list right now, I would always be occupied with them on some level or another. And then I sort of forgot about the subject and we went on... 

First sketch about Boxed Head performance 2012

At 08:30 this morning I received your text message saying you still experienced an afterglow from last night. But my eyes didn't see daylight until 12:30, I guess motherhood kicked back in... While I poured myself a cup of coffee I thought about last night and before I could fill the cup I was going through my sketchbook and saw that it was filled with little ideas, sketches and other drawings. Realizing that it IS an important way to express myself, so I should include it in some way or another during the graduation exhibit in July! THANK YOU JENNEKE! For addressing something I take for granted and that might be very helpful for viewers to read my work. I've put my money on another 6420 days, just so you know!

XDX

Curiosity - Experiment - Experience

The three words above this post are a driving force to keep making new work. People have asked me 'but why do you collect a Pony Performance?' or 'why do you want to bury your head in the earth?' I answer; why do we have the Olympic Games, why do we listen to music, why do we enjoy a walk through a landscape or do we lay on our backs looking at the clouds? Why do these things make us feel alive? They give us an experience that seems very important but it doesn't nourish our physical needs.

I've read 'The Naked Man' by Desmond Morris and although I found it pretty outdated at times, it also approached human kind as another species of animal on the planet earth. For me that was the most interesting element of the book and it was beneficial for my thesis. His chapter about the human need for beauty, art and expression was very insightful. And lingers in the corners of my mind. For there are many things we can't explain in this world. Expression is one of those things people everywhere on earth use by sound, clothing and decorations. Not only to be more attractive, or to tell a story nor even to show their power. Objects wether they are given magical powers or not, are also used for the cheer joy they bring to the mind. The experience of 'wonder' one gets or 'anxiety', even the reaction of 'rejection' when a person is experiencing a piece of art is just as valuable and justified as all others. But art does more, it wants some effort from the viewer. It has its own rules and regulations and can often be dismissed as to rational.

Yes, contemporary art does seem to involve the mind for a great deal. But never forget that we perceive our surroundings with all our senses! Sight, sound, smell and taste are indicators that send little pieces of information to our brains. Where we can translate emotions and thoughts and are able to talk about our experiences. Art being the territory where the 'All Is Possible' does not have to comply with the value of aesthetics.  As example you see three pictures that I shot this weekend. The most important aspect for me is that they are seen as a residue from a performance. That starting point given, I value the photo on the left much more as a sculpture. The one in the middle is more 2 dimensional with only my mouth and the earth as information carriers. And the first one above the page deals much more with motion, movement and time. It is more unsettling than the other two due to the fact it is much more 'in your face'. Once I've deciphered this series I can take a look at them and separate the ones I like from the ones I don't like. And a whole new process of looking, choosing and remaking can begin.

28 GB LOST

Making a performance with more people demands different rules and regulations. In this case my concept was about time, it's unpredictable but recurring state of beginning and end. And whatever happens in the meantime? A continuous force of elements that bounce off one another and creates new interactions. This performance was inspired by the loss of my entire digital music library! About 28 GB was wiped from my laptop at the time and was projected into the void! Now, a few years later my itunes uses 65 GB musical power for my pleasure. And this time it has been copied onto various external hard disks, together with pictures, videos and other documents. This performance ventilated my frustration at the time and with the use of the group materialized that I wasn't the only one to lose those digits...

Wine And Dine

First Concept Telescoping Dining Table with Birds  

My interest in animal experimentation is a steady source that provides me with all sorts of visual imagery. In this attempt I would like to see a variety of birds that get together for a fancy dinner party. Arriving one after the other, to take up ever inch of free space they accumulate by sound and personalities a peak that will shatter all tableware. Leaving a complete and devastated mess behind. It would be fantastic to record this event in real time. The birds with their unpredictable behavior might count for some unexpected events. Will it work? Or is it a lost case to begin with? And should I make an attempt to get some serious SGI guys onboard?  Or it might be a mix of both, doves seem to be rather friendly in comparison with Toucans or other Parrots. So maybe they could be added in a digital way? I have to get more information about the possibilities and what species I would like to use. To be continued...

Transfixed

Muhabbat at Times Square New York City 2012

The BIG Apple

Picture taken from my seat from
US Airlines plane 06-03-12

Arriving at New York LaGuardia Airport made the spirits of the group rise. This was enhanced by the fact that our plane had its course straight over a night lit, downtown Manhattan! The view was breathtaking, one huge blanket of light was spread out over an enormous amount of land. Although the five of us (yes we missed our connecting flight from Phil to NY) added up to a total of about 40 passengers onboard, the impact of the view had everyone under its spell. And while the cabin attendant merrily spoke over the intercom that all electronic devises such as ipod's, ipad's, blackberry's, blueberry's and raspberry's should be switched off during our decent, we were all highly anticipating the adventure that was spread out under our feet. Collecting our luggage, into the bus and on our way to the hotel. Yes we saw the city towers rise in the distance, slowly becoming bigger. But when the bus drove up the Brooklyn Bridge on its course to enter the city, all the lights of the buildings made their second massive impression. This was like nothing I'd seen before. It seemed that they had captured the universe from the spheres above and brought it down to vertical lines that made it impossible to measure scale or depth. And while we moved ahead new buildings arose with  equally lid little stars that I had to remind myself were windows where people were working. No picture, movie or story can contain the effect of New York's first impression, I can only tell you it starts with a BANG!