Tracy Choomack, a fellow artist and designer, aided in my quest for direction and purpose. Since beginning this project, I have had many contradictory thoughts on how to approach my process. Obviously it is important to fully explore cause and effect. But what is my next step after that? Given its visual nature, I assume that starting with imagery is the better option. However, one cannot underestimate the power of words. And since I will, at some capacity, be implementing the printing press, script could set a nice foundation for the visuals.
We were resuming our nightly ritual of conversation, dinner, and playing with Gonzo (my cat). Tracy, who was taking a break from her portfolio project, inquired about my progress on Cause and Effect. I answered with a positive smile, "Pretty well so far." I then explained that my project had hit a pretty big fork in the road. "What is your overall concept? And how do you see the exhibition?" Tracy asked. Wow, good questions. Had I even considered a concept, aside from the theme/title? There had been ideas of subject matter scrambling around my brain; please refer to my 1.27.11 post.
There is no mistaking the fact that I enjoy being an advocate. Although you will never find me marching down the street yelling at "somebody," with a large sign in hand - I suppose anything is possible - I do enjoy using my art as a voice. With this in mind, Tracy and I began bouncing thoughts around the room. It is important for my work to maintain a mild educational tone. In other words, I do not want my work to become pushy, or preachy. However, I do find certain current events/situations to be worthy of public attention. One topic in particular would be endangered and threatened animals. When Tracy asked for an example of how the animals would be incorporated, I immediately said the Grizzly bear.
Imagine for a moment that there were no more Grizzlies roaming the wilderness. Sure, hikers and ranchers would have one less worry. But what about the effects that would have on their former ecosystem. Every year Grizzlies eat an absurd amount of berries; in Glacier National Park they have been known to eat more than 80,000 huckleberries in one day! In a way, huckleberries have evolved to suit the need for its predator(s). If one Grizzly dies, that leaves 80,000 berries each day of the late summer, early fall season.
BAM, light bulb moment! What if I were to take an endangered/threatened animal, and create a reversible cause and effect chain. Starting with a Grizzly bear, I would indicate it's extinction with a "-1," followed by the effect on huckleberries with a "+ 80,000/day," and another effect could be salmon, indicated with a "+ 500/season." In order for the viewer to extend themselves beyond the facts, I want to attach them to my work using more personal material. Tracy suggested supplying my audience with a tangible object as they walk through the exhibit. Let's use a bottle of water.
- The audience would enter the gallery and immediately be handed a bottle of water.
- They would begin with the Grizzly broadside, and work their way down the chain.
- The links would eventually lead to the final broadside, illustrated with a bottle of water.
- Nearby I would have recycling bins available for each viewer to make their choice: either help save one Grizzly bear by recycling, or, choose to take the bottle and throw it away in a "trash" can.
In many ways, this exhibit reflects an inverse of cause and effect. Choosing to begin with a Grizzly starts the audience with a forecast, and ending with a moment in the present. Once the audience experiences the series of books, their reflection of the piece will require a progressive look into the future; a single decision you make now will create an effect on the future.
We were resuming our nightly ritual of conversation, dinner, and playing with Gonzo (my cat). Tracy, who was taking a break from her portfolio project, inquired about my progress on Cause and Effect. I answered with a positive smile, "Pretty well so far." I then explained that my project had hit a pretty big fork in the road. "What is your overall concept? And how do you see the exhibition?" Tracy asked. Wow, good questions. Had I even considered a concept, aside from the theme/title? There had been ideas of subject matter scrambling around my brain; please refer to my 1.27.11 post.
There is no mistaking the fact that I enjoy being an advocate. Although you will never find me marching down the street yelling at "somebody," with a large sign in hand - I suppose anything is possible - I do enjoy using my art as a voice. With this in mind, Tracy and I began bouncing thoughts around the room. It is important for my work to maintain a mild educational tone. In other words, I do not want my work to become pushy, or preachy. However, I do find certain current events/situations to be worthy of public attention. One topic in particular would be endangered and threatened animals. When Tracy asked for an example of how the animals would be incorporated, I immediately said the Grizzly bear.
Imagine for a moment that there were no more Grizzlies roaming the wilderness. Sure, hikers and ranchers would have one less worry. But what about the effects that would have on their former ecosystem. Every year Grizzlies eat an absurd amount of berries; in Glacier National Park they have been known to eat more than 80,000 huckleberries in one day! In a way, huckleberries have evolved to suit the need for its predator(s). If one Grizzly dies, that leaves 80,000 berries each day of the late summer, early fall season.
BAM, light bulb moment! What if I were to take an endangered/threatened animal, and create a reversible cause and effect chain. Starting with a Grizzly bear, I would indicate it's extinction with a "-1," followed by the effect on huckleberries with a "+ 80,000/day," and another effect could be salmon, indicated with a "+ 500/season." In order for the viewer to extend themselves beyond the facts, I want to attach them to my work using more personal material. Tracy suggested supplying my audience with a tangible object as they walk through the exhibit. Let's use a bottle of water.
- The audience would enter the gallery and immediately be handed a bottle of water.
- They would begin with the Grizzly broadside, and work their way down the chain.
- The links would eventually lead to the final broadside, illustrated with a bottle of water.
- Nearby I would have recycling bins available for each viewer to make their choice: either help save one Grizzly bear by recycling, or, choose to take the bottle and throw it away in a "trash" can.
In many ways, this exhibit reflects an inverse of cause and effect. Choosing to begin with a Grizzly starts the audience with a forecast, and ending with a moment in the present. Once the audience experiences the series of books, their reflection of the piece will require a progressive look into the future; a single decision you make now will create an effect on the future.
