taken from sensorium

Some thoughts after artSafari, some questions for the group:

What can be considered an empathetic mark? How can one combine the subtley and nuance of pain, confrontation, beauty and anger in one's work?

My heart felt overwhelmed by the safari for many reasons, and now being back in the New York, and feeling more often than not underwhelmed, I wonder about continuity, threads or histories of mark making, and am anxious to experience more of what I resonated with especially at the Documenta.

In addition to the work, the group dynamics (always interesting to notice) were incredible. I felt more reciprocity of ideas, sharing of experiences, and a general sense of openness that was refreshing. It is very interesting to continue a practice that has no name, isn't funded by any institution, and only happens when we all agree to participate. No location, no...thing. For something as indescrible as whatever it is I think the workshops are, on this trip in particular it felt like an invisible life preserver in the sea of art and art and art and more art.

The directions of the Biennale and the Documenta were so interesting to notice...one being very North American-based (in my opinion), and the other being decidedly non-North-American focused. I experienced a real sense of place coming out of the Neue Gallery (sp?) after spending the entire second day there, and sitting on the front steps, realizing
I was in Germany...my arrogance and annoyance of not having the show spelled out for me in English caught up with me on those steps, and I felt humbled by actually having to work for my understanding of the artwork presented. Imagine that!

I was also taken by how much the audience did work to understand the show, how there was a real participatory aspect not visible at the Biennale. Those around me during long videos stayed throughout the whole video, no one was really loud or obnoxious or rude about the work, I didnt' see any desecration of any work (or of any gallery or museum for that matter). It created a more neutral ground on which to see and receive the work.

Which is why, now, for me, with the onslaught of all New York City has to offer this Fall season, I am both overwhelmed and underwhelmed by what, in my opinion, is highlighted here and what is not valued so much. All the grit and soul of the city I grew up in is being replaced by floor-to-ceiling glass windows on 44-story luxury residential towers. The space for independent art making is becoming smaller and smaller..

It makes me wonder about mark making, the memory, the remembered. Both in a micro and macro lens (the electron microscope and the universe)...If everything around me is getting covered up, where can a memory of a space exist? The video by Kanwar comes to mind of a space holding the story holding the history.

What can those marks look like? Healed scars, literally on the skin? Erosion, gleening? I'm curious to open this up in this space because, like I said, I felt so much of an opening on the artSafari it inspired me to open this up here.

Angela Rose