With Exchange Point, I
would like to call attention to our literal
economies of consumption by creating a repository of
reusable materials.
Plastic containers are labeled
and filled with objects I have gathered, such as old
dry pens, plastic bags, small electronics, and other
assorted objects; some containers are left empty.
Viewers are invited to contribute material that they
think others can re-use for a different purpose,
objects that might otherwise be thrown away, and add
it to the empty containers. Each time a new type of
material is added, the transaction is logged into a
log book. At the same time, any visitor who would
like to take materials out of the containers to
re-use can do so by making an entry in the log. |
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By asking the viewer to
interact with our garbage in a different way, and by
making a record of what can be done with it besides
throwing it out, I am hoping to start a conversation
about the relationship of a disposable economy to
both the environment and to the practice of making
art. I hope that Exchange Point will raise
consciousness about our own needs and the needs of
others.
Exchange Point was originally
installed at NurtureArt gallery in Williamsburg as
part of the Demo Eco M.O. exhibition, which was
curated by Linda Weintraub. The exhibition was
concerned with the pursuit of environmental
responsibility as it relates to the practice of
making art.
During the exhibition, some
visitors simply contributed or removed items from
the Exchange Point installation, as per the posted
instructions, while others chose to respond to
Exchange Point through performance and drawing. It
was a pleasant surprise to note that viewers
respected and maintained the order of Exchange Point
during their interaction with the piece.
The log book for Exchange Point
became an artwork in its own right. It now exists as
a record of the provenance of our trash, comparable
to the gallery’s record of exhibition loans and
provenance of artworks. This record demonstrates
that material usage is an essential component of
practicing art, and calls attention to the impact of
human consumption on our fragile ecosystems.
I hope to enlighten people that
humans are both agent and victim of the degradation
of our natural ecosystems. I believe that the
impetus to create art with an environmentally
responsible message, within the current dialogue of
contemporary art, will continue to gain acceptance
in the art world as more artists turn their
practices towards work with a social, political and
environmental message. |
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