Tabletop Artist Statement

Conceptual art is just as much the process as the final product - something I believe true for the restrictions given in this assignment. The impact of everyone's tabletop project will rely on fact that it was created (yet not conceived) in one take of fixed space and duration. What truly differs is the ideas behind the artist, not the actions in front of the camera.

Play is "a rite and a quality of mind in engaging with one's worldview". That being established, each video, while demonstrating play, is not plainly fun, impressive, or engaging. It also speaks from the perspective of the artist. This is a dialog between restriction and play, which some may find demanding. I've come to think of it as giving a child a box. They have no problem turning it into a race car or spacecraft, so why should I have trouble performing something (literally anything) under a camera?

I immediately wanted to do something impressive that would fit the temporal and spatial constraints of the project. I soon realized I had the ability to complete a 3in x 3in x 3in rubik's cube in under a minute. I realized that would not be enough activity to fill the 2 minutes and 30 seconds, although it effectively demonstrated what I wanted in terms of 'play'.

There are a lot of cliché metaphors I could have fun with in this statement, but I wish to stay away from unoriginal ideas. I soon adapted the idea to also fit the spatial aspects of the project. My (almost) final ideas involved aspects of boredom (and what to do to nullify that state of mind). I realized that, within a classroom, given a set time and place to do an activity is just a scaled-down version of a single class. Go to a particular room for about 50 minutes and discuss lecture topics. How do (most) students feel about class? It can become tedious at times, to be truthful (not Film 201, in particular, but this is true of classes in general). What do students try to do to break this tediousness? Find another activity. Most common are: playing with paper or a pen, reading something they brought from another class or not a class at all, fidget. I must confess that I even played a video game last semester when a lecture ran a little long for my taste.

The final touch is a common response to a youth's boredom. This resolved itself in the form of a cryptic message on a single face of a Rubik's cube (which happens to be the last one solved, just for cinematic effect). I've heard this a considerable amount of times from my own parents when I have nothing to do over the summer of after school, as I'm sure a lot of my fellow students have: Get A Job. I thought that presenting this through a puzzle would bring it closer to the world of deadpan, at least in its delivery. Having someone briefly walk into the shot and reciting the message wouldn't have as strong of an impact, in my opinion.

As for its success, I will have to wait until (a) it is done being produced, and (b) it is viewed by someone other than myself. I don't believe than an artist can fully know the success of their work in their lifetime. There are far too many people in the world to gain a consensus, and in the realm of the experimental arts, it is hard enough to get a consensus at all.

Edit: I hope at some level that the audience will be bored with me, as it is what I am trying to communicate. I don't know how well that will go - that's the most uncertain aspect of the project right now, in my opinion. Also, I realize other aspects (lighting, sound) have not been discussed yet. I believe it would be best to leave them as they are. Whatever lighting in the building should not be tampered with, and sound is best to be as quiet as possible except or the sounds of my movements.

Edit: I just completed filming. I was only able to salvage two aspects: The Rubik's cube (which, for some reason, presumably nerves), I performed a deep-cut just before finishing the solve, setting me back :30-1:00. I was able to quickly play a video game in the remaining time, keeping what I originally wanted to include. The video seems to be, now, much less about boredom and more about defiance. The video game seemed to be an act of rebellion against the request for a job. But in order to solidify these thoughts, I will have to share them with the discussion group.