I WANNA BE SOMEWHERE (pt. 1)

Inna Babaeva, In Deed, 2009

I WANNA BE SOMEWHERE was a Daily Operation that took place on on September 16. There were a lot of artists in the show so I'll split it up into a few posts. Here is the first group of photos and the "press release" below. Thanks to all who came out and participated!

For "I WANNA BE SOMEWHERE," each artist has created their own version of a diorama using the title as a jumping off point. To varying degrees, the artists attempted to marry the diorama format with their way of working. Beyond a size constraint, there were no rules about how traditional the works end up or the supports, materials, shapes, etc. used.

Elisa Lendvay, Manifold (there.here), 2009

Elizabeth Blomster, Getting Down to Brass Tacks, 2009

Jesse Hamerman, Living Room Antenna Shelf, 2009

Jaime Gecker, Blaise-o, 2009

Martha Clippinger, Vortex, 2009

Sue Havens, Trees and Dots, 2009

Central & Remote (pt. 2)

Mike Hein Untitled

Liz-N-Val Blue/Art Systems/Computer/Cool

Tim Clifford Objective, Lance Rutledge Those Among Us

Jesse Farber You/It, Lance Rutledge Rare Collections, Carrie Pollack One

Carrie Pollack Lucid

Jesse Farber You/It

Liz-N-Val Infinity, Walk

Rachel Hayes, Jasmine Justice 70's Secretion Part 2 (Slumping Sunrise)

Donna Levinstone Untitled

Central & Remote was a one night show on May 9 in an artist's studio in Long Island City.

Artists included: Inna Babaeva, Tim Clifford, Jesse Farber, Rachel Hayes, Mike Hein, Jasmine Justice, Donna Levinstone, Liz-N-Val, Carrie Pollack, Lance Rutledge. Stay tuned for more from Daily Operation and see part 1 of Central & Remote. Also see my labels for other posts on these artists.

Central & Remote (pt. 1)

Floor: Liz-N-Val Blue/Art Systems/Computer/Cool, Tim Clifford Symptom Wall: Jesse Farber You/It, Mike Hein Untitled, Tim Clifford Objective, Lance Rutledge Those Among Us, Carrie Pollack Lucid, Farber You/It

Inna Babaeva, Persnickety

Inna Babaeva Thriftier

Mike Hein Untitled

Mike Hein Untitled (0ther side), Liz-N-Val Future Archeology/Lamp, Revolution/Crumpled

Liz-N-Val Revolution/Crumpled, Rachel Hayes, Jasmine Justice (background)

Rachel Hayes Jank Totems

Rachel Hayes Jank Totems (details)

Central & Remote was a one night show on May 9 in an artist's studio in Long Island City. Thanks so much to all who participated and came out...it was a lot of fun.

Artists included: Inna Babaeva, Tim Clifford, Jesse Farber, Rachel Hayes, Mike Hein, Jasmine Justice, Donna Levinstone, Liz-N-Val, Carrie Pollack, Lance Rutledge. Stay tuned for more from Daily Operation and part 2 of Central & Remote. Also see my labels for other posts on these artists.

Inna Babaeva (pt. 2)

I cannot stay here too long
2003, metal, fabric, video projection, dimensions variable

Part 2 of my interview with Inna Babaeva below...

Jon Lutz: In some of your earlier works, there is a certain amount of directness that bends toward the conceptual. At the same time, you are still dealing with experience and physical engagement, but on a larger scale. I'm curious if these works were more conceptually based than what you are doing now?

Inna Babaeva: The work I made at that time was definitely nodding to Minimalism in its scale, the simplicity of forms and the notion of an interaction with a viewer. It departed from the minimalist credo: "what you see is what you see" . Yet, by inducing light and video projection into sculptural structures, my work actually defeated that idea and replaced it with: "what you see is what you see, and then more". They were a combination of visible and invisible, tangible and ephemeral, real and virtual, literal and metaphoric.

JL: There seems to be a great deal of planning involved...

IB: In terms of planning, all these works were multi-step productions: maquette making, construction of sculpture structures, video shooting and editing, and solving the technical difficulties along the way. Everything had to be planned, because the lack of planning meant a failure. And the role of a producer/problem solver usually was the reward at the end. It was like building a house - to design, to build and to make it livable.

Lapse, 2003, wood base, video projection, 4' x 18' x 18'

JL: Was there a shift that happened a few years back that prompted your change in direction?

IB: Yes. It was a shift in my process. The long term space-demanding productions once were a source of fun, and then they became a source of frustration. They took a very long time for completion, and only a small part of the conceived projects were ever executed. Most of the time I didn't have a space to present the work, and many of these projects never passed the stage of a small maquette. The produced work was too tricky to document and often didn't translate well in the forms of photography or video.

What's left probably was a turning point in my work. It was still about sculptural space, but there was a transition to the utilitarian, less precious materials like copy paper and paper clips. It was also about changing attitude towards the art making process that became more spontaneous and more fun.

Lapse (detail)

JL: Since it is not exactly clear what is going on in works like Lapse through reproduction, could you explain what we are seeing? What is the content of the video component?

IB: Lapse is a large stage-like wooden structure with a 4 foot deep "well" opening in the middle. At the bottom of the "well" a viewer can see the video projection of a stormy ocean's churning waters. The source of the image is a ceiling-mounted projector pointed down. Because of the shape of the well, the illusion of a greater depth is created and the projected image seems further away. It contributes to a vertigo effect when looking down at the "water". The idea of the work was the displacement of the image from its architectural context.

JL: In a way, these works are more engaging and inviting, especially with the inclusion of architectural constructions and videos. Have you seen a difference between the way people react/interact to these and your more current work?

IB: They were meant to be interactive. Their scale was related both to the architectural space and to a potential viewer. I think they were more engaging because they not only occupied space but also demanded time to absorb the video imagery. In that respect, Lapse was my most engaging work. During the opening of the show people were sitting, talking and drinking beer on the steps of the structure and by the "well". I found it to be really cool - that space in the gallery had been transformed into a social hangout. Not being able to see this kind of interactive response to my current work is one the trade-offs in that transition.

On and on, 2001, metal, fabric, video projection, each cylinder 8' h x 30" diameter

In case you missed it...the first part of out interview here and Inna's website here. Also check out her work in Central & Remote.

Inna Babeava (Pt.1)

Inna Babeava has some great gems from years past, but after a recent studio visit, I thought it would be nice to start with some of her newer stuff. See the first part of my interview with Inna below and in part 2, we'll continue the interview and talk about her older works.

Also stay tuned for more info about my next show which will include Inna and many others.Central & Remote will be on Saturday, May 9 in Long Island City.

Effete, 2008, mixed media, dimensions variable

Jon Lutz: In your most recent body of work, you use very industrial and utilitarian materials that in themselves, can be cold and sterile. Somehow, you manage to combine these in such a way that that they become playful and engaging. How did you stumble upon this?

Inna Babaeva: I've been fascinated with elements of hardware, construction materials and objects of domestic design for as long as I remember. This interest manifested itself in different ways over the years but, at the time, I am utilizing these objects of fascination for the construction of friendly sculptural creatures. To me, casters, hinges and utility marking flags carry certain personality implied by their shape, color or function. It was this 70's movie where the main character, five year old boy, asks his teenage sister to get him as many cats as possible. Why? Because he "could make monkeys from cats, and then, could make bears from monkeys". Why? Because " bears will make the perfect friends". That beautiful kind of absurd logic informs the work I am making now. After significant amount of time spent transforming them from one completion stage to the other and overcoming multiple technical difficulties, the sculptures become my friends. And friends have to be fun, real, and awkward. Because only real is fun, and real is often awkward.

Succinct Advancement, 2009, rubber balls, paint, hardware, dimensions variable

JL: Also, there are expressly no “found” objects. Instead they objects that are clearly purchased for your purposes. I can’t think of a better precedent than Duchamp’s Bicycle Wheel, which he initially created for his own amusement. Is there a conscious choice here to hint of Duchamp? Are your works a source of amusement for you?

IB: I feel like the idea of a " found object" has been transformed significantly in last ninety-five years since Duchamp attached a bicycle wheel to a kitchen stool. To me, an object is as " found" in a hardware store or Ebay as it is in a junk yard or a garage sale. It is "found" when you become interested or even obsessed enough with an object to make it a part of your daily living environment or your work. I am really fond of Duchamp's "I am not going to take anything seriously and just have fun with it" attitude. In the Bicycle Wheel, I like the idea of defying the function: you cannot sit on that stool and you cannot propel that wheel to move forward. In this respect, I can see the connection you mentioned: in my recent works the telescoping antennas in Good Reception don't receive a radio transmission, the hulahoops in a worked called Triftiernever will spin around anyone's waist, and the "stability" of the balls in Succinct Advancementis undermined by the casters they are placed upon.

JL: How do other influences manifest themselves in your work?

IB: The meaning of artistic influences is very broad. Broader than referencing the artists whose work obviously has a connection to ideas or formal approaches of mine. I recognize a work of art as influential by how deeply it moved me on an encounter with it and how it changed my ways of thinking and seeing. It could be a very long list. For example, I remember how stunned I was when I first saw the work of Bruce Nauman. It kind of changed my perception of "good" and "bad". Then there are the "peripheral" to art influences - architectural, commercial, industrial, stage design, etc. These always have been the important points of departure for me.

Good Reception, 2008, mixed media, dimensions variable

JL: Many of these works are semi-kinetic, where they seem to somehow be self-sufficient. Is it your intention to place them in specific spots with exhibited? Are works like Succinct Advancement meant to be interacted with?

IB: I did not intend for my sculptures to be interacted with, but I am not opposed to it either. Wasn't it the important idea of Minimalist's discourse that sculpture implies a participation of its viewer? The semi-kinetic structure of these works originated from the utilitarian roots. "Foldable, storable and movable" were the key words for me after numerous re-locations from one studio to another in the last few years. These features then became more conceptually and aesthetically innate to the work - that is, about failing attempts to be functional. In regard to a spatial placement, I don't think about it while making the work.

Duplicitous, 2009, wood, hardware, 5' x 3' x 3'