Host: COMING UP NEXT...
THE QUIRKY AND THE CURIOUS...
19TH CENTURY TELEVISIONS....
CORITA KENT,
PICTURE ANDY WARHOL AS A NUN...
"NA�VE NATURE" AND
BALTIMORE'S SARAH DITTRICH...
AND THE THERAPUETIC
JOURNEYS OF PEDRO REYES...
NEXT, ON ARTWORKS !
CLOSED CAPTIONING HAS BEEN MADE
POSSIBLE BY MARYLAND RELAY,
EMPOWERING THOSE WHO ARE DEAF,
HARD OF HEARING,
OR SPEECH DISABLED TO STAY
CONNECTED BY PHONE.
*
Announcer: ARTWORKS IS MADE
POSSIBLE IN PART BY
THE CITIZENS
OF BALTIMORE COUNTY.
AND BY...
THE RUTH R. MARDER
ARTS ENDOWMENT FUND,
THE ROBERT E. MEYERHOFF
AND RHEDA BECKER ENDOWMENT
FOR THE ARTS,
THE E.T. &
ROBERT B. ROCKLIN FUND,
AND THE HENRY AND RUTH
BLAUSTEIN ROSENBERG FOUNDATION
ARTS ENDOWMENT
IN MEMORY OF RUTH MARDER.
WELCOME TO ARTWORKS!
I'M RHEA FEIKIN.
THIS IS THE SECOND SHOW
OF NEW SEASON SEVEN.
AND THE THEME?
ECCENTRICS!
TOP OF THE LIST:
ARIZONA'S STEVE GOMPF,
OR, THE ARTIST AS "TRICKSTER."
GOMPF WAS A TRUE ECCENTRIC
WHO BUILT 19TH CENTURY
"ANTIQUE" TELEVISIONS.
OF COURSE, THERE WERE NO
TELEVISIONS IN THE 19TH CENTURY
AND GOMPF REVELED IN THE IRONY
THAT PEOPLE ACTUALLY BELIEVED
HIS ARTFUL FABRICATIONS.
I'M SAD TO SAY, SINCE THIS
SEGMENT WAS PRODUCED,
GOMPF HAS PASSED AWAY, AND SO
THIS PROFILE IS LIKELY
THE LAST OPPORTUNITY TO DISCOVER
A CREATIVE TALENT GONE TOO SOON.
Steve Gompf: THE PURPOSE OF THE
TELEVISOR MUSEUM INTERNATIONAL
IS THE PRESERVATION
RESTORATION AND CONSERVATION
OF VINTAGE DEVICES,
HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS
AND MATERIALS, TOGETHER WITH
BEING A CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF
ARCHAIC IMAGE TRANSMISSION
TECHNOLOGIES
FROM THE TELEVISOR ERA
1884 TO 1928.
SO WHICH IS ALL BS.
I'M STEVE GOMPF AND I GO TO
THRIFT STORES BUY A BUNCH OF
CRAP AND I GLUE IT TOGETHER
AND MAKE IT LOOK LIKE IT IS AN
ANTIQUE TELEVISION
FROM THE 1800'S.
AND PEOPLE BELIEVE IT.
BASICALLY GROWING UP
I WAS A MILITARY BRAT.
SO I WAS BORN IN PUERTO RICO
MOVED TO MADRID THEN ROME
THEN ARIZONA THEN TO ENGLAND
THEN TO MISSOURI THEN TO GERMANY
THEN TO OMAHA THEN TO
KANSAS CITY THEN TO HERE.
AND I'VE BEEN HERE EVER SINCE.
HERE BEING MESA, ARIZONA, WHILE
MY FOLKS AND MY FAMILY WAS IN
THESE DIFFERENT COUNTRIES,
WE'D GO TO A LOT OF JUNK STORES
OR FLEA MARKETS.
AND MY PARENTS WERE ANTIQUE
COLLECTORS, ESPECIALLY CLOCKS
AND STUFF.
SO I KIND OF KNEW ABOUT THE
DIFFERENT PERIODS OF FURNITURE
AND STYLES OF DECORATIVE ARTS
FROM THAT EXPERIENCE SO THAT
WHEN I GO TO THESE THRIFT STORES
AND I SEE A LITTLE ITEM THAT UM,
I COULD USE PARTS OF TO CREATE,
YOU KNOW, A PERIOD PIECE
I'LL SNAG IT.
I'VE EVEN USED JUST,
JUST ITEMS AROUND THE HOUSE.
I REMEMBER I WAS BUILDING A
PIECE AND OF COURSE
NOT LAST MINUTE, UP TO THE LAST
MINUTE I WAS WORKING ON IT,
I ACTUALLY USED THE PLATE OF
WHAT I HAD DINNER ON
THE NIGHT BEFORE.
I USED THAT AS A
LENS FOR THE PIECE.
SO I'LL JUST LOOK FOR SOMETHING
THAT EITHER LOOKS DECO OR LOOKS
ART NOUVEAU AND KIND OF USE THAT
AND PUT IT TOGETHER
TO CREATE UH, THE PIECES.
I HAVE AN UNDERGRAD DEGREE IN
PHOTOGRAPHY AND A GRADUATE
DEGREE IN INTER MEDIA FROM
ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY.
AND SO I'M A VIDEO ARTIST AND
THIS IS A WAY THAT I CAN SHOW
VIDEO IN A GALLERY SITUATION.
BEEN DOING ART FOR
30 ODD YEARS AND I CANNOT STOP.
TELEVISORS IS ACTUALLY THE
SPANISH AND FRENCH NAME
FOR TELEVISION.
AND IN THE VERY BEGINNING THE
DEVELOPMENT OF TELEVISION
ESPECIALLY IN ENGLAND WITH
JOHN LOGIE BEAR,
THE SCOTTISH ENGINEER.
HE BUILT A DEVICE THAT WAS
PARTIALLY MECHANICAL
AND HE CALLED HIS DEVICE
A TELEVISOR.
SO I JUST USE THAT NAME AS A
KIND OF HISTORICAL REFERENCE
FOR IT.
AND I'VE ACTUALLY IN SOME OF
MY LABEL INFORMATION,
I'LL USE ACTUAL HISTORICAL
INFORMATION AND KIND OF SLANT IT
A LITTLE BIT TO FIT THE PIECE.
AND SOMETIMES I JUST
TOTALLY MAKE IT UP.
I RECENTLY HAD A SHOW CALLED
"DISTANT VISION'S: APPARATUS AND
EPHEMERA FROM THE TELEVISOR ERA
1884 THROUGH 1928".
WHICH IS 1884 IS THE FIRST
PATENTED TELEVISION SYSTEM.
PAUL NAPCO, A GERMAN ENGINEER
TO 1928 WHICH IS FOLLOWED TO
FARNSWORTH'S FULLY
ELECTRONIC VERSION OF IT.
AND THESE DEVICES THAT I HAVE
THERE, THAT LOOK LIKE DEVICES,
ARE BASICALLY AN ASSEMBLY OF
OBJECTS THAT ARE FOUND IN
THRIFT STORES AND PUT THEM
TOGETHER AND I PUT TABLETS,
COMPUTER TABLETS INSIDE OF THEM
AND IT LOOKS LIKE
THEY'RE PLAYING VIDEO.
AND WHAT I'VE DONE TO MAKE IT
LOOK LIKE PERIOD WORK IS TAKE A
BUNCH OF MY BRIDGE STOP ACTION
MOTION SHOTS THAT HE TOOK IN THE
1890'S AND RECOMBINE THEM
INTO... DIFFERENT,
DIFFERENT SCENES.
ACCOMPANYING THE WORK THEY'LL
HAVE LABELS NEXT TO THEM
THAT SAY, THAT TALK ABOUT THEIR
SIGNIFICANCE IN THE DEVELOPMENT
OF TELEVISION, WHO THE INVENTOR
WAS, THE COUNTRY OF ORIGIN
AND A LITTLE SNIPPET ABOUT THAT
DEVICE ITSELF AND PEOPLE JUST
BELIEVE IT.
THEY ACTUALLY BELIEVE THAT THEY
ARE ANTIQUES AND...
THIS WHOLE THING
ACTUALLY EXISTED.
Tiffany Fairall: IT'S
INTERESTING PEOPLE WILL COME IN
HERE AND THEY WILL THINK ITS
REAL TELEVISIONS, THAT EARLY
FORM OF THE TELEVISION AND
THAT'S WHAT STEVE IS
TRYING TO CREATE.
HE WANTS TO CREATE THIS
FICTITIOUS HISTORY
OF THE EARLY TELEVISION.
AND SO WHEN YOU, YOU'VE GOT THIS
FUN NAME TELEVISOR,
WHICH ACTUALLY IS A REAL TERM.
AND HE'S MADE THESE CREATIONS
BASED OFF OF WHAT HIS OWN
IMAGINATION AND WHAT THEY WOULD
HAVE LOOKED LIKE.
SO YOU'RE KIND OF ALMOST
PEEKING INTO STEVE'S HEAD.
Steve: I JUST THINK THAT
PEOPLE BUY THE PIECES BECAUSE
THEY'VE BEEN FOOLED BY THEM.
AND THEY WANT TO TAKE IT HOME
AND KIND OF SAY THAT THIS IS AN
ANTIQUE DEVICE AND KIND
OF FOOL THEIR FRIENDS.
I WAS ACTUALLY INSTALLING A
PIECE AT SOMEBODY'S HOUSE
AND HE CALLED ME HIS
TELEVISOR REPAIRMAN.
Tiffany:
I THINK THAT STEVE IS KIND OF
A LITTLE BIT OF A TRICKSTER.
I THINK HE DOES LIKE THE TONGUE
AND CHEEK-OF-NESS OF IT
AND HE WANTS PEOPLE TO TAKE A
CLOSER LOOK AT HIS WORK,
SEE WHAT'S GOING ON THERE.
HE'S EVEN MENTIONED TO ME HOW
HE'D LOVED TO TAKE IT ON
THE ANTIQUES ROADSHOW AND SEE
WHAT THEY WOULD SAY AT THIS
CREATION AND (CHUCKLES) SEE WHAT
THEIR EXPRESSION WOULD BE.
SO I THINK HE KIND OF LIKES THE
FOOLING VALUE OF IT AND HE LIKES
TO ALSO HEAR, HE'LL SOMETIMES
COME IN THE GALLERY AND BE HERE
AND HEAR WHAT THE VISITORS
ARE SAYING.
SO I THINK KIND HE WANTS TO HEAR
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING
ABOUT HIS WORK.
I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT PART
OF IT AND ELEMENT AND HOW PEOPLE
INTERACT WITH HIS WORK
IS IMPORTANT TO HIM.
Steve: I THINK IT'S EVOLVED IN
THAT THE FIRST TIME I PRESENTED
THEM I SAID I COLLECTED
THESE DEVICES AND THEN I DECIDED
TO COME UP WITH THIS MUSEUM THAT
ADDED AN EXTRA LAYER TO IT
AND ADDED BELIEVABILITY TO IT.
MORE FAKE STUFF TO
MAKE IT MORE REAL.
AS A LAYER TO THE PROJECT,
I'VE CREATED A WEB SITE CALLED
TELESEUM.ORG T-E-L-E-S-E-U-M
ORG AND IT'S SET UP AS IF IT
WAS A MUSEUM'S WEBSITE.
AND IT'S THE TELEVISOR MUSEUM
INTERNATIONAL WHICH THE
ABBREVIATION TMI,
TOO MUCH INFORMATION.
THAT'S WHAT IT IS
TOO MUCH INFORMATION.
IT PRESENTS MY WORK AS IF THIS
WAS A LEGITIMATE ACTUAL
REAL MUSEUM THAT COLLECTS THESE
DEVICES THAT REALLY KIND OF
DIDN'T EXIST.
THERE'S A LITTLE SECTION THAT
SAYS YOU KNOW ON THURSDAY IT'S
FREE FOR SENIOR CITIZENS AND FOR
STUDENTS AND CALL US FOR GROUPS
MORE THAN 10 BECAUSE DOCENT
TOURS CAN BE ARRANGED,
BUT THERE'S NO CONTACT
INFORMATION,
THERE'S NO ADDRESS,
THERE'S NO PHONE NUMBER.
THERE'S NOTHING BUT THAT
PAGE ON THE INTERNET.
AS ANOTHER LAYER TO THE PROJECT
OR TO THE ARTWORK OF IT.
I DECIDED ON THE LAST SHOW THAT
I MADE TO COME UP WITH A CATALOG
THAT IS ACTUALLY PRESENTED
AS IF IT WAS MADE BY
THE TELEVISOR MUSEUM
INTERNATIONAL.
PART OF THE PREMISE IS IF
PEOPLE WOULD BELIEVE ANYTHING
ON TV, WHY WOULDN'T THEY BELIEVE
ANYTHING IS A TV AND THEY DO.
*
Rhea: THE POP ART MOVEMENT
OF THE 1960'S WAS
REVOLUTIONARY IN MANY WAYS,
BUT IT WAS SOMETHING OF AN
"OLD BOYS CLUB," TOO.
THE HARVARD ART MUSEUM RECENTLY
SHOWCASED THE POP ART WORK OF
SISTER CORITA KENT WITH THE
GOAL OF ESTABLISHING HER
IN THE PANTHEON OF MAJOR
20TH CENTURY ARTISTS.
FRANKLY, I'D NEVER
HEARD OF HER BEFORE.
BUT-- THAT'S THE WHOLE
POINT OF MEETING HER NOW...
Narrator: SEARCHING FOR
RELIGIOUS INSPIRATION
IN THE 1960'S,
AN ACTIVIST NUN TURNED
ACTIVE ARTIST NAMED SISTER
CORITA KENT FOUND IT...
IN THE SUPERMARKET.
Jennifer Quick: ONE MIGHT NOT
NORMALLY THINK OF WONDER BREAD
AS RELATED TO COMMUNION BUT SHE
WANTED TO MAKE THAT CONNECTION
IN HER WORK.
Narrator: IN AN ERA OF UPHEAVAL,
KENT WANTED TO GROUND PEOPLE
THROUGH ART.
A ROMAN CATHOLIC NUN, SHE LIVED
IN LOS ANGELES AND HEADED THE
ART DEPARTMENT AT A
RELIGIOUS SCHOOL THERE.
Jennifer: SHE WOULD DRIVE
AROUND THE CITY AND SHE SENT HER
STUDENTS OUT TO DO WHAT
SHE CALLED "LOOKING ASSIGNMENTS"
IN THESE CAR DEALERSHIPS
AND, UH, SUPERMARKETS.
BUT IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT
HISTORICALLY BECAUSE AS POP ART
IS IMMERGING AROUND 1962, THE
TWO MAIN CENTERS ARE NEW YORK,
OF COURSE, AND LOS ANGELES.
Narrator: AND KENT WAS PAYING
ATTENTION-REVELING IN
JOSEF ALBER'S EXPERIMENTS
IN COLOR.
SHE MARVELED AT THE POP ART
STYLINGS OF JASPER JOHNS
AND ROY LICHTENSTEIN WHO WERE
RECEIVING EARLY LA SHOWS.
AND SHE SOUGHT OUT
ANDY WARHOL'S WORK.
Jennifer:SHE NEVER HAD NEAR
THE NATIONAL RECOGNITION
THAT WARHOL DID.
PEOPLE WERE- DIDN'T REALLY KNOW
WHAT TO DO WITH THE NUN
WHO WAS MAKING POP ART.
Narrator: AND THEY STILL DON'T.
ENTER THE HARVARD ART MUSEUMS
WHICH ARGUES IN ITS LATEST SHOW
THAT CORITA KENT BELONGS IN THE
PANTHEON OF POP ARTISTS
WHO DEFINED A GENERATION.
JENNIFER QUICK HELPED
CURATE THE SHOW.
Interviewer: WHAT HAPPENED TO
HER THAT SHE DIDN'T HAVE THE
SAME TRAJECTORY THAT THEY HAD?
Jennifer: FRANKLY BEING A WOMAN
ARTIST WITHIN THE POP ART WORLD
WAS... YOU DON'T HEAR AS MUCH
ABOUT WOMEN POP ARTISTS.
IT WAS PRETTY MALE DOMINATED.
Narrator: BUT KENT WAS UNDAUNTED
AND SAW OPPORTUNITY WHERE OTHERS
SAW POTATO CHIP PACKAGING.
TO HER, WELL-KNOWN IMAGES WERE
THE PERFECT WAY TO TEACH
VATICAN II.
THE MOVEMENT TO
MODERNIZE THE CHURCH,
PARTLY WITH MORE
ACCESSIBLE LANGUAGE.
Jennifer: WE SEE CORITA KENT
BORROWING WORDS,
LIKELY SHE FOUND IN THE
GROCERY STORE-BREAD,
PEACHES-VERY COMMON PRODUCTS.
BUT IT'S ALSO ENCOURAGING HER
VIEWERS TO THINK ABOUT,
WHY DO WE NEED THIS
WAR ON POVERTY?
HOW CAN WE HELP FIGHT
AGAINST POVERTY?
AND AS CATHOLICS,
WE'RE COMPELLED TO DO SO.
Narrator: KENT DREW A MOUNTAIN
OF CONTROVERSY THOUGH AS SHE
TRIED TO MAKE THE VIRGIN MARY
MORE RELATABLE VIA TOMATOES.
Jennifer: SHE USES, UH,
DEL MONTE TOMATOES,
THE BRAND NAME AND THE LOGO, TO
REINVENT THE WAY WE THINK ABOUT
MARY AND SO TO SAY THAT IF WE
SAY DEL MONTE TOMATOES ARE THE
JUICIEST OF ALL, THEN CERTAINTY
IF WE THINK THIS FOOD PRODUCT
IS SO WONDERFUL, WE CAN SAY THAT
THE VIRGIN MARY IS THE
JUICIEST TOMATO OF THEM ALL.
Narrator:
WORKING OUT OF HER LA STUDIO,
KENT USED A PRINTING PROCESS
WHERE SHE EXPERIMENTED WITH
ANGLES, DAY-GLO COLORS
AND FAMILIAR BRANDING.
SHE THEN INFUSED HER WORK WITH
TEXT FROM EVERYONE
FROM THE POPE TO THE BEATLES.
FEELING GROOVY
IS A PRINT FROM 1967.
Jennifer: SHE'S INCLUDED LYRICS
FROM A SIMON AND GARFUNKEL SONG.
THE LYRICS ARE
"SLOW DOWN, YOU MOVE TOO FAST."
SO WE SEE JUXTAPOSED
ON ONE HAND,
THESE SIGNIFIERS OF TRAFFIC,
SPEED, LOS ANGELES,
MOVING THROUGH THE CITY,
WITH... FROM A POPULAR SONG,
NONETHELESS, AN ADMONITION THAT
PERHAPS WE SHOULD SLOW DOWN
SOMETIMES AND CONSIDER
WHAT'S AROUND US.
Narrator: IN 1968 KENT LEFT HER
RELIGIOUS ORDER
AND MOVED TO BOSTON.
SHE BECAME EVEN MORE RADICAL
AND MORE POINTED AS PROTESTS
AND WAR CONSUMED THE NATION.
JUST LIKE WARHOL, HER WORK
BECAME STRIKINGLY VISCERAL.
Jennifer: SHE USES PHOTOGRAPHS
INSTEAD OF HAND-CUT STENCILS.
AND THESE PHOTOGRAPHS ARE VERY
DIRECT ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING
POLITICALLY AND SOCIALLY
IN THE COUNTRY.
SO LIFE MAGAZINE COVERS
PROFILING THE VIETNAM WAR, UM,
PHOTOGRAPHS SHOWING THE
ASSASSINATIONS OF
MARTIN LUTHER KING, OR
ROBERT F. KENNEDY, RACE RIOTS.
SO THE WORK BECOMES A LOT MORE
DIRECT IN ITS COMMENTARY
ON POLITICS.
Narrator: KENT REMAINED IN
BOSTON FOR THE REST OF HER LIFE,
PRODUCING PRINTS AND A
LANDMARK LEGACY: A GAS TANK
ADORNED WITH HER RAINBOW SWASH
OVERLOOKING DORCHESTER BAY.
Jennifer: SHE THOUGHT OF IT IN
TERMS OF IDEA OF A RAINBOW
BEING A JOYFUL EXPRESSION,
AS BEING RELATED TO GENESIS,
AND GOD'S PROMISE NEVER
TO FLOOD THE EARTH AGAIN,
AS IT'S RECORDING
THE SCRIPTURES.
BUT ON THE LEVEL OF POP ART,
IT'S ALSO VERY SIGNIFICANT.
BECAUSE CORITA KENT IS MAKING
HER OWN POP ART MONUMENT.
GIVING BOSTON ITS
OWN POP ART MONUMENT.
Narrator: NOW ELEVATING THIS
SISTER TO THE QUEEN OF POP ART.
Rhea:
FIND OUT MORE AT:
Rhea: OUR NEXT STORY IS A
SHORT PROFILE OF A YOUNG LOCAL
MULTI-MEDIA ARTIST WHO'S ALREADY
WON A BAKER ARTIST AWARD
AND WAS A SONDHEIM PRIZE
FINALIST, JUST LAST YEAR!
SARA DITTRICH THINKS
WAY OUTSIDE OF THE BOX.
AND I CAN'T HELP WONDERING
WHERE SHE'S HEADED NEXT.
*
Sara Dittrich: I ENJOY USING
A LOT OF DIFFERENT MEDIA
BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF FREEDOM
THAT COMES WITH WORKING
IN WHAT I CALL A NAIVE NATURE,
SO YOU DON'T GET CAUGHT UP
IN WHAT OTHER PEOPLE HAVE DONE
OR WHAT YOU THINK IS POSSIBLE,
AND THERE'S KIND OF LIKE
A LOT OF FREEDOM,
AND DISCOVERY THAT COMES
WITH THAT.
*
BECAUSE I'M SWITCHING BETWEEN
A LOT OF MEDIA,
I END UP COLLABORATING WITH
A LOT OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE
AND YOU'RE REALLY ABLE TO CREATE
SOMETHING GREATER THAN
YOU WOULD ON YOUR OWN.
*
I SEE MUSICAL THINKING AS A WAY
OF INTERPRETING THE WORLD
AROUND YOU BASED ON
THE QUALITIES THAT YOU FIND
IN MUSIC, LIKE HARMONY,
DISSONANCE,
KIND OF OUTSIDE OF TRADITIONAL
WORLD OF MUSIC.
*
WE ONLY BECOME CONSCIOUS
OF OUR OWN RHYTHMS
WHEN THEY BECOME DISRUPTED.
ARRHYTHMIA OF THE BODY
IS A SERIES OF 20 PHOTOS OF ME
WEARING GIANT HAND,
AND FEET PROSTHETICS GENERATING
A GREATER AWARENESS OF
MY OWN BODY,
AND THE WORLD SURROUNDING ME.
*
SOME OTHER PIECES I'M IN
PROGRESS ON ARE FURTHER
EXPERIMENTING WITH MAKING US
MORE AWARE OF OUR BODIES
AND KIND OF THESE UNCONSCIOUS
RHYTHMS OF THE BODY.
TINY EARS, AND FEET, AND HANDS.
THE RHYTHM AND REPETITION
OF CREATING THEM BECOMES
A MEDITATIVE PROCESS IN ITSELF.
*
Rhea: OUR LAST STORY
TONIGHT FEATURES
MEXICAN ARTIST PEDRO REYES
WHO'S CREATED AN INTERACTIVE
INSTALLATION IN MIAMI.
HIS PROJECT IS LOW TECH
BUT HIGH CONCEPT.
VISITORS ARE GUIDED THROUGH A
JOURNEY OF SELF-DISCOVERY.
Pedro Reyes: "SANATORIUM"
IS A LANDMARK PRESENTATION
BECAUSE IT INVOLVES AN ENTIRELY
NEW TYPE OF PERFORMANCE.
FOR THIS INSTALLATION,
PEDRO HAS TRAINED 25 VOLUNTEERS
FROM THE LOCAL COMMUNITY
AND ASKED THEM TO PARTICIPATE
BY LEARNING ONE OF HIS
8 TO 10 TREATMENTS.
EVERY PERSON WHO COMES INTO
THE INSTALLATION
GETS AN ENTIRELY FRESH
EXPERIENCE WHICH IS DICTATED BY
THEIR INTERACTION WITH
THE VOLUNTEERS.
PEDRO REYES IS AN ARTIST FROM
MEXICO STILL BASED IN
MEXICO CITY TO THIS DAY,
A LEADING ARTIST OF
HIS GENERATION.
WE CALL HIM A SCULPTOR.
AS YOU'LL SEE FROM
THE EXHIBITION HE TAKES
A PRETTY INNOVATIVE APPROACH
TO SCULPTURE.
HIS WORK ACROSS DISCIPLINES
AND ACROSS MEDIA HAS TO DO WITH
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PEOPLE
AND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
OBJECTS AND THE WAY THAT
SCULPTURE CAN ALTER THOSE
RELATIONSHIPS.
EACH OF PEDRO REYES'S TREATMENTS
COMBINES STRATEGIES FOR HEALING
OR FOR ALTERNATIVE FORMS
OF KNOWING FROM
DIFFERENT TRADITIONS.
SO YOU'LL SEE THROUGHOUT
EACH OF THE TREATMENTS EACH OF
WHICH IS ENTIRELY DISTINCT
UMM ELEMENTS OF
THE CATHOLIC TRADITION,
THINGS LIKE CATHARSIS AND
CONFESSION;
AS WELL AS ELEMENTS FROM
GREEK TRAGEDY, UH,
ROMAN PHILOSOPHY AND ORATORY
ETCETERA DOWN THROUGH THE GAMUT;
AS WELL AS MORE TRADITIONAL
FORMS OF PSYCHOANALYSIS LIKE
THAT OF FREUD AND LACAN.
MY FAVORITE IS UM "GOODOO,"
FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS.
GOODOO FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE
NOT DONE THE TREATMENT
IS A GOOD VERSION OF VOODOO.
IN THAT TREATMENT YOU CHOOSE
FIVE CHARMS WHICH ARE
ESSENTIALLY, INDUSTRIALLY
PRODUCED THEY COULD REALLY MEAN
ANYTHING THEY ARE ENDLESSLY
INTERPRETABLE,
AND YOU FIX THEM TO A DOLL OF
YOUR CHOOSING.
UM, YOU DECORATE THEM AND YOU
ASSIGN THEM BASED ON THE AREA OF
THE BODY WHERE YOU'RE APPLYING
IT DIFFERENT FORMS OF MEANING.
THEN YOU PRESS DOWN UPON IT IN
ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT PERSON
IS REALLY EXPERIENCING THE
GOODWILL THAT YOU'RE GIVING
TO THEM.
IT IS A REALLY UH, MEANINGFUL
EXPERIENCE FOR EVERYBODY
WHO- WHO ENTERS THAT ROOM.
ADDITIONALLY, EVERYBODY IS
INVITED TO TAKE THE DOLL HOME.
THIS IDEA OF GIFTING AN OBJECT
OR A SCULPTURE IS ANOTHER THEME
THAT RUNS THROUGHOUT THIS
INSTALLATION AND IS FELT
MOST PRESENTLY
IN THAT PARTICULAR PIECE.
"THE MUSEUM OF HYPOTHETICAL
LIFETIMES" IS A PLACE
WHERE YOU CAN CHART YOUR OWN
PAST PRESENT AND FUTURE.
SO USING THE PROPS WHICH YOU SEE
ON THE SHELF BEHIND ME,
UM, YOU PLACE THEM WITHIN
DIFFERENT TERRAINS
OR ZONES WHICH ARE IDENTIFIED
IN WHAT YOU'D CALL A MAZE,
UM, AND THERE USING
IDENTIFICATIONS BOTH ON
THE PROP AND THE GEOGRAPHY OF
THE MAZE,
YOU CREATE A STORY OF YOUR OWN
LIFETIME.
"CITYLEAKS" IS A VERY FUN
TREATMENT AT THE SANATORIUM
AND ONE OF THE QUICKEST
ACTUALLY,
BUT ONE OF THE MOST CATHARTIC
AND IT IS IN FACT THE ONE
THAT IS QUOTING
TRADITIONAL FORMS OF CONFESSION
THE MOST LITERALLY.
EVERY PERSON WHO ENTERS THAT
PARTICULAR TREATMENT IS MEANT
TO WRITE DOWN THEIR DEEPEST
DARKEST SECRET,
TIE IT UP WITH A BOW,
AND LEAVE IT IN A BOTTLE.
THEN, THEY ARE ABLE TO TAKE
ANOTHER SECRET FROM SOMEONE WHO
THEY DON'T KNOW OR THEY DON'T
KNOW THAT THEY KNOW
WHO HASN'T IDENTIFIED
THEMSELVES,
PULL IT OUT OF THE BOTTLE
AND READ IT.
THAT PERSON AGAIN IS ABLE
TO TAKE THAT SECRET WITH THEM
IF THEY LIKE, LIKE A FORTUNE
FROM A FORTUNE COOKIE.
WHEN COMMISSIONING
OR INSTALLING A WORK
WHICH IS SO DEMANDING OF
VISITORS AND WHICH
DOESN'T PRESENT TRADITIONAL
PRETTY PICTURES ON THE WALL UM,
YOU EXPECT THE FIRST QUESTION
FROM EVERYBODY TO...
THE FIRST RESPONSE FOR EVERY
VISITOR TO COME IN
TO PUT THEIR HANDS ON
THEIR HIPS AND SAY,
"WHY IS THIS ART?"
WHICH IS A QUESTION THAT
WE'RE FULLY EQUIPPED TO ANSWER
AND HAPPY TO ADDRESS,
AND IN FACT,
THE SIMPLEST QUESTIONS CAN BE
SOME OF THE MOST PRODUCTIVE.
HOWEVER, WE'VE HAD A REALLY
SOPHISTICATED RANGE OF RESPONSES
TO THE WORK, PEOPLE HAVE REALLY
ENJOYED BEING GREETED BY
THE VOLUNTEERS
AND EVEN SEEING SOME OF
THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY
WHO THEY MIGHT KNOW
IN ANOTHER CONTEXT
THROUGH THIS INSTALLATION.
ICA MIAMI SPECIALIZES IN
PRESENTING THE MOST EXPERIMENTAL
ART OF OUR TIME.
WHAT WE REALLY DO THROUGH
OUR EXHIBITIONS,
THROUGH OUR CATALOGUES,
AND OUR PUBLIC PROGRAMS
AS WELL AS EDUCATION IS
HIGHLIGHT SCHOLARSHIP
ON THE MOST IMPORTANT BOTH
EMERGING THAT'S YOUNG
AND UNDER-REPRESENTED
ESTABLISHED ARTISTS OF OUR TIME.
SO NOT ONLY THOSE ARTISTS
WHO ARE PRODUCING NEW WORK
BUT ALSO THOSE ARTISTS
WHO HAVE BEEN WORKING
FOR DECADES AND HAVE YET
TO RECEIVE IN AN AMERICAN
OR INTERNATIONAL CONTEXT
THE TYPE OF RECOGNITION
THAT THEY DESERVE.
Rhea: FOR MORE INFORMATION
ABOUT THIS ARTIST'S WORK, VISIT
Rhea: THAT'S ALL FOR TONIGHT,
BUT IF YOU WANT TO WATCH MORE
SHOWS DROP-IN AT
MPT.ORG/ARTWORKS.
BY THE WAY, HAVE YOU DOWNLOADED
THE MPT MOBILE APP YET?
NOW YOU CAN WATCH ARTWORKS AND
OTHER SHOWS ON YOUR PHONE.
AND FOLLOW US ON TWITTER
FOR THE LATEST NEWS.
I'M RHEA FEIKIN AND I WANT
TO THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
WE'LL BE BACK NEXT WEEK.
Announcer: ARTWORKS IS MADE
POSSIBLE IN PART BY
THE CITIZENS
OF BALTIMORE COUNTY.
AND BY...
THE RUTH R. MARDER
ARTS ENDOWMENT FUND,
THE ROBERT E. MEYERHOFF AND
RHEDA BECKER ENDOWMENT
FOR THE ARTS,
THE E.T. &
ROBERT B. ROCKLIN FUND,
AND THE HENRY AND RUTH
BLAUSTEIN ROSENBERG
FOUNDATION ARTS ENDOWMENT
IN MEMORY OF RUTH MARDER.
CLOSED CAPTIONING HAS BEEN MADE
POSSIBLE BY MARYLAND RELAY,
EMPOWERING THOSE WITH
HEARING AND SPEECH LOSS
TO STAY CONNECTED.
*