8 seconds

A week later, the crankie event seems like a blip in the St. Olaf memory. Life here sprints past people, giving us barely a chance to think, process, breathe... let alone remember an aberration such as a bunch of students walking with boxes on their chest, which encased images of, potentially, autobiographical significance.

They say people give artwork 8 seconds, a mere glance, barely enough time to be fully processed. And if I'm correct, I believe many of the members of creating spectacle had pieces that took more than 8 seconds to view. I know my piece took about 30 seconds and was more full of density in imagery and theme. This did not appeal to most passers-by, as that would take "precious" time and way more thought than they'd rather give in a walk across campus. Here, we see a passerby merely ignoring James as he presents his Crankie...


Discovering what made a crankie piece successful was incredibly interesting to me. I've decided a few things:
-Simplicity in imagery: My partner, James, had a white line traveling on a black piece of paper. Really, a very successful use of simple images to tell a story. An abstract story, sure...but a story nonetheless.
-Artists in character: if you're going to break the norm, why just do it part way? It's best to go all out, then people actually may accept you more...
-An element of surprise: The element of surprise was also present in James' work, as his cover fell to the ground with a resounding crash. Not only did this attract attention, but the immediate viewers had a little skip in their heart beat before they realized this action was, in fact, intended.

This project has shown me the true discomforts of performance art, and has also given me an appreciation for how simplicity in image and story can actually serve to be more effective in creating a positive and strong affect on the viewer-because hey, if you get them to take 8 seconds to see it, you've done well.

GetCrank.

Steven Noyz created a beautiful crankie story about a young boy's treehouse. All seems pretty standard with the boy's lifestyle, except his arms decide to pop off the boy's body and go for an international travel escapade.

All of these elements from the beautifully illustrated story come to life in his performance, with the crankie box designed to connote a treehouse and affixed upon an iron wrought tree, and the arms telling their own story. Steven dressed in black to give the effect that the arms were disconnected from his body. Steven became more and more savvy with his performance as the day progressed, taking in notes on becoming more expressive and choreographic with his hands. I was prodding viewers to read his text, as the storyline was rather important for understanding the piece. There were some enthusiastic narrators. Others were slightly reluctant.

I thought Steven and I made good partners--both of our pieces dealt somehow with the body, albeit in rather different terms. Steven had a strong narrative to describe an absurd and playful physical happening, and I described my body's skeleton with my crankie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmkEuisaa08&feature=related

Paul Chan: Shadow Art

I saw this in Western Denmark a few months ago. Warning: it is disturbing! Paul Chan's video Sade for Sade's Sake, 2009, consists of naked humanoid figures copulating without any sign of affection and with mechanical movements. Their simple contours elevate the characters' sexual activities to a higher symbolic and poetic level compared to ordinary pornography films.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3I7VWPCz2eU

Why won't you stop?

As Maddie and I wandered from building to building, I was most struck by our failure to make people stop and really pay attention to what we wanted to show them. This is not to say that we did not have successful performances--we were able to present our art to many people. Rather, I am commenting on the difficulty we, as artists, face in really forcing people to confront the art before them. At one point, both of us were out on the quad in the middle of the path that connects Buntrock to Regents, our hands turning blue as we turned our crankies for anyone who would give a moment of their time. Of the multitude that streamed by us, I believe only one stopped long enough to bend over and observe. We found the same thing in the Stav Hall; it was nearly impossible to get people to stop eating, talking to their friends, or put down their phone long enough to watch the show.

Some of us abhor the idea of the pushy performance artist. But isn't the aim to jolt through confrontation, even if the individual wants nothing to do with the art/performance? So how far does this idea go and what is the best method to achieve the end? The avant-garde gravitated to 'scandal' for a reason.

(pictures coming soon)

shadow stuff

a bit of shadow stuff done by a friend of mine. combines live shadow with video. very nice.

http://kyleloven.com/index.php?/projects/---sample/

As I traveled with Kelsey, I was most struck by the reactions of viewers to different types of crankies and the effect of the close proximity between art and audience. Kelsey's Crankie drew a wide variety of audiences from crowds to individuals. Some stayed for the whole show, but most seemed to politely smile and walk away or simply avoid the situation completely. The most engaged viewers seemed to be those that we cranked at behind glass or at some distance. When art was right in front of them, many people didn't know what to do or how they were supposed to act. Were they supposed to interpret the piece? Many did, concluding that Kelsey's crankie was about saving the planet. Others appears extremely uncomfortable, not expecting to have to interact with an artwork, pushing them out of their comfort zone in a place they would normally feel comfortable. On the other hand, the audience behind glass knew what they could expect (we couldn't touch them or make them do something embarrassing) and settled down to enjoy the show.

Enthusiastic Smiles and Uncomfortable Laughter

I looked forward to this day and feared it all week. What if people don't like it? What if they do? This guy was probably my favorite reaction of the day. He was the first person katherine and I approached and I had no idea what to expect. But he was SO ENTHUSED! I have never seen an interruption bring so much joy to a person.

This girl presented a different reaction for Katherine. She decided that she would very loudly interpret the drawings in to a story. I had a hard tim deciding if she was being rude or enthusiastic. Whenever I go to a haunted house, I feel bad for the actors. Instead of letting myself get scared, I mouth off and laugh. I get nervous, so I deal with the frightening situation with humor. I wonder if that was true for this girl. I think a lot of people "act out" when art is forced upon them. They feel uncomfortable because they don't understand it or it's unexpected, so they humorously critique it.

But, the reactions were mostly positive. As our class spread around campus, more and more people began to know what we were up to and become excited about us. This last group called us over to see our crankies. Although I was flattered and excited by their enthusiasm, I'm starting to wonder if we really did our job. I think many of my viewers saw "a cute art project" but not a derive. Not yet. But maybe that's ok. I kind of like the idea that we are "warming up" the campus for our future antics. This project just lets them know who we are and that we're here. Maybe in our future endeavors, not only will we disrupt the natural order of things, but because people see us positively, they'll follow suit. That doesn't exactly fall in line with the definition of derive, but I like the idea.

Crankies

For me the most interesting thing about the day was how the audience responded to the crankie, specifically those who take the time to watch it. While Lauren and I walked around we had many people watch our shows and everybody did it in a different way. As you can see from the pictures people interacted with us at varying distances but those distances did not necessarily have anything to do with their interest in the crankies

Shadows with Swords

This video doesn't technically use shadows, but the concept is still something to think about.

one of my favorite artists does shadows

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPHlI4wg1s8

Wanna crankie?

(see Kari's post for photos)

Let's shake this campus up a little more often. If there was a common thread in the reactions Kari and I experienced to our crankies on Monday, it was an uncertainty as to how to respond. The exhausting St. Olaf psyche is this constant need to always be in control, to know the right answer, to do the right thing. So what do you do when two girls walk up to you with these wooden box contraptions strapped on like washboards, one looking like she walked out of a kindergarten class and the other one any mother's worst nightmare?

Kari and I didn't plan for our crankies to offer stark contrast to one another but as chance (and personality) would have it, they did. It was interesting to play with how we presented our crankies and with the different variations, which reactions ensued. With both of us cranking at the same time, heads bounced back and forth, sometimes lingering on one rather than the other as something caught their eye. Looks ran the spectrum from delight to horror to "aw cute" to disbelief. Were we to do it again, Kari and I thought it would be interesting to mix a playlist bouncing back and forth between songs that matched with our cranky styles, playing with having our cranky performances match up with each song, and then other time performing our cranky to the others song type.

Our experience in the theatre building was by far a highlight of the hour. Before we had even walked into the office, the sound of loud, obscene music had caused a staff member to make an assumption and formulate an opinion before even knowing what was going on. Why shouldn't we blast music every once and a while during the work day? Did you notice how quiet Thompson Hall was as we congregated? The Reference Room is designated the "quiet" room for a reason - so that we can engage in conversation and activity on the rest of campus. Let's crank it up.

If I ignore them, maybe they'll go away?

Probably my favorite encountered reaction to Monday's crankie escapade:

Anda and I went up to the window of a study room in Rolvaag and stood there (crankies at the ready) until noticed. When the poor guy in there finally glanced at us, he panicked and immediately turned his full attention back to his web browser (facebook open, not academics, I might note) as if to pretend that he hadn't noticed us. He sat there resolutely ignoring us until we tapped on the glass and he was forced to watch our crankies. It was absolutely beautiful.

As for traveling with Anda, it was a joy to watch the reactions of interactees as she showed them her work: a series of funny image responses to certain words. Some were initially bemused, but almost everyone wound up laughing as they got it, and the reactions were positive. Despite some technical difficulties at the beginning that required some Dr. Irve reparations, I would say her crankie performance was all in all a success

Entire album of documentation:

http://img834.imageshack.us/g/1001100l.jpg/

"AM I SUPPOSED TO BE DOING SOMEHTHING?!?!"

As well as being quite a spectacle, I found our crankie escapade to be an intriguing sociological experiment. The range of reactions we met was pretty wide. I found that the vast majority of people genuinely enjoyed the spectacle, as the looked intrigued and smiled at the distraction.

Then, there were the angry/confused people, such as this young lad:

His attept to completely ignore me turned sour when he finally turned around and whispered harshly "AM I SUPPOSED TO BE DOING SOMETHING?!?!"

Despite his crankieness, the other people in the room seemed to enjoy our interaction.

As for Nate's project, I can safely say that we befriended many a tree.

Crankie Day

After some quick and clever work on my crankie by the Crankie Doctor (Irve), Siri and I took off on our crankie adventure. Right away, someone in Buntrock expressed interest in the crankies and Siri jumped in right away with her story. As long as we didn't hesitate and just started cranking, people seemed happy to watch. The hardest part of the expedition was trying not to speak, especially to friends encountered along the way. But the silence was freeing because so often people expect an artist to explain his or her work because they are nervous that they are "missing the point". My favorite crankie intervention was on a classroom in the library. Siri and I stood outside the room at such and angle that the professor couldn't see us. The class kept sneaking looks and one guy in the corner had a great grin on his face the whole time. I felt like crankie day was a joyful one, and that people welcomed our intervention with good humor and interest.

The Result of Futility

When thinking about this project, I knew I would have a theoretical problem. I wanted to create a cranky that would actually engage people and reveal something new in them. However, I simply couldn't imagine anyone putting in the time and effort, especially if I encountered them outside. Heck, they'd probably be too busy getting from point A to B to give me anything but a scowl. So what did I do?

I gave up.

See, humans aren't the only ones who should have fun with this. Sometimes, tree's need a little attention too. So that's what I set out to do, introduce myself in a fun way to my surroundings. After all, we must interact with our environment, even if we don't pay it too much attention. I imagine that, if I were coming to Earth for the first time, I wouldn't really know who to introduce myself to. I would definitely want to get on good terms with the monstrously tall creatures everywhere, though.

Still, I couldn't neglect those lonely pedestrians passing by. Plus I was really excited to meet some cool rocks, so I ran about like the mad man that I am. If spectacle is what you're after, there's nothing more mesmerizing than an idiot playing in the snow.

All in all, I'd call this day a success.

The set of pics from the day can be seen here.

Crankie (cranky) reactions

Wandering around campus wearing crankies turned into quite the adventure for Sterling and me. We began in the hallway at the exit of the cafeteria. We immediately got stare-ers but we did not get a real crankie viewer until several people curiously declined the invitation to watch our stories. Once one person stopped, several others latched onto the opportunity, gathering around the spectacle. One of my favorite people to watch watch was the lady monitoring the caf hallway, holding the job with the objective of reclaiming stolen fruit from students. Those workers are notoriously cranky, and when Sterling and I came waltzing in with our crankies, clearly not intending to sneak into the caf or steal fruit, it seemed as though we had rocked her world. After whispering to another caf worker, she just stared briefly at the show, appearing defeated.

As we moved to other locations on campus, Sterling made some very bold moves. One that particularly stuck out to me was when he performed through the glass between himself outside and some girls sitting in a booth in the hallway between Buntrock and the library. I think it worked especially well because there was a literal barrier between them and even if one person tried to communicate verbally, it was not possible. Sterling also used sounds, as opposed to words, and gestures very well to indicate specific parts of the story to the audience.

What is it about?

Caroline and I spent the day walking around campus with very different ideas. Mine was a simple story, but Caroline's was much more abstract and personal. We started outside the caf and watched as people walked by looking concerned or ignoring us completely. Eventually a couple of her friends came up and after they realized that she couldn't talk, tried to decipher her story. Many of the reactionsshe got were "Oh, it's a phone number!" or "That's the United States!" or "This looks like a fun art project" and people seemed to be pleased with themselves that they were able to recognize these things, but after she told me what they represented I realized that no one was really looking at the crankies and trying to figure out their purpose. They just looked it one time through, laughed and then went on their day. Overall it was a great project for us to see people's reactions and learn from them, but I don't know if the St. Olaf community got the idea.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmkEuisaa08&feature=youtube_gdata_player

where's the audience?

The most noticeable aspect of Crankie Day for me was how the audience, or rather lack of audience, reacted to our crankies. Yes, people gawked at the students walking around with wooden boxes on their stomachs but I found that most of the people who got to watch didn't pay much attention to the actual art.

There were two strangers who I thought paid any attention and gave me feedback; I really appreciated that.

Crankies!

Interrupting friends having lunch, confusing prospective students, and distracting half a lecture hall full of students- these were just a few of the acts we undertook as Timmy and I went about campus with our crankies.

After making a few stops along the way, we made it to the Caf. People were interested, people were accepting and people enjoyed seeing us there.

We made it to the library and took over a class that was about to start. In this class we were allowed to perform, but in another class in Regents, we were quickly thrown out upon entering the classroom. You could say the prof was being a little cranky. The idea of overtaking a class was especially interesting to us and Timmy's most successful performance was in front of the doors of a lecture hall holding about 100 students.

The professor never saw us, but most of the students sure did! I still wonder if the prof ever caught on to everyones laughs and stares.

Timmy also help me greatly with my own crankie performance by acting like a director for my show.

Crankie Confusion

I feel like Hillary and I got to see a lot of different reactions to our crankies yesterday. Some people stared from afar, others tried to avoid looking at us. Some kept asking questions, and others, when they realized we couldn't talk, felt like they should play along and watched silently.

Hillary and I mostly walked around together, but took turns on different perches or in different sections of a building. Here's Hillary perched on the steps of the library... not too many people walked in, but those who did slowed their pace as they walked by:

We also walked through the caf, the cage, parts of Regents, and of course ultimately: Tomson.

In the caf, Hillary went up to a family here for junior preview day! They were sort of confused, but I think the spectacle intrigued them.

In the cage, these girls tried to analyze what the images meant--as

did many people we ran into...

...but in Tomson these three sat in silence and just nodded when we were done.

I think my favorite memory of the day was when Hillary and I both stood up against a window looking into Fireside. While one guy turned and tried to shoo us away, a crowd started to form behind him with looks of wonder on their faces. The guy seemed very annoyed while everyone else was pointing and chatting to each other. I found it so interesting to see two polar opposite reactions to the exact same sight. I think most people were taken aback by the 20-something of us running around campus, but they started to warm up to the idea and as we saw more people, they seemed to know what was going on and looked just a little bit less freaked out when we'd run into them. Similarly, I think we got more comfortable as time went on. Hillary and I started going up to more and more people who we did not know, finding more creative places to explore, and having more fun with the project.

I mean... imagine seeing this while you are casually walking through our beautiful brand new building on an Admissions preview day. I'd apply! :)

Let's Get Crankie

Hattie and I got a very wide range of reactions to our crankies today as we went out into the world of St. Olaf. It was very interesting to see the differing reactions to the two different crankies as ours were so incredibly different.

Hattie, her crankie and her music immediately grabbed the attention of anyone walking by. As the only student in our class using music to help create spectacle. In addition, her costume-all black with a pony tail on top of her head, sunglasses and lipstick as well as the large set of lips on her crankie really turned heads. If that weren't enough, the lyrics on her scroll of paper definitely grabbed the attention of those who were really dead to the world.

Hattie performed her spectacle to make people feel uncomfortable and that she did-the reactions were very different from person to person, however. Most people would laugh whether it was because it was funny to see Hattie doing this or because they felt uncomfortable and it was nervous laughter. Others just stared, unable to take their eyes of the lyrics. Many danced along to the music, completely missing the point of the spectacle Hattie was creating. Many of the adults and prospies quickly looked away after viewing a word or two, uncomfortable.

Half way through our time out around campus, we headed to the theatre building. Both of us being theatre majors, we didn't think it would be too much of a problem and, hey, it's theatre. We found most of the building to be pretty dead but headed upstairs, where I performed for a few people in the shop, and then we headed to the theatre box office to perform for one of the professors. However, as we began to open the door, Hattie's music still blaring, a staff member yelled at us to turn off the music or get out of the building. Keeping to our rule to not talk, we turned around and walked out the door, music still blaring. It was quite a jarring reaction as most of the reactions we had gotten had been fairly positive.

I think Hattie definitely achieved what she intended-to make people uncomfortable and create a spectacle, make people really notice and want to hear what she had to say.

Creating a spectacle in the bathroom-I actually really scared a woman who came in :P

One of the many different reactions to Hattie's crankie
Polar opposites
Creating havoc in the caf


Another reaction

The Third & The Seventh

This isn't a derive, but I wanted to share it with everbody. This is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen in my entire life, and it's something to think about for our class. Buildings are never really seen as art because we use them more for their practical purposes than to look at, but if you step back from say Holland Hall or the Sears Tower and look at the detail that went into its design and think about how a structure that large can remain standing, it's unbelievable, and this video really looks into the idea of Architecture as Art. Also, it's fully CG-animated which is unbelievable once you watch it.

http://vimeo.com/7809605?hd=1

Lotte Reiniger

here's a little piece about Lotte R.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4wc6s_the-art-of-lotte-reiniger-19531971_shortfilms

Adding to existing works...

In my hometown there are many presidential statues lining the sidewalks of the downtown area. Being such public and accessible figures, they are very suceptible to having things added to them. I have seen quite a variety of things done to presidential statues, from wearing birthday party hats to holding drinks from nearby fast food restaurants. It cerainly catches your attention, especially if you drive down the same streets everyday it is always an amusing catch when something is different and jumps out at you.

Natural Derive

Andy Goldsworthy creates art works made of and completely subject to nature. Whether they be sculptures from sticks, leaves, icicles, or stones, they are left in their environment until they naturally degrade. The majority of his work is preserved only with a photograph. They are temporary and unexpected. Anyone walking through the forest could run into a trail of red leaves spiraling around a tree trunk or traveling down a stream. The mysterious and temporary nature of his work creates a derive for anyone who happens to come across one of his creations. They are not only a jolt from the ordinary, but call into question our previous notions of the role of humanity in the wild.

In support of the derive...

CouchSurfing is a website which seems to have the derive at its heart. This site is a community of friendly people who post information about themselves and the area around them for travelers who need a place to stay. By providing free lodging through enthusiastic people, the possibility of simply wandering becomes a much safer one. And often, people who are willing to host travelers have done their fair share of traveling, and wish to provide helpful tips and exchange stories with their guests. So while CouchSurfing is not itself a derive, it is an interesting tool to keep people safe and interested in wandering all upons.

Derive Escargot

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqrBYRCxy2E

I love this video, and it is a lovely example of a derive! It is a good-spirited disruption of everyday expectations that makes us pause and consider a new, homely perspective of the world.

McDerive

My friend Nate and I carpooled every day to high school and would often swing through fast food drive-thrus on our way home for a treat. One day at our usual stop at the Minnetonka McDonald's, we decided to shake things up a bit. The conversation over the speaker system went something like this:

Nate: Hello. I'd like a McNugget McFlurry please.

Employee: One Chicken McNugget and One McFlurry... what would you like in that, sir?

Nate: I would like the McNuggets IN the McFlurry.

Employee: I'm sorry, sir, would you like the McNuggets or the McFlurry?

Nate: I would like a McNUGGET McFlurry, has no one ever asked for that before?

Employee: I don't think we can do that, sir.

Nate: The McDonald's in Maple Grove does it.

Employee: Wait a moment please *static* I can give you the McNuggets and a plain McFlurry if you would like.

Nate: I suppose that will do.

(We pull up to the window and see the woman taking our order face-to-face.)

Employee: So, you really put McNuggets in your McFlurry?

Nate: Yes, I'm just going to rip them up in little pieces and mix them in myself!

Employee: (covering her mouth and speaking into headset) Dude... he's not kidding... he actually wants it.

So after all the trouble we put this poor employee through, Nate and I decided that we actually had to try our creation. Needless to say, there's probably a reason why it isn't a permanent fixture on the menu.

Ordering fast food is so mindless, with entire combos reduced down to a number and for some the option to SuperSize an almost automatic response. Nate and I created a derive by asking for something unusual and specific and expecting customized service (also taking up a lot of time at the drive-thru window to the annoyance of the customers who came after us). I think the derive would have been even better had we gotten our friends to follow us in their cars asking for other varieties of unusual McFlurrys... perhaps I'll have to try staging this again!

Dancing in the streets

In most big cities, and even in many small towns, it is common to run into street musicians. I believe that these musicians create a sort of derive by making people move through space in a new way--whether that is dancing, running away, or slowing to observe. When I was in New York City the summer before last, my friends and I ran into a man playing the saxophone in Central Park. We stopped nearby and started dancing along to his playing and as we continued our walk we were still bopping along to his music behind us. His playing definitely changed the way we "drifted" through that part of the park.

Us dancing to the musician playing single ladies:

Tim and Eric Awesome Show Great Job

After talking about Dada and Surrealist works, I can help but think of Tim and Eric. Sure, it isn't that out there, but it is strange enough to give most people pause. Fortunately, Adult Swim is hosting the exact video I wanted to share, so you can check out their stuff here. Happy Camping!

The Office Season 6 - "Gossip" Clip: Parkour

This one is for James...

Dancing In the... hallway?

Each year, one of the more adventurous dance classes executes a "free dance" across campus. Armed with iPods, the class creates a playlist to jam out to in public places. The catch? Because all of the dancers are plugged in, to the average observer, they're just shaking their booty to the sounds of silence. Although I have never participated, I have witnessed this type of derive twice and always with a big smile on my face. The dancer burst into Buntrock and show off their best moves outside of the Cage and the PO boxes, extremely public venues. I have watched some people walk as far away as quickly as possible, people join in, whispering, stares, laughter, and photographs taken. It's a simple, yet peaceful spectacle that upsets the natural order. First of all, silently dancing in public with only your iPod is total taboo (although I recently saw a 10 year old girl in an airport trying this out, and I wanted to be her best friend). But it also takes up space. This area is a meeting place, a place of peace to study and chat, and generally a taboo free zone. And for those people who just felt totally uncomfortable, they were forced to find a new comfortable space to enjoy their coffee. The dancers don't stay long though, maybe a song or two. Then they move around to other public places on campus, intending to make a scene and thoroughly enjoy themselves. I don't think a derive has to only push people outside of their comfort zone though. I have talked to several people, after seeing this spectacle who have expressed great interest in taking this class, and I feel the same way. Others were inspired to upset the order and immerse themselves in the joy that is art. I'm so inspired, you all better watch out for my sweet moves to pop out of nowhere!

Free Running (Le Parkour)

A form of travel that is almost entirely unplanned, Le Parkour is less an intervention and more a dérive. Individuals will chose a starting location and an ending location and then go there by any route (foot travel only), this often includes gymnastics and very nimble movement. Le parkour has changed from a point A to point B style of movement to a location based event. Runners will find a location (stairs, two buildings, walls, abandoned buildings, street poles, rooftops, Etc) and they will do a variation of Le parkour called 'Tricking'. Tricking" is more like gymnastic because instead of having to think on the fly of how to leap a gap, they can practice it. Here is an example of free running with some tricking spliced in (and of course for the sake of the video there was planning). The video doesn't get good until the 2 min mark so skip to there.

Snowballs!

During my first year while in the Art 103 class, we went out around campus armed with snowball makers, and created some interventions.
People didn't understand why or what we were doing, but the project interrupted their day.I actually saw one person follow the above arrow and turned around a walked the other direction!

Silent Intervention

A vow of silence can be a powerful intervention. In high school I remember the slight chaos the Day of Silence for ending LBGT student harassment brought on. For the most part, teachers viewed this day as a complete nuisance, which proves how effective it was as an intervention upon the high school as a community with norms and expectations.