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.