Project Statement: A time and place from several perspectives.
Groups of people stood in this overgrown yard as night fell on two separate evenings, observing and moving across the yard, writing down impressions and leaving a marker at each point of observation. The bright, night-visible markers that stayed behind for a month animated a rarely noticed overgrown, trashed lot along 24 Webster Ave for a summer month. A flier was left for those passing by, titled 'what's over the fence?' that included the list of six people's impressions and a project description.
The two groups were comprised of 3 volunteers each, ranging in age, gender, art-experience, and perception. Afterward, discussion revealed what differed in each person's experience of the process and the place.
Here are some exerpts from our conversation and their notes:
"Each spot was like its own neighborhood."
"...reminded me of being a kid and exploring and plundering around."
"Felt like I was on vacation."
"I was in the middle of the city and nobody saw...like an invisible forest."
"There was a push/pull between being antsy and being present."
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Observation Event Images: May 16 Session
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Facing the street and uphill
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Composite image of the movement uphill
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The markers left at each point were flags,
later replaced by larger blue markers
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Getting darker: Derek over by the fence
and Jim in the foreground
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The streetlight comes on -
Mike at his last point of observation
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Christo, Susan and Kelly
starting out at the base of the slope.
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Feeing the breeze and scratching?
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Climbing the slope toward the street
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These blue orbs replaced the flag markers,
placed at each observation point
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The 'orb' - Plastic and a square of self-charging, glowing material
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A daytime view from Webster Ave, over the fence
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The Teams
May 9th: Susan Bueti, Kelly Sherman and Christopher Wood.
May 16th: Derek Brain, James Gussen, Mike McHugh
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The lot at 24 Webster Avenue is owned by the Community Builder's Cooperative.
The yard is overgrown, frequented by feral cats and raccoons, and occasionally, neighborhood kids. The view from the Webster Ave. is through a chainlink fence covered with vines.
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