The above time log is from an extended observation of the downstairs security guard. The tone of the writing is narrative, and personal, almost alluding to something more existing, similar to Jill Magid’s work “Evidence Locker”. The decision to observe someone observing me, or the idea of them looking out for me because they had to was interesting in that it touched upon the impersonal nature of the action, albeit a necessary one. The interaction, or lack thereof appealed in that it was a space where observation or surveillance was to be expected and already okayed. The only twist in this situation being that it was two sided, instead of the single sided way it normally takes place. This exercise was helpful by giving me the opportunity to sit and actually see what these guards encounter on a daily basis. The numbers of people that pass before them, the difficulty in monitoring that many people, what people try to get away with, and the politics and power issues that at times befall them.

Pencil Sketch

I was originally inspired by the WWII listening devices used to locate nearing enemy planes to create listening devices that amplify the surrounding environment and engage with it differently, possible being able to sympathize with persons who are extremely affected by sound. However, after making such listening “ears” I decided to pursue something of an opposite nature. Something that would be more of a social signal that would indicate to others that you are focussing and do not wish to be disturbed, a comfortable and lightweight cone of silence.

WWII listening device

WWII listening device

Cone of SIlence

Cone of Silence

Every New Years I say I’m going to drink more water on a daily basis, and I find that more often than not I fall into the old habit of not getting the minimum requirement. So in an effort to not have to vigilantly remind myself, I decided to outsource it instead.

The above work was inspired by Gillian Wearing’s 1992-1993 project Signs That Say What You Want Them to Say and Not Signs That Say What Someone Else Wants You To Say. Her process for the project involved approaching strangers on the streets of London and asking if they would write a sentence or a phrase on a piece of paper. She would then photograph them displaying the piece of paper covered by a sentence or phrase that showed the personal thought or feeling. The above six images were done as a recreation in a brief way to see if what was written on paper (if the physical) would be any different than what would be said online. The fellow in red on the lower left side was a graduate of TISCH who didn’t have internet and was in the lounge online when I met him. The words above are what he wanted to express even though he was there laying low, and seem quite poignant considering that the lady in the background of his image is homeless, causing his words to resinate even further.

Gillian Wearing “Studies”