Claire van der Plas’ Neighborhood

the entries have been a bit sparse as of late.  lots going on -- the asheboro paintings are just about finished.  there will be a packed gallery come next april.  started working on new paintings of women floating.  more about that later.  i hope to incorporate inspirations from time here in asheboro into these works.  also working on a portait commission.  still searching for chupacabra. . .  

These streets will make you feel brand new,
the lights will inspire you.

I went to NYC last week! I made it to this awesome conference! I didn't have a ticket, but I made it in... AND got to see some awesome galleries and friends new and old! what a packed weekend.

I wore Harrell Fletcher's wrist band to get in! Suzanne Lacy indirectly bought me a beer! I was part of one of the most incredible critical social-practice-art-intense theory/practical conversations since/including all my art classes and it lasted forever but was so good for every minute.

Here is my powerpoint that I gave to the other Elsewherians when we returned:

Here are some key points i'm taking back with me.

• utilizing under-appreciated resources in a community - how can we bring value to these non-monetary exchanges?
• where are the non-art people in these conversations? how can we engage in this type of art conversation outside of an art circle -- is it necessary to be considered an artist in order to have the freedom to do these types of projects/get funding within our current system of understanding and advocating art in public practices?
• must get involved with the grassroots groups already tackling the project/ideas i want to consider in my artwork: they are the ones already connected and trusted by the community
• an ongoing need for a revolution: is academia a "safe zone" for us (artists) to develop ideas and projects that go back out into the "war zone" of real life?
• legislative art? does it give more structure/results than more esoteric art pieces? a way of having art take responsibility for it's power and the issues it responds to (benefits from?)
• how do you measure the success of a project -- is it art because it is measureless? does that lead to esoteric and meaningless art pieces? is that ok -- isn't it ok to dream and create without creating measurable results? what if the results are un-measurable and yet still have just as profound an effect as any other act and effort?
• distinct, political goal oriented projects can still have esoteric, indeterminable artistic moments.
  
• how do i avoid over-thinking and critiquing my work to the point that my theory paralyzes my action and making?
• there are always consequences to your practice: but where, and how, and who has control over those ideas once they are out in the world? We have to stop thinking we don't impact -- even if it is only impacting yourself.
  
• "If artists felt like they could do anything, why are 95% making paintings?"
• how can artists instrumentalize their cultural capital?
• do long-term goals paralyze immediate action that could be considered merely a "bandaid" to the larger issue? are the smaller projects still valid? necessary! how can they be incorporated and a valid contribution to/acknowledgment of the larger picture?
• be present to your human condition, compassion, feelings, thoughts, authenticity.
  
  

first proposal deadline: November 6!

Call for Performance Proposals
The Art Shanty Projects and mnartists.org are seeking individuals or groups interested in producing programs on frozen Medicine Lake in Plymouth, MN from January 16 through February 14, 2010.

• bags of trash
• bagging, bundling, storing, hiding things away
• secrets
• cocoons
• sleeping bag brigades/forts/fortresses/armies
• sewing circles
• ice cream making
• ice-dying
• slowly made tiny ice igloos/sculptures
• freezing things into the ice
• carnival
• country faire
• rallying point
• a flag pole
• flag-making
• lots of flags all over the place like post-it notes.
  
• claiming lands; making continents; making forts; making a place /territory/rules/games/ways of speaking/walking/doing
• ice-risk?
• drawing maps on the ice
• dress making
• ice-dress-fashion-show
• ice-project-runway
• ice-iron-chef
• ice-friday-night-lights
• ice-freaks-and-geeks
• disney on ice
• installations all over the place
• mousetrap, the human ice-version
• making shish-kebobs
• fax machine games x 100
• ticket to ride out the wazoo
• letter writing
• movie making
• home movie reenactments
• olympics on ice!
• Childhood sleeping bags
• tea parties
• snow cones
• gladiators
• elaborate structures for random competitions(rock paper scissors, jumping jacks, shortest, thumbwars): get evan scofield involved.
• Mobiles... of ice?
• truck-ice-skiing
• sitting in a cool truck.
• trucks in general.
• hauling stuff.
  
• puppies! kittens! ice-pet shop! Stuffed animal making!!!!!!!
• locally-inspired play: bring a basically created plot with lots of open spots and involve local volunteers and local issues into the cast/plot: create the props and parts, have easily jump-in-a-ble roles and positions, be flexible to the community's needs.
• People's living rooms. Grandma's living rooms. Memories of grandmas living rooms. What happens in living rooms. What is a living room.
• Canadian border? Where the hell is minneapolis anyway (talk to athena?)
• Written as an outsider looking for a place to be.

emily told me to try a honeycrisp apple.