• Tweet

• Tweet

Humberto Duque “waltz of the outfielders” cellophane sheet, portable fans • 2.40 m x 3 m

The Temporary Institute of Emancipated Objects, opened January 10th in the Philip J. Steele Gallery on the campus of the Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design and continues through February 7, 2013.

An excerpt from the press release – The exhibition “focuses its attention on the renewal of the object through use of artists’ reuse and appropriation. The four artists exhibited, Brett Windham, Barry Anderson, Humberto Duque, and Whitney Lynn, use the human-made material world around them to cull materials, inspiration, and concept form.”

Opening night the artists participated in a panel discussion entitled, “Beg, Borrow, & Steal: 4 Contemporary Views on Failure” as part of  RMCAD’s Visiting Artist, Scholar, & Designer Program. Led by Berit Soli-Holt (who’s the new Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design (RMCAD) ‘Visiting Artist, Scholar & Designer’ Program Coordinator) the artists discussed the implications of failure in contemporary art-making practices.

This is an interesting thread which highlights

complexities

But, I digress, TWO IDEAS that were forming that I think are tops-
1) taking a material, form, or idea through collapse
2) challenging ideas of “finished”

What about you?

Kathryn Holt I find that there is always a moment where you hate what you’re working on. I want to chuck it. If I kept after it, sometimes, just sometimes, the very best work comes of it.

Peter Strange Yumi read the book zen mind beginners mind, replace the word zen with art and you have my approach. in the experts mind there are few possibilities in the beginners there are many.

Sigri Strand Recently, I was throwing everything away and then I broke on through. I try not to fear the failures and just hope that working through them will take you in the right direction, eventually…

Theresa Anderson A highlight from last night was one of the panelists noting that what he had determined a failure went on to be his most sought after work.

Peter Strange Yumi we can only make work, everything else is out of our control, how people see it, what they think of it, even what we think of it. I just do my job and make stuff.

Bruce Price If it ends up with what I “intended” I’d think I’d failed.

Peter Strange Yumi perfecto bruce

Andy Berg There is no failure

What about you?

Rebecca Vaughan punctuated the discussion by pointing out that once the work comes out of or through failure, it is no longer a fail.  The distinction- the artists are not declaring the work a failure.

One of my first questions after viewing the exhibition and then hearing the artist’s discussion concerned the artist’s affiliations. Did they go to school together? How do they know each other? Their discussion flowed and worked together. And there is a difference to the artists works in the gallery that creates an interesting and layered dialogue.  Different, but they fit together in an odd not immediately transparent way.  But no, the artists did not know each other before hand. The works were curated by Cortney Lane Stell in a way that showed and played upon her theories about Failure. Big F.

(How does Failure differ from work that is regressive? Provisional?)

Thinking hard on all these things within the work of Humberto Duque. His piece waltz of the outfielders by is represented above in a video from a previous installation. Waltz of the outfielders is an artist’s dream. Everyone wants to think of it first. The cellophane sheet visually ripples and moves across the floor like a wind up toy while throwing material vibrations onto the walls and ceiling. This deceptively simple piece sums up years of work and sensory knowledge of matter.

Humberto Duque “there was no tomorrow, not today” wood, mittens • 90 cm H x 80 cm L x 50 cm W