Keiko Sono: Bradley Barn Project

Wed, 05 May 2004 15:47:14 GMT

Fertility

The Bradley Barn Project 5

Tue, 04 May 2004 05:15:25 GMT

This is a longer proposal elaborating on ideas described in the application form.
What inspired me to develop this project is the beauty and the solemn, sacred atmosphere of the barn itself. It was standing for a long time in an abandoned field, seeming to be destined for demolition, until Ray Bradley began farming on the field and investing so much of his own money in renovating it. The barn is very large in scale, and many local people use it as a landmark. While so many of us appreciate having the barn where it is, few of us realize Mr. Bradley's struggle. In addition to his financial pressure, he also faces challenges from neighbors who are ill-informed about the nature of organic farming. My goal is to provide his supporters and non-supporters an opportunity to understand and appreciate his effort, and the practice of organic farming in general, through the power of art which appeals to our senses on an intuitive level. My intuition is at its strongest when being connected to the site/space, whether the work being painting, installation, or conceptual. My paintings in the last two years have solely been about living in this region, aiming at not adhering to the convention of landscape painting or faithfully duplicating the visual scene, but exploring the visceral experience of connecting to the site.

During the period from 1994 to 96 prior to moving here, I was creating site-specific works using paper and soot, collected by holding paper above a candle flame. I would normally choose paper whose color and texture resembled those of the walls, cut them to a manageable dimension and draw a simple arc with several dots of soot. I would then assemble those sheets of paper to create simple yet powerfully symbolic shapes like a cross or a circle, and glue them directly on the walls. The velvety texture of soot is not achievable in any other way, and is extremely fragile. If it is sprayed with fixative, it changes its color and texture, therefore creating this work on site is imperative.

The combination of the velvety, ephemeral markings of flame and soot, and the stark simplicity com bined with highly symbolic shapes, always solicited strong reactions from the audience. However, I ceased working in this process when I moved, simply because there was no site nor cause in need for it. Until I stepped inside Bradley's barn.
The barn is structurally completely stable but is far from being finished. There are large openings on both ends of the barn which allow sun beams to shine through like a divine light. Ray completely replaced the roof so the meticulously constructed new beams create striking patterns on the ceiling. My plan is to assemble the sheets of paper to form an immense circle resembling the sun on a light weight panel, then to install the panel on the interior wall at one end of the barn between the upper opening and the lower entrance (there is actually a platform protruding from the wall so the panel will hang at the edge of the platform, away from the wall). At the other end, a similar panel will be installed but the paper sheets will be arranged to form a cross.

Attached to the long side-walls of the barn are two large platforms that form an upper level. Along the length of one of the walls, a long horizontal line composed of individual letter-sized sheets of paper will be installed. On each sheet, there will be one dot marked with soot. The dot's placement is varied ever so slightly, along the paper's vertical center, so from a distance the entire piece will look like one long, simple arc. This arc will be viewed from the opposite platform. When a viewer visits the platform whose wall the piece is installed on, s/he will be able to take a closer look at the soot drawings.

Composite photos showing planned installation The production period is expected to last about three weeks including organizing the barn with help from Ray's employees. During this period, in addition to documenting the creative process, I will keep a daily weblog of what I observe on the farm, including any interaction with visitors. This will help deepen our knowledge of what life on an organic farm is like, as well as heighten the audience's anticipation for the unveiling of the work and the reception. The three separate pieces mentioned above, will thus consist of many individual sheets of paper which will be given to donors who sign up at the reception, or anytime during the duration of the project. I am fully aware that whatever money I may raise will be only a drop in a bucket for the renovation of the barn. But I may be able to help improve his relations with his neighbors and the town, or at least lessen his psychological pressure. The project first begins with researching the possible legal problems that may arise in realizing this project. The last thing I want to happen is for this to backfire against Mr. Bradley. Amy Little of Gardiner has generously agreed to act as my consultant in this area, and I look forward to receiving her expert advice while keeping in mind not to take up too much of her time in her busy schedule. Once the coast is clear, a professional legal adviser will be hired to cover all possibilities for liabilities. I expect no major problems in the actual creation process until the installation of the panels. They will not be of an unmanageable size, but precaution will be needed to secure them in place. Richard Miller, an architect residing in New Paltz, has agreed to advise and supervise on this process. At the time of the reception, hired hands will be stationed at the entrance of the barn and at the foot of the stairs, limiting the number of people in the barn at any one time. The reception will be held, on the Bradley farm outside the barn, during the harvest season and will be the time for celebration. A strong PR campaign will be practiced to increase the exposure of the event, and donations from local restaurants will be solicited for the event. The work will be up for two weeks following the reception. Although this is a one-time project focusing only on one farm, if it completes successfully, I will extend this idea to other farms, though I may use completely different media. It is also probable that reporting on this process on the web will create some spin-offOs. I will be open and flexible to all future possibilities. I may not have had experience in carrying out a public art project of this scale, but I have planned and curated many shows in public sites, created a painting installation in a museum, and have a small but reliable group of people for support. As much as money is an issue, it is your encouragement that will have the strongest impact on this project and myself. Even if you must drastically decrease the amount of grant, having your stamp of approval will significantly improve my credibility and give me the emotional boost that any independent artist outside of the commercial loop desperately needs. I hope you will give this project a serious consideration.

The Bradley Barn Project 4 (Proposal Text)

Tue, 27 Apr 2004 04:00:54 GMT

What inspired me to develop this project is the beauty and the solemn, sacred atmosphere of the barn itself. It was standing for a long time in an abandoned field, seeming to be destined for demolition, until Ray Bradley began farming on the field and investing so much of his own money in renovating it. The barn is very large in scale, and many local people use it as a landmark. While so many of us appreciate having the barn where it is, few of us realize Mr. BradleyOs struggle. In addition to his financial pressure, he also faces challenges from neighbors who are ill-informed about the nature of organic farming. My goal is to provide his supporters and non-supporters an opportunity to understand and appreciate his effort, and the practice of organic farming in general, through the power of art which appeals to our senses on an intuitive level. My intuition is at its strongest when being connected to the site/space, whether the work being painting, installation, or conceptual. My paintings in the last two years have solely been about living in this region, aiming at not adhering to the convention of landscape painting or faithfully duplicating the visual scene, but exploring the visceral experience of connecting to the site. During the period from 1994 to 96 prior to moving here, I was creating site-specific works using paper and soot, collected by holding paper above a candle flame. I would normally choose paper whose color and texture resembled those of the walls, cut them to a manageable dimension and draw a simple arc with several dots of soot. I would then assemble those sheets of paper to create simple yet powerfully symbolic shapes like a cross or a circle, and glue them directly on the walls. The velvety texture of soot is not achievable in any other way, and is extremely fragile. If it is sprayed with fixative, it changes its color and texture, therefore creating this work on site is imperative. The combination of the velvety, ephemeral markings of flame and soot, and the stark simplicity combined with highly symbolic shapes, always solicited strong reactions from the audience. However, I ceased working in this process when I moved, simply because there was no site nor cause in need for it. Until I stepped inside BradleyOs barn. The barn is structurally completely stable but is far from being finished. There are large openings on both ends of the barn which allow sun beams to shine through like a divine light. Ray completely replaced the roof so the meticulously constructed new beams create striking patterns on the ceiling. My plan is to assemble the sheets of paper to form an immense circle resembling the sun on a light weight panel, then to install the panel on the interior wall at one end of the barn between the upper opening and the lower entrance (there is actually a platform protruding from the wall so the panel will hang at the edge of the platform, away from the wall). At the other end, a similar panel will be installed but the paper sheets will be arranged to form a cross (this is tentative - I would like to avoid any association with an established religion). Attached to the long side walls of the barn are two large platforms that form an upper level. Along the length of one of the walls, a long horizontal line composed of individual letter-sized sheets of paper will be installed. On each sheet, there will be one dot marked with soot. The dotOs placement is varied ever so slightly, along the paperOs vertical center, so from a distance the entire piece will look like one long, simple arc. This arc will be viewed from the opposite platform. When a viewer visits the platform whose wall the piece is installed on, s/he will be able to take a closer look at the soot drawings. The production period is expected to last about three weeks including organizing the barn with help from RayOs employees. During this period, in addition to documenting the creative process, I will keep a daily weblog of what I observe on the farm, including any interaction with visitors. This will help deepen our knowledge of what life on an organic farm is like, as well as heighten the audienceOs anticipation for the unveiling of the work and the reception. The three separate pieces mentioned above, will thus consist of many individual sheets of paper which will be given to donors who sign up at a reception, or anytime during the duration of the project. I am fully aware that whatever money I may raise will be only a drop in a bucket for the renovation of the barn. But I may be able to help improve his relations with his neighbors and the town, or at least lessen his psychological pressure. The project first begins with researching the possible legal problems that may arise in realizing this project. The last thing I want to happen is for this to backlash against Mr. Bradley. Amy Little of Gardiner has generously agreed to act as my consultant in this area, and I look forward to receiving her expert advice while keeping in mind not to take up too much of her time in her busy schedule. Once the coast is clear, a professional legal adviser will be hired to cover all possibilities for liabilities. I expect no major problems in the actual creation process until the installation of the panels. They will not be of an unmanageable size, but precaution will be needed to secure them in place. Richard Miller, an architect residing in New Paltz, has agreed to advise and supervise on this process. At the time of the reception, hired hands will be stationed at the entrance of the barn and at the foot of the stairs, limiting the number of people in the barn at any one time. The reception will be held, on the Bradley farm outside the barn, during the harvest season and will be the time for celebration. A strong PR campaign will be practiced to increase the exposure of the event, and donations from local restaurants will be solicited for the event. The work will be up for two weeks following the reception. Although this is a one-time project focusing only on one farm, if it completes successfully, I will extend this idea to other farms, though I may use completely different media. It is also probable that reporting on this process on the web will create some spin-offOs. I will be open and flexible to all future possibilities. I may not have had experience in carrying out a public art project of this scale, but I have planned and curated many shows in public sites, created a painting installation in a museum, and have a small but reliable group of people for support. As much as money is an issue, it is your encouragement that will have the strongest impact on this project and myself. Even if you must drastically decrease the amount of grant, having your stamp of approval will significantly improve my credibility and give me the emotional boost that any independent artist outside of the commercial loop desperately needs. I hope you will give this project a serious consideration.

The Bradley Barn Project 3 (Application Form)

Thu, 22 Apr 2004 04:56:32 GMT

PUBLIC ART GRANT APPLICATION FORM Title: Bradley Barn Project Amount Requested: $2700 Dates of Project: Development: present to August 31, 2004. Production: September 1 to 27. Presentation: September 28 to October 12, 2004 Short Description of the Project: This project aims to increase people's awareness of the importance of organic farming and preservation of a historical building, both on a local and global level. It emphasizes the sacred atmosphere the selected barn possesses by creating and installing a temporary work inside it. The process, which uses primitive elements like paper and flame and evokes a ritual, will be recorded and uploaded daily on a weblog so that the work can be seen by people outside of the site's geographical area. Once the works is installed, a reception will be held where visitors are encouraged to sign up to buy a piece of the work for $15 each, all of which will go towards renovation of the barn. The installation will be presented for two weeks, and then the work will be dismantled and pieces mailed to the donors. Description of where it will be seen/heard: A historic barn on an organic farm run by Ray Bradley in New Paltz, New York. The barn has been renovated by Bradley, but last year's bad weather placed him in a financial struggle and he is not currently able to continue the renovation process. He has also been unfairly pressured by a few neighbors who mistakenly believe that farms are unsanitary eye-sores and that they decrease the value of the neighborhood. This type of misconception seems to echo beyond our community, and while people are increasingly preferring organic vegetables in supermarkets, they do not approve of the farms being next door. My goal is to provide them, and also supporters, a different angle to look at farms by creating an aesthetic interface. Has permission been received to use this space? Yes. Predicted Audience: Local residents and internet users. The barn is not exactly a place people stumble upon like a train station, therefore the audience needs to be reached by mailing, announcements, flyers, and the internet. The production period - the creation of the work on sight - will be treated like a performance piece which will be announced as such to encourage visitation, which, in turn, will be a part of the documentation to be posted on the web, thus pushing the meaning of interactive by turning the audience into the work itself. Interestingly, the unplanned encounter with the work will take place not in the physical realm but on the web. I have recently started a weblog which has proven to be a community that is responsive and supportive beyond my expectation. The audience cultivated through this venue will be able to follow the process of this project no matter where they are, perhaps more closely than those who can physically visit the site. Relevance of the project today: New Paltz is a hot bed for increasing property values and development sprawls at an alarming speed. Supporting farms, especially organic ones, helps preserve the open space, maintain ecology, and keep down property taxes. While this project is only a speck in the immense tide of the sprawl, it is resistance nevertheless. It addresses the aesthetics, history, ecology, and social problems of our region while using this opportunity to create a forum for discussion on a global scale on the Internet.

The Bradley Barn Project 2 (Questions)

Wed, 21 Apr 2004 05:22:10 GMT

My thoughts are finally shaping up about how to approach this proposal for my site-specific, public art project to submit to The Gunk Foundation. The deadline is 4/30! I begin with questions for myself. How does the project seek out new topics? New forms? New spaces? How does the project accomplish shifting of focus from art-for-art's-sake to being about communication? How does the project effectuate communication to the audience? (Is it compelling? Not too esoteric? What methods, i.e. humor, aesthetics, irony and surprises, does it use?) Does the project have relevancy to its site in such contexts as historical, political, ecological or social? Is it in "public" place? Does the audience have to know about it? Is the content accessible? How does the project use aesthetic communication to encourage people to develop a different perspective about the space? Does the site of the work enhance its meaning? Does the project reach a diverse, nontraditional art audience? Has the artist tackled a project of the same scope as the one they are proposing? Does her previous work indicate artistic and intellectual competence? Is the project financially feasible? Is there an adequate and reliable source of funds? Is the timeline realistic? Has the necessity and feasibility of obtaining permission to display the work at the desired site been evaluated? Is this a one-time project or do you have a future plan? What do you hope to receive from the Gunk Foundation besides financial assistance? How significant is the grant to your project and your artistic and professional development?

The Bradley Barn Project 1 (The Letter)

Mon, 12 Apr 2004 05:48:38 GMT

This is the letter I wrote to Ray Bradley to make the initial contact, to request a permission to use his barn as the site of my installation project. March 1, 2004 Dear Ray, Hello. I'm Keiko Sono, I have met you and talked to you a few times. I am writing you today to propose something quite unusual. I am an artist who uses painting as the main medium, but I also do site-specific installations and other mixed media work. A site specific installation is an art form that treats the site as the blank canvas, and often involves two or three-dimensional elements to transform the space as a place to have an artistic experience, kind of like a garden or even a fun house. It is usually disassembled after a certain duration, returning the site back to its original state. I am proposing to you to let me use your barn as the site for my work. I am planning a project that will be a perfect fundraising event to raise money to help you renovate your barn and perhaps towards another farmers' organization like AFT. I will apply for a grant which should cover my labor and materials, and any hours you or your staff may have to put in in order to move equipment around (which should be minimal because the only place I will need cleared is the middle corridor and just one of the walls on the upper level). The work will consist of more than a hundred sheets of paper, each of which, after the show, will be sold at $15 or so towards your farm. I intend to engage in a full PR campaign for this project, which should bring much attention to your farm. My ideal project date is sometime in the fall before the weather gets too cold. If you are interested, please call me or e-mail me at sono-k@earthlink.net. I do hope you will give this project a consideration, and if there is any issue with it, please give me a chance to explain to you in person before you dismiss it. Sincerely, Keiko Sono