Prints inserted into an alley

Deon Reed-Project 1: Site Specific location

Pictures

                         
                                                 I live in a "dead" neighborhood. What I mean by "dead" is in terms of it's colors and overall condition. I decided that since it looks bust down, that I'd repaint how I perceived the scene back in an era full of color and life in order to give the location itself color and life. Then you get a contrast and people will be more targeted to it. I wrote slogans and put a specific theme and color on the piece in order to pull in drivers and bystanders, a typical strategy used by advertisers and marketers, and to express how I perceived a once beautiful area of greens and reds morph into rust and glass. An industrial waste. The piece itself is also made to get the viewer to produce his/her own meaning about the both the location and piece itself all in one. 

My place of investigation is the train or the bus because I’ve been taking the train since I was 10 and ive learned and observed people on the train. The more I rode it the more I was comfortable beign around strangers and I devoloped these rules that let me be comfortable and others. So im going to be making posters/advertisments of those unwritten rules that were made by the people. Im also going to record their reactions to them because they usually are never spoken in the train.

1.     Always sit next to the window

2.     Move your bags

3.     Don’t touch me

4.     Don’t look at me/eyecontact

5.     Let people out first and then board

6.     Keep yourself preoccupied

7.     Put your backpack on the ground when standing

8.     Get up for kids,

9.     Do not respond to crazy people

10. Stand 30 sec. before your stop

11. When sitting next to the window, signal your neighor when it is time for you to get up.

12. Even though “they “ say it, get up for old people and pregnant women.

13. Move to the center of the aisle

Poles

For the Site-Specific project, I chose a place that was close to my home. I looked to find something that I probably often over looked. The area wasn’t anything to appealing to look at to begin with. It was a hole in the ground. In this hole used to be a pole that probably held a sign. So that gave me the idea to create a pole. Initially, I hoped to create three different poles, each one unique to themselves. Each would be placed into the space later, bold and slightly out of place. But alas, only two were crafted.

            These two have similarities but they are otherwise extremely different. For the first, I used only paint. I tried to utilize bright colors that would pop and liven the area around the hole in the ground, which of course was dull. For the second one, I used colored shapes I had previously created for a different project. I placed them carefully onto the pole, being careful to show the black that I had started with. I felt that this pole had to be significantly altered from the first so I incorporated the shapes as a 3D element. The way I chose to decorate does not fit into the space or relate at all. I did this purposely because I want them to stand out and be brought forward.

            For the documentation, I found that it was difficult to get these poles to stand by themselves. I had to get creative but that hindered me in the end. I documented them once up close and twice standing away. There was no public interaction seeing as the poles did not stay in the place long because they could not stand very well. Overall the piece fit into the area well because they didn’t fit at all.

(This is only first pole, Will upload other later)

Site Specific Artist Statement

Yvonne Li

Contemporary Practices

Artist Statement

            The site I decided to explore is this little unknown pathway located near an alleyway in Chinatown. This location inspired me to create a piece that brings more color and life in to it so it can attract more people. Chinatown has been a place that’s been with me throughout my whole entire life. Growing up I would walk there with my grandmother, go to parks, have celebrations, etc. I've spent so many years exploring and watching it change over the years as well. The object I decided to create is a handmade tree made up of large branches. I look at the branches as a symbol of my family. The tree is then wrapped  in red yarn with hints of yellows and greens. In Chinese culture the color red is widely known for good fortune and joy. Yellow or even gold signifies luck and beauty. The color green represents longevity and life. All those are aspects I wish upon my family and as well as others. Upon installing this piece I hoped it would bring some sort of beauty and attraction to the site. When I placed it in to the site I did successfully cause some sort of attention but not enough. Once the New Year rolls around, I hope it will be  noticed even more. 

Artist Statement

My piece takes place within an alley and places that are normally out of the way.  I am exploring what happens within places during the day and night.  During the light hours of the day the alley is a place for short cuts and trash collecting.  During the night, on the other hand, it shifts to a place where suspicious activities happen and a place where you should remain cautious in.  The way that I will be altering this space is by adding in what happens within that space.  I will be using a wood block print and paste it on the wall where you would expect there to be that action such as a garbage man dumping out the garbage or and woman leaning against a building.  All of this is what would support my conceptual idea or the day and night life of an alley.