Love Terrorism and God from Joshua Freeman on Vimeo.
Love, Terrorism and God
Artist Statement:
Clay has the ability to record anything that applies force to it. With this installation I have created a stage where clay substitutes for film. By arousing curiosity and creating a dilemma for the audience through a set of rules and instructions, they enact the performance on behalf of me, thus my role becomes director and playwright.
Instructions for Participants:
1) Read and sign Liability Release and Secrecy Agreement Form.
2) Take off shoes and socks.
3) Select only one of the three labeled buckets that you most want to view, and walk in a straight line towards the bucket.
4) You may not view any other buckets after looking at the one you chose.
5) Before putting your shoes and socks back on, you may choose to have your feet washed (optional).
6) As agreed to in the Liability Release and Secrecy Agreement Form, you may not discuss what you saw in the bucket until after the conclusion of the performance at 7:00 pm on November 5th, 2008
7) Write down one to five words that immediately came to your mind after looking in your bucket on a slip of paper provided and place in box upon departure.
More about Love, Terrorism and God:
On November 5th 2008, the day after America elected its first African American president, I created an audience-interactive performance art installation titled "Love, Terrorism and God." Since this installation was time-sensitive, the images and video that are on this website are the only record of it.
Each bucket was painted black inside with phrases stenciled on the side. They were filled with water, creating a reflection at the surface when the viewer looks in.
Love Bucket: "Self is the price of love." - Sister McKenna
Terrorism Bucket: "Everybody's worried about stopping terrorism. Well, there's a really easy way: stop participating in it."
- Noam Chomsky
God Bucket: “God created us in his image, and we decided to return the favor.” - George Bernard Shaw
Words From Participant Responses:
Realization Cold Truth Confidence Intriguing Reflective
Genius Simple Power Purity Hope Visionary Fresh
Afterthoughts:
This work was primarily a social experiment that explored human behavior when prompted with a choice. The participant had to decide which of these issues they most wanted to experience. Would they choose one that they think they have a strong understanding of or one that they are more apathetic to? What would it be like to wait the rest of the day to find out what was inside the other buckets? Was it what they expected? Did they regret their choice?
Another interesting aspect is the sensory experience of the cold, soft clay beneath bare feet. Most people in America spend almost their entire day with their feet inside a pair of shoes, which over time can sort of numb a foot's senses. Compared with the hands, the feet experience far fewer changes in texture, temperature, and softness in a lifetime, so people immediately took notice of how the clay felt as they walked on it.
Lastly there is the dialogue that would occur once the time had passed and they could ask one another what was in their bucket. This aspect, along with this documentation on the web, gives the art a longer lifespan than the 10 hours that it was open for. Would the participants share their views and beliefs about the topics as well? These discussions become the ripples left from the stone of curiosity I threw in the pond of life.
Only one person allowed me to wash their feet.
Clay has the ability to record anything that applies force to it. With this installation I have created a stage where clay substitutes for film. By arousing curiosity and creating a dilemma for the audience through a set of rules and instructions, they enact the performance on behalf of me, thus my role becomes director and playwright.
Instructions for Participants:
1) Read and sign Liability Release and Secrecy Agreement Form.
2) Take off shoes and socks.
3) Select only one of the three labeled buckets that you most want to view, and walk in a straight line towards the bucket.
4) You may not view any other buckets after looking at the one you chose.
5) Before putting your shoes and socks back on, you may choose to have your feet washed (optional).
6) As agreed to in the Liability Release and Secrecy Agreement Form, you may not discuss what you saw in the bucket until after the conclusion of the performance at 7:00 pm on November 5th, 2008
7) Write down one to five words that immediately came to your mind after looking in your bucket on a slip of paper provided and place in box upon departure.
More about Love, Terrorism and God:
On November 5th 2008, the day after America elected its first African American president, I created an audience-interactive performance art installation titled "Love, Terrorism and God." Since this installation was time-sensitive, the images and video that are on this website are the only record of it.
Each bucket was painted black inside with phrases stenciled on the side. They were filled with water, creating a reflection at the surface when the viewer looks in.
Love Bucket: "Self is the price of love." - Sister McKenna
Terrorism Bucket: "Everybody's worried about stopping terrorism. Well, there's a really easy way: stop participating in it."
- Noam Chomsky
God Bucket: “God created us in his image, and we decided to return the favor.” - George Bernard Shaw
Words From Participant Responses:
Realization Cold Truth Confidence Intriguing Reflective
Genius Simple Power Purity Hope Visionary Fresh
Afterthoughts:
This work was primarily a social experiment that explored human behavior when prompted with a choice. The participant had to decide which of these issues they most wanted to experience. Would they choose one that they think they have a strong understanding of or one that they are more apathetic to? What would it be like to wait the rest of the day to find out what was inside the other buckets? Was it what they expected? Did they regret their choice?
Another interesting aspect is the sensory experience of the cold, soft clay beneath bare feet. Most people in America spend almost their entire day with their feet inside a pair of shoes, which over time can sort of numb a foot's senses. Compared with the hands, the feet experience far fewer changes in texture, temperature, and softness in a lifetime, so people immediately took notice of how the clay felt as they walked on it.
Lastly there is the dialogue that would occur once the time had passed and they could ask one another what was in their bucket. This aspect, along with this documentation on the web, gives the art a longer lifespan than the 10 hours that it was open for. Would the participants share their views and beliefs about the topics as well? These discussions become the ripples left from the stone of curiosity I threw in the pond of life.
Only one person allowed me to wash their feet.