An exercise in describing practice

After some very practical and fun exercises in Pat's AAW class, we have put together outlines for our theses. Though I am not so focused on my thesis at this moment, it has been an interesting exercise to list/organize a variety of keywords that also incorporate Patrick Rock's idea of presenting the who/what/when/where/why & how. Here goes:

Artist Roles

            Facilitator

            Provocateur

            Participant

            Multiple Authorship

            Collaborator

            Pseudo Scientist:

                        Ethnographer

                        Cartographer

                        Archivist

                        Librarian

                        Anthropologist

                        Historian

                        Explorer

                        Collector

                        Chef

                        Hostess

                        Entertainer

                        Tour Guide

                        Disseminator

                        Curator

Form

            Music

                        Harmony

                        Accessibility

                        Immediacy

                        Stage presence

                        Audience/Artist

                        Music Styles

                                    Jingles

                                    Anthems

                                    Janthems

                                    Work Songs

                                    Songs about Work

            Conversation

            Singing and Dancing

            Cheerleading

            Cooking & Meal Sharing

            Recipe Sharing

            Everyday Pastimes

            Library/Archive

           

Method        

            Economy of Form           

            Improvisation

            Energy

            Ritual

            Essential

            Generosity

            Inclusion

            Reciprocity

            Engagement

            Performance

Results

            Experience Making

            Community Building

            Relationship Building

            Resource Sharing

            Education/Pedagogy

            Space Making

            Place Making

            Feel-Goodness

            Fun

Art Objects/Documentation/Residue

         Recordings

         Videos

         Printed Matter

         Photographs        

         Sculpture

         Text

Location

            International

                        Cultural Ambassador

                        Interpret

                        Misinterpret

            Local

            Site Specific

            Public Space

           

Alternative Economy

            WPA

            Business Cards

            Gifting

            Jingles

Conflicts

            Renaissance Woman vs. Dilettante

            Expert vs. Amateur

            Positivity as Radical?

            Lack of criticality?

            Generosity vs. Reciprocity

Influence/Related Research

            Family

            Catholicism (inadvertently)

            Artists & Movements

                        Harrell & Jen

                        Dan Walsh

                        Sophie Calle

                        Janet Cardiff

                        Annette Messager (early work)

                        Eva Hesse (early work)

                        Finnish Complaint Choir

                        Nina Katchadourian

                        Suzanne Lacy

                        Nathaniel Parsons

                        1960s-1970s

                        Conceptual Art

                        Performance Art

                        Dada

                        Fluxus

                        Duchamp

            CESTA

                        Curatorial practice as art & activism

                        Anarcho-Communal Living

                        Life-Art interchange

            Song Poem movie

            Malcom X

            Pirate Radio

            Punk Rock

            Food/Cookbooks

                        Kitchen Sisters

                        Jaime Oliver

                        Alice Waters

                        Deborah Madison

                        The Splendid Table

                        Michael Pollan

            Martha Stewart

            Stephanie Syjuco

  

Readings/Criticism

            Bourriaud

            Clare Bishop

            Miwon Kwon

            Hal Foster

            Claude Levi-Strauss

            Boris Groys

            Buddhism

            Nihilism

            Ted Purves

            Suzanne Lacy

            Loosy Lippard

            Dick Reuss

            Julia Bryan Wilson

Needs work:

Motivations

         Travel, Make Art & Get Paid for it... (this was at one time a motivation)

Context/Framing

Process

I would be happy if anyone wanted to add/subtract/comment- Thanks

Making Music

Today I used "lexa's time" to get some help and inspiration to write music for this commission of sorts mentioned below. What happens when you give a bunch of "non-musicians" some "instruments" and words?
Well, they make music. Really good music, Music I didn't know could be made. Music with phones. Music with canes. Music with glasses of water. Music with paper towel rolls. Music with toys (yeah, I brought those but hardly anyone needed them).
Now we enter the great world of Multiple Authorship.
I wonder if anyone wants to continue this collaboration?

Recipes forJanuary 10th with Roger Peet

Pumpkin Chili with Roasted Pepper-Cilantro Cream
Soak Kidney beans overnight. Drain and cook with plenty of water until tender- about an hour+. Do not salt until cooked. Drain again.
Peel and chop a small pumpkin or other winter squash into cubes, roasting with a little olive oil and S & P in a very hot oven
In that oven, toss in 2 heads of garlic that have their tops chopped off and are wrapped in foil. Take both out in 20 minutes.

Make Chili Paste: 

Toast a tablespoon or so each of cumin seeds & oregano

Add same amounts of cinnamon, cocoa, spanish paprika and remove from heat

Soften a variety of dried chilis: Ancho, New Mexico, California, Chipotle, etc. by soaking in boiled water, covered, for 5 minutes

Blend with the spices and few cloves of garlic, adding soaking liquid if necessary.

If using meat, brown in cooking pot before following the next instructions

In a large heavy-bottomed pot, sautee 2 chopped onions in olive oil & salt until translucent
Add beans and a large can of whole tomatoes, or fresh blanched, de-skinned ones if it is the season
plus the pumpkin, a big heaping scoop of chili paste, the squeezed, roasted garlic, S & P, stir, and let simmer, uncovered

Roast many green or anaheim peppers in a very hot oven on on a grill until skin is blistered/blackened
If roasting in the oven, use a pan on the rack underneath so they can drip- they will
Peel off whatever skin will easily come off, and tough tops/seeds- then puree with a dash of salt & a splash of lemon juice. Reserve half while putting the other half in the chili.

With the reserved half, blend with the second head of roasted garlic, a big handful of fresh cilantro, a teaspoon of chili paste, a dash of sugar, S & P and a cup of thick yogurt

Adjust seasoning on chili: S & P, a dash of sugar, more chili paste, cocoa, etc.
Serve with a dollop of Roasted Pepper-Cilantro Cream

January Plans

Yikes. I have no idea what I cooked for the last two meals. Rushing off for tour at the end of last term with Kačkala changed my focus...  Meanwhile some interesting opportunities abound:


I have been invited to compose music for Erik Ehn's "michiyuki" (Noh traveling songs). I collaborated with Erik, Suki O'Kane, and many other Bay Area musicians and actors in 2008 for Theatre of Yugen's Cycle Plays. 
In Noh plays, there is a moment when the chorus chants the Michiyuki, or “travel song” describing the character’s travels. The vocals often include the place name and description of the setting as well as the events of the journey. In kyōgen, journeys and excursions are known as Michiyuki, with the performers usually reciting lines while circling the stage. After the Michiyuki, a line is included to indicate the character’s arrival at their destination, which is known as the tsuki-zerifu, or “arrival line.”
This should be a remarkable experience.


Some of us in SoPrac are collaborating on a public art/design project with the Center for Sustainable Solutions, which is both interesting and providing new challenges, serving a specific public, under specific guidelines. We are creating a multi-use space that is slightly utopian, very user friendly, and as green as we can go (which is not so easy, btw).


The Library is Open!
The library/resource center is officially set up again, and open: Wednesdays from 2-5, or by appointment. The library is located in the back room of Field Work. We have a ton of new show cards/artist info from recent visits to New York and San Francisco, as well as new book titles and updated periodicals. Come visit, research, work and have some tea.


Field Work
We are meeting this week to curate the next months of exciting events & projects. We received over 20 proposals, so I look forward to the space being truly active.


Food Cart Songs
are gearing up... Cyrus made me a sweet comp of work songs to add to my research.

Your Garden Cookbook

Nicole and I are now working on some final details of the current cookbooks, meeting new participants for spring, adjusting our focus a little, and hope to take a slight break for winter.