hartman - Contextual Drawing Installation

Communication.

Mon, 3 Jul 2006 18:11:51 CDT

Communication. - 2005 30 sheets Reeves BFK paper, ash, charcoal, ink, nails, pencil, water, white Conte crayon Depicting communication and lack there of. The key image, commonly confused for a hairy belly, is actually a portrait of Hunter S. Thompson, directly referring to his gung-ho literary honesty and self-awareness. In the bottom left-hand corner of the piece, a hand reaches towards the viewer from outside an open closet door. Taken from the story of a “kidnapped” handicapped child who had been mistaken for a midget, this image depicts the terror and yet the elation of the child when found the next morning. Swayed by altered perceptions this story embodies the ultimate lack (or misconstruing) of communication. While the title of the piece is very literal, much of the conversation is initiated by the neighboring drawing: “The goddamn fly.”

The goddamn fly.

Mon, 3 Jul 2006 18:11:51 CDT

“The goddamn fly.” - 2005 30 sheets Reeves BFK paper, ash, charcoal, eraser, nails, pencil, water, white Conte crayon The title refers directly back to “Communication.” Forcing the viewer to question the positioning of the works, the text is highlighted in the former piece. Distrust and confusion being common among viewers/listeners when a narrative is removed from it’s original context. Two birds sit calmly but smeared on the telephone wires as they eavesdrop on our private conversations streaming through the air. What exactly does an outsider’s perspective do to our discussions and thoughts? How does one overshadow another in a discussion and can the less communicative prove to be the stronger? Ash references “the cigarette break,” and the personal conversations shared between friends, coworkers and strangers initiated by something blatantly destructive. The text in this piece has been erased and while one is unable to easily read it, we know it is there… like something that has been said and taken back.

The toilette.

Mon, 3 Jul 2006 18:11:51 CDT

The toilette. - 2005 7B pencil, 30 sheets Reeves BFK paper, ash, charcoal, mechanical pencil, nails, porcelain, water, white Conte crayon The center of the series, “The toilette.” is entirely about the conversation created between the viewer and the work. Near the bottom, the white text reads, “When you go to the bathroom do you close the door all the way?” A viewer who stands at a distance and takes the whole piece in, and a viewer who steps close enough to touch her nose to the work take entirely different experiences away –both are equally legitimate. Here, I believe that the viewer who looks close enough to read the white text probably would close the bathroom door all the way. Accordingly, I believe they would benefit from reading the entire written paragraph, and out of curiosity just might. The long paragraph is a literary orgasm. While never blatantly discussing sex, it is a stream of thought building in pace and intensity. From camping and clothing to Katrina and president Bush, it describes contemporary life, the literal context for the art. While dating the piece, it also dates the viewer’s perspective. The image in charcoal is a portrait with the buttonhole for a hoodie-drawstring repeated down the front –a reference to multiplicity.

Liberal Arts

Mon, 3 Jul 2006 18:11:51 CDT

Liberal Arts - 2005 7B pencil, 30 sheets Reeves BFK Paper, charcoal, eraser, nails, Number 2 pencil, quotes from “live updates,” cable broadcasting November 2005 Like commercials, direct quotes from live news updates (only live) separate the thoughts and experiences that inspired this work. The mundane daily experiences that are unique in my life but somehow familiar to someone else, are they really that unique?. Referencing the minor details in our lives that influence the perspectives that create each individual’s context for understanding. A little bit of everything that floods one’s mind as they attempt to converse objectively.

Suburban Homes Inc. and the “Homeownership Rates for the United States: 2005 (in percent).”

Mon, 3 Jul 2006 18:11:51 CDT

Suburban Homes Inc. and the “Homeownership Rates for the United States: 2005 (in percent).” - 2005 0.7 lead, 68.83 sheets Reeves BFK paper, mechanical pencil, nails, Swiss Miss “Marshmallow Lover’s Hot Coco” marshmallows, water Mounted on 68.83 pieces of paper, 68.83 being the percent of homeowners in America, a number highly influenced by the development of suburbia and contemporary US lifestyle. The single sentence: “Do not touch your hands to M.A.’s clean white carpet.” discusses the idea of the suburban homemaker wife holding the ideal design element, influenced by “Trading Spaces” and other day-time TV, whose life is not quite what she aims for... the carpet is clearly not too clean. Swiss Miss Marshmallows reference the babies of the boomers coming home -mom has made snacks and hot cocoa is waiting; but it’s not homemade, it’s Swiss Miss from your local grocer -or maybe- Costco? The text brings up the idea of explicit sex, something we don’t commonly associate with suburban family life. This is not a judgment, simply a discussion of daily contemporary life and the perspective of a common North American viewer.