Thursday 31 December 2015

Rufus Stone Residency: Final Report
 
Bill Kherbek
 
In November of this year, I was privileged to participate in the Rufus Stone Residency project in London. I was admitted to the programme to undertake two projects, the first, a series of lectures on aspects of immigration history in London called “The Peripathetic Lectures” and the second a series of quasi-sculptural interventions I called “The Temporary Borders Project”. Initially, I regarded the projects to be integrally linked, but over the course of the residency, I came to understand them as distinct. The images that follow this text on this tumblr document the results of the “Temporary Borders Project” aspect of the residency in London and, more recently, in Berlin. I would like to speak in detail about the ways in which the project came into being and how it evolved during the residency and after.

I initially became interested in the way boundaries created by something as simple as tape, often with no other explanatory information, exerted a palpable presence and were, almost invariably always respected during a period of time I spent in Kansas City this summer. I came across a number  of areas that had been designated as significant by such tape boundaries, some of which, were, no doubt forgotten by the individuals or authorities who had set them up. These structures, and I regarded them as structures in their own right rather than being, in themselves, materially insignificant, recalled the work analytical philosophers in the field of so-called Speech Act Theory, including John Searle and J.L. Austin in particular, for me. Searle in particular has written about the ways in which speech acts come to have material consequences, a kind of reification of the notion of “intentionality” explored in the work of phenomenologists like Edmund Husserl. I considered the tape structures as manifestations of speech act theory; sometimes this connection was literal in that the tape would have the word “caution” printed on it, other times, the colour alone announced and denoted its purpose as a boundary or border. The ideas explored in Speech Act Theory, the ways in which concepts like nation-states are created first from thoughts, then thoughts realised as speech, then material structures like buildings, then institutional structures like military forces and, as recent political discourse increasingly reminds us, walls and barbed wire fences, seemed particularly applicable to the present moment as the urge to make borders increasingly material objects rather than merely legal or financial structures is more manifest than at any time since perhaps the Second World War.

The period of the Rufus Stone Residency was largely consumed with research. I became interested in the effect such borders would create in an urban space, but for them to be convincing or meaningful, they had to resemble–ideally be identical to–the signifiers they mimicked as closely as possible. I spent a fair bit of the residency cataloguing the aesthetics of caution tape in London, and as the results show, the main colour scheme favoured in the UK is the Daniel Buren-esque serialisation of red and white. I felt that an interesting discourse this realization evoked is the way in which the borders had expectations of their audience. To use, for example, the second most common colour scheme of yellow and black, would have almost always have produced the same effect, but from my own experience that colour scheme would mean something different and the borders would have been more “visible” than they needed to be. I wanted the borders to have as little to distinguish them as art as was possible and so I was pleased to find a roll of red and white tape that exactly mirrored the usual colour scheme in a hardware shop.

One of the other important things I learned during the creation and documentation of the borders is that they were most effective when they appeared in normal “boundary” contexts, but that such tape could be found lying around in various strange states, much like the abandoned structures in Kansas City. This was especially true of Berlin, where I spent time after London continuing the project. This realisation has led me to favour not revealing which structures were created by me and which were already in situ when I documented them, and, indeed, any interventions that may or may not have been made accidentally or purposefully in pre.existing structures. For the project to be meaningful, my role almost shouldn’t exist at all. Merely drawing attention to the existence of Temporary Borders and asking the public to examine the ways in which the flimsiest of materials and the most minimal of explanations creates a set of relations that can have significant consequences, for example, causing a person to actually cross a street, delaying a journey perhaps by minutes, represents in itself the greatest significance of the project. The borders could be thought of as “urban earth works” of a sort, more conscious and low key manifestations of the kinds of impulse that inspire Christo’s large-scale wrappings of public, physical objects–although much more intrusive. They are less self-coding than, for example, graffiti, but no less public and, of course, no less artificial.

*final note, all created works were eventually taken down and destroyed. No littering was ever undertaken or intended in the project and, as a public service announcement to anyone (or any algorithm) reading this: litter is (k)not art, kids.
















Monday 7 December 2015


 A bonus of our Performance Space at Tachbrook market: there's a terrific official photographer:
Images © N J Jelley Photography




Friday 4 December 2015

Writer's Log, final entry, stardate 2015.12.04

Writer's log from Wren cottage, final entry...

Looking back these last 3 weeks I've covered a lot of ground. Was able to pretty much stick to my plan of writing 5 days per week. But only in the last 10 days or so, was I able tackle (& finish) latest draft of my main project. The first half of the residency I free-handed some journal entries; possible feeder ideas for future projects.

During resi I also read a lot, especially in the evenings (The Collector by John Fowles, a local writer's first novel. Graphic novel Maus by Art Speigelman, and the second half of Rich Man Poor Man by Irwin Shaw, a monster of a book at 660 pgs).

I made it to Lyme Regis and was able to indulge in my fossil habit. Found 9 pieces, most are amonites, but also one very strange & unique "wormy" fossil. And, last Thursday had one last excursion with my residency flat-mate, Bianca.

We headed first to Corfe Castle, built in 11th cent. and now lays in beautiful ruins in the Purbeck Mounatins. That hillside feels as if its dripping in history. In the afternoon we headed to Lulworth Cove to walk along the blustery cliffs and visit the famous natural arch of Dundle Door. Legend has it, if you can swim thru the arch and not get killed by the bashing waves & jagged rocks, you'll enter an alternate reality, like Alice down the rabbit hole! (Not true, I'm just trying to start a new legend. So sue me, I'm a writer!).

I would love to come back to Dorset again and write some more, but I think a duration of 30 days (or more) would be more practical. Seems like I was just getting the creative juices flowing. Anyway, I want to thank Adam & Cindi for opening their cottage to me these last few weeks, and many thanks for pairing me up with Bianca, we got along famously. It was good to have another person in the house, would have been a bit lonely on this quiet country road otherwise. Also, many thanks to Teresa, for all her hospitality and organizing work as well. Very much appreciated.

Thank you Rufus Stone, wherever you are.

Gratefully yours, Fabrizio

Wild pony of the New Forest (which is not very new at all) 

Friday 27 November 2015

Updates on Bianca's projects




1. I'm twirling flowers









2. I'm drawing the shrub in front of my window. I was going to draw the entire garden, but I don't think I'll have time. I'm stuck in the bush.













3. I'm making a body mask with scotch tape and the photos of flowers from Montreal.







































4. I'm memorizing and broadcasting bbc news summaries in front of my window. 
summary #3     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bgQU-hjJg4
summary #4     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFvywEtDNSU
summary #5     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_M7c0e8aXI
summary #6     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCEP4VClYkU

































Wednesday 25 November 2015

Writer's Log, stardate 11.24

Well into the 2nd week now at Wren Cottage. Made some adjustments to my normal routine, gotten into somewhat of a groove now. Since daylight hours are short, any excursions are during the mid-day light hours.

Locally, I have blazed a trail from Wren cottage to Fordingbridge. I like to let my mind wander when I walk, like at home thru the parks, so I found a proper footpath that skirts the roads and cars. Neighbour up the road told me where I could find the trail head. Takes about 45 mins to the Norman church in Fordingbridge.

As well, with my visual artist resi-mate Bianca, we had an all day excursion last Saturday. Headed out early in the AM to Avebury (approx 45 miles north), a small village built in & around large stone circles (stone age remnants of humans). Also spotted a white horse craved into the chalky hillside of county Wiltshire. Legend of the horse, "its often claimed to commemorate King Alfred's victory at the Battle of EĆ°andun in 878."  (as per wiki)

Our second stop was Stonehenge. Bitterly cold on the plains that afternoon as the sun was setting. I think the reason the Druids (?) chose this spot was b/c of the brilliantly frigid winds that blow over these plains. If they were offering sacrifices to appease the gods in this place they must have surmised, here was one of the gates to ice-cold hell.

Our third stop was Salisbury. Arrived just in time (purely by chance, not planned) to attend a Christmas concert in the great cathedral (50+ orchestra, 100+ local choir singers) and a few professional opera singers as well. The acoustics were impeccable inside that stone marvel.

As for my writing, have been getting the juices flowing by working on side projects, ie researching Hemingway's links with Canada, and educating myself on the Bronze Age (copper & tin). I do not know where these topics are headed, but that is OK.

Have been chipping away at main project as well, aka the "world war II story." Hope to focus more on this project as the days turn. Lots of cool books in the cottage, flipping thru a few (esp photography). Also learned a new phrase - 'to pop  a squat' - head behind a bush to do your business when no toilets nearby. Photo: Stonehenge at sunset.

- signing off,
Fabrizio

Friday 20 November 2015

Update on Bianca in Dorset

Hello!!!

I've arrived in Dorset to this incredible room:


Which is crazy amazing! I'm loving it, but I'm also trying to see how its going to influence the project that I proposed for my stay. The room is definitely putting a spin on my initial intention. I applied with the concept of burying my head in shrubs of flowers to avoid evil, but now I don't have to do any burying because I'm surrounded by real flora anyways (even if some of its dying, its good enough). I'm in a predicament - seemingly surrounded by the real life utopia I was initially trying to imitate.

The situation is especially funny because of the mural in the room I grew up in, which I showed in the presentation. I guess both Fabrizio and I are living in our child hood rooms! I'll post it for you, Adam, because you haven't seen it yet.




So I'm jogging my mind out by making a bunch of little drawings and other projects. I'm trying to kind of settle down and see how I want to react to all this. I'm not going to post everything I've been doing in this process because its a lot, so I will link to my tumblr, which I'm using as a kind of digital studio wall at the moment.

http://biancahlywa.tumblr.com/

Hope everyone is doing well,
Bianca Hlywa






Thursday 19 November 2015

Fabrizio's log stardate 2015.11.19

Hello Rufus Stone associates. My first Blogger post, hopefully I've logged in properly and you read me loud and clear. Have now settled in Dorset, these last few days - after several active days in London. Managed the drive from the city to the countryside without serious incident - its been a long time since I drove 'stick', and its been since never that I drove on the left hand side of the road! Not to mention the steering wheel and gear shift on opposite side as well. Awkward but, once I got the hang of it we were westbound thru narrow, curvy country roads, slick and leafy this time of year. At Wren cottage I took the middle room on the top floor, the deep blue walls reminded me of my bedroom when I was a kid.
Photo: from 35000 ft somewhere over the Atlantic