New Contexts, Unexpected Encounters (2001)
Collaboration with Ryan McLay
It is obvious that context plays a vastly important role in how objects are seen and the perceptions that are placed on them. Such is value. You expect to find certain things in places such as galleries, craft shops, or department stores. These contexts often shape our notions of value and other cultural rules that go along with different places and situations. In a gallery you do not touch, you can touch some things in craft shops, and in most department stores almost anything goes. What we were interested in was seeing how people would react to what could be considered unfamiliar objects, and the perceptions that would be placed on them due to their newfound context.
New Contexts, Unexpected Encounters.
We asked second and third year glass majors to make works that they believe would sell, like something for the show and sales that happen here. The hope was that they would appear to fit in with the store, however the context that they would normally be found in wouldn't. The 'make it blue and it will sell' ethic was in part our inspiration for this project. We unknowingly placed the works separately in various department stores with the hope that both customers and employees would encounter these unfamiliar objects and react to them in some way. We think of these actions as reverse shoplifting or even better, shop placing. Also we were thinking less about the process of making, which is common in glass, and more about the wonderment in discovery and the act of finding. Would the store sell an un-priced, unmarked, and unidentified object? If so what value would they place on it? Would the reaction be a positive or negative one? Would the encounter cause them to stop some kind of routine and question what they were looking at? Or would everyone totally ignore the works and be interested more in objects that were familiar and in a way made more sense to them?
Each work submitted to us was first documented, and then taken out for a little adventure. The images that are presented first illustrate the works in a kind of studio environment, then the process of getting the work into the stores, and in some cases what happened in those stores. In some stores we actually attempted to purchase works which forced employees deal with them. A few were successfully purchased and appear here on display with the receipts that were obtained from each given store. The other works are still out there somewhere, hopefully doing something. Since none of the stores knew what we were doing we couldn't just sit around with a camera waiting for people to interact in some way with them. We would surly get kicked out (which sometimes happened anyways.) It can only be imagined that some customers had some unexpected encounters, but at least we know some store did! Along with the images are journal entries that were made at the times these occurrences were taking place. They have been made bigger with the hope it will make them easier to read.
During some of these actions we regret that some of our recording devices were accidentally and unknowingly shut off due to the fact that they were recording while in someone's pocket or around someone’s neck. This was done in an attempt to not make what was happening too obvious. We hope there is enough information presented to allow you to make you own conclusions as to the success or failure of this project. Thanks
In addition we would like to thank people who helped out and participated: All the 2ed and 3rd years who gave us work when we told them that they probably wouldn't be getting it back. They are Chris Boha, Christine Cholewa, Christine Jansen, Ian Kowbuz, Brandy Leavitt, Vickie Melanson, Claudina Morgado, Dave Reilander, Kristy Smith, Rachael Wong, and Khethwen Woo. In addition we would like to thank Norman Faulkner, Jeffery Knight, Debra Butler, Brad in ceramics, Alex Johnson, The photocopy center @ ACAD, The Marion Nicholl Gallery and its staff, and all the stores and people who unknowingly participated.
Exhibition
history: New Contexts Unexpected Encounters, with Ryan McLay, Marion Nicoll Gallery,
Calgary, AB