The FaceBOX. My Pitch.

The week started out with an energetic and informative "Tournavation" pitch event, resulting in awarding two great projects a portion of the widely publicized "art place" grant. And though the chosen projects will do a great job, I have to admit, I was pretty disappointed that I didn't make the final cut. Don't get me wrong, the winners deserve it...they put on great speeches, they provided wonderful details and, frankly, I think the ideas are going to result is some fantastic "spaces"...but there's still that competitive part in me that really wants to see my idea become reality.

That's where the disappointment ends...or maybe...that's where a new project begins.

The pitch was fun and succeeded in finding some great, engaging and unique projects to move forward with...but now that I have had a few days to mull over the project-that-isn't-to-be, I realize the only thing stopping it from happening is me and that disappointment. Sure, a big grant would be nice  to cover the cost...but that'd be nice in any case. Whether I'm making a small painting, a big sculpture, or going to the grocery store, being able to use someone else's money would ALWAYS come in handy...but not having a grant has never stopped me before...so why now?

Ya, I might have to scale it down a bit...I might have to drum up my own portraits or change the aim a bit...I might have to rely on myself rather than farming out some interactive additions...I might simply have to do all the grunt work myself...but then I'm always adjusting the projects I create. Nothing stays perfect from start to finish...and maybe not getting the grant was just a bump along the way.

Continue reading to see my full pitch and thoughts on moving the FaceBOX forward.

My proposal stems from the basic human desire for interaction and community. Though we've recently seen the explosion of social media connect us in ways we've never before imagined, we also find ourselves glued to our screens, sometimes more often than we actually get out and interact. Using the attendees of the upcoming Wisconsin Avenue Camp Out, I plan to build a physical representation of that desire for interaction and, contrary to the constant updating and split-second changes of social networking, create a lasting account of the vibrant community that makes Milwaukee and builds our future. I propose a physical facebook...a faceBOX of sorts.

With four 4x8' sheets of plywood, I plan to build a large rectangular prism that will stand prominently in a to-be-determined location. In the weeks leading up to the event, we will ask attendees to send in photos of themselves along with their name, a motto or a phrase that defines them, their beliefs, or an essential aspect to their being. The box will be painted black and marked with a 6x6" grid, standing like a looming monolith as the night begins, representing the bare-yet-ominous canvas of the less-frequented or run-down parts of our city we hope to invigorate. As the event moves forward and attendees arrive, I will take 1/3 of the boxes and use them to create line-drawn portraits of the attendees using the previously received documents. Another 1/3 of the boxes will be dedicated to cultural patterning and design of which attendees will be asked to contribute and produce. The artist will provide reference material and assistance for the patterning and design portion as well as working on the portraits throughout the event. The last 1/3 of the boxes will be completely dedicated to an interactive "wall" where the attendees will be asked to write thoughts, beliefs, names, hopes or any other phrase desired to express the emotion of the event. What results will be a physical representation of the event, who was there, who built it, and who exactly those people were. 

Instead of just having an event that changed "space" for one night, we were making change, documenting that, and providing a bit of insight into why, how and what exactly resulted.  

The piece will remain standing throughout the event, but can potentially be recreated as a permanent installation or as a 2D piece for display, a buyer or for future events using only the 4x8' panels and treating it as a large 4-paneled piece. 

Now that the pitch is over, dimensions might be reduced to something more manageable...along the lines of 2x6' perhaps....or if future grants become available, the project could be extended to multiple "monoliths", each using markings relating to a more specific subject, extending along a pathway. The objects could be made of solid wood, steel, or stone for durability...and then the project really begins to take a more literal translation from its historical inspiration.

In fact, the original idea was for an entire henge of face-related monoliths, each depicting a different culture or region. The pitch was actually a reduced version of a larger collection, made simpler for the one-weekend event...and while I think the pitch would have been great, the original idea, a series of these monoliths placed in a more natural landscape, I think, would have had a much more spiritual and introspective effect that could have driven the cross-culture, cross-history connection even more.

So while I might not be swimming in dough or running on the fumes of my first paid public art project, the idea still has a bit of life to it and a bright future full of possible directions...

Stay tuned to see the next step...make sure to check out the winning projects as they are announce, detailed and completed, and, of course, if you have any interest in helping to fund this or any project, send Daniel a message at the email provided in the header.