Creative Time Response

LEAP by Chris Doyle

A celebration of hope and pure pleasure, Doyle translates “having a leap of faith” in your aspirations into a literal representation with 420 New Yorkers jumping skywards. Using the subway infrastructure as a map for the project, artist Chris Doyle solicited people who live at the end points of all the subway lines that pass through the Columbus Circle. Each was then interviewed about his or her hopes and aspirations. I really like the fact that Doyle plays with the temporality of space and time. By slowing down the jumps, each person was projected one at a time, standing at the base of city-foot building in Columbus Circle and then leaping up across the height of the facade, disappearing into the night sky. Ascension is a way of expressing just how very briefly we animate this planet with our presence.Each building has its own expressive quality and its potential for expression. Doyle is looking for ways to imbue a building with some kind of animated presence.

The Dreamland Artist Club

The Dreamland Artist Club is the perfect demonstration of the power of art and how it can transcend a place. Coney Island has an interesting history and in the past two centuries went through many economic and social changes. Largely neglected by historical preservation and urban redevelopment efforts, the area has fallen on hard times. The neighborhood suffered rapid ethnic and racial succession in the 1960s, thinned out considerably in the 1970s, and crashed in the 1980s. Presenting artists from a wide variety of visual practices, The Dreamland Artist Club’s confluence of design and contemporary art revives Coney Island and functions as a critical urban renewal. Working with the proprietors of roller coaster rides, arcade games, and greasy food stands to integrate art into the boardwalk, The Dreamland Artist Club refreshes and transforms the visual landscape of Coney Island, bringing the reality a little bit closer to the fantasy. The hand painted signs, murals, and scenic backdrops with vivid use of colors and illustrations give the space a fun, nostalgic and exciting vibe. Each mural is full of context and narrative that mirror the rich culture and history of Coney Island. 

Masterpieces Without the Director by Spencer Finch and Paul Ramirez-Jona

The idea behind Masterpieces Without the Director was simple but the impact and outcome were unprecedented. Using an existing, formal object, adding your own elements and turning it into a more approachable tool for the public.  Every time when I go to a museum, I am never appeal to getting an audio tour because they are usually really dry or not interactive, thus making my experience of viewing art less entertaining. For most of the time, I would even prefer my own music than the official audio tour. I think all the audio tours at museums ought to be produced like the way Spencer Finch and Paul Ramirez-Jonas did. Opinions offered by celebrities, politicians, military leaders, and the general viewing audience were included. By adding public commentary, sound collage, and thoughts on the architecture, history, and myths of the institution, artists Spencer Finch and Paul Ramírez-Jonas represented varied aesthetic and political positions, as well as drew parallels between the classic artwork and contemporary popular culture, calling into question the didactic modes of traditional museum audio guides.