we went to the mall. we traversed everyday cultural exchange. we broke the rules.
we collected things that were not sold.
in this public place of private property my camera was dangerous. security descended immediately. in this unfamiliar cultural reality would my camera steal their souls? no. my camera could only liberate what was already stolen.
they had to be careful, they'd been busted before. off a truck, a loading dock, behind a warehouse, a derailed freight train's hock shop stock. a black market lined up straight on bright white blocks.
moving undercover, using slight of hand, summoning the courage of sherrie levine and richard prince, I slyly tilted my camera at waist level and borrowed these ubiquitous mall kiosk oil paintings. the multi dimensional appropriation of such images is layered by this gesture...
BOOTLEG GALLERY
these appropriated 'original' factory produced oil paintings were illegally photographed, then printed and displayed in identical inexpensive 4x6 black plastic frames. in extension of the economic system these products represent, my bootleg artworks are priced at less than 1/3 of the cost of their production.
A WALK AGAINST THE PLAN
walking against the plans of prescribed behavior is risky business. instead of participating in the commerce of the mall, i took home these memories of shopkeepers collections and turned them into a different type of souvenir...
by learning the traditional craft of japanese stab-stitch bookbinding, i grouped these memories of modern cultural relics on traditional rice and chiyogami papers. entitled 'Memories of Pacific Mall', i enjoyed the physical pleasures of writing characters in a foreign language, the tactility of paper and thread, and felt a sense of reverence for these hybrid cultural elements removed from the context of their origins.
making your own japanese stab-stitch book is easy and satisfying!
http://www.bookbindingteam.com/2009/01/japanese-stab-binding-tutorials.html
COLLABORATIVE ACTION
long eventful days call for a relaxing break. who knew tea time could be so terrifying? we bought a tiny tea set and filled it with refreshing green tea. we assembled as friends and partners-in-crime to perform the most subversive act i experienced amongst the chaos of the day.
we searched for the isle with the most pleasant natural light. we settled into the atrium-like atmosphere and the soothing hum of white noise. the meditative ritual of our tea ceremony became dappled with pleasant conversation. people passed by, some paused to notice us. the air was calm. suddenly, in the distance, a percussive rhythm sounds in alarm. it starts as a tiny dissonant noise, you can hear it, moving faster than the rest of all that is around us, approaching quickly. it descends upon us. it's the sound of WALKING...
we were CAUGHT*: verbally reprimanded, threatened with arrest, escorted out of the building.
PACIFIC MALL TEA PARTY - 2011
Cast
Tea Drinkers..........................Paul Chartrand, Cassondra Sine, Jocelyn Burke
Fast Walker...........................Pacific Mall Security Guard
Mall Patrons..........................Themselves
Crew
Camera 1...............................Lauren Johnson
Camera 2...............................Mark Ferkul
*Special thanks to Michelle Alonsodemesa for intercepting security by hiding the camera during the interrogation.
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