Quick notes on Memoriver at Other Places Art Fair
sunflower stalks: Originally for physical boundary around the recording space, but I created a “campfire” instead. The stalks came from my parents’ yard.
fresh rosemary: Herbs for memory, recollection.
flameless candle: Ignite convos.
jar of prompts sitting on a circle mirror: Optional questions and prompts to gently serve as a starting point on what to offer each other or the sonic capsule.
blue tablecloth: Call in the energy for voice, communication.
wind chimes: I strung these capiz shells together with waxed linen thread. The design attempted to frame the participants as mirrors, as doors, as windows, etc.
zine: I made a zine of the project introducing the co-hosts, artists, and more about the project itself.
I’m still digesting the experience. It was a good time overall, though I was a bit out of it since I was drowsy and brain-foggy all day. There’s about 6-7 hours of recorded audio. I don’t think I’ll edit it, although I may chop it into three parts.
making art after a tiring day
My colleague brought in an empty diorama box after we had been discussing curating staff art. Something low-key. Over the weekend, I forgot to bring a piece.Mondays (or at least our “Monday”) are typically exhausting catching up on emails, coordination, project management, and lots of troubleshooting. By the end of it, I was ready to plop into bed and watch a K-drama.
After dinner, I opened the channel and photoshop, telling myself that I could at least browse, select, and crop the photo. I found a picture from 2016. On the ground lay the remnants of a gull that had died a long while ago. I also remembered having pictures of decayed fish from the Salton Sea and roadkill from past road trips. Maybe I could submit a three-part collection on death, compost, and what’s left. But first, I wanted to crop this photo.
Not only did I crop it, I laid out two rows of three frames. I got into the flow. I zoomed in on the ribcage, the tail, the beak — I couldn’t look too long at the empty eye socket. I studied the textures. I scrapped the idea of finding other photos and instead focused on the parts that made up this corpse. I converted the photo to black and white then digitally processed into a cyanotype-like visual. Just before printing, I remembered I had transparency film. To make it feel less obvious to the eye.
What happened to this bird before dying? A lot of us won’t ever really know what caused this bird’s death. The see-through film leaves it up to imagination. Was it disease? Old age? An attack? Poison?
While I worked on this, another part of me tried to intervene. Why are you working on this? Go relax. No more crafting. No more inquiry. And another part of me resisted. But wait! I’ll just print this, cut it, and that’s it. I didn’t stop there. I threaded a needle and began sewing the small, delicate pieces together. The hardest part. I used the same method I’d practiced with the capiz chimes for Memoriver, while a show played quietly in the background.
I finished all of it in about an hour. Satisfied. Ready for sleep.
*
This year, I’ve noticed I’ve been moving differently. Instead of practicing slowness and stillness, I’ve been moving quickly (even restlessly) with my creative experiments. My day job demands enough of my time, energy, and attention as it is, and I don’t want it to be the center of my productivity. I don’t want it to drain me. I want my creative work to have their own pulse. I’m still learning how to balance.
Next Event: Shapeless Clouds at Off Register, Oct. 18
In just a couple of weeks, I’ll be tabling at Off Register: Santa Barbara Art Book and Print Fair. I’m working on the next Tangents zine and stories about the moon. IF there’s time, I hope to complete copies of Shapeless Clouds Vol. 2 (an unconventional photobook). Hope to see you there!
Sincerely,
Stepfanie
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Seeds are our teachers. We’ll learn how to nurture seeds to full bloom. In the process, you will learn how to nurture yourself and your life. All of this is done through traditional indigenous ways. - Olivia Chumacero
🌱 Seed 2 Bloom taught by Olivia Chumacero | School for the Ecocene
🗓️ Oct. 19, 11am - 1pm PST
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