Walking down Bowery, i noticed an exhibit in the window of a gallery and a huge title: Trashion.
The art piece was a mannequin with a dress made out of metrocards. (i've seen dresses made out of soda can tabs). Ecoart. I love it. I had to go in.
I asked a woman (who turned out to be a sonic masseuse) whether this was artists making fashion out of trash. She said i could talk to Jennifer, one of the artists.
I then heard Jennifer talking to a couple of people (about her work):
"All made out of found objects; found books; people leave lots of things on the street," she said.
From her artist's statement: She uses discarded debris, "urban artifacts, as i call them, ...reflect the progress and careless freedom challenging today's consumer culture."
Jennifer Harris.
I approached her.
"Did you study art?" I asked.
"I have a poli sci degree. but i took art courses at (the art school) at Rutgers."
"Are you an environmentalist"
"Totally...I started small scale. ...i started collecting stuff.. found wood... live near a wood shop. ...(with) books, i find volumes on the side of street...it is a slowly evolving process...
"I just was out for 6 days (at Naraganza bay) collecting new garbage. I had a crew of people help me pick up stuff," Jennifer said.
"I sold 7 pieces out of 20 last show."
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I was treated to a sonic massage which was initialy reffered to as a performance. It was in a way a performance but it was also an aural experience. Kenny,calls them sonic masseuses and they walk around with instruments made mostly by him and brush by you playing them as you lie down with eyes closed.
It is a touchless massage. "You might get touched, but we're not going to hurt you."
"It is a heightened aural experience when your eyes are closed. Every sound is part of massage. Start with gong and end with gong. "
The sonic masseuses were wearing lab coats.
The end gong sounded.
"You can take your time getting up."
And everyone got up at once.
I met a guy named earnest who had a zine you can check out at efashiontraders.com
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I asked Kenny if he named the instruments and he said yes they all had a name. There are made from everything, found objects, unrespected materials. The waterphone is made by Richard Waters. There is a balloon grinder, windbike, lionsroar, angelic grinder, thunder drum, bell carousel, heliaphone.
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I talked to another artist a part of trashion: Walker Fee. He is using tape in all his works. Asked to explain, he said: "Trashion is about using everyday material to make something beautiful. Tape is overlooked. You can make complex images with tape. See logic and beauty in colored duck tape...Redemptive quality... solid color on bottom with 2 layers,make opaque, value changes, ...influenced by japanese woodwork prints, medieval manuscripts for their bright colors and 2 dimentions."
"Did you go to art school or are you self-taught?"
"Both. My parents are artists. Live in Queens. Grew up in Queens. Started painting young. Started at cooper union but left after 1 year and 1/2. "
On his pieces: "Seasons is one of the first i did with tape 6 years ago," Walker says. "Had a job moving boxes and on down time doodled with tape, made tape designs."
He points to one: "This one is 2000 $. (Cigarette break) is 600 $."
web: walkerfee.com
...
The exhibition is on until the 22nd of September and the closing reception is on the 18th. Sonic massages on Tuesdays.
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