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ANYWAY, IT'S
A TOTALLY DIFFERENT GAME,
AND IT'S MORE COMPLEX IN MANY WAYS.
IT'S ALSO MUCH MORE BORING THAN A NORMAL BILLIARD GAME, BUT --
AND ALSO I DIDN'T PUT ANY RULES EXCEPT THE BASIC RULES
OF HITTING TWO BALLS WITH YOUR OWN BALL.
AND PEOPLE PLAY IT, I PLAY IT SOMETIMES,
AND THE RULES, THEY HAVE TO BE INVENTED.
I TRY TO USE THE TOOLS THAT EVERYONE CAN USE.
I DON'T WANT TO BE A SPECIALIST
IN A TECHNIQUE THAT IS VERY DIFFICULT.
I PREFER TO BE A BEGINNER.
NO, I LIKE TO LEARN
HOW TO FIX CARS, AND THEN I DID THE CITROEN.
I MEAN, I'M NOT AN EXPERT IN CARS.
EVEN I THINK SOMETIMES WHEN I DO, LIKE A CERAMIC,
IT'S LIKE A HOBBY FOR ME.
I THINK, IT'S MORE
LIKE, "WELL, YEAH, I LIKE CERAMICS, IT'S NICE.
I WANT TO LEARN A LITTLE BIT."
IT'S EXACTLY WHAT YOU DEFINE A HOBBY.
NORMALLY WHEN YOU DO POTTERIES,
YOU ARE VERY MUCH AWARE OF THIS EMPTY CENTER SPACE.
IN THIS CASE, I WAS NOT SO INTERESTED
IN THE CENTER, BUT AS A MASS.
FOR THAT REASON, I NEEDED A CLAY THAT WAS SPECIAL.
AND THIS WORKSHOP USED TO BE A BRICK FACTORY BEFORE,
BUT THEY HAVE THESE MACHINES TO PRODUCE CLAY THAT I NEED
VERY FAST.
SO IN ONE DAY, YOU CAN DO
A WHOLE AMOUNT OF HOURS,
ALMOST LIKE A WORKER DOING A MECHANICAL THING,
AND FOR ME, THAT WAS IMPORTANT.
THE THINKING PROCESS IS RELATED WITH THE BODY IN MANY WAYS.
TO BE MOVING IN A TRAIN
OR TO BE LOOKING AT THE OCEAN,
TO BE WORKING WITH MY HANDS
WITH THE CLAY AND VERY PHYSICAL, ALL GENERATES A STIMULUS
IN THE BRAIN AND YOU ARE THINKING.
THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE BRAIN
AND THE BREATHING AND THE SWEATING
AND THE TIME THAT YOU SPEND AND HOW YOU SLOW DOWN THINKING
OR YOU ACCELERATE THINKING,
YOU JUST GENERATE THE DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF THINKING.
SO WHEN I FEEL THAT IT SHOULD BE READY,
IT'S A QUITE SUBJECTIVE THING, BUT IT'S JUST THAT
THE SHAPE SHOULD REPRESENT WHAT JUST HAPPENED BEFORE.
THE POT IS A VERY COMPLEX INSTRUMENT IN HUMAN HISTORY.
IT CAN BE RELATED WITH MEXICO IF YOU WANT,
BUT I THINK IT CAN BE RELATED WITH GREECE,
IT CAN BE RELATED WITH EVERYBODY IN THE WORLD
BECAUSE POTTERY
IS JUST PART OF OUR HISTORY.
THE DIVISION BETWEEN WORK AND EVERYDAY LIFE
IS VERY STRONG.
IN MEXICO IS THE SAME.
AND THAT SPACE IN BETWEEN WORK AND LIFE
IS THE SPACE THAT IS VERY HARD TO NEGOTIATE FOR EVERYBODY.
LEISURE TIME OR PLEASURE TIME
OR KNOWLEDGE TIME OR RESEARCH TIME OR ALL --
THAT IS SPACE THAT IS LEFT OVER
BECAUSE THE IMPORTANT THING IS TO WORK
AND THEN TO SUSTAIN YOUR LIFE OR SOMETHING,
BUT THEN ALL THE SPACES
IN BETWEEN ARE A BIT LOST.
SO EVERY CITIZEN HAS TO FIGHT FOR THOSE SPACES.
WHEN YOU LIVE AND YOU WORK IN THE SAME PLACE,
EVERYTHING IS PART OF THE WORK.
EVERY FURNITURE IS IMPORTANT, EVERY LITTLE THING,
EVEN THE TRASH.
THE CONTRADICTION THAT I HAVE
IS THAT WHEN I SAY I DON'T WANT TO PRODUCE THINGS,
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THERE IS THIS NECESSITY OF PRODUCING
SIGNS OF COMMUNICATION,
A KIND OF MIRROR OF WHAT I'M DOING,
AND MAYBE IT'S AN OBSESSION OF BUILDING BRIDGES
OF COMMUNICATION WITH OTHER PEOPLE.
Antoni: A ROPE IS AN UMBILICAL CORD.
YOU KNOW, IT'S SOMETHING THAT CONNECTS TWO THINGS,
WHICH SORT OF IS WHAT "MOOR" IS ABOUT.
IT'S ABOUT ALL THESE PEOPLE BEING,
YOU KNOW, MY LIFE SORT OF CONNECTING ALL THESE PEOPLE.
THE IDEA WAS TO TAKE ALL THESE VERY DIFFERENT MATERIALS,
BUT ALSO LIVES,
AND SORT OF BRING THEM TOGETHER THROUGH THE ROPE-MAKING PROCESS.
MY MOTHER'S FALL I PUT IN THERE,
AND THEN MY FRIEND PAT MADE THIS PIECE WITH HAMMOCKS,
SO THIS IS, THAT'S WHAT THIS IS.
ANOTHER FRIEND'S PIECE, DOUG, THIS IS HIS HI-8 TAPE
THAT WE TOOK APART.
AND THIS IS SORT OF MY FAVORITE SECTION.
THIS IS THE SECTION OF THE GRANDMOTHERS.
THIS RED DRESS IS MY FATHER'S MOTHER'S CHRISTMAS DRESS.
I WONDER WHETHER THE VIEWER CAN IN SOME WAY UNCOVER
THESE STORIES THROUGH THEIR EXPERIENCE OF THE OBJECT,
WHETHER THESE STORIES ARE SOMEHOW HELD IN THE MATERIAL.
Woman: WITH A LOT OF THE MATERIALS, WHAT WAS DONE
IS THEY WERE CUT UP INTO STRIPS, OR SAY,
IF IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL CORD, IT WAS TAKEN APART
AND ALL THE WIRES INSIDE WERE TAKEN APART,
AND THEN TWISTED TOGETHER
WITH OTHER MATERIALS TO CREATE A ROPE.
Antoni: SINCE I WAS A LITTLE GIRL,
MY MOTHER AND I WOULD MAKE THINGS TOGETHER.
ACTUALLY, THE WHOLE FAMILY
WOULD MAKE THINGS TOGETHER.
AND I LOVE THE HANDMADE IN ANY FORM IT TAKES.
THERE ARE SO MANY OBJECTS THAT WE COME IN CONTACT WITH
THAT WE'VE LOST A CONNECTION TO WHAT THEY'RE MADE OF,
WHO MADE THEM, SO THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR ME,
TO SORT OF, IN THE OBJECT,
ON THE SURFACE OF THE OBJECT,
SOMEHOW GIVE YOU A HISTORY OF HOW THAT OBJECT HAS MADE
ITS WAY INTO THE WORLD.
TO MAKE THIS PIECE, WHAT I DID IS
I DIPPED MYSELF
IN A TUB OF LARD.
THE PIECE IS CALLED "EUREKA,"
AND IT WAS INSPIRED BY THE STORY OF ARCHEMEDES.
AND ARCHEMEDES WAS ASKED BY THE KING
HOW MUCH GOLD WAS IN HIS CROWN.
AND HE WAS KILLING HIMSELF, HOW CAN HE MEASURE CAPACITY?
WELL, HE'S IN THE BATHTUB ONE NIGHT,
AND HE REALIZES THAT HIS BODY
IS DISPLACING THE WATER IN THE TUB.
HE GETS VERY EXCITED,
JUMPS OUT, AND SCREAMS, "EUREKA!"
IT SEEMS TO ME THAT ARCHEMEDES' BODY
WAS THE TOOL FOR THE EXPERIMENT,
JUST AS MY BODY IS THE TOOL FOR MAKING.
BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY IS THIS IDEA
THAT HE CAME TO THIS KNOWLEDGE THROUGH THE EXPERIENCE
OF HIS BODY.
AND THAT'S WHY I DO THESE KIND OF
EXTREME ACTS WITH MY BODY.
I FEEL THAT THE VIEWER HAS A BODY, TOO,
AND CAN EMPATHIZE WITH WHAT I PUT MYSELF THROUGH
TO MAKE THE ARTWORK.
TO ME, SO MUCH MEANING IS IN HOW WE CHOOSE
TO MAKE SOMETHING, BOTH IN ART,
BUT IN ALL OBJECTS THAT WE DEAL WITH IN OUR LIVES.
I KIND OF THINK OF THE WORK
AS LIKE THE VIEWERS COMING IN ON THE SCENE OF A CRIME,
AND I'VE LEFT ALL THESE CLUES FOR THEM TO UNCOVER.
I DID THIS SHOW,
AND THE EXHIBITION SPACE WAS CONNECTED TO A DAIRY FARM.
RIGHT AWAY, I SAID, "CAN YOU GIVE ME A TOUR OF THE BARN?"
AND I NOTICED THAT TROUGHS ARE MADE OUT OF TUBS.
I THOUGHT, "WHAT IF I TAKE A BATH?
WILL THE COW CONTINUE TO DRINK?"
THINKING THAT, YOU KNOW,
I'VE DRUNK FROM THE COW MY WHOLE LIFE,
AND I COULD SORT OF CREATE THIS RELATIONSHIP.
WELL, COWS ARE VERY CURIOUS.
THEY ALL CAME, STARTED DRINKING,
AND IT ALMOST REVERSED THE WHOLE RELATIONSHIP.
SHE LOOKS LIKE SHE'S NURSING FROM ME.
AND THE TITLE OF THE PIECE IS "2038,"
WHICH IS THE TAG IN THE EAR,
AND THE REASON I CHOSE THAT IS I FELT THAT THAT EPITOMIZED
OUR RELATIONSHIP TO THE COW,
THAT IT WAS ALMOST LIKE A --
HARDLY AN ANIMAL ANYMORE, BUT A BIOLOGICAL MACHINE,
AND I WANTED THAT TO CONTRAST
THE KIND OF TENDERNESS OF THE IMAGE.
I WAS REALLY THINKING ABOUT THE *** MARY
AND THESE IMAGES
WE KNOW OF HER, LIKE,
THE *** MARY IS NOT ALLOWED TO DO ANYTHING PHYSICAL.
NO SEX, SHE DOESN'T GET TO DIE.
THE ONLY THING SHE'S ALLOWED TO DO IS NURSE.
AND I WAS THINKING ABOUT,
HOW DOES THAT IMAGE AFFECT MY IDEAS OF MOTHERHOOD?
AND THAT SORT OF IDYLLIC MOMENT
THAT WE KNOW FROM THOSE PAINTINGS,
BUT ALSO FROM PAMPERS ADS OF MOTHER AND CHILD.
WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT IS A BUCKET
FROM A CONSTRUCTION TRACTOR.
IT WAS TWICE THE SIZE.
AND I GOT THE BUCKET CUT IN HALF AND I MELTED IT DOWN.
AND I CREATED ALL THESE FORMS INSIDE.
"CRADLE" IS A PIECE WHICH IS REALLY
ABOUT THESE THINGS CRADLING EACH OTHER.
YOU KNOW, IT ENDS WITH THE LOOP SPOON, WHICH IS LIKE
WHEN THE CHILD IS FIRST BECOMING INDEPENDENT,
CAN FIRST FEED ITSELF.
AND THEN IT'S ABOUT THAT NEED THAT WE NEVER LOSE, TO BE HELD.
ALL THE COW PIECES WERE AN EFFORT TO RELATE TO THE COW,
TO UNDERSTAND IT AND TO UNDERSTAND
MY RELATIONSHIP TO IT.
AND SO FOR ME TO GET ON MY HANDS AND KNEES IS REALLY
TO IMITATE THE ANIMAL IN SOME WAY.
BUT ALSO, IT'S CLEARLY A SUBMISSIVE POSE.
THIS WORK IS MADE OUT OF RAWHIDE.
AND I MADE A MOLD OF MYSELF ON MY HANDS AND KNEES.
AND THEN I TOOK THE RAWHIDE WHEN IT WAS VERY MALLEABLE
AND I DRAPED IT OVER THE MOLD.
I WORKED WITH ALL THE FOLDS,
SCULPTING THEM TO DEPICT THE BODY UNDERNEATH THE VEIL.
THEN, WHEN THE HIDE WAS COMPLETELY HARD,
I REMOVED THE MOLD FROM THE INSIDE.
SO ACTUALLY, SHE'S TOTALLY HOLLOW INSIDE.
AND THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE
I REALLY WANT THE VIEWER TO FEEL BOTH THE ABSENCE OF ME
AND THE ABSENCE OF THE COW.
I THOUGHT IT WAS REALLY INTERESTING
THAT SOAP WAS MADE OUT OF LARD,
THAT WE'RE CLEANING THE BODY WITH THE BODY
SEEMED QUITE CURIOUS TO ME.
SO I HAD THIS IDEA THAT I WOULD
MAKE A REPLICA OF MYSELF IN CHOCOLATE,
AND IN SOAP, AND I WOULD
FEED MYSELF WITH MYSELF BY LICKING THE CHOCOLATE.
AND WASH MYSELF WITH MYSELF.
BOTH THE LICKING AND THE BATHING
ARE QUITE GENTLE AND LOVING ACTS.
BUT I'M SLOWLY ERASING MYSELF.
FOR ME IT'S ABOUT THAT CONFLICT,
THAT KIND OF LOVE/HATE RELATIONSHIP WE HAVE
WITH OUR PHYSICAL APPEARANCE.
AND REALLY LIKE THE PROBLEM I HAVE
OF LOOKING IN THE MIRROR AND THINKING,
"IS THAT WHO I AM?"
AS I WAS MAKING THE ROPE,
I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE REALLY NICE TO WALK ON THIS ROPE.
[ LAUGHING ]
I WAS THINKING OF THE ROPE AS A KIND OF LIFELINE,
YOU KNOW, THE STORY OF MY LIFE,
SO I THOUGHT, WOW, IF I COULD WALK ON IT,
THAT WOULD REALLY BE BEAUTIFUL.
SO IT WAS SORT OF MAKING THE ROPE
THAT MADE ME COME TO THE IDEA
TO LEARN TO TIGHTROPE.
I HAVE PRACTICED TIGHT ROPING FOR ABOUT AN HOUR A DAY.
AND AFTER ABOUT A WEEK,
I STARTED TO FEEL LIKE I'M NOW GETTING MY BALANCE.
I STARTED TO NOTICE THAT
IT WASN'T THAT I WAS GETTING MORE BALANCED,
BUT THAT I WAS GETTING MORE COMFORTABLE
WITH BEING OUT OF BALANCE.
RATHER THAN GETTING NERVOUS
AND OVERCOMPENSATING, I COULD JUST COMPENSATE ENOUGH,
AND I THOUGHT,
I WISH I COULD DO THAT IN MY LIFE.
AFTER GOING DOWN MANY DIFFERENT AVENUES,
I DECIDED TO MAKE
THIS WORK "TOUCH."
AND WHAT I DID IS I WENT HOME TO THE BAHAMAS,
TO THE BEACH THAT WAS DIRECTLY
IN FRONT OF THE HOUSE THAT I GREW UP IN.
IT MADE SENSE FOR ME TO GO BACK TO THIS HORIZON
I HAD LOOKED AT MY WHOLE LIFE.
I THOUGHT IT WOULD HAVE MUCH MORE TENSION
IF I COULD WALK ALONG THE ROPE AND AS IT DIPPED
THAT JUST FOR A MOMENT I WOULD TOUCH THE HORIZON.
AND SO AT A CERTAIN POINT,
AFTER MAKING THE VIDEO "TOUCH,"
AND SORT OF LIVING MY FANTASY OF WALKING ON AIR,
WALKING ON THE HORIZON,
I THOUGHT, I REALLY NEED TO DO A PIECE ABOUT FALLING.
AND I WENT BACK TO THIS IDEA
THAT I WANTED TO MAKE THE ROPE TO WALK ON.
WE FOUND A GUY AT MYSTIC SEAPORT
AND HE GAVE US A PERSONAL TOUR,
AND SHOWED US THIS QUITE BEAUTIFUL ROPE-MAKING MACHINE.
AND WHEN WE SAW THAT MACHINE, THEN WE GOT THE IDEA, YOU KNOW,
TO MAKE OUR OWN MINI VERSION OF IT.
MAKING THE ROPE BROUGHT ME TO LEARNING HOW TO SPIN.
WHERE WITH "MOOR" WE'RE USING EVERYDAY MATERIALS,
NOW WE'RE USING THE MOST TRADITIONAL MATERIAL
WHICH IS HEMP.
ON A MATERIAL LEVEL,
I'M GOING BACK TO THE SOURCE,
BUT ALSO THOSE CRAFTS ARE SORT OF THE BEGINNING.
AND I THINK THAT THIS TAKING ON THIS WOMEN'S TRADITION ISN'T --
IS ALSO NOT A SMALL THING.
YOU HAVE TO PUT THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF ENERGY INTO THE TWIST.
TOO MUCH ENERGY MAKES THE ROPE WEAK.
AND TOO LITTLE ENERGY MAKES THE ROPE WEAK.
SO THE CORRELATION
THAT I SEE WITH LEARNING TO WALK ON THE TIGHT WIRE,
THE LOOSER I WAS, THE EASIER IT WAS TO BALANCE.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT THIS SCULPTURE I'M MAKING,
WITH THE HEMP AND THE TIGHTROPE WILL BE EXACTLY,
BUT IT WILL BE ABOUT THE FALL.
IT WILL BE ABOUT THE IMPOSSIBILITY
OF THAT ILLUSION.
NEXT TIME ON "ART:21 -- ART IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY."
Man: THERE'S A CERTAIN FRESHNESS,
WHERE YOU'RE SEEING SOMETHING FOR THE FIRST TIME.
THERE'S SOMETHING INHERENTLY COMPELLING ABOUT REPETITION.
Woman: I ALWAYS TEND TO SEE THE FUNNY SIDES OF THINGS.
Man: IT'S A DARK HUMOR,
BUT IT MAKES ME CHUCKLE WHEN I'M DOING IT.