Compass
Collaboration with Mark R. Smith
Monthly Guest Artist Series, South Waterfront Artist in Residence (AiR) Program, Portland, OR, 2008
The South Waterfront Artist in Residence (AiR) Program was conceived and directed by dance artist Linda K. Johnson and featured projects by Johnson as well as a monthly guest artist series. Mark and I created Compass as the Guest Artist Team for April of 2008.
Compass, 2008
Track cinder, steel, vinyl, paint, wood, chalk
6.5 x 38 x 20 feet
The title refers to the need in each of us to find our way and our place in this world.
We invited residents of the area and other Portland groups to take part in our workshops which encouraged people to get to know each other by engaging in activities that yielded information to be included in the sculpture. This information–each person's height, favorite color and an anagram of their name–was used to create a flag that represented that individual.
The oval shaped field symbolized a map of the world with the South Waterfront at its center. Each flag was planted within this map at the point that corresponded to the individuals place of birth so that the completed installation became a portrait of the community that existed around our residency.
Inside the gallery where we held our workshops, we displayed How Far Have You Come?, How Much Have You Grown? and How Far Have You Gone? (Shere of Influence), works that illustrated the elements that came out of the workshop.
How Far Have Your Gone? (Sphere of Influence), 2008
Canvas, acrylic paint, wood, pencils, hardware
60 x 84 inches
The directions for this activity ask the participant to mark the point on the map that indicates the farthest they have ever been from Portland.
How Much Have You Grown? 2008
Wood, nails, pen, pencil, marker
6 x 120 inches
A Portlander recording her height.
Photos: Yalchin Erhan
