George Macauley Trevelyan:

"After a day's walk, everything has twice it's usual value."

Special Topics on Walking Gallery Show Pt. 2

Just finished setting up for the show with Elise:

Final Walk Pt. 14

Here is the finished product of my final walk Untitled (Bed-In):

Special Topics on Walking Gallery Show Pt. 1

The following three images will be used for my posters.  The first one I knowingly did for the poster while I was at the mall, the second is from my 'walk against the plan' piece and the third is from the stunt I accompanied Courtney and Elise with.

Post Non-Walk

I'm really excited with how my final video turned out.  I would have liked to include more photos had they been under natural lighting.  I felt with the range of natural and unnatural lighting, the piece lacked the continuity I was aiming for so I thought it was best just to leave out.

I was happy with my critique and the response I got from the class. Everyone responded in favour of all the formal decisions I made, which is nice because of some of the troubles I faced with what to leave in and out.

As for the others videos, I felt a lot of the other students made really great work with concrete ideas.  You could tell everyone put effort into making a piece that really mattered to them and stuck to it.

Final Walk Pt. 13

All my e-mail sign offs today have been 'From Bed.'  Shout out to Michelle (Cogger, not Alonso de Mesa) for reading my updates!

From Bed,

Mark

Final Walk Pt. 12

24 hours down...

Final Walk Pt. 11

Message me if you want a picture of my piss.

Final Walk Pt. 10

To Do
- Email Steph, DNZ and Lisa
- Pay Visa
- Read Simon's W mag article
- Call USCBP
- Write Journal Article
- Extreme Drawing
- Kara's B-Day
- Start writing MLA Glossary*

*not going to happen

Final Walk Pt. 9

FUCK, time goes by soooooo quickly.

Final Walk Pt. 8

Nathan is coming over to fix my camera.  I cannot leave this bed.  I'm going crazy.  I literally feel like I'm going crazy.  I've never ever felt this attached to my own work before.  I'm determined to stick to it.

Final Walk Pt. 7

I'm going crazy, I don't know if it's because I'm in this bed or because the camera is screwing over my life.

Final Walk Pt. 6

Sooooooooooooooooooooooo, the camera isn't taking any night photos.

Final Walk Pt. 5

Like really though... this camera is the death of me.

Final Walk Pt. 4

The timing on my blog does not correspond with the actual time (7:15pm)... So what did you do Thursday night?

Final Walk Pt. 3

Working again...  This is what it looks like with a flash...

Final Walk Pt. 2

FUUUUUUUUUUUCK, the camera stopped working.

Final Walk

I diagnosed myself with ADD... 15 minutes in.

The Cut Pt. 3

Yet another video from Pacific Mall that didn't make the cut.

Final Walking Piece Pt. 4

I start my non-walk tomorrow...

Class Photo

Yoko Ono:

"I'm walking so many miles a day. At this rate, I will walk to the end of the earth sometime in my life."

Understanding Disability: From Theory to Practice By Michael Oliver

For my reading, I was assigned a book by Michael Oliver titled Understanding Disability: From Theory to Practice. Michael Oliver had a spinal injury from a swimming accident in 1962 giving him insight into both worlds as a walker and non-walker, which are two terms he uses throughout the book to refer to people with and without disabilities.  One interesting thing about the author is that, he is gay as well physically disable, so he deals with a lot of discriminative social issues in his life, giving a unique perspective on the subject.

When the general public defines disability, they say it’s "a physical or mental condition that limits a person’s movements, senses or activities."  But in terms of my reading and taking equality into consideration, we are looking at that definition as the route of the problem and redefining it as the "social effects of physical and mental impairment."  Some examples of these social issues include, stairways that don't include ramps and bigger font for the visually impaired.

In the reading, Oliver looks at a disability model and identifies the pros and cons of each.  The Individual/Medical Model recognizes the disability first and sees people with disabilities as sick or in need of a cure.  Whereas, the social model recognizes that some people have physical or psychological differences, which may affect the means, by which they function. 

The Social Model takes on the perception of someone who is physically disabled.  It recognizes that people are disabled due to barriers that exist.  It should not invoke pity or the need to be taken care of.  Oliver uses the 'The Social Model' as a starting point in reframing how society views disability.  Disabled people should be allowed to enjoy the same freedoms and choices as those who are not considered disabled. 

This book was an important read as it truly underlines the issues disabled people face on a regular basis.  Oliver also talks about social and political movements that have taken place in an effort to raise awareness and equality throughout the world.

In Conclusion, Michael Oliver ends with a quote by author and anthropologist Carlos Castaneda. “We either make ourselves miserable or we make ourselves strong.  The amount of work is the same." Meaning we can either build an exclusive society or an inclusive one.  The understanding of disability is crucial in developing an inclusive one.

Final Walking Piece Pt. 3

The space I will be confined to is my bed.

Final Walking Piece Pt. 2

I just thought of using this blog as a means of recording my thoughts throughout my 3 day non-walk for my final piece. Get ready!

The Cut Pt. 2

Another video from Pacific Mall that didn't make the cut.

Abraham Lincoln:

"I'm a slow walker, but I never walk back."

Not the only ones

Came across this blog on the uses of walking in art.
http://walkart.wordpress.com/

Joseph Beuys

Joseph Beuys, I Like America and America Likes Me, 1974*

*inspiration for walking in a confined space

Final Walking Piece

I had come to the conclusion that for my final piece I will be doing a non-walk.  I will be confined to a space for a certain amount of time and not leave, going about my day while staying in that space.

Man On Wire

The most beautiful thing about this film was Phillipe's passion and drive for the project.  It was truly wonderful.  Nice way to start off the thinking process for my final piece.

The Cut

A video from Pacific Mall that didn't make the cut.

Nuit Blanche

I forgot to blog about it but the other night on Nuit Blanche someone yelled "Yeah Parkour!"

Richard Serra:

"Basically, what you really want to do is try to engage the viewer's body relation to his thinking and walking and looking, without being overly heavy-handed about it."

Vito Acconci

Vito Acconci, Following Piece, 1969

At the Mall

On Friday, our class went to Pacific Mall in Markham to perform 3 types walks.

Walk 1: A Collection
I collected a group of different mall walkers conversation.  I made a set of rules in which whenever I or the person I was following (as recorded) got awkward, I would stop.

Walk 2: A Walk Against the Plan
I laid down across the end of the escalator so that people had to take an extra step over me when getting off the escalator.

Walk 3: An Action
I assisted Elise and Courtney by documenting an action of stacking 3 benches so that people had to walk around it.  (See below for consequences)

Overall the field trip was quite entertaining.  Concluding our third walk, we were escorted out of the mall for the disturbance we had caused. Oops.

Robert Sweetgall:

"We live in a fast-paced society.  Walking slows us down."

Julian Opie

Julian Opie, Kris Walking @ Phillips de Pury Auction

Andy Goldsworthy - River and Tides

"Art for me is a form of nourishment."

           The documentary was a good insight into a realm of art that's very temporary. Photography was Andy's way of keeping the work alive in material form.
           In regards to walking, Andy Goldsworthy's walks were a method of research. His patience is part of that process, making the works very special.

The Way Home Pt. 2

Every time I walk by Wayne, I say "Hi".

A Large Slow River - Janet Cardiff

Yesterday, I went to Oakville Galleries to participate in a gallery walk with my Extended Practices class.  Everyone was given an iPod to listen to and follow the instructions.

All the sounds were so natural and really made you question if you were hearing them on the earphones or in the real beyond the track playing. (Example: The foot steps running on the gravel.)

I was confused as to the premise of the story being told, so I looked up the piece online.  It was loosely based on an experience she had with her husband in which she witnessed (and recorded) a boy falling down a waterfall to his death.  I still found it hard to make any connections. But regardless, doing the walk and listening to her voice, I felt very much apart of everything she was talking about.

"When you're with someone constantly, you don't really see them" was something that was said that I questioned.  Is it true?

Overall, It was quite beautiful and worthwhile.

(All the photos on the left were taken by Janet Cardiff and I took the ones on the right, funny how I took photos so similar to the ones shown on her website.)

Steven Wright:

"Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time."

The Way Home

As I walked home I tried to think of ways to make this assignment as relevant as possible. In order for this to happen I needed to take something from the walk that would leave me with some sort of changed sentiment. As I approached my apartment I saw a man asking for money on the street. I took this opportunity and went with it. His name was Wayne. As I stood and talked to him for 20 minutes I quickly realized that the 2 people that I said hello to in passing was beaten by the 8 that he had known. The sense of community among the homeless population in Guelph is not only a welcoming one but also an interesting one. I quickly learned that through interacting with someone who is very different in their choice of lifestyle I was able to learn about so many things I wasn't aware of. He told me where people are able to get free meals at dinner as well as some stories of his travels throughout Ontario. I wouldn't describe the conversation as engaging but it was definitely different. I left him five dollars (he told me he was able to buy two beers today) and I left with the feeling of knowing I made someone's day.

A documentation of walks.