We Are Synchronized, Now and Forever.

This blog is meant to be a forum to share my art, different art processes, daily musings, and inspiration found in others. Today is very inspired. Maybe it has something to do with the first day of Spring? Whatever is it, I like it.

You can’t go searching for inspiration, it finds you. It would be like standing on a street corner and asking passer- bys ,”excuse me, are you my soul mate?” Things don’t work that way. Today’s bright moment happened while I was researching for a paper (while STILL drinking my green detox smoothie… blegh.) We were assigned to research an LGBTQ artist and explain the appropriate way to teach a lesson about them in the class room. A few years ago, in another college class I learned about artist Felix Gonzalez- Torres. He was a Cuban- American minimalist sculptor. He died at 42 in 1996 from AIDS related complications, and most of the work in the latter half of his life revolved around the idea of feeling the ghost of those no longer present.

Felix- Gonzales- Torres

His most famous work was inspired by his partner, Ross Laycock, who passed of AIDS related complications in 1991. This piece is “Untitled (Portrait of Ross)”

http://shape-and-colour.com/2010/06/23/felix-gonzalez-torres-portrait-of-ross/

This pile of candy may seem unassuming, but it is extremely significant. This pile weighs exactly 175 lbs, Ross’s weight while he was still in good health. Viewers are encouraged to take a piece with them. The diminishing size of the pile represents Ross fading away as he nears death. The pile never disappears though, it is replenished every day to signify loves perpetual life. This is one of the single most beautiful gestures of love I have ever seen.

Here is a letter written by Gonzalez- Torres to Ross Laycock:

This letter gave me chills. This is the goal. To find someone who loves you enough to feel these words.

Here are a few more pieces inspired by Ross:

http://www.mcachicago.org/assets/img/cache/resize__575__575__5__set_images__Gonzalez_torres_untitled.jpg

This piece inspired the letter. Gonzalez- Torres set 2 clocks to the same time and hung them right next to each other, representing 2 lovers. Because clocks do not tick exactly the same, eventually the clocks began to vary in their times, showing the change in people.

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_FVuhrz8ZXkI/SvuLmmDil2I/AAAAAAAAATw/GUuet7PswYw/torres13.jpg?imgmax=800

This is a photograph of Felix and Ross’s body imprints in the sheets. My interpretation of this is that this photograph is meant to represent the mark that significant people leave on your life.

I hope this inspired you as much as it did me.

Jen