sticky linty

Keeping the idea of 'revealing' the text i had an idea to make the text out of some sort of sticky material and place it where people will either walk or brush against. My mock up is pretty shoddy but you get the idea!!

Sticky tape stuck to the floor (didn't have double sided tape, or money to buy any because I can't get a loan because I'm not a student because I'm not enrolled because I'm not accepted because I haven't passed) The idea is that you don't notice it, which could prove to be difficult as light reflects off it. One solution would be to install it in a dimly lit gallery but then you still have the problem of the sensation of it sticking to your feet, and a gellery would be too clean so it might not pick up enough dirt.

Site: Office Floor/my bedroom
Duration: 2days
Materials: Sellotape from a blue elephant dispenser

before...

after....(3days) CLICK TO ENLARGE

So it worked ok, it would look better if the text was in a nice font but if you try and cut sellotape to look nice it just rips. Some sort of adhesive may be better. I like the subtle grey of the tape and think this would look nice on a plain coloured floor (sorry I don't have access to one just now). I noticed H2GO advertising stuck to the pavement around the city for their 'snapped for cash' promotion, and thought that could be a possible location for the work. I want to find out what materials they use but my computer won't go to their website for me to email them :(

If I were to use the street as a location, that removes the choice of the viewer to conceal the work again; it wouldn't be an instant action to reveal it either and would build up over time. This is a great idea but not with the text I will be using or the interaction I would like to achieve. I want the reveal/conceal part to be able to be easily reversed so that the viewer has more choice in what they see and when. With the test I just performed, the work would have to be located where the same people would see it each day and therefore see it develop over time otherwise I don't see it as being very effective.

Ideally I would have the words I had in my first installation printed in vinyl on the floor in red flowery text, with the sticky words (negative words) in helvetica or something equally as exciting. Ok IDEA! IDEA!!!!! put some sort of dirt about the gallery so that the text is revealed quite rapidly? But then it's pretty much a one hit wonder. Cool to think that people would wander about gawking at these pretty words then find the others surfacing. I wonder what they would do??? go and get their feet dirty and run around maybe... I wonder how they would react to offensive text, if they would tell other exhibition goers that they thought they could see poo bum' written on the floor. tee hee. To have the viewers want to walk through dirt to reveal the text would be cool. I think the appearance of the room without the text revealed would have to be quite striking for it not to be a complete faaaaaaaaiiilure.

That just reminded me of this advert for Fruit Bursts! Very cool idea for a billboard with an action that progresses over time. The element of time in my work will greatly effect the interactivity and wether or not the work involves relational aesthetics.

I could also do it in reverse, make the letters out of wax or something that things do not adhere to then put charcoal all over the gallery floor... or red dye? To get the charcoal or the red dye there in the first place though there would need to be some other element in the exhibition, like a giant funnel in the middle of the room with the charcoal filtering out? lame. and irrelevent unless it was incinerated bones, or paper that in theory also had the text on it. Maybe just candles lit all around the room with the writing only visible in certain lights. <---Don't like that particular idea much because it takes away the relational part. I think I still like the light play with the projection and shadows that I experimented with last year best.