Looking Back
As we prepare to deinstall the exhibition by Kwantaeck Park and ArtLab I wanted to hear what the experience was like from the perspective of our interns. I sat down with ArtLab intern Jackie to get an idea of her process and the thinking behind her piece, You Can Take The Girl Out Of The Ocean, But You Can't Take The Ocean Out Of The Girl.
What was your initial impression at the start of the project?
When we first met Kwantaeck, I had no idea what type of a art a conceptual artist made. However, I was excited to learn about the themes we (artlab interns) were going to be working with. The theme we focused on was overcoming frustrations, a frustration being anything that made you either sad or angry. As we began to realize our frustrations, I noticed that we were all creating something that defined our issue and making it beautiful. The theme of Kwantaeck’s work was, “Appropriate Fear” which to me was very interesting, every piece was connected with the thought of knowing that anything can go wrong in subjects such as war, economic stability, society, trust, etc. My favorite piece by Kwantaeck would have to be the cloud made of receipts. The message is so real and relatable.
What was it like to go through this process?
The greatest thing about every workshops we shared before the opening was that no one knew exactly what the other was creating. Every intern would walk by another student and awe at their art work, we would ask each other questions and suggest ideas which came in handy every time. What was even more interesting was getting to know the new interns while working on a new project. It is amazing to see how different we are but how closely we are connected when it comes to art. A personal highlight of mine occurred as I finished my piece a week earlier, Kwantaek had mentioned that my piece was good and asked if I would sell it if I had the opportunity. Of course my answer was yes, but I felt honored that someone appreciated my art in that way. Where I come from, art is not something of value or even something people care much about.
Tell me about what you created
The way I came up with my frustration was kind of silly. My initial frustration was stress. As I presented my ideas to the other artlab interns, I mentioned that I love the ocean and how it is a great stress reliever for me to even think about the idea of being in the ocean. Then, Kwantaek made a really great point that there are no oceans in Denver or Colorado since we are located in the middle of the country. I thought about that a great deal after our session and realized that it really sucked to be a big aquatic fan and live in the heart of Colorado. From that realization my frustration was born. I began to sketch random inventions first, and then I thought, what would be greater than having an ocean you can actually hold in your hand containing natural sand and shells from my favorite river in Denver? I started with the frames and filled them with tiny branches, sand, and shells along with two significant pictures I took in Denver. My absolute favorite moment of all was when I collected sand from a small shore on Platte River, I felt at home. I felt pleased as I fished for tiny shells one at a time; and amazed that I could even do that here. It was one of the sweetest experiences I had ever encountered.
Describe the work of one of your peers and what you found interesting about their final piece and process
From the start I was interested in the work created by Katherine, she wanted to create small binoculars that housed a tiny picture and also played music. The picture represented love, the kind of love she always desired. My heart melted when I was able to finally see her final piece; the lenses demonstrated a couple, a girl and a mother. Knowing Katherine personally, I understood where she was coming from and I thought that her way of expressing her frustration was unique and heartwarming. Considering the fact that her life is not the easiest, she uses art and finds a way to cope with it and I would have to give her mad props for that.
What is something new you learned during this workshop?
Although I learned quite a few things throughout this experience, I learned that frustrations could be managed whether you are making something to express it or doing something about it. I wasn’t so frustrated about living in Denver when I dug my hands inside a small hill of thick sand. It didn’t bother me much that I was picking dirty shells next to fancy Denver apartments and a busy road. I overcame my frustration.
