With the help of over a hundred contributors, I am making a large abstract painting. The work represents the democratic interaction of a large group of people and is an idealized social space where all the participants will have equal voice .

In addition to the painting, two books will accompany the final painting. This is one of the books.

The project has been ongoing for the last year or so. In the first phase, over 50 participants chose the image that would be used in the painting. Another set of participants is now working on a set of drawings that will be used to create a large painting on sixteen panels. I am working on the paintings in my studio.

During the third phase of the project, a non-profit organization will be created. The organization will make all final decisions about the creation of the painting, including curating and installing the project.

We are seeking more collaborators.

Our Utopian community exists only within the space of the painting and pages of the books. This is not a mural project. The majority of the participants have never met each other face-to-face. They are interacting with each other only within the pages of the book, via the internet, the postal system and through my interpretation of their drawings. I am representing in my painting how communities come together, and also demonstrating how an artist is a conduit for social relations- and a potential facilitator of new social arrangements.

I am looking for collaborators who want to be citizens of the The Land of E Pluribus Unum. Contact me if you want to participate.

<View images from the project.>

Poetry generated by Google Voice during the first two weeks of “Catullus” is displayed below. At least one Catullus piece and one collaborative input were un-transcribable by Google Voice. I have the audio files for all calls and will include them in the final project. I will transcribe pieces not transcribed by Google and print them as “untranslated”.

Barrow micro darling, she plays with. She, kugel’s she likes to temp fingertips teases. Tune-up order. The my own break right. Desire fancy some and they respond to this mall, Saul. S. For her pain, I suppose. So I have a passion and but I could play with you. If he doesn’t sound like mister. It’s gonna be scared.

Please. I don’t know we’ve got in drama middle. Cool about.

Hey Brian, A motor online exploiting corn Delhi. Hi, The maintain to stole that we ask he’s leaving. He liquid. If you car remove yeah.

And I am too calm. Hey sauce it is. Hey, nice but how are you. Call me. Hey you, or home. Try it. Bye export Carrie chart is doctor is you there. Bath look Oreos, the.

Query, Pam. T. Please quit Quinn. The Hawks lot. You’d be laundry. Well you come. Katie cool. Lou Pat Ron they Virgo. Plus you know many eat here and fact little.

Thomas, That aside, Hear hear. You, me, tony. 10. P car home. May squall, headache, waited. Lou that I L car. Bye that soul C O L Swayze, Dolores create o clock. Tom Grey s a quick call our door.

Mac yo i us. Matt and is and at home. Travis Mac is C, prayed, and higher site you he tell me a list, Opus for it or ill day, see you. He plenty. Ohh.

Here’s what happens if we get it wrong, this is what is already happening. It’s 12 countries or over the wells because we decided that global warming was a problem, we decided to take once, a, of the agricultural and I’ll be here with i was on craigslist for people who need it. My name is dead, we divided to graying biofuels, so I’m cos, Hello yeah. 42. Bye bye.

Hi, I’m Deborah, Joshua and I’m reading this point I don’t know. We’ll up with is from us on the bit see where so I’m free for me but now I’m free. I’m phoning the past left for me. I think you’re saying when you heard out when I heard, I’m call. I’ll turn my head back and that’s at all. I could not stay another day and that’s about the wall local plan packed up and my status, right. I found the piece at the closing of the day. Yes, my party has that the 4th and so that with remember when. Joanna my friendship share. I left a kiss. Ohh yes, these things that we all miss enough Burton with the time with. Well, I was just send out tomorrow. My life in full. It’s Everett much good. Francis hon, and one I have my time things all 23. Don’t let that now what I’m doing great. That’s up. Johanna and share with me. I wanted me you set me free. Thank you.

Yes if I have a leave dessert, please. Rejoice for God will bless you. This is Holy Spirit. For God will give you strength. Thanks. He gave me for God will kosher and. We’ll stand in front of you to protect you from evil, for God will take care of you, S you would like to be taken care of for God is our father cool if you’d like to find you to your Courtney for. I only have days left and I will come to him as soon as I will love you had all my heart mommy. Thanks.

Well, this economy time around I helpful. The future is Graham the let the owner of the tunnel looks them. We have to arrive from within at the right from the that.

Thank god bless. I’m just taking and for my daughter to say on my husband, hopefully, and my family and I’m just praying for everyone. Thank you. Bye bye.

monday richmond street

Video made from strips of 35mm photographic film exposed in a medium format toy camera and with no Photoshop manipulation of the developed negatives.

Groot Groot Groot is a black and white silver gelatin print made from a multiple- exposed medium format negative in a Holga camera. I scanned the print and made stickers from it on a laser printer. Two stickers were affixed to one of the Groot trash bins that were the subject of the original photograph. I have been documenting what happens to the stickers over time.

Instructions: Walk completely around the place you live. The path you follow can be any shape or size. You may walk counterclockwise or clockwise, fast or slow, alone or within a group, or holding the hand of someone you love. You can do it during the night or day, barefoot or shod. But you must go out and come back in through the same door (or window, if that’s your pleasure). During your walk, be mindful of the ground under your feet, watch the sidewalk, pay attention to the street, be conscious of the dirt and the pavement. Also, during your walk, pick up a piece of litter* or trash, preferably made from paper or any other flat material that can fit into an envelope. Use the found item in a work of art. Or designate the item a ready-made. In either case, put your art in an envelope, or, if you’d like, affix it to a postcard. Alternatively: describe your merzwalk using words or pictures. After it has dried, send it to Merzwalk08.

Only three submissions to Merzwalk08 per artist. But you may make as many merzwalks for yourself as you want and do it as frequently as you like.

Documentation will include a catalogue that will be sent to all Merzwalk08 participants.

Deadline: January 3, 2009

Merzwalk08
1620 North Richmond Street
Chicago, IL 60647
USA

*Note: “Litter is a waste type consisting of any tangible personal property which has been unlawfully scattered and or abandoned in a public place (usually outdoors).” Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Litter

This a Osel 6.

The Osel poems started out as three (Osel 1, 2 and 3) ‘zine style chapbooks that were circulated via postal art networks. Osel 4, a collage of serial poems of an elegiac nature, was written before, during, and after Osel 5 and Osel 6.

Osel 5 was an early (1998) piece of hypertext poetry, illustrated with Tantric line drawings made by a doctor in India. A few months later, the files were deleted from my site because the drawings were considered pornographic by AOL. I canceled my AOL account shortly after this. A bad hard drive and my move from my old apartment to my house resulted in the loss of the hyperlinked Osel 5, including all the pictures. I am planning on reissuing Osel 5 in a new, non-internet form. Meanwhile, Osel 6 is now a film.

Osel 7 is a short personal poem that will be skipped for now.

Osel 8 (Retro-Osel, a light shined back) is planned as a limited art-book with individual hand-drawn collages and illustrations. I think I will make 8 copies.

At one time I was posting a working version of the pomes, Osel of My Eye, but I now think that the internet is the worse place to work on art- it’s like taking a shower in public.

Enjoy Osel 6.

(Osel 1 was distributed far and wide thru mail-art networks and was inspired by my military service in the mideast)

http://www.spring.net/yapp-bin/public/read/poetry/30