Artist Index

4.1.12

'Ideal Homes' by Joan Grounds: 2 - 15 January

Articulate project space invites you to the closing of Ideal Homes  by Joan Grounds on Sunday 15 January, 3-5 pm 
at Articulate project space 
497 Parramatta Road, Leichhardt 2040.
You are also invited to participate in her project as explained below:
I have asked artists and friends to describe for me their “ideal” place or dwelling as if there were no constraints that would prevent realization of that ideal in reality.  I have asked for a description in any form of this “ideal”.  I then take that description and make a three-dimensional sketch model, one that is not precisely dimensioned and is measured by my ‘eye’ and my interpretation of intent in the description.
My selection of people to invite has been circumstantial to a certain extent, but I have primarily asked other artists if they want to participate because the project is quite provisional.  I want to use this rare opportunity and time in the project space for the kind of processes that usually occur in the studio.  Often these processes are conceptually and physically messy and unformed for quite some time, even perhaps for the duration of a project such as this one.
Thus far, I have been fascinated by just how many of the people contributing have their “ideal” in their heads and can describe it to me at once with ease.  I am hoping that some people might want to work over a model I make, their own or another’s, by adjustment, addition or subtraction.  Still further translations and interpretations might then be possible.
As I understand it, one of the areas under investigation in the overall umbrella of this project for this group of invited artists is also to interrogate documentation in some way. (If we wish to take it on at all, and I do, even though it is always the most stressful part of making any sort of real time process based temporal work for me.  I see it, more or less, as a necessary but disturbing compromise.   It seems to me that documentation is always some sort of strange disembodied translation with a fair share of interpretation and sometimes misinterpretation by the documenter, myself included. 
The processes involved in moving from ideation of one person to realization by another and from one form to another is very close to both the difficulties and the possible rewards of the more common forms of documentation, and I am hoping I might come to a happier relationship to the usual forms of documentation through this investigation.  Basically, I am trying to turn the notion of documentation on its side in order to find a new way in. 
I understand the various professional necessities of a ‘good image’ or a ‘good description’ of any work and others might find something in this project that fulfils those needs. Meanwhile, I want to explore some possibilities that certain processes themselves might have as documentation and what use value those processes might have.
I will be in the space at the following times: 
 11am to 5 pm on Friday 13 January and Saturday 14 January 
 11am -3 pm on Sunday 15 January.
For the hours and dates above everyone is most warmly welcome to come in and either work on a model or describe in some way their “ideal” or make a model from scratch or just to have a look at the process and what people have contributed.  
 At 3 pm on Sunday all project making and processes will stop.
 The Opening with juice and drinks and some finger food will be on Sunday 15 January from 3-5 pm. You are most cordially invited to come any or all of the times above.
 Joan Grounds
4 January 2012
Ideal Homes is the sixth of Articulate's project space projects