zen zen

Engagement: White Light - "EWL"

noreply@blogger.com (zen) — Sun, 07 Jan 2007 02:34:00 +0000

The logistical part of the project is kicking in. Lots of figuring stuff out, like the template and where the objects go so that the Installation crew just has to pin the cardboard up and drill holes without the tedium of measuring and arranging from scratch. The mummified cat and bats' head are complimented by the scuzzy birds - all compliments from the inhouse contractor, Jack. These guys are the tip of the iceberg in his wood shop!

Engagement: White Light

noreply@blogger.com (zen) — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 08:38:00 +0000

The television program has aired on Oregon Art Beat, on the OPB network. It will be repeated on Sunday night at 6pm. There is something weird about watching yourself on telelvision. But it is not weird enough to make me pull away.....
One week to go before the opening. The calmness belies the frantic treadmill in my head.
The installation opens at Contemporary Crafts Museum and Gallery on Friday January 12, 2007, 5:30 - 8pm.
www.contemporarycrafts.org

Rugs of War - The Photo Shoot

noreply@blogger.com (zen) — Mon, 16 Jan 2006 18:10:00 +0000

Locating a space large enough to accommodate the rug (and the scarf - not shown) was easier than first thought. Paul Foster is the photographer, and he has shot all of my work for 2004 - 2005. Now that the blanket is documented, it can be disassembled, ready to be reworked as a Rug of War. The scarf is almost complete and the lettering has turned out extremely successful.
B U C K F U S H :-)

Given the issues in the news this week and that fact that his administration seems to continue unhindered, it just all makes you wonder. Someone told me last night that in the last 3 years, the USA has killed almost as many civilians as what Saddam did during 37 years of reign. And the moral right wonders why 'they - the Iraqis'" don't want this type of democracy.
z

Rugs of War - and a Happy New Year

noreply@blogger.com (zen) — Fri, 06 Jan 2006 02:35:00 +0000

The new Rugs of War series is well under way, after riding the wave of success from the performance in October, then the showing at City Hall. The icing on the cake was an image appearing in the Portland Tribune in their Picture of the Year selection. Thanks Trib!

The Rugs of War series will take 2 years to complete, and consists of hand made objects, reminescent of the objects the women made for their men during war times, but with a contemporary twist. These are not your grandmothers hand knitted sox. The inspiration comes from being in the USA, specifically because "somebody" out there elected Bush for a second term.

The Bucky Scarf - this is a 'work in progress' shot, showing the back of the piece. The front of the piece has vertical lettering that carry their own loaded message. The fun part is this piece glows in the dark and has managed to make quite a few locals nervous. Should be able to install it for a full lenth image sometime next week. Then the real work starts with the huge rug. It is literally 3 stories long and will be loaded with its' own version of WMD's. Abu Hoods, and a few other little gems. The more I listen to the radio and catch up on the brilliantly skewed news here, the more I love the fact that an entire country seems to be putting up with this little annoying stone in their shoe. Bushy - Cheney - Dicey Ricey - and don't forget the Rummy Bunny - it is all getting to be toooooooooooo much fun.
z

Fake Sweeteners and Wishing Someone Well

noreply@blogger.com (zen) — Thu, 08 Dec 2005 04:43:00 +0000

Yesterday I was asked to name an object that I thought represented my experiences here in the US. Without even drawing breath, the image of a fake sweetener came to mind - all sugary and pleasing to the palette, and 'good for you because it is NOT sugar', with no calories, non-fat and no carbs. BUT it is FAKE; another one of zillions of altered food products that seem to thrive here, and made of pure chemicals that don't seem to occur natually in your body. Convenient. Disposable. Fake niceness. So it is a product trying to be something that it isn't! Real. What would you identify?

Let's not get started on how I would describe some of the members of the current administration - (but without them, I wouldn't be so busy making art!) Now, there is an exercise in fake sweeteners if ever I have witnessed one. (That might also explain how they got the intelligence wrong about WMD in Iraq - the sweetner must have blown into their eyes and blurred their vision!!!)

Last Thursday at City Hall night was a hoot! Thank-you to everyone who braved the weather and came along for the speeches and chat. I want to pass along a genuine thank-you to David Gonzalez and everyone in Governor Sam's office that helped make all of this happen. After chatting with Sam and his staff, there is no doubt that they are not fake sweeteners at all. In fact, I could tell more......but that will be another blog post......and the rug is still hanging there in all of it's three story glory.As soon as the rug comes 'home' it will be reworked and appear in it's new role as the premier piece of a 4 work series entitled 'rugs of war'. "No sweetners will be harmed in the making of this work". This shot of the border was taken in my studio, and you can easily make out some of the letters in the work.
:-)
zen@ovoo.com

The invitation has gone out!

noreply@blogger.com (zen) — Tue, 22 Nov 2005 04:30:00 +0000

The weather has turned, and so it seems, has the mood of the season. With the US celebration of Thanksgiving fast approaching, I am trying to crawl out from under the end of year workload that all Artist's go through. Such as reconciling all of those rejection letters, and sourcing new hope for new projects. The rug is still dominating my studio life - and has stretched more than 18" in the last week. I just keep crocheting! Here is the invitation from Commissioner Adam's office for the gathering on First Thursday on December 1st. I think we will all enjoy a little celebration by then.
ciao,
zen@ovoo.com

The butterfly rug is emerging...

noreply@blogger.com (zen) — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 15:34:00 +0000

The rug is hanging and seems to be metaphorically evolving like a butterfly! Now that it is up, it is also extremely daunting in size, scale and sheer impact of the project. Thankfully, I had a friend help me to manage the volume of the rug as we grunted and puffed our way through hanging it over the balcony of the 'cocktail deck' in the studio. This weekend I start the ladder work - standing on it, trailing the plastic, and literally crocheting in situ - it is the only way I can get to the mid sections to do the finish work. As the rug hangs it is dropping under it's own weight - and has stretched itself out more than four feet in both directions. What you can see is the rug folded in half length ways. It is 6 squares by 10 squares.
zen@ovoo.com

The rug is like a chrysalis

noreply@blogger.com (zen) — Mon, 14 Nov 2005 16:07:00 +0000

It is Monday morning, and the new artist will be opening his/her installation about now. I wonder if the employees will have any reaction, or even notice a change - or have the ripples from last month dissipated? I can't wait to get to the studio again - the rug will be hung tomorrow, to let the weight of it stretch out the final design. Not all of the pieces are assembled yet - that will happen the week before Thanksgiving.

Structuring the unstructured

noreply@blogger.com (zen) — Fri, 11 Nov 2005 15:03:00 +0000

There is always a fair amount of envy from my non-artist friends over my 'lack of a job'. There is a completely misplaced perception that 'artist's don't work very hard or much, and that they are undisciplined'. These same 'friends' kick and moan about how 'their job takes up too much of their time' and yet, it is not like they are doing anything with passion in their off hours!

What usually happens is when these friends have significant down time, 'unemployed for long periods of time', they have no clue as to how they must structure their time to be productive. One of the hardest things to do is self-direct your energies - and one of the easiest things to do is to hide behind your job, using it as the perpetual excuse and always griping 'if I didn't have to work I would be.......'

I have had two people tell me the same thing this week - they don't like to work very hard! Give me a break!! Either work harder and get to where you want to be, or stop expecting the world to deliver your life to you. It is this sense of entitlement that is the most galling. Especially as it is always this same type of person that wants to glob onto you when you have success (and they don't)! Take responsibility for your choice to not work hard and go find others that have the same outlook. Humans are self-selecting - I hang with other equally hard working and highly disciplined artists.

So, how has my life been this week - interesting and busy! I've only walked 20 miles, because the destination is closer to home. The rug is coming along nicely, and now requires two people to lift and move it. There will be photo's early next week. The daily structure is quite different now - I start around 10 in the morning and work through until 1- 2am. That gig in the Portland building was a cinch in comparison!
zen@ovoo.com

Listening to your own voice

noreply@blogger.com (zen) — Wed, 09 Nov 2005 16:04:00 +0000

Yesterday was a day of work in silence with no conversation. Sometimes the thoughts get a bit raucous, but the isolation is incredibly powerful for the art work. Nothing quite like being a middle aged woman laughing at your own jokes when you are on your own! Anyhow, Jolly brought me this cartoon published in the New Yorker a couple of weeks ago. Credit is readily given to the artist and the content is too apt to the project for me to overlook.

A new life with the rug

noreply@blogger.com (zen) — Tue, 08 Nov 2005 15:58:00 +0000

It is different now, sitting alone, crocheting. No lobby, no faces of misery as people come in to work. Just silence, and the swish of the material as I work on the border. :-)
zen@ovoo.com

The Office Assistant - Do you miss me yet?

noreply@blogger.com (zen) — Mon, 07 Nov 2005 06:34:00 +0000

It was a little weird and lonely coming in to the space tonight, with just the security guard for company. Al had waited for me around 5, but I was delayed due to circumstances well beyond my control. Thanks for waiting though Al. Someone called the rug a snow drift when it was laying on the floor, all bundled up upon itself. I kept thinking of an image from a morning commute early in the project - when Portland was fog bound.

While I was wrapping and tieing the rug into a secure bundle, I started to think through the process of judgement. There was a distinct correlation to when people started calling the rug 'beautiful' and when it was hung up high on the wall. Prior to that moment, there certainly was a lot of consternation and judgement!Thankfully, this didn't stop a group of students from interacting with it though. Another favorite image is of baby Charley, who came to visit. It is so remarkable having a baby in your arms. Especially when you have just crocheted one honking big baby rug!

What always surprises me though is how people will readily judge a static object, but won't say directly what is on their mind if they are addressing a person. For this installation, I am the artwork - the rug is a product of my performance. You have to judge me! Like I am an object. It is interesting to note how many of you 'judged' the rug and when. It is as if you didn't know how to identify art in a new format, but once you saw something that you could equate as 'art', i.e. something hanging on the wall, then you couuld judge!

The last Friday was more emotional than I thought it would be. Being the tough old chook that I am of course. Chris came by and jived for a bit, both with his yellow glasses on and off. Eastern Oregon University sent another ground force along to check out what this project was all about. Lyle, Doug (who have an unknown political affiliations), Chris and Tim (who are both proud Independants); but I think that Jolynn might have been edging towards Republican......hmm, Jolynn, I think we need to 'talk'.....

Ned came down for a chat, after watching this for 4 weeks. He is an Office Assistant, and in the unusual position of holding the same education qualifications as the managers that he supports. Having applied for more than 400 jobs in the last year, he absolutely understands the premise of this installation, rather well! Dan and Bean are both artists and had come to the space to see if they would submit an application for the next cycle. Our discussion very quickly centered on how you must invent a choice for yourself, otherwise it all slips away, rather quickly at times. Benjamin is a recent grad of Marylhurst so we talked art of course.

Joy was checking out the listings on Portland Travel, and came to visit the project. Michala is originally from Czech, so of course we talked about all things Czech, including their craft traditions. Todd is another employee who had surreptitiously avoided the project for the entire month, chosing to interact literally in the last half an hour. His philosophy is "why watch the entire season when you can catch it all in the last episode!". OK. Todd is a Directors Executive Assistant who also likes to snorkel. I think he is trying to snorkel under the rug, given the color of his face in there!! David has quietly helped out the installation from his desk across the way. More than once he as acted as Messenger, which is appreciated and shared the secrets of levitation. The last image captured before the batteries went out is Mike. We were able to spend quite some time chatting late in the afternoon. He knew all about security, having worked in politics in Hawaii for many years. It was simple - if the Democrats lost an election, he was out of a job. After some years when his children had grown and left home, and his wife had sadly passed away, Mike decided that it was time for him to 'do what he really wants to do', so he joined a seminary. There he met his current wife, an ordained Minister.

Mary from RACC shouted me a bus ticket so that I could ride home and be dry, rather than walk those 4 famous miles one last time. Numerous participants in the project stopped by, and said farewell to the rug and to myself. Now we continue through the blog, until the rug comes back on the 1st of December.

Thanks to everyone that has been filling out the Performance Reviews too. All feedback is appreciated.
zen@ovoo.com

The Office Assistant - Final Friday - Performance Reviews

noreply@blogger.com (zen) — Fri, 04 Nov 2005 15:17:00 +0000

Well, the last day of this job is here. But the blog will continue until the rug is installed in City Hall on December 1.

As part of the feedback process, you are all invited to submit a Performance Review. It is electronic, and easy to use. You will find the link under the link to 'blog'. Here is the path:
www.ovoo.com
Click on 'the office assistant'
Click on 'performance review'

This is my job - I come to work each day and crochet. I am crocheting a rug or blanket - a metaphor for security, and in this installation, a comment on how a job can be your security, or not. The blanket is made of plastic, which provides little warmth and seems to undermine the purpose of it all! And yet, emerging from the chrysallis is something quite unexpected. You can see the art of my work. I AM doing what I REALLY want to do.

The routine has been established, along with the necessary commute to work. Judgements have been passed, both informed and uninformed. Relatonships have been built, from positions of support as well as positions of criticism. The process of thinking has begun. I have learnt a lot. Thankyou.

I look forward to your feedback.

And if I wasn't such a tough old chook, I would suck up hard, and say how 'wonderful, amazing and beautiful you all are'. But I won't. :-)

Will you miss this when it's gone?
z

The Office Assistant - Answers to those questions

noreply@blogger.com (zen) — Fri, 04 Nov 2005 13:28:00 +0000

After a month of having people drop by to sit in the chair and chat, the answers to those 4 questions seem to be crystal clear and brilliant in their illumination.

So, what do you REALLY want to do?

Most of you (willing and unwillingly) struggled with the answers, and described something that was an action or activity. Such as "I really want to open a small business, or to be xyz or to travel etc ....." Five people out of more than 400 gave an answer based on a value set, and came back to me to tell me how they had struggled with the questions simply because of this distinction between action and associations around that word "do". These typical replies were "I really want to be doing something that demonstrates my ability to be appreciative......" or "I really want to be more honorable....." or "I really want to be more aware of others.....". By viewing their life's work based on a value set, rather than an activity, they didn't struggle with the following questions. Try it - identify a value set rather than an action, and see how the questions line up congruently. See how these choices cascade through the other questions - "if there are 24 hours of existence left, what would you do?" And "if you had one year to live, what would you do?" Only one person gave me my own words back, literally letter for letter, and she is a visitor from Atlanta, who came to the lobby with her friend, also an artist, for an entirely different reason and stumbled upon the quilt.

As Becky has commmented in an earlier post - it is surprising how many of you took the position based on assumption, that the implication to these questions is that your choice is boring and the only 'correct' answer is to be 'an artist'. Nup. Way off base. The point of the exercise was to challenge you - make you think. Are you REALLY doing what you want to do? This installation has never been a judgement about your job - you have judged that yourselves, and revealed that through your answers to these questions. This installation has always been based on the commentary that people can and do use their job as their security, and as shown by the answers to the questions, the job they are currently doing is not always the 'one thing' that they really want to be doing.

So why do you stay?
And if you stay, do you take responsibility for your choice?

Anyhow, in the midst of all of this, there has been a vocal antiwar demonstration pass in front of the building. Michael came by and between us I think we can speak about 5 words of French! The Gang from Deloitte and Touche did an audit on the spot - Holly, Quinn, Meghan and Ben.

Brandon adopted the project early on, but it took a month before he cycled back to the chair. Erica has been watching this from the first day as well, along with Marsha Marsha Marsha and Michael is a poet and stained glass artist.

I was really thrilled when Jolly sat down and explained how her opinion of this project has changed 180 degrees - she is not the only one to have taken a journey as the rug has grown. Ben was visiting the building for another reason and came to enquire, stay and chat. It was one of those conversations that you want to go on for another cuppa at least! Kathy surprised me with her comment in the book, written in Czech, and of course we swapped stories about the Czech Republic. Molly and Peter re-acquainted themselves at the rug - and Peter's coat tried hard to be flourescent but it was a bit early I think.

Pamela spends all of her time making things, while Suzette was a sheer joy to visit with and see her reaction to the texture of the rug. Amber and Tracy are Court Clerks which are the judicial equivalents to Office Assistants I think. Tom came by from the Metro HQ, bringing some great ideas and enthusiasm. Robin speaks Australian, which is a higher language form that only a few of us have mastered! The fact that two of us have been in this building at the same time for a month, should be cause for concern. We are organizing....

In the midst of all of this, Mary Jo introduced me to the Mayor Tom Potter, who popped over for a fitting for his personal shawl (after I finish the one for Portlandia that is!) Diane works with Drummond (who I don't have an image of, but who does consume Dorita's around 4 pm each afternoon. Drummond is off sick this week - bad Dorito!). Jamie is an ex-dancer and Cliff counts cars.
Kenneth works in Commissioner Leonard's office in City Hall, just around the corner from 'Governor' Sam Adam's office. Helen from RACC popped in - Brian the Brit came for a chat, even though is he 'old but not cold'.

Aimee is a member of an informal knitting group in the building and brought her work done. Talent! Christine, Tracy, Heather and Laurie are all from Eastern Oregon University, and are a group of women that display a healthy mix of Art and Business. What a hoot! And what a lively discussion was had about art and business et. al. Robyn is visiting from Washington DC although her heart is in the Pacific Northwest. Kathy came by enroute to First Thursday over at City Hall. We are practically neighbours, it turns out! She also told a story of how she lost her job due to Watergate. There is a lot more to all of this than what I can squeeze into this blog. :-)

One more post, and then off on my commute.
z

The Office Assistant - Lots of chat, no more crochet?

noreply@blogger.com (zen) — Thu, 03 Nov 2005 05:41:00 +0000

John is a morning person and a talented painter who stopped in to chat for the first time after dodging me for 3 weeks. Claudia bowled right up without any hestiation. She makes quilts and gifts them to womens shelters here in Portland. She has also been honored with the Spirit of Portland award, hosted by Mayoress Vera Katz and shook her hand, and appeared on a morning tv show. This time I sat in the chair and soaked it all in - her life is as rich as her quilts must be. When I asked her to sum up where she is now, she promptly said "I am happy with my life - I have finally arrived!"

Angel came by with her very proud mum to tell me that she summarized this project for one of her school assignments. WOW! Thank-you Angel. Tim greets me with 'Konichiwa' and much better Japanese than I can muster right now. He signed off with I L Y. There is only one finger difference between I L Y and I H Y - which seems to be an international standard in most languages. David is a return visitor and this time brought Gwenn to see the quilt.

Gail was put to work, and managed to stay long enough for us to complete a magnificently fragmented conversation. We agreed that a lot of people don't know how to create options for themselves. The Urban Tour School group came through a bit like an advancing army division - too many to roll up and make burritos out of, but they certainly asked some lively questions - which is always educational for me. Yvette was also put to work and told her story of immigrating from the Phillipines and first working for the City as a Receptionist.

Lisa and Zumana had read about the project and came by, as had Pauline. You can't here Paulines' Irish accent, and I have to apologise for the blurry image - blame it on the residual symptoms of SCC. G. Jean Thomas confided that her first name is Gladys, which I think is a beatiful name, but she uses just the first initial. Queen M also has a beautiful name that defies syntax when written on the page as oppossed to hearing it pronounced. (OK - I got it wrong twice, and now can't remember which is correct and which is not!)

And my comment today - not much. I will 'tell' you the answers to the "questions" tomorrow though. Tonight was another great leap in the blog learning curve - I just figured out how to match the images with the text a bit better. It only took a month...

Oh! If I get my next grant application written tonight after posting this, then I will be in a bit late tomorrow. (I have to get a date timbre at the post office). Most of you know the routine......
...........start without me. :-)
z

The Office Assistant - The job is (almost) done....

noreply@blogger.com (zen) — Wed, 02 Nov 2005 07:52:00 +0000

Now the rug moves into phase II of it's life - getting a border and fringe and nice little finishing touches here and there. The last piece of assembly was completed during the graveyard shift, with the help of Jack, Summer and Dom in stretching it out and providing appropriate 'ooohs and aaaaahs'.

During the day, the ATM proved to be a total charmer. I get a kick out of the fact that people will stand in line for this machine and watch the screen in front of them, even if they are 4 people deep in the queue! I can tell that not all of you are walking 8 miles each day.Every so often though, someone breaks rank and actually reaches out to touch the art work - which you are suppossed to do. Another Becky was there keeping an eye on things - she was visiting the 'quilt' to inform me that I was misuing the work 'quilt' because this object does not have 3 layers of material sewn together. Yep - busted. I know!! But But But....the reason the word 'quilt' was used is a story in itself, which will be revealed on 1 December in City Hall. wink wink nudge nudge

Mikko and Pierce came by to play in the quilt/rug, which was a lot of fun. Everyone in the ATM line got very uncomfortable with their boisterousness and laughter. It was just as much fun watching everyone in that line squirm as it was interacting with the boys. The rug is kid proof ok! Burritos, Bad Boys and Body Builders are the 3 themes for the play date.

Don came by again with his entry for the employee art show which will be installed in December. (And you all thought I was joking about him being an expert in purple carpet paintings!) It takes a keen eye......Not that I am saying that the coffee mugs of Dave and Laurel hold more artistic content mind you -although they are rather cute - both the owners and the mugs - or that I am an expert of what consitutes art and non-art - you know....being just an artist an'all.....but I can't see Multnomah falls in the painting. Sorry Don. I'm a harsh critic.
I can see a naked woman though.....(I bet you all click on the image now to enlarge it!!!!)

I am writing this under the influence of 'severe candy consumption' (SCC), a little known disease that can reach pandemic proportions if George W says so. (Thank goodness there are tooooooo many syllables in the name for him to read or pronounce!). Knowing that I don't share chocolate at all though, there is a very low risk (pretty primrose yellow on that Homeland Security color chart thingy) of this disease being passed from human to human. The symptoms of SCC appeared early on Sunday morning after a lonely, miserable, pathetic Saturday night, spent home alone plucking the brow, doing the zits, scraping the feet, keeping company with a styrofoam tv dinner for one, waiting for those perky little superheros to come cheerily knocking on my door.

Nobody came.

The depression began early on Sunday, peaking around 10 am, just past the 'you can't eat chocolate for breakfast' hour had passed. After a quick fire session of ripping wrappers off and categorising each bag by their latin names (Tootsie Rollumnus, Snicker Sticky Teeth-is, Gummy Bear-arse-is, and Reeces Pieces Peanoochius) I settled in for the kill.

It was quick and clean.

The Bears didn't even fight.

Then I found out that Halloween was actually on MONDAY night, so I had to start again. When I arrived at work on Tuesday morning with dangerously high blood sugar, there to greet me, was not 1 but 2 ziplock bags full of goodies. And they were big bags too. The booty was impressive!

I have noticed that none of the wrappers are recycleable though. Could somebody comment on that in the comment book?
With frequent nap breaks and regular doses of European chocolate as a vaccine, I should be well on the way to recovery by Friday.
z

The Office Assistant - The comfort of routine

noreply@blogger.com (zen) — Tue, 01 Nov 2005 06:45:00 +0000

The morning routine is in place - wake up, put on the 'uniform', fire up the 10 toe express (thanks for the phrase bp), hit the footpath, get to work and take a break, enjoy the 'regulars' coming by. Fo almost 4 weeks I have not had to think about trouble shooting the issues on my projects and life. There has been security in this process. And a clear lack of thinking when compared to my 'other life'. Where has the month gone - besides being shown by the art of work in crocheted plastic? Dare I admit to enjoying the familiarity of the environment with the installation? Once I am at work, it goes like this: chat - crochet - chat chat - crochet - chat chat chat - croch - take photo of the bums of everyone at the ATM machine - chat - cro - chat chat chat chat chat....

I wonder how Freeway Man is going in this rain? Given his artificially 'natural' look, I kept thinking that if he goes outside without taking necessary precautions, it will be like an oil spill waiting to happen.

One of the most interesting things to happen late in the day was a visit by Becky. Basically she came down to tell me that she was experiencing a definite reaction to what I was doing, and it was definitely on the negative side of the analysis. Becky really wanted to find out why she was having such a reaction to my project, when there seemed to always be someone sitting in the chair chatting, which seems to indicate that something other than 'negative' is happening. She is the first person to tell me that her job gives her freedom from the other parts of her life, and yet, she doesn't see her security being defined by her job - does that imply it is through the other part of her life - the part that her job gives her freedom from? Compared to the others that have insisted on telling me how poorly they think I am performing without actually enquiring as to what is going on, this was a truly enjoyable encounter. Thankyou Becky for taking the time to find out what is going on in this little space - it is absolutely not at all what it might look like.

Quite a few curious visitors came by early - including Don who is an art history expert on purple carpet paintings, and Santa Bob, who now checks in frequently through the day. Robert, Adriennce and Lisa decided to have a meeting IN MY SPACE!
Then Kathy came by - she is trying to get an office job with the City so that she has security and benefits after 15 years of making it on her own! She wants someone to look after her and her family.

Kevin brought his colleague Edith to visit, and to tell me that he has resigned from his secure City job, to go to a new role much closer to what he really wants to do - with a lower salary!! Bravo. Steve brought me up to date on all 57,000 street lights in Portland and how 90%+ are working at any one time - impressive. Roy is half Australian and was being completely non-p.c. with his cadillac shirt, but being the Hazmat Man does have its perks. Mary wants to fly helicopters.

Warren IS a writer - he is ahead of me on this one. I didn't find out what Terry wanted to really do - or if he could answer the question even. John opts for security with a mortgage, which means he needs this job - so his real boss is the house. Alan "I can't tell you my last name" is always a bit pissy with me - and probably everyone else too, but Mary Beth was as warm as her salwaar kameez outfit - even if the bindi washed off in the shower. And most of this was before 11 when the rechargeables in the camera died. Skye and Sharon came by - as much for the photo op as anything I think. All of a sudden the camera kicked into action for one last shot - a bit like my crochet today - and then the day was 'done'. The walk home was relaxing. There is something quite beautiful about rain, nature, freshness, and happiness.

I can't stop smiling. And I get to do it all again tomorrow.

The Office Assistant - So, what do you DO?

noreply@blogger.com (zen) — Mon, 31 Oct 2005 02:04:00 +0000

It has been a social weekend, with the usual predictable question surfacing frequently when interacting with strangers here. "So, what do you do?" is the common opening line in coversation. If I say that "I am an axe murderer looking for my parole officer" then the curious party noticeably backs off. If I say "I am the Senior Manager of Accounts at blankety blank corporation" then the conversation goes much further. If I say "I am an Artist", it usually draws a blank stare - especially in this town, where at times the word 'artist' seems to be an euphonism for 'unemployed'. Aren't there other mechanisms that you can start a conversation with? Why does it always have to be about 'what you do' - as if your job is the only thing that defines you!! How do you talk to a homeless person? By asking them 'what they do' - if you talk to them at all.....

And while I am typing this post, the NPR program, "The Splendid Table" is keeping company in the background. The story of the book, 'Julie - Julia' sounds a lot like the kitchen version of my living room habit of crochet. :-) this is good....

Friday was another wonderfully social day too. Jebra and I met when she asked me about information for the ATM machine. Thankgoodness I didn't know the answer, because our conversation continued. My meighbor Woody came in to see what all the brooha was all about, and promptly received an earful from someone else that just doesn't seem to listen (to anything except himself....). Karl drops in frequently and it is always an interesting chat. Kendall shared some of his photographic images which have the same hue in them as his eyes and shirt;Brenda shared her humor and spirit and our collaborative photographic endeavours. Jennifer made the effort to come to the Portlandia building to specifically to see the Project, while Beth and her daugher Katie came by to see the Artist. Ruth the security guard helped me document the work done this week - I took this image in overtime, when there literally was nobody in the building.

This is my last week on the job. You can help the project by completing a Performance Appraisal - on the website between the blog and the Portland Tribune link. Have fun!

And to everyone that wants to bring their knitting and crochet projects in - please do. It will be really enjoyable to share the space, time and occupation of doing hand work. My fingers are crossed that there is a modest candy haul on Monday morning...

The Office Assistant - Office Memo - for real!

noreply@blogger.com (zen) — Fri, 28 Oct 2005 04:59:00 +0000

For many visitors, hitting this blog is a first time experience. But the fun part can be in the commenting....so here are some simple instructions that I hope will give you the confidence to post a comment.
Look for the small type at the bottom of this post called "comments". Click on it.
This takes you to the comment page. Type your comment in the white box on the top right hand corner.
Then select your identity - "other" or "anonymous" is fine if your prefer to not explore further through clicks.
Next step - Click on "preview" which brings up the comment for one last look, in a yellow box. If you like it, then hit "publish". It is this easy! I still double post my own comments, so don't worry about your etiquette.

The quilt will be in City Hall for First Thursday in December - and I will keep working on it once I leave this space. The blogging will also continue. Thanks to the Office of Commissioner Sam Adams for making this possible. This will be a fun reunion too, so I am expecting to see numerous visitors that have been interacting with the project, both through the blog and beyond. Portlandia will have to shiver for a little bit longer...

The Office Assistant project at this site will wrap itself up on Friday 4 November, around the usual knock-off time for a public building. (We all know what that means!) Around the middle of the week, you will be able to submit a Performance Appraisal on the Office Assistant - the details will appear on the blog early next week.

It has been noticed that the Frequent Travellers, are still, well, frequently traveling through the lobby. One of them has started to interact with the quilt so I can't bag him, but the other continues on his own way, with absolutely no acknowledgement of my presence at all. So.........here are some teasers to help identify this lucky person......
I call him Freeway Man - not because he spends so much time walking through the lobby; instead when he combs his artificially darkened hair and makes a part way low on the left hand side, it exposes the white growth underneath. It kinda looks like the markings for the bike lanes....

I do want to make a special 'thankyou' to Maureen who gifted me something that is simply paper with printed words on it (and it is not a cheque!). The words on these little pieces of paper just make me smile thinking about the 'door' that they will open. Domo arrigato Maureen. Your gift makes a wonderful difference.

There are numerous other visitors today that I want to thank too - for being so generous and making the time to chat. Mary Jo from City Hall came by, and met up with Al. Roland came over shortly after that (so I took the opportunity to razz him about being an American with a passport -which is a rare bird - that has never been used - dah!), followed by Tony from Trimet who wrapped himself up in the quilt - not bad for a grown man without any prompting! Mark from Oregon City shared stories of how he mans a Peace in Iraq protest out where he lives. Jack can come visit as often as he likes - it is too much fun! Cindy from RACC was totally faking it with the crochet - at least she used the hook! Donna from Parks and Rec just tried to pull it all apart - that is the project for next month Donna!!! Norberto also dropped by, just to catch up on progress - especially the part where the quilt was hung for the first time.

The Office Assistant - What were those questions again?

noreply@blogger.com (zen) — Thu, 27 Oct 2005 05:13:00 +0000

So, what do you REALLY want to do?
And why aren't you doing it?
What would you do if there were only 24 hours left of existence?
And what would you do if you had one year left to live?
Now, answer that first question again.....

Christopher came to visit and quietly put each of those questions into focus. His comment is in the book, and is a very sobering perspective. His answers also seemed to amplify the 'non' answers from everyone else. There is nothing quite like the knowledge of how much longer you might 'have' to make you think about those questions and get this stuff figured out. As Christopher accurately noticed, this installation is not a commentary about an actual job - but rather about the security and comfort that a job can generate and in reality, how transitory that security and comfort (or any security and comfort) really is. It is only when you have taken it all for granted and are suddenly confronted with circumstances of incredible magnitude such as premature death, or situations way beyond your control, that each moment takes on deeper significance. He bowed his head in thought and touched the work with gentleness. Everything matters when you know that time has gone. Christopher is not the first person to share this story with me. But he is the youngest. I was grateful for the long, slow, rainy walk home.....

Jesse and David from Commissioner Sam Adams Office came by. Jesse's comment about "finding the perfect job I never knew I wanted' was refreshing. Debra has already started a process to create the life that she wants and has some insightful comments on the process. Michelle used to work for the City, and in fact, bumped into someone from her past life whilst visiting the quilt. Michelle prefers to not 'be on the path' but rather 'watches to see what coming'. When you first meet Laura Sewell, you wouldn't know that she had lived 37+ years in India and can catalogue books in 5 languages. Her spirit matches her gorgeous jacket, and twinkles through her eyes. Her attitude said it all - it is not about the money! I hope she can visit again next week. The "RACC gurls" came by - Lorin, Kristin and Ingrid, getting all wrapped up in the rug.....Mikko played under the crochet, and will bring a friend when he comes back next week too. Another visitor gave the analogy that right now, his life is a round room full of doors and he is scared of going through one in case he misses out on something else. In the end he is sitting alone in an empty round room full of closed doors. It seemed that every decade and stage of life has been represented today, and that everyone had a story of how security and comfort had been disrupted unexpectedly.

And now the quilt is starting to organize itself. With the help of Jesse and David, there is a strong possibility that the quilt will hang in one of the atriums over at City Hall, in time for First Thursday in December. (I hope Sam brings my boots back for the event!!)

The Office Assistant - In the Portland Tribune

noreply@blogger.com (zen) — Tue, 25 Oct 2005 14:15:00 +0000

WOW - the impact of the Tribune article is startling. My sincerest thanks go to Joseph Gallivan for the story and Jim Clark for the images. :-) And also to everyone that came to visit because of reading the article. The 'good' news is that there was no crochet accomplished today - and the conversations were incredibly interesting. There is also a link on the website to the Tribune article, under Media, print media. Given the rapid speed of change to the site at the moment, always hit your browser refresh button with each visit.

Adrienne visited again, telling me how she began working here as an Americorp volunteer. Barbara came in as the Bearer of Great News. Then Bill came by - he practices Zen. Half way through that chat Channel 8 as Tim Jacobs arrived. Like all good media coverage, I haven't seen the spot on the news - if I owned a tv, the chances would be better! Alex and Carolyn from Standard Insurance came by to check out my authenticity because they are both Office Assistants. We had fun! despite the look on Alexs' face as she tries to crochet. Then Christine came by to chat Artist to Artist - to be joined by Connie, who was in a Tai Chi class with Christine more than ten years ago and hadn't seen each other since then. Lorena took on a Ceremonial robe, and
Joyce brought her entire Ceremonial Art class by. Mick the Amex Musician snuggled under the rug, while Andreas went Corporate with his cell phone in repose mode.

Thank-you to everyone that take the time to check in each day, have a chat, and peruse the quilt. (Al and Bonnie are keeping my nutrition levels up!) Also thank-you to the person that made a point of telling me that she LOVES her job, but doesn't think much of the Tribune article or care much my art work either. I was thrilled that she made the effort to tell me. Now I hope she is able to read the premise on the project and can follow the dialogue on the blog.

The Office Assistant - Catching up on the backlog

noreply@blogger.com (zen) — Tue, 25 Oct 2005 03:38:00 +0000

Thankyou to everyone that called out a cheery 'hello' this morning. The comfortable routine is back in place. Walking 40 and Working 40. (Yep - I really am walking my commute and it really does add up to 40 miles in 5 days.) Have you ever looked at yourselves as you walk into the lobby - what a bloody miserable lot you all are. Nobody seems happy to be back at work, or expresses it through their facial expressions. It makes me want to launch the Loaded Smile ever more frequently. Every aspect of this nascent community is appreciated though - from the friendly frequent visitors to the small clusters that insist on ignoring me 6 times a day.

The key question today has been 'what will become of this (quilt) at the end of the installation?' I don't quite know just yet, but Drummond navigated me to the office of Commissioner Sam Adams, where I met Jesse Beason. Word on the street is that Sam is a keen supporter of the Arts, so it seems appropriate that all enquiries be directed to him somehow. Apparently Sam was in Australia last week, and left for the Czech Republic today. He doesn't need to travel so much to find me - I am right across the street. "Hey Sam - if you are in Czech, can you bring back my studio boots? They are in the second drawer of the white dresser." If anyone has any inspirational ideas on what to do with this huge, growing quilt, then email Jesse - :-) The stats for the work to date are impressive - 30 square meters and counting, weighing in around 15 pounds right now. The plan is to try and hang it up on Wednesday, before I get lost underneath it all.

Perhaps another way to look at this project is to ask "is all of this work in vain?" Which might be like asking "are you spending your life in your job in vain?" What does "in vain" actually mean? Take it all one step further and the conversation always arrives at Iraq - "have soldiers died there in vain?" What would be your reaction if I sat here for another month and methodically dismantled my work, pulling each square apart and rewinding the plastic back onto the spool? Would that work be 'in vain?' And if I did, wouldn't that get right up the nose of these same people who comment that this project is a 'waste of time'.

Whilst pondering that one (thanks Al!) Ellen and her purple hat checked out the volume of the work. Susan told me how she has moved departments, and life started to feel better (with some interesting circular feedback from people that had worked in that department too!), whist Charles checks in on a regular basis - in his designated role of Supervisor. For the record, the plastic is reclaimed - not recycled. It was sitting on a loading dock when the kidnapping took place, in broad daylight, saving the spools from certain death in a land fill. Now it is very happy to live quietly as an art project.

The Office Assistant - Has phoned in sick

noreply@blogger.com (zen) — Thu, 20 Oct 2005 16:56:00 +0000

I am out of the office until Monday morning. I will not be checking email or voicemail until then. In case of urgent requests or needs, please contact my boss, Charles. I am sure he will be happy to help you.
Thank-you
zen
The Office Assistant

The Office Assistant - Optimum use of time

noreply@blogger.com (zen) — Wed, 19 Oct 2005 18:21:00 +0000

Once upon a time I worked with someone that devoted an hour each day to putting on her makeup. Every day, seven days a week, 52 weeks a year. There were no exceptions, and barely any variation in the final result. In fact, she would not emerge from her space and engage the world until she had her 'face on'. She always looked the same day in day out and she positively revelled in her job of being a pretty wife. I always wondered why so much effort, especially as the sole purpose of the exercise was to ensure that the final result is always the same as the previous one. Her conversation skills went about as far as the variation in the makeup. The only change in her life was the amount of time that each new husband would stay before divorce proceedings were started. At one point, I calculated that with her age, and the time spent in this ritual and process around her makeup, she could have graduated college, probably with a double major. I would have preferred a college level conversation. I only remember her because of her unhappiness and anger, and the fact that she spent an hour a day painting over it in an attempt to fool everyone, including herself.

Late last week one of the conversations reminded me of this person described above. It was when I heard "I hate my job, but I am waiting out another 15 years for the benefits" that I started to pay attention in a different way. ANOTHER FIFTEEN YEARS!!!If you hate your job and you are sacrificing yourself for 'someone else or their cause' then how much fun are YOU when you're at home with that someone else? How do you manage hatred or loathing for such a long period of time? Are the 'benefits' really that great that you are willing to do this to yourself? Why are you so scared of doing something that you like?

When I lived in Asia, we frequently repeated a saying. "Angry makes you old".

Yep. That pretty much says it all. Angry makes you old.
And really miserable company too.

Thankfully Bonnie is like the antidote to that saying! Michael also lives his happiness too. The photo with myself and Ramesh is interesting - a double image in digital! How rare is that! Thanks Darrell for your mighty fine photographic skills. And speaking of mighty fine skills - Willie (M65) can actually crochet. He didn't want anyone to see him -especially anyone that he might know, so make sure that you compliment him on his talent the next time you see him. So M65, what is wrong with a guy being able to crochet huh? And why aren't you out there playing golf??

The Office Assistant - Life in overtime

noreply@blogger.com (zen) — Tue, 18 Oct 2005 07:16:00 +0000

Many curious visitors are wondering what will happen to the rug at the end of the installation. Am I really making a shawl for Portlandia? The rumor was started last Tuesday, and came full circle yesterday morning. AJ from the Fire Department added fuel to the fire (haa haa) by agreeing that a big red truck with lots of sirens and lights, a couple of big, burly men in large jackets, and a tall ladder could be very helpful in getting the garment up on to Portlandia's shoulders. I could also do a mini version for Tom the Mayor too if he likes. Next time someone is popping over to City Hall, could they let him know that I will need him to try it on sometime next week, if he doesn't mind dropping by.

The negative feedback hit me in the face today - when I witnessed someone passing through the lobby, grimace and mimic my actions, basically mocking what I was doing. Rudeness never ceases to shock me - and ignorance even more so. What is ever more disturbing is the fact the their lives are so fragile that 40 hours of crocheted plastic threatens them.

Cindy from IT dropped by - she wants an "RV and a dog" to make her dreams come true - my crochet is my RV and dog! Dominique woldn't let me take her photo - but we caught up on news, especially about her colleagues working in New Orleans. AJ and Steven are showing off the new design feature of the shawl - the rossettes. Sophia made a very skillful contribution to production, and a Happy Stranger or two just couldn't resist wrapping themselves up in the bulk of the work.