At 12:53 PM 1/3/2003 -0600, you wrote:
John:I suppose as a librarian, i'd have to say that anything truly degradable, where the degrading is the piece, cannot be in a library, tho documentation of the piece certainly can be. Like documentation of a performance, for example. But things like prints made with unfused toner can be dealt with (laminate it, or make copies for public use, for example). I'm not "opposed" to degradable art, it's just a waste of time to put it in a library.
As a librarian are you opposed to degradable in any form, for instance a print printed with toner which is not fused, that slowly rubs off the more that you handle it? Or mycelium which might fruit given the proper humidity. Two examples off the top of my head. I see the reason not to have the "container" degrade for archival reasons, but in true Fluxus spirit (whatever that is) not static art seems core.
As an artist, I'm fascinated with what degrades, and have done any number of things in that medium - used high-acid papers, made things that used spit or grease or liguid detergent or other liquid or viscous materials, made "yard art", etc.
One of my pieces that is in a number of collection is "To Be Filled" which is a book which is hollowed out on the inside. When you open the cover, there are instructions to put something inside. When the cavity inside the book is filled completely the book is to be nailed shut.Once this is in a collection, of course, or at least an institutional collection, it becomes a conceptual piece: that is, it will never be filled...
This is an interesting question to me because Ive been working in the computer medium for the last five years, making dynamic art is inherent in the medium to a large degree.In the final analysis, everything decays and disappears and becomes something else. Permanence is illusion -
mIEKAL
(who still has not added water to a piece of handmade paper with seeds inside which Alison gave me many years ago)
Hah!
On Friday, January 3, 2003, at 12:08 PM, John M. Bennett wrote:Ahgg, no, don't use degradable anything, please! This is a librarian speaking! The sphere sounds good, tho it would be hard, perhaps, to get a label to stick well to it. Have to use "permanent" labels, I guess. And be big enough to hold that CD.
John
__________________________________________ Dr. John M. Bennett Curator, Avant Writing Collection Rare Books & Manuscripts Library The Ohio State University Libraries 1858 Neil Av Mall Columbus, OH 43210 USA (614) 292-8114 [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___________________________________________
