Recalibration is a series of works based on crowd sourced constraints. Anyone can suggest materials, color schemes, and subject matter through this form. The resulting artworks are relief sculptures made by breaking down and re-arranging , or recalibrating, materials.
I came up with the idea with the help of my friend Dylan Kinnett, a writer, performance artist, and programmer at the Walter’s Art Museum. I was talking with him one day in my studio about how much of my work is constrained by the spaces they occupy, social and physical geography, and the client or curator. Dylan noted that I really seek out and enjoy collaboration, specifically when painting murals or experimenting with new techniques. We thought it was interesting how the 'boundaries' created by constraints are viewed as obstacles and not possibilities.
Most people have difficulty narrowing a concept if not provided with some type of constraint, myself included. For example, when I’m teaching, I can’t just hand out blank paper to my students and say “write two pages”. However, if I give them a prompt like “How is the world going to end?” or "If you could hang out with any one person in history for a day, who would it be and what would you do with them?" then they can dive right in. Too many options lead to indecision.
I like the challenges of constraints, and I have a deep desire to involve others in my artwork. The constraints are like a puzzle to be solved, and the people who submit those constraints become co-creators. All materials chosen are broken down from their original state, then re-arranged (recalibrated) into the subject that collaborator provided, and painted using colors they choose.