recipes for conversation (part 3 of 3)

"you are already infected"
I don't suppose this is what you mean but this one really strikes me as how we have broken down what it means to be human into purely science. The lips - showing love (the kiss)- are dissected into exact dimensions. The fact is that being human is much more than science can show. Infected with love (to actually be human and not wholly empirical), i suppose. nice. i was also referring to words, and language and how they wound us. not just the off-the-cuff remark, but also the carefully measured cruelty of words. it happens at the smallest, most intimate, most basic levels.

"all i have to give you is my weakness"
The human heart shows how fragile we are. The heart contrasted with twine, contrasted with rusted chain, shows that despite the different faces we may put on, it's all weakness - or compromised strength in the case of the chain. It's all we have. [my partner] and I talked about this one a bit. The images of the heart with rope and chain really emphasizes [the] frailness of the heart. and its complexity – “the [human] heart is desperately wicked” is really about our willingness and determination to deceive ourselves and find the ‘easy way’. those chains, connections, knots can be difficult or easy to deal with, but there is a lot to deal with…

"the failure of language"
I can't tell what the drawing is. it’s a bound and suspended rock (or similar object). With that in mind it's hard to relate the comment with the book (a fairly clear symbol of language) and the drawing. I guess the link between the book and the statement must fall in the drawing, but i don't know what it is. there is an implied violence – again referring to how we use words, ideas, knowledge, authority. words (and knowledge) can be contained or released. i may need to clarify the image…

The exhibit as a whole...is powerful. I am impressed. Thanks. I’m glad for your help, but I’m really glad you have engaged so honestly with the work. It was a good exercise to sit down and go through your work like this. I have a short attention span and so I actually got a lot more insight out of your installation by sitting and working through them individually. Is it lame to ask an artist to explain what they intended? I don't know. I don't suppose i should care. I would like to hear your intent. stay tuned -- i will declare my intent.