Page 56 - The MoMA/ Guggenheim issue of World of Art magazine (2001)

4(% 4%22/2 02/*%#4

-Y EARLIER WORK HAS BEEN LABELED @4ECHNOLOGICAL !RT
WHICH IS A FAIRLY ACCURATE DESCRIPTION ) WORKED WITH
CHEMICAL PROCESS USING CHOLESTERIC LIQUID CRYSTALS
5TILIZING THE NATURAL KINETIC CAPABILITIES OF CHOLESTERIC
CRYSTALS ) WOULD PROGRAM A SUBSTANCE THAT CHANGED
COLOUR IN RESPONSE TO SPECIlC AND MINUTE CHANGES
IN TEMPERATURE ! SLIGHT INCREASE IN TEMPERATURE AND
THE CHOLESTERIC COMPONENT WOULD SCATTER BRILLIANT
REDS YELLOWS GREENS BLUES AND VIOLETS IN THAT
ORDER /N COOLING THEY REVERSED TO COMPLETE A CYCLE
THAT REPEATED OVER AND OVER ) WOULD DISSOLVE THESE
CRYSTALS IN CHLOROFORM AND THEN SEAL THEM INSIDE
CLEAR ACRYLIC SHEETS USING HEAVY BLACK ACRYLIC AS THE
REmECTIVE SURFACE ) ALSO DID WORK WITH A MATERIAL
CALLED #OCOON A SPRAYABLE VINYL CONSISTING OF
SYNTHETIC RESINS IN VOLATILE SOLVENTS ) WOULD MIX THE
VINYL PLASTIC SOLUTION WITH A WEBBING AGENT AND THEN
SPRAY THE MATERIAL OVER WELDED STEEL CONSTRUCTIONS
4HE WEBBED RESIN SPANNED ACROSS THE SPACES
BETWEEN THE STEEL UNDERSTRUCTURES MAKING A mEXIBLE
SKIN CREATING THE EXTERNAL FORM OF THE WORK 3PRAYING
SEVERAL SUCCESSIVE COATS OF VINYL RESULTED IN A THICK
DURABLE SURFACE 4HESE WORKS BOTH THE LIQUID CRYSTAL
AND VINYL STRUCTURES WOULD HAVE TO BE SEEN MORE AS
ART PRODUCTS OR PRODUCTIONS REPRESENTING A PATH OF
CONTROLLED ACTIVITY RATHER THAN ART OBJECTS 4HE WORK
WAS VERY EXPERIMENTAL
4HERE WAS A MAJOR SHIFT IN MY ARTWORK AS A RESULT
OF SPENDING SOME TIME IN THE -IDDLE %AST 4HE
@PRODUCTION WORK NO LONGER SEEMED ADEQUATE AND )
RETURNED lRST TO DRAWING IN BLACK AND WHITE AND THEN
PAINTING AGAIN MY TRAINING WAS IN PAINTING 4HERE IS
STILL EVIDENCE IN THESE TRANSITIONAL WORKS OF A CONCERN
WITH THE MANIPULATION OF COLOUR AND LIGHT BUT WITH A
DIFFERENT FOCUS 4HE BEST EXAMPLE FROM THIS PERIOD
WAS A PIECE TITLED ,ANDSCAPE AND "READ THE 0OETRY OF
%VERYONE )RONICALLY THE TITLE IS TAKEN FROM A POEM BY
2OQUE $ALTON A 3ALVADORAN POET AND POLITICAL ACTIVIST
ALTHOUGH AT THE TIME ) KNEW NEXT TO NOTHING ABOUT THE
#IVIL 7AR IN %L 3ALVADOR
) BECAME INVOLVED IN THE STRUGGLE IN %L 3ALVADOR ALMOST
BY ACCIDENT ) HAD READ .OAM #HOMSKY S BOOK 4URNING
THE 4IDE 5 3 )NVOLVEMENT IN ,ATIN !MERICA ) WAS
INCENSED ) DECIDED ) WOULD HAVE TO DO SOMETHING
-Y PLAN WAS TO WORK IN SUPPORT OF THE 3ANDANISTAS
IN .ICARAGUA HOWEVER AN EXECUTIVE MEMBER FROM
!.$%3 DE *UNIO THE NATIONAL TEACHER S ASSOCIATION
OF %L 3ALVADOR CAME TO #ANADA AND ) ATTENDED HER
LECTURE ) WAS INCREDIBLY IMPRESSED WITH THE WORK THAT
!.$%3 WAS DOING IN CONNECTION WITH THE STRUGGLE FOR
PEACE WITH JUSTICE AND FOR POPULAR EDUCATION IN RURAL
AREAS ESPECIALLY THE CONTROL ZONES OF %L 3ALVADOR
AND BY -ARTITA AS A PERSON 7E SPENT A WHOLE NIGHT
TALKING 4HIS WAS DURING THE CIVIL WAR YEARS AND
-ARTITA AS ALL MEMBERS OF !.$%3 AND THE OTHER NON
GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT ALIGNED THEMSELVES
WITH THE STRUGGLE IN %L 3ALVADOR WAS FACING POSSIBLE
DEATH DETENTION AND FEAR OF BEING DISAPPEARED DAILY
4HROUGHOUT THESE YEARS %L 3ALVADOR MAINTAINED AN
EXCESSIVELY LARGE POLICE AND ARMED FORCES THAT WAS
TOTALLY DEPENDENT ON FOREIGN CAPITAL ! MILITARIZED
3%2)%3 5.! !53%.#)! $% &,/2%3
POVERTY CYCLE RESULTED AND WAS KEPT IN PLACE THROUGH
#¼,%2! $)!'/.!, $)!'/.!, 2!'%
STATE TERRORISM 4HE 5 3 GOVERNMENT WAS THE PRIMARY
/), /. "%,')!. ,).%. SUPPLIER OF THE FOREIGN CAPITAL GIVING NEARLY TWO MILLION
8 #- — 8 ž ). 5 3 DOLLARS PER DAY TO THE 3ALVADORAN GOVERNMENT
THROUGHOUT THE YEARS OF CIVIL WAR
-ARLIE "524/. 2/#(% ) BECAME MORE AND MORE INVOLVED IN THE STRUGGLE
FOR POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE IN %L 3ALVADOR
THROUGHOUT THE S AND S WORKING INITIALLY IN
SUPPORT OF POPULAR EDUCATION LATER PROVIDING AID FOR
DEVELOPMENTAL PROJECTS FOR RURAL COMMUNITIES WITH
SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON WELLS FOR POTABLE WATER AND SOLAR
DRIVEN WATER PUMPS 4HIS HAS NECESSITATED MANY
TRIPS TO %L 3ALVADOR 4WICE DURING THE WAR YEARS ) WAS
CAPTURED AND DETAINED BY THE 3ALVADORAN MILITARY
x{ÊÊÊÊÊÊ7/2,$ OF !24

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