"Trust"
at the 'Double Vision' exhibit at
Hyde Art Gallery at Grossmont College
Curators Debby and Larry Kline focused their choices on artists who work together. They know this well from experience!
Scott Richards and I made this piece called 'Trust' really at a time when we were no longer trusting each other.
When a viewer/ participant steps up on the device, they lean back with the idea that the sculpture would keep them from falling over backwards. It does, however the reaction is to stop just before you test it.
Collaboration: Working together to achieve a goal especially in an intellectual endeavor.
Hard to achieve when two people have different ideas and end results in the arts rather than a corporation. One will always feel overpowered from the other- and the end result will be just to entertain. It will never fulfill the plural only the single. - Scott
Scott and I have worked together for twenty years building houses, furniture, and public art. The dynamic is that I design and he builds. He prefers to read a blueprint and I prefer to design. This is not to say that we never cross over. We made a conscious effort with this piece to work equally. Its just that I had this idea for a long while and didn’t have the time to make it earlier and I seized the opportunity. He had some ideas that I just disregarded for this piece, and then placed my hands on my hips where they usually go. It was becoming very obvious that the definition of collaboration is not true for us in a classical sense. I believe nothing happens in the vacuum of one persons thoughts and sculpture, especially large scale things can only happen with many people. I believe there must be an openness of the mind to accept other people’s concepts and visual elements and many times a struggle ensues. The struggle is what makes it work, most of the time.- Nina
This piece is experiential. Visual in the sense that it helps you to decide how to work it, to figure out the mechanics. This is a piece for the body and not the eyes. Trust that it will support you, never trust in something for everything
One should never trust something (entity, philosophy or person) that it will always support you. Now get on and trust that it will. No, you must not get on. Don’t even try it. Nina
It will tip back if you weigh around 200 lbs. and are taller than 5’7”. If you are not that, add weight to make it so.
It will make raw sound. Your back is to the metal. Your arms will be in the position of opening your chest. Your view will be of the sky or ceiling, but up- the place you don’t normally look. The first time it was scary, but after that it becomes easier to relax into it.- Nina
