THE OFFICIAL PRESENTATION - SHAPPING SOCIAL DESIGN. THE PEFORMATIVITY OF ART-DESIGN OBJECTIFICATION

THE OFFICIAL PRESENTATION
REPORT
THE TACARIGUA SCULPTURAL PLAYGROUND PROJECT.
FORM SHAPPING IN SOCIAL DESIGN.
THE PEFORMATIVITY OF ART-DESIGN.

Friday 17 October 2014- 7-10 a.m @ the Trinidad and Tobago Hilton Hotel; we presented to the national community the project. After long deliberations and back and forth, there would have come the time when the project will be mature enough to be presented. Its in this presence that it will find form, here it will speak, here it will come into the world, not of a whisper but of an acknowledgement of a wondrous adjective.
Here in the La Boucan Room, in the early morning of light, with salt fish, breads, eggs and an assortment of Juices, we made a performance, an oratory performance of voices, models, catalogs, programmes, food. All set the stage for consumption of thought. To keep minds open to digesting possibilities, finalities, direction, economics, politics, communalism, roles.

 

Model of Sew Saw.

On this day we lay not only on the red carpet an idea, we lay our souls, integrity, ethics, we placed a philosophy away of working that has certainties all wrapped up in how it can happen. This just can't be pulled out of a cardboard box, this is an investment in time, a struggle in finding values which belong within our communities, then in extension us. As I mentioned to one corporate citizen, it is brand building. 
We were saying, here, we can!, with you, we can. I understand that they will have to retreat to their meeting rooms have a conversation and return with roles, mandates for participation. I look forward to this. As I mentioned in a letter to Gillian Marcelle

photo by Joshua Lue Chee Kong

Hi Gillian,

On that note, Friday 17 we presented the Tacarigua Sculptural Playground Project to the national community. We got in attendance a small but influential group of people. What was noted was the comment made by Dr. Tewarie, who was impressed by the development of the idea, how the concept was develop as a concept, rather than a concept for money. This is important to note. We got some interest in the project and we will have to follow up on the interest that was shown.

Here now we sit at the cusp of something interesting, something that can contribute to a structural understanding of how we invest in innovation. So far the data is,

• Develop a strong conceptual idea 
• Negotiate properly
• Collaborate well
• Walk in-between conversations- which will allow people to understand properly what is being said
• Know your terrain-socially, politically, economically  

This is just Part-1- innovation takes a lot to just find that one stage to make the other move to physical development.

Keep you posted.

      

photo by Joshua Lue Chee Kong
View of model

One view of the presentation space, the La Boucan Room, the Trinidad and Tobago, Hilton Hotel.

PRESENTATION SPACES

Ideally the presentation of the space should be in a room that can take manipulation, a little grey room will have been cool. Then you have the opportunity to manipulate the space to your intention. The La Boucan Room, is way busy. The carpet bright like sun, the shades and that little screen. Wanted a room that we could have easily created a sensation in design through easy manipulation. Maybe Hilton Hotel can invest in a Grey Presentation Room or a small white cube.

 

 

photo by Joshua Lue Chee Kong

Senator Dr the Honorable. Bhoendradatt Tewarie,

Minister in the Ministry of Planning and Sustainability

 

Dr. Tewarie, made an impressive presentation as a man of literature, a learned man who came from the bowels of UWI, politics and business. As the Minister of Planning and Sustainability. Dr. Tewarie, in my sense removed his hat temporarily and spoke as a man of letters; on hearing the virtues of the Tacarigua Sculptural Playground Project. As I'm thinking the other participants where. 

Negotiating through space an idea, that was once called the Sculptural Park, morphing into playground; why?

A lot of these things have to do with our society, with our education, our concept of art and our concept of design; and the inability of our cultural and education organization in supporting or organizing project that have strong conceptual cost factors.

 

 

   photo by Joshua Lue Chee Kong

Dada&Projects -

from left-Josimar Bholia, Prof. Rhoda Reddock, Dean Arlen, Valerie Taylor, Anna Lisa Arlen-Benjamin, Prof. Clement Imbert.

 

 

Dada&Projects has been formed to see other like minded projects will evolve into the light of day. This one project will give the NGO the working strength to grasp other projects and run with it. There is this need and there are other groups out there, as much as there are other playspaces, like the digicel playspace. What we want to bring to the open is the ideation of art-design, there have been other self made projects, built by hands and installed in our parks. Right there in the same savannah there is a home made built swing set.

What we want to add to this self making, Do It Yourself, DIY culture is the design ability component of DIY....this project says let us test our abilities in innovation. Let us find where we truly stand in the concept that we have in our mind that we're so very innovative and creative. There are several of the innovative aspects to this project.

1. Designing from memory.
2. Development through Participation in project management.

This project will bring to the light data, and so far the data as mentioned above of how we get a idea from one position to another position. In designing social positioning this ritual is important. This performativity with our community is as important as the idea itself. I have learned that I must push to the back my artist selfish orientation and struggle to be patient in the development exercise.

Bubble Swing Set.

 Social Art-Design has this process, long deep breaths, with an anxiety that comes, especially when as an artist in studio, I get the material, build, present, hell with it all.

There is another deliberation, and what happened on Friday 17 October, 2014. Was as necessary for the money but the sharing act of social design, to say there is something else, let us have a conversation, if you like what you see, let us talk about how we can see this happen. So far the response was enthusiastic. Let see where we can go from there. Energy changes suddenly. 

There was a wonderful mix between Valerie Taylor and Prof. Clement Imbert. Here were two different styles coming to make things light and serious. I will have liked to see Valerie walking not tied to the podium, getting to move around

 photo Joshua Lue Chee Kong

Valerie Taylor

As you see the screen is a still to small there should be a screen that makes presentations larger than life, monumental, awe inspiring. Behind the screen the curtain, the paintings, all the noise that exist in that challenge consumption of ideas.  

 

 

 

 photo by Joshua Lue Chee Kong

Prof. Clement Imbert

 

 

The little Grey Box or White Cube, a space where I can engulf a view in a participatory process that engulfs their body, a space where for a moment I can truly thief your head. Three Canal have the Black Box, maybe we can get a presentation space that will advance presentation to a level of serious fantastic. But this will be for the other presentation.

 

The story of an Art-design project continues.

 

Dean

  

 

 

 

 

 

 



INCLUSION VERSUS EXCLUSION- ART AND DESIGN IN DEVELOPING A COMMUNICATIVE TEXT-The Tacarigua Sculptural Playground Project. A case study in design development

BABA HOUSE - EASTERN MAIN ROAD, TACARIGUA. WALKING THROUGH MY COMMUNITY BROUGHT ME INTO CONTACT WITH MY PEOPLE. I WAS ABLE TO SEE THE SPACE INTIMATELY. TACARIGUA IS A HOMELY VILLAGE IN THE FLUX OF EVOLUTION.

INCLUSION VERSUS EXCLUSION.
ART AND DESIGN IN DEVELOPING A COMMUNICATIVE TEXT.
The Tacarigua Sculptural Playground Project. A case study in design development.  
Wednesday 1 October 2014



BOY RUNNING THROUGH OBSTACLE COURSE.

 

Some days or week or so ago, I stood on a stoop with a colleague speaking of process in construction; how the understanding of process; one can gauge the proper progression of a project. One understands possibilities of the craft man, the economics, what can be done, and in the presentation of the project to client the design sits with clarity, a hawk eye view, bringing understanding, patients, peace. The architect sees all, the client sees what they want, becoming myopic, distorting the critical discussion that is needed to complete the job. The project is deliberated, critic, delays, time overruns, runing up the client limited financial resources.

As an artist, who sits in the privacy of my studio, I’m usually away from this type of interpersonal reasoning. At time I will bounce thoughts off my partner, and even that isn’t in a collaborative position, more of an intellectual response of sorting out concepts. I’m lord in my domain; no one shall come onto me, dictator for life. The artist is the solitary creator in object making, we can say economics, galleries, and curators can sway the artist work. Still, this becomes  is a very private, internal influences that the artist come to terms with on an individual basis, roses versus bread.

Designers are faced with another type of concern and this is a production concern. In the process of design there are deeper relational values that must be considered. These happens in conversations in

·         PRELIMARY CONVERSATION – Sketch talks where the concept can be changed through words these conversation will happen a offices, coffee shops, informal spaces, drinks.

·         SECONDARY CONVERSATIONS – Here the concept is further critiqued, looking at something deliberate a model, drawings. Here we get things right on paper. Measurements, positioning for production.

·         THE THIRD CONVERSATION – The RHINO renderings, placing it through for DXF production.

·         THE FOURTH CONVERSATION – The reality of production, what can happen, in true sense of market haggle, a serious dialog in compromising on both sides is taken on the object.

The artist may reach the secondary conversation; designers must consider all four steps.

 

FIRE FOX - THE MIC MAN, WE WENT AROUND THE COMMUNITY ON SATURDAY ANNOUNCING TO THE COMMUNITY MEETING. I ALSO WENT AROUND ON FOOT HANDING OUT FLYERS.

 

DEVELOPING RELATIONAL VALUES FROM DESIGN.

As an artist who switches position from the solitude of the studio to the compromising position of relational politics of object making. I have developed an inclusionary way of making that allows the object to change through this process.

On the stoop, I questioned this with Sean; how did I achieve this manner of collaboration; was it my middle class upbringing, where I was taught to consider people feelings, to be polite, mannered? I was also taught to be fort-right. Designing have allowed me the opportunity to be people oriented, more social and mannered. My paintings are more self introspective, selfish, personal in my delivery to my community.

 

THE FLYER THAT I HANDED OUT-WE PRINTED 550. A SPRINKLEING OF PEOPLE TURNED OUT. HMM, MY RELIANCE ON COMMUNITY AS A SUPPORTER OF PROJECTS HAS A TWO MIND. BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE MUST BE A STRUGGLE BETWEEN THE ARTIST AND THE COMMUNITY IN BRINGING INNOVATION TO COMMUNITY. YOU MAY EVEN HAVE TO PLET BIG STONES AT COMMUNITY TO GET THEM TO PAY ATTENTION.

THE TACARIGUA SCULPTURAL PLAYGROUND PROJECT IN MANNERS DEVELOPMENT.

Saturday 27 October 2014, at the Eddie Hart Grounds, aka Orange Grove Savannah; we had a community meeting one of the many interactions I have had with the community in conveying the project possibilities of transforming our communal space into a more empowering act of self determination. As usual a sprinkling of people showed up, which allowed for an intimate conversation of the direction of the project. Like how the word playground, could be changed to playspace; playground, presents in the imagination a concrete development, large over empowering, which some people in the community are protesting against.

I have always been two mind about community, the artist in me tells me, build it, install it, they will come. The designer in me, the secondary voice says, hey! Process, man, process to the final product means an inclusion as small and as invisible as the community is. I have to find a way to include them in.

I’m thinking a newspaper that will inform them of what is happening.

 

EVEN WHEN COMMUNITY RESPOND THEY COME WITH AN INTERESTING APPROACH TO IDEAS,AS THEY HAVE IDEAS. AT THIS POINT THE PROJECT MUST BE ABLE TO EVOLVE INTO SOMETHING ELSE. THIS IS ANOTHER INTERACTION THE DESIGNER MUST BE WILLING TO DEAL WITH. AS I MENTIONED TO A COLLEAUGE, AT GOOGLE-X, ALL THE DESIGNERS THERE WHERE NOT TRAINED AS DESIGNERS BUT AS BEHAVIOURIAL PYSCOLOGIST, PSYCOLOGIST ETC. THEY ALL DEAL WITH PEOPLE, AS DESIGN EVENTUALLY DEALS WITH PEOPLE.

CONCLUSION

These two voices in my head have allowed me the opportunity to be civil and rude boy at the same time, I have witnessed and understand the position of design and the position of art. This solitary behavior, have kept the artist from the world, keeping them in a perpetual underdevelopment. Designers interact with production in a very personal, interactive way, if done right can set a tract to an impressive re-positioning of art-design production, between industry and state.

In October 17, we will present the project to the national community for financial support. This was a deliberate position, just as we interacted with community it is important to interact with the wider citizens of the national community, business and state, people. Seeing, listening, and hearing how they respond to the project, to innovation. How we as artist, designers respond to them. The anthropological and psychological, economical and sociological nuances are all too important to miss out. Mr. Felix Bartholomew; Project Coordinator; have proposed a project management strategy, referred to as “Partnering”

FIRE FOX - THE MIC MAN.

 

PARTNERING

“Partnering is based upon mutual respect, integrity and trust (i.e., appreciation for the other party’s capabilities, firm adherence to common standards and values; and total confidence in the integrity, ability and character of the other party). In addition, it created a working environment in which the stakeholders work towards common goals and objectives. It also creates a smooth operation and a working relationship that allows for problems and differences to be resolved quickly, amicably and to the benefit of the parties/stakeholders.”
I can go on, but I’m sure that I have conveyed in this one paragraph the understanding of a modern social context that design can incorporate in it a social component of mannerism, rather than individual aspiration in project development.

The artist, exclusion; has allowed for the development of a strong independent voice; allowing me to develop a strong design process of inclusion in projects.

Dean Arlen. 

 

EDDIE HART SAVANNAH - AKA ORANGE GROVE SAVANNAH - AS I MEET PEOPLE AND YOU POINT TO THEM THE STATE, OR SPEAK TO THE GUY WHO PARKED HIS CAR THERE, WHEN TO THE LEFT THERE IS A CAR PARK, WHAT IS IT THAT COMMUNITY WANT, WHAT ROLE ARE THEY WILLING TO PLAY IN DEVELOPMENT AND MAINTAINING DEVELOPMENT. COMMUNITY IS IGNORANT OF THIS. THERE NEEDS TO BE A PARTNERING WITH COMMUNITY TO SHAPE THOUGHT ON THE NEW ROLE COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT.