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.