Mark Scheeff: Want #1 (continuous)
Artist(s):
Title:
- Want #1 (continuous)
Exhibition:
Medium:
- Art installation
Size:
- 10' x 12' x 12'
Category:
Artist Statement:
If we look closely, we find that it is the nature of our minds to bring forth an endless stream of wanting (for love, health, possessions, security, etc.). Want #1 (continuous) is a mirror of this persistent mental process.
To explore our collective desire for love and sex in particular, Want #1 (continuous) harvests information from an online database of current personal ads. Every 12 seconds, it selects an ad, prints the body of that ad onto a small slip of paper and lets it flutter, fall, and/or fly into an ever-growing pile on the floor. Typically, each slip of paper turns in different directions and moves with different speeds, depending on the length of the ad. Ads pile up over the days that the piece runs and visitors are encouraged to interact with this pile however they see fit. Although the piece does periodically check for new ads, it does not print them in “real time” but rather meters them out at an even, unceasing pace.
Technical Information:
Want #1 (continuous) combines a thermal receipt printer and a computer taking data from the internet to render “wanting” for the viewer. This is a computer and internet enabled work where viewers see only small slips of paper falling from the ceiling.
