ArtPrize - Stafford Smith - An open art contest based in Grand Rapids Michigan, the world's largest Art Prize.

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Artist information:
Stafford Smith
Grand Rapids, MI

Text voting ID: Tooltip

Up: vote28521
Down: vote28520

Work collaborators:
Fearscape Collective
Ritsu Katsumata

Stafford Smith is showing at:
	The Old Federal Building 155 N Division Ave Grand Rapids, MI 49503 View profile

Stafford Smith
Artist bio: Stafford Smith and Ritsu Katsumata are a husband and wife creative team that are combining their talents in music and art for the first time. Stafford is a professor of photography at Grand Valley State University and has exhibited his work nationally. Originally trained as a printmaker, Stafford strayed from art world and spent a decade in broadcast television working for various Japanese networks. He received his MFA from Cornell and his BA from Wesleyan. Ritsu is a classically trained violinist who began her professional career at age 11. She left the classical world and plugged into a Marshall stack to join the grunge movement in Portland, Oregon. She currently composes post-modern work for the electric violin with looped digital effects. Ritsu is one of the few people who have played both CBGB's and Carnegie Hall. She received her BA from the University of Pennsylvania.
Artist statement: Fearscape is a live duet between electric violin and digital camera. It reflects our response to the climate of fear perpetuated by the mass media and the obsession with the latest data that keeps people glued to their televisions, tweets and the internet in a spiraling ever downward vicious circle. The photographer searches for answers with his camera on extreme macro mode in several video monitors. But the closer he looks the less he finds. This failure to find meaning only fuels his quest. The violinist responds to his findings, which are projected on stage, prompting her to improvise with both music and soundbites. An installation of the video, images and music created during the performance will serve as the artistic statement for the remainder of the exhibition.

Stafford Smith

Artist bio: Stafford Smith and Ritsu Katsumata are a husband and wife creative team that are combining their talents in music and art for the first time.

Stafford is a professor of photography at Grand Valley State University and has exhibited his work nationally. Originally trained as a printmaker, Stafford strayed from art world and spent a decade in broadcast television working for various Japanese networks. He received his MFA from Cornell and his BA from Wesleyan.

Ritsu is a classically trained violinist who began her professional career at age 11. She left the classical world and plugged into a Marshall stack to join the grunge movement in Portland, Oregon. She currently composes post-modern work for the electric violin with looped digital effects. Ritsu is one of the few people who have played both CBGB's and Carnegie Hall. She received her BA from the University of Pennsylvania.

Artist statement: Fearscape is a live duet between electric violin and digital camera. It reflects our response to the climate of fear perpetuated by the mass media and the obsession with the latest data that keeps people glued to their televisions, tweets and the internet in a spiraling ever downward vicious circle.

The photographer searches for answers with his camera on extreme macro mode in several video monitors. But the closer he looks the less he finds. This failure to find meaning only fuels his quest. The violinist responds to his findings, which are projected on stage, prompting her to improvise with both music and soundbites.

An installation of the video, images and music created during the performance will serve as the artistic statement for the remainder of the exhibition.

About the work:
Title: Fearscape
Art form: 2-D, Film / Video, Sound, Performance
Medium: Live Duet of Electric Violin and Digital Camera
Year created: 2009
Description of work: PERFORMANCES: Opening Night: Wed Sep 23 @ 6-8PM Sat Sep 26 @ 3-5 PM Mon Sep 28 @ 6-8 PM Demo/Lecture Fri Oct 09 @ 12PM Kendall College of Art Closing Night: Sat Oct 10 @ 8-10PM Live performance by violinist and photographer. The photographer conducts an existentialist search for meaning at a macroscopic level in three monitors while the violinist responds with music and soundbites to his findings which will be projected on stage. An installation of the images, video and music created during the performance will stand as evidence for the remainder of the show. A room approximately 15' x 25' with 12' ceilings would suffice. Our first choice would be the North Gallery in the Old Federal Building. However we are flexible and can adjust the installation accordingly. The live component will be loud and may interfere with other performances occuring at the same time.
Work statement: Fearscape is a live duet between electric violin and digital camera. It reflects our response to the climate of fear perpetuated by mass media and the obsession with having the latest data that keeps us glued to our televisions, tweets, and the internet, spiraling ever downward in a vicious circle. The photographer will create abstract images at macro close-up range from video footage of assassinations, violence, civil strife and terrorists that will be projected large on the wall. The violinist will improvise music and soundbites in response. The live performance will incorporate video installation, sound design, music and text.
Technical details:
Work width:	180 inches
Work height:	240 inches
Work depth:	n/a
Required venue ceiling:	144 inches
Required venue door height:	n/a
Required venue door width:	n/a
Required wall linear footage:	n/a
Required venue square footage:	n/a
Additional considerations:
Audio/video needed:	Yes
Electrical needed:	Yes
Lighting needed:	Yes
Internet access needed:	No
Ground floor access needed:	No
Indoor space needed:	Yes
Outdoor space needed:	No

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Institutional Sponsor: UICA

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ArtPrize
A radically open art competition, giving away the world's largest art prize. Part arts festival, part social experiment - this international art contest is decided solely on a public vote. Art festival runs Sept. 22 through October 10, 2010. Come and see.