Shared Urban Space Documentation

BFA | Offsite: Opening

The show was a great success, thank you to all who came. A special thanks to everyone who contributed their photography to the project.


A drawing I made back in Fall 07'. Initially, this was to be the focus of my entire installation. Instead, it ended up being hung outside the gallery by the elevators. It needed to be separated from the rest of my work because it was so much different from the Shared Urban Space Project.


Here I am still in sweat pants and sneakers before the official opening of the gallery. As you can see, the photographs were displayed in a single row that spanned the entire gallery space. This was over 100 feet of running wall space, and roughly 300 photos from the project were able to be displayed in this manner.


This is a nice shot of the postcard/print station. Here participants were able to select photos from the project and print them as postcards. Each photographers name, location of their photo and assignment number the photographer had completed were included on every photograph. Also included was the project's URL. This was another great opportunity to continue to create global growth for my project.


Michael Salter and Kartz Ucci checking out some of the photographs for the Shared Urban Space Project.


Here I am attempting to explain the project after having only a couple hours of sleep the night before and a few celebratory beers.

Print Station: Printer

Amazingly, the print station printer is working great. The postcards all have the photographer's name on them, the location the photograph has come from, the assignment number, and the Shared Urban Space url. As I have mentioned earlier, the hope is that the user will mail the postcard somewhere else in the world and the receiver will in turn, join the SUS community. I am building the user interface for this part of the project using Flash, and I've had to format each picture individually with its relevant information in Photoshop.

Removable Self Adhesive Paper

For the long, narrow strips of photographs that will go around my exhibition space, removable self adhesive paper seems like a viable solution for mounting the photos cleanly to the wall. Earlier in the year I did research on this paper for something else I had planned to do. The only problems with the self-adhesive: Will there be bubbles? Will the strips come out straight? Only time will tell... Below is a mock up of the adhesive line of photographs. I made this model about a month ago. The final version will have no space in between the photographs, and the images will be smaller.



HP Self-adhesive Indoor Paper

Print Station: Mounting/Displaying Monitor

Part of the SUS Project will be a print station, where participants are able to print off any photo in the assignment as a postcard. The idea being that whoever receives the postcard next will join the project. The print station utilizes a touch screen monitor and a printer, which prints on 4" x 6" paper. This monitor did not come with any type of structure for presentational purposes, so I have to build one. I am also looking into ways to mount the touchscreen monitor onto a wall.

An old podium someone built for this particular touchscreen monitor awhile ago:





The touch screen monitor:




Me messing around with some things in my studio:



A TV wall mount I found at Ikea (Possibly one of the better solutions).

Archiving Photos: One By One

A look at the tedious process of archiving one photo for the Shared Urban Space Project. This process includes labeling a submitted photo with the photographers full name, and the location the photograph was taken in (city, country).

Current Look at Studio and New Projection Screen

Here is a recent snapshot of my studio space in the Millrace Studio complex. I have accumulated quite a few toys over the year, including TV's, old 35mm slide projectors, touch screen monitors and more. Not to mention a small army of models from all the different ideas I've had for this project over the year. Note the large mural that was at one point, the primary focus of my work.



Perhaps the most exciting recent development is this large data projector screen. It will be used for displaying the Shared Urban Space Project Photos in a slide show. The screen has a contemporary, slightly industrial look that will fit perfectly with the look and feel of the White Stag building.



Another look at the data projector screen. The small metal rectangular prism in front of the screen is actually a frame for a laundry basket I bought from Ikea. Originally, I was planning on using these for podiums for ten different slide projectors. Each slide projector was to be dedicated to one of the ten photo assignments. Now, I'm using the laundry basket frames as podiums for other parts of my project.

SUS Stories and My Latest Thoughts

Currently, the Shared Urban Space project is nearing 800 photos and 200 participants. I am still happy with my decision to abandon the slide projectors. They are not fitting to a project that utilizes so many newer technologies. This project needs to grow, not be permanently archived with expensive slides. I really see the exhibition of this project as an opportunity to inspire more people to get involved with SUS, and perhaps it will grow in unexpected ways as these new people join.

I have decided that there needs to be audio for my exhibit. To make this part of the project successful, I have begun asking for audio files sent in as email attachments from SUS participants. In these audio files, the photographers are asked to talk about an image they have submitted to SUS, or there thoughts on urban photography in general. To see this latest development in the project please visit: http://joelmertz.net/projects/sus/susStories.htm

Getting these audio files has been a very trying task. Using flickr, I have individually emailed every participant of the project asking them personally to send in an audio file. It's been a bit comical, because after every 10 emails sent the program forces you to quit sending letters as a precaution against spamming. So I have to wait ten minutes before sending out another 10 emails or so. I have received about 5 audio files so far, and they are truly amazing. I had no idea how dramatic it would be to have these stories from around the world played in succession. I am very grateful to the handful of people that have sent in their audio files. Thank you!

Yes, I Have Yet Another New Idea...

Slide projectors don't seem to get at the core of this project for me. Shared Urban Space is continually growing as more and more people join the SUS community and upload their photos to the site (http://www.flickr.com/groups/sus/) Instead of permanently archiving the photos using slides, I've decided a new approach was necessary to represent SUS as a living, growing, breathing project. These ideas include the following:


1. Going back to a single print out of all the images in the project. This time however, make the line more dynamic by presenting the photos in various sizes. The baseline of all the photos will be aligned. This will give the row a more unique shape, better represent the size the pictures were submitted at and the shape should suggest a city skyline.

2. Include a projection of selected photos from the project. Perhaps a nice rear projection.

3. Include a web cam station where people can talk to other photographers in the world who have participated in the project.

4. Include a print station where participants can print selected photographs from the project on a 3"x5" postcard. Maybe use a touch screen for this so a mouse or keyboard won't be needed.

5. Draw attention to certain photos by enlarging them. Creates a more dynamic space and should suggest more of a collection.

6. Offer users an opportunity to upload photos to the project directly in the gallery.

7. Offer users an opportunity to discuss and comment on photos in chat rooms and discussion boards.

8. Give users an opportunity to write in their own assignments somewhere. The new goal for displaying the photos of the SUS project is to generate excitement about the project, encourage user participation and display the large number of submissions to the project.

9. A map with pins in it showing where submissions have come from.

Below: Inspiration, Futurist Photo Exhibition


Below: Suggestion for print-out display of photos:

ProPalette 7000 Film Recorder

Apparently making 800 slides by myself is going to be much cheaper than sending them out to a service bureau. A film recorder seems to be the best solution:




http://www.meyerinst.com/html/polaroid/pp7000.htm

Using Projectors for Shared Urban Spaces

Recently, I have come across a very exciting idea for displaying the photos for the SUS online project. Ten slide projectors... each projector will be dedicated to one of the ten photo assignments. The large line of slide projectors would be very exciting I feel. They would be left on auto shuffle, which would make for an interesting sound within the bay area. The lights at the end of the space would need to be blocked out.

Currently I have three slide projectors, but six or seven more are on the way hopefully.

Switch to SUS

The mural/drawing part of my project has been... ELIMINATED! This was a major decision, but it was an idea I've been toying with for awhile now. I am now focusing entirely on my Shared Urban Spaces Project (SUS). As a reminder, this is an online project I began at the beginning of winter term. Shared Urban Spaces is comprised of ten "photo assignments" pertaining to urban areas. For example, assignment one is: "Take a picture of a security camera." The project asks participants to send in photos that complete one of the ten assignments. The photos are then displayed into online galleries. To visit the project, click here.

The reasons for abandoning the drawing/mural are as follows:
1. The two projects together are too much work.
2. Two projects costs more money than one.
3. The projects don't relate.
4. Shared Urban Space is more interesting.
5. Shared Urban Space has received a more positive response.
6. The drawing/mural is just a drawing/mural.
7. I feel that SUS is challenging me more as an artist.
8. The drawing/mural is safe. It is based on something I've been doing for quite some time: drawing.

It is exciting and much less stressful to now have to only deal with the problems relating to one of the projects. The largest problem I have to deal with now is determining how to present the 600 photos (this number is still growing!) from the SUS project in a gallery setting. One idea I have is to display the photos in a single row that goes around the walls of the "bay area." This would be a successful strategy in some ways, because the bay areas are massive in size (60' x 20'). A single row of the photos would easily fill up the space I have available (see below).


Photos displayed in single row that goes around the walls.

Show Title Ideas

Following are a few ideas I've come up with for the title of our show:

Binary Fusion
Turning Point
01101100111
Positively Organized
Streaming Data
Loose Ends
Loose Wires
Digital Deconstruction
The Lone Pixel
Digital Reconstruction
Computing Space
Calculated Space
Every Pixel Counts
The Satellite Project

Visit to White Stag Building

On Friday (April 11) we were able to finally visit the White Stag building as a class. The building was beautiful, and construction was farther along than I had expected. Our exhibition for the BFA program will be on the fourth floor of this building... hopefully. The space is actually quite interesting. There is a lot of space too, much more than the gallery on the main floor. We are not showing in the gallery anyway however, as it is still under construction. I have picked out an area for my installation on the fourth floor. It is being referred to as a "bay." There are three bays on the fourth floor, which measure approximately 60' long by 20' across.


First floor: Lobby.


First floor: Gallery under construction.


First floor: Gallery under construction.


Fourth floor: Bay area.


Fourth floor: Main walkway.


Fourth floor: Bay area.


Fourth floor: Classroom.


Fifth floor: Architecture department.


Fifth floor: View from east windows.


Fifth floor: Architecture department.


Fifth floor: View from fourth floor walkway.


Fourth floor: View from south window.


Fourth floor: Office.


Fourth floor: Office.


Fourth floor: Bay area wall.

New Artist Statement: Includes Shared Urban Spaces Project

Joel Mertz
bfa statement

Above me, below me and to either side were lights. Lights of all colors, flashing sporadically, seductively, each with their own sense of urgency. Neon lights that grew from the sides of buildings as if they were alive, and they consumed entire structures whole. There was no end in sight to this limitless symphony of color and chaos. I shared this experience with more than a million other people, who made the landscape even more surreal and overwhelming. This was my first experience in a major metropolis. I was walking along Nanjing Road in Shanghai, China when this barrage of intense visual stimulus engulfed me. Nanjing Road is known as the busiest street in the world.
This excitement, the movement, and the perpetual energy of urban spaces have always inspired me. There is a feeling of endless activity to an urban space that compels me to explore and ultimately become a part of its processes. Quite literally, I have explored the urban space for years using cameras. My goal on these outings has always been the same: to capture and identify the smaller elements that make a city what it is.
For all city inhabitants, the idea of what a city is can very greatly from person to person. Some have great pride in their city, while others see only trash, pollution and increasing environmental concerns. Obviously, our outlooks on urban living are not quite so narrow. Even the simple and mundane elements of a city, from the pigeons in a street to the small marks etched into a public bench, all have some kind of impact on how we view and understand our urban landscapes. There are certain elements however, that are inherent in all of our cities. These are the elements we all recognize and see nearly everyday. These are the elements that connect us.
The goal of my terminal project is to create an image of a city that everyone can relate to in some way. In order to achieve this, I am creating conversation about the smaller elements in our cities that we oftentimes overlook, using an online-based project entitled, “Shared Urban Spaces” (SUS). http://joelmertz.net/sus.htm This global project invites people to examine their own urban environments through ten different photography-based assignments. Photographs are submitted to the project online where they are organized and displayed in onlnine galleries.
Individually, each photography assignment functions with its own unique purpose. Assignment no. 1 for instance, asks participants to take a picture of a security camera from their city. With this assignment I was trying to make people more aware of how often they are being watched, without perhaps even realizing it. The images from all ten assignments together however, serve a much different purpose. Together, these create an image of a city, one many people can recognize. Currently, the Shared Urban Spaces Project has over 600 submitted photographs and nearly 200 members. The finalized plan for displaying the collection of these photographs is to align them into a single row that will span around the gallery.
As a supplement to this project, I have created my own fantasy urban landscape based on photographs from the SUS Project, my personal photographs, and my own imagination. This fantasy city is a 12’ x 4’ drawing that attempts to convey the energy and commotion common in any major metropolis. The landscape is comprised of hundreds of colors and includes even the smallest details, like those examined in the SUS Project. The final installation of this drawing will utilize removable self-adhesive paper. After printing onto this paper, unique and unrefined shapes will be cut. Finally, these shapes will be collaged directly onto the gallery wall using the self-adhesive property of the paper. This technique is similar to the manner in which posters and fliers are plastered onto walls around the city. An additional time based element may be included with this mural.

Update on Shared Urban Space (SUS)

Shared Urban Space currently has 163 flickr membes and over 600 photographs. To view the flickr version of this project, visit here yo: http://www.flickr.com/groups/sus/

Release Self Adhesive Paper

To execute the collage/installation model, I've decided to print on adhesive paper. Because the installation needs to be removed at the end of the exhibition, I'm looking for a release self adhesive paper. After a little bit of research, I was pleased to discover that this kind of paper is reasonably priced when purchased in bulk. Below are a few possible choices I've found for this product. If anyone knows about this kind of paper, please leave your comments!

Paperworks:
http://www.paperworks.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=PS-SPP&gclid=CKK62vL89JECFQY3gwod_S7syQ

Notes:
12” X 18”

Outdoor Adhesive:
http://www.graytex.com/outdoor-self-adhesive-paper.htm
Notes:
Waterproof, extremely durable.

Nextag:
http://www.nextag.com/self-adhesive-paper/search-html
Notes:
Lots of choices here. See: http://www.iboyds.net/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=37205

Pronto:
http://www.pronto.com/mpm/Encad-1937010-Self-Adhesive-Coated-10304719488-CG

Papertec Inc.:
http://www.papertecinc.com/specPaper.cfm#release

The 5 Models

Below are five models I've made that represent some of the ideas I've come up with for displaying my cityscape:

#1. Four Same Sized Panels
Each panel would be different. The four would connect to create an ongoing mural. Each panel would be approximately 5' x 2.5.'


#2. Collage
Using Avery paper, or some type of other removable adhesive, I would collage directly onto the gallery wall.


#3. Wallpaper / Large Scale Print
The cityscape would be transformed into wallpaper and pasted onto the gallery walls. As an alternative to this option (in order to not damage the gallery walls) a company that specializes in large scale printing could be used to achieve the same effect.


#4. Relief
By cutting out unique shapes from the cityscape and then pasting them onto foam core pieces, a 3-dimensional space can be achieved that gives the cityscape actual depth.


#5. Spread Out Collage
Using the same technique as no. 2, create a collage directly onto the walls. This time however, the collage is more dispersed and even goes onto the ceiling.

Shared Urban Space (SUS) Project Update

The Shared Urban Space project is going well, and my pictures for the photo assignments are online. The galleries are not fully functional yet, but should be by the end of this week. To view the site, click here.

City Taking Over the Walls

My latest idea for my final project is to stick with the drawing style I have been working with; flat shapes, lots of colors, lots of overlapping and clutter; but somehow have this style of drawing TAKE OVER a section of the gallery. I already have a lot of the city drawn, but now what? How do I get the drawing to cover the walls, to essentially "grow" on the walls? Here are a few ideas I have come up with:


1. Vinyl.
Pros:
(1) Vinyl stickers can be cut into interesting shapes. (2) It would be easy to collage vinyl stickers. (3) I could continue working only on computers. The drawing is all digital right now, so this would help with consistency for the project.
Cons:
(1) I would have to use someone's vinyl cutter A LOT. (2) I would perhaps have to buy my own vinyl cutter (after researching prices, I've found most are just under $1000).

2. Custom Wall Paper.
Pros: (1) Wall paper covers spaces entirely. (2) I could work all digitally and not have to worry about incorporating other mediums.
Cons: (1) Very expensive. (2) Wall paper is only rectangular, which I'm trying to get away from.

3. Acrylic Paint.
Pros:
(1) Paint would have a very nice look and texture to it. (2) If I used a projector to help me paint, I could create a very precise and geometric appearance for the piece, which is not very common in acrylic paintings.
Cons:
(1) Extremely time consuming. (2) Difficult to get precise edges. (3) Expensive. That's a lot of acrylic paint!

4. All Prints.
Pros:
(1) Prints can be cut into interesting shapes. (3) Again, the advantage of being able to continue to work entirely on computers.
Cons:
(2) Expensive. Printing large high quality posters costs a lot.

5. Combination:
Pros: (1) Advantages of both prints and painting. (2) More urban, city feel perhaps. Like something you might find plastered on the side of a building. (3) Might be cheaper than only large, high quality prints.
Cons: None. I like this idea best I've decided, and I'm tired of writing.

Internship

I am currently working on a website for a group at the University of Oregon. They are a student run public relations committee. The following is an image of a test for their site.

SUS Assignments

Coming up with the photography assignments for SUS is one of the most important factors for this project. Below are some tentative ideas for a few assignments (remember that all these assignments are for urban areas only):

Take a picture of any of the following things:

1. The largest crowd you can find (or just a large crowd).
2. Something that's under construction.
3. Someone selling something.
4. Something someone has marked on a public space illegally (graffiti).
5. The tallest building you can find.
6. A beggar.
7. A business person.
8. Someone talking on a cellphone.
9. A person commuting on something that isn't motorized.
10. People at a bus stop.
11. A traffic sign.
12. A bird or any kind of animal.

SUS Participants

Below is a list of cities/countries that I have friends in currently:

1. Holland
2. Boston
3. Seattle
4. Paris
5. China
6. London
7. Chicago
8. Caribbean
9. San Francisco
10. Australia

I will be contacting these people this week and asking for their assistance in this project. Hopefully, this will help the project get rolling and inspire participation from other people who visit the site.

SUS Progress

With my gallery show behind me, I've really been able to make some progress on the Shared Urban Space project this weekend. The project is now open to photographs as well, in order to make it easier for people to participate.

I've re-designed the website for this project. It is now more colorful, and the navigation bar from my personal site has been eliminated. This allows the project to stand on its own. The colors have been changed on the site to suggest a more friendly and less violent undertone. I've decided to stick with the graffiti-esk styling of the site. I am aware of the risk of losing participants due to this style, which has loaded meaning. This is my opportunity however to brand a project anyway that I want. More importantly however, I am more interested in directing this project towards a different demographic. I feel that this demographic is more edgy, more willing to take risks, and will ultimately be a demographic that produces some very interesting photographs (hopefully).

SUS = BNP

BNP has become SUS, or Shared Urban Space. A tentative template for this project has been created and can be viewed by clicking here. Information about this new project can be found by visiting the site.

Laverne Krause Gallery: Made in China

The reception for my first exhibition at the University of Oregon went off without a hitch last Monday (January 28, 2008). The exhibition featured myself and a small group of students who all participated in the University's study abroad China program. The show featured work inspired by our trip overseas.

Having only the weekend and a budget of $100 to set up the show, I'd say it ended up looking pretty awesome. A large moon gate with Chinese lanterns was built to the entrance of the gallery, with bamboo on either side. Inside the gallery were many plants, rocks and a few bowls of water. We also constructed a red movable wall for the entry. The rest of the gallery was painted with different shades of gray. The gallery was carefully lit to create a peaceful and intimate mood.

My piece was of a giant city that I spent over 100 hours creating in Adobe Illustrator. I used only the pen tool, photographs from my trip, my imagination and every color Adobe had to offer. It was a fun project that I enjoyed working on.

To make the piece more engaging for the viewer and to try and really bring the work off the page, I utilized 4 television sets that flashed random images based on my illustration. Randomly, one of the TV's would go into a frenzy and flash nearly 100 images per second. With the four TV's flashing in front of the giant mural I had painted (41"x 85") I was trying to create a sense of chaos, a sense of being overwhelmed by flashing colors and the frenzy of a fictitious but very real urban landscape. The piece was primarily dealing with urban sprawl and the crowdedness of our cities. I liked the idea of using TV sets because I thought of them as televising our tragedy of over population, like a message from the emergency broadcasting association.

The show will be open at the Laverne Krause at the University of Oregon from January 28th - February 1st. The Laverne Krause Gallery can be found near the main entrance of Lawrence Hall.

To view the video documentation for this installation, please click here.






To view the video documentation for this installation, please click here.