Last part First – 5 – a collaborative effort

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This is the 5th part of a series of writings about collaboration in the project Midas Eyes. This series will work backwards in chronology, beginning at the end.

Collaboration…. To a casual reader this word could simply invoke the ubiquitous image of multiple hands raising a barn or holding something like a torch or trophy. Think of any stock image a company could gather into a quick presentation about teamwork or a catchy mug phrase like the one in my family’s barn holding pencils with the blue slogan “There’s no “I” in team!”

Collaboration also seems to be a topic of utmost importance in the workplace, schools, and in business. It’s a misleading verb, and one that I’ve had a mixed set of experiences trying to carry out. Each in turn, refining my expectation of what collaboration means. In school, outside of a musical setting, it never made sense to me. Math groups, science labs, writing group activities, pulled too many attentions away from the task at hand. I don’t think I was doing it wrong, but quite possibly I like being in my head until my ideas are done gestating. It seemed like I needed the time to get better all of those things before any group contributions could be meaningful. Here I am in an art world, where currently there are such isolating factors, and I’ve concentrated long enough to be in a place where a meaningful collaboration can work.

The Midas Eyes Project didn’t begin collaboratively. It just was me alone with my thoughts – playing with my camera at the ends or beginnings of my days shooting, or just when I saw the light coming in the window. It took years to gather, think about, and then with a burst, it became a collaboration.

This is how the collaboration became an exhibition – on Saturday April 7th for a closing reception at Parlour Room Project Space.

So far, we have passed our ideas back and fourth a few times, and with each passing the others work grew and stewed in a way that mingled with our own. Influencing, but not simultaneously coming into existence.  While I was working on printing the book, passing the squeegee over and over the text, the phrases Kristen wrote embedded in my head, changed my thinking, made me make something for her.

I wonder what Kristen will make of these new things…. Will she have to spend the years with them I did, before deciding that the confusion and mistaken explanations were not just my inadequate understanding.

Read her beginning thoughts here http://korser.wordpress.com/2012/04/07/closer-to-ocean/

 

No April Fools, TWO big projects down

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This weekend was a productive one in terms of how many projects were completed in the Cossu household.  TWO, simultaneous projects were completed. Technically though, mine’s still not complete.  It just took so long to get going by preparation, gathering materials, practicing, calling for moral support, and then more practice, some you-tube tutorial viewing, troubleshooting with my former professor…. And the first run of 4 screens needed to print the book are done! Complete enough to warrant a blog post. (I’ll make a post about the book making process, next week, for those of you who may have a better idea of how I should be making books, or for those who would like to give it a go.)

The first Completion is that the Midas Eyes Book is on the way.  The interview and the video with Mary Ailing for Parlour Room Project Space is published.  This is the one where she asks good questions about photography, my process, abstraction, technology, and then ends with the most difficult question ever to consider. Seriously, I’m still trying to decide if my answer was one I’ll be happy with next year. It’s been a long time since someone has engaged me in a conversation like this. (Thank You Mary!)  Here is the video:

Here is the interview:
http://parlourroomprojects.tumblr.com/tagged/current

ParlourRoom: The process of seeing is something that influences the creation of the work, what role does it have in how you choose to present the final product?

Cossu: Usually this type of contemplation of vision manifests itself through installation, making these photographs as distant from the analogy of window or mirror, and more the perception of the dream. Sometimes I’ve used the installation to talk about the mediation of images through institutions, and this time through lens of a gathered experience. Ideally I want you to be in it with me. I hope it’s very contemplative, an experience of interiority. That’s another reason for the making the accordion fold book. Also, why your Parlour Room was a wonderful experience.

The second huge project completed was Stefano’s biographic art archive video. In it, I read.  Actually, this video is the third I’ve been in over the past year. I like doing them, the process reminds me of Forensics competitions in Dramatic Interpretation and Story Telling. (Please excuse me. This is one of the few instances I can directly mention the performance skills I learned in Highschool in a useful way, and simultaneously define Forensics, so as not to confuse you with whatever technology crime mystery TV shows use.) In each, I’m doing a rather straightforward answering questions and reading dialogue thing.  It’s very difficult to do over and over within the same time restriction, and with different energy.  Through that process I’ve developed a healthy respect for actors!

My lady crush on Cate Blanchett grows stronger everyday. Particularly from the scene in Coffee and Cigarettes where she, the Actress, meets her Cousin in the lobby on a Press Junket. She plays both roles. I don’t think many of you could disagree with my proclamation that she’s fascinating to watch.  While I waited in between my takes, I also thought about the skill and tenacity of Tilda Swinton in Io Sono L’amore having to preform in Italian and Russian. This is because, without knowing what I was saying, or even If I was pronouncing it correctly that is what I was doing…. Performing in Italian. If only I could be half as convincing as her… Anyway, after eating enough, sound tests, lighting, waiting for a break in the construction outside, and stumbling though 20 other takes, we finished.  Don’t Laugh. Here it is:

Artist profile and project documentation of Stefano Cossu’s project Sole Spietato Del Campidano, made for Nuovo Archivio Multimediale Accademia Nazionale San Luca.
The video is read / narrated in Italian by an American English speaker Chelsea Cossu. The subtitle text has been processed through an auto-web-translator in the progression of languages that match Stefano’s places of work and residency.
Italian to German, to Czech, to German, to Arabic, to Italian, to Albanian, to Italian, to English, to Italian, to English, to Italian, to Polish, to English.

A few questions to begin with the Thoughtful Mary Ayling

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In order to see my answers I’ll direct you to Mary Ayling’s website documenting her gallery/ project space:

The Parlour Room project space.

Mary asked if I would show this project MIDAS EYES in the spring of 2012, and I willingly said yes! Even before I knew how much care and thoughtfulness went into every installation, the thought of having my first exhibition in a long time as part of her home this seemed like a wonderful opportunity.  She then explained how she would like to approach each project.  First, there where the phone calls and installation idea conversations, which were thoroughly enjoyable, challenging and productive.  Next, there was the video interview which Mary prepared in collaboration with her professional videographer husband, Dave.  He made a short video, a beautiful vignette of my time at The Parlour Room, and opened up the discussion between myself and Mary for further reading of an in-depth written interview.

Behind the Scenes at The Parlour Room

Dave, Mary, and Pesce behind the scenes at The Parlour Room

Here are only two of the several questions we started with:

  • What do you think it means to be a photographer in todays world? And what advice do you have for someone hoping to work in the medium?
  • How has collaboration influenced, added or detracted to your practice? And how do you choose what types of collaboration you participate in?

Great questions! Collaboration, was very important because through the discussions about this whole process Mary also introduced me to the Author Kristen Crouse, who became essential to this whole exhibition….

Now, I’ll answer the rest of them, so you can find them in a published interview on Parlour Room Projects

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