When Hana asked the class to create a disturbance of the everyday for 3 hours, my mind almost automatically thought, "ART CARNIVAL! FACE PAINTING, GLAMOUR SHOTS, LOUD MUSIC, CARICATURES, BALLOONS, STREAMERS, YES." Because what's more obnoxious than blasting Lady Gaga on the 3rd floor lounge of an art school, music bouncing off the wide walls and ceiling while grad students and seniors work on their thesis? The ideas were flying around my head when I called my mom, since she had extra facepaint from when she volunteered at a childrens gettogether at her job..My friend veronika from home drove 45 minutes to drop off facepaint and wigs and weird clothes, what a trooper. Love her. So, the madness began on facebook...click here for the official facebook event.
and here for the album.
I sent out an official facebook invitation to all my friends with a brief description of the event. 21 guests confirmed, so I was pumped. That Monday when our class was cancelled, I went to Dollar Brunswick and bought streamers, balloons and neon poster boards, with a tab of about $15...they should change their store name to dollartwentyfive brunswick because EVERYTHING IS $1.25. I then put step 3 into action; flyers. I used my knowledge of intro to graphic design to construct the lamest flyers you've ever seen.
I hung them up around school all over each floor on Tuesday. I was a little intimidated and scared to hang them up, worried about what people would think, but then I realized that art students are just as weird as me, I mean, I've been going to this school for almost 3 years now. I received a voicemail from Dean Coakley on Wednesday afternoon during my Painting class...I saw the number an freaked out, "What if they're going to shut it down? I went to the office, already prepared to apologize...surprisingly, the Dean was really nice about it...she just wanted to know the specifics and if I knew the number of the RUPD, you know, just in case someone eats the face paint or something.
So, I was on my merry way after a nice conversation, imagining how much fun i was going to have. I mean, I deserve the break, I've been working hard with all my classes and working at my job 3 days a week. I just couldnt believe how worried I was about getting in trouble or getting told that the carnival couldn't happen. I really had a lot invested in it, well besides $15, I was super excited and wanted to host my first silly party, very atypical in a college setting (Sorry, no kegstands at carnivals). Thursday rolled around quickly, and the snow began. I was upset and had a feeling people were going to bail. I changed the time from 9 to midnight to 6 to 9pm instead, since my 6:10 silkscreen class was cancelled. I packed all the necessities after my italian renaissance class at 4:10.
My roommate, Kelly, let me borrow her speakers..she was super psyched and even dressed up in a cute ensemble with a top hat! I took my other roommates bunny ears for my costume. We walked together in the snow from Easton ave to Mason Gross, it was slippery and snowy. We began setting up, taping up posters and streamers and blowing up balloons. People began arriving, and I was so happy people pulled through. About an hour into the happening, 2 cops walk up the stairs...My stomach drops and I turn the music down. They said, "Have you seen a middle aged woman with light skin, dark hair, and a mole?" I quickly answered no and apologized and they walked away. A MOLE?!
Anyways, we found out from a grad student and former teacher of mine that this lady was stealing electronics from studios for awhile now...An hour later, they found her somewhere nearby, so my laptop was in the clear. All the people that I wanted to show up actually did, including Truman and Mike and Mike's rommate Kevin (Kevin was a trooper for letting me paint a butterfly on his face)...I learned alot from this happening. First, snow doesn't slow people down nor does it stop them from wanting to have some fun. I also learned that people just love disturbances of the everyday...The everyday can be so boring sometimes! think about it, how many times do you get up and get a snack, text someone, turn on the tv, or check yout twitter while you're writing a paper? Disturbances of the boring, the mundane, the rote. i enjoyed my relational aesthetics exercise, because I made it into something interactive and fun. Henri Lefebrvre said it best.."How do people live? The question may be difficult to answer, but that does not make it any less clear. In another sense nothing can be more superficial: it is banality, triviality, repetitiveness." AGREED. Have a good everyday!
Click here and here for more madness.
