ABOUT THIS PROJECT:

I have created this blog as something separate from my older work because I see this taking me in new directions. So as not to make this a mess, this blog will be used for new projects (two in particular) that could benefit from having their own space to grow.

These new projects fall under an idea I can't stop thinking about: Connecting to Other People (By any means necessary). With that in mind....

TATTOO PROJECT:

This idea stems from so many aspects of what I am working on, so it is difficult to chop it down into "essential information". I have forever been attracted to literature and am immersed in my surroundings (art school). We mark where we have been on our skin and so we are constantly sharing our experiences with others, having to explain them or letting others guess what they mean. Often we etch words into our skin that were written by other people... we apply our own meanings to them, stealing someone else's beautiful words to make our skin beautiful.

This project is also a reflection of my struggle with writing and art- how do I marry those two passions?

In this project I will be opening myself up to strangers in hopes that they will take on my words forever. By this I mean that I will be looking for individuals who will engage in some dialogue with me and will decide if they are willing to (permanently) steal my words as their own. As with some of my other work, this is a lesson in letting go. Another way of giving up my control over my work, how others perceive my experiences, and how others will create their own experiences in relation to me.

In the following days, I will begin to fill this blog with possibilities for tattoos. All words will be my own until they are etched into another's skin. Then we will share them, a very real connection to someone considered to be a "stranger". Once the tattoo is complete, that piece of writing will no longer be available for another person to copy, and instead will be documented in the person's skin.

Some things to consider/questions/concerns:

Why should I participate?: Because I really want to get to know you. I think that interacting with new people is always an amazing experience, and what better way to do so than with a project like this?

Why should I choose YOUR words over a famous writer?: That's for you to decide. I am offering you an experience- a chance to be a part of something bigger. Bigger than you, bigger than me. That is all that I want out of this. And it beats being the millionth person with "Everything was beautiful and nothing hurt" tattooed on them.

How do I participate?: Please contact me at: lets.collaborate2010@gmail.com

Are you paying for my tattoo?: Sadly, no. While I would love to be able to do this for you, I am financially unable to.

What happens if I do participate? What is this for?: I will post a photograph of the finished tattoo on my other art blog (aemrr.blogspot.com) and possibly some documentation of our interactions (any emails, letters, etc. prior to your tattoo experience and after). If the time frame synchs up, I would include documentation of this work in my thesis show (This May 2010).

Thank you for looking, feel free to contact me with any other questions or comments you may have.