Kelsey Lee
Conversational Tablecloth
2016
fabric, tea pots, solo paper cups with handles, jasmine tea, playing cards, tea cup shaped books, performance signs, electric tea kettles, sign holders, chairs and tables
tableclothes: 42.5" x 42.5"
tables: 30" x 30" x 30.5"
For the most current evolution of Conversational Tablecloth there were one hour intervals of conversations. This allowed for groups of people to stay as long as they wanted or listen in on the conversations. Tea cup shaped booklets were placed on tables to allow audiences who did not want to participate, but where curious about the conversation topics to read about them. This gave me an opportunity to educate and express some of my thoughts and research during this whole process.
During the two days of performance that I had, I did not realize slight modifications can effect the out come of a performance. For example all four tables that I had displayed were often seen as a separate space that people did not want to go near. By bringing two tables out into the open gallery space, I was forcing both myself and the audience to interact and form another invisible space.
To start I would pour each person a cup of tea and then explain the purpose of the table and what our conversation would consist of. Before the actual conversation would take place I would ask the whole table to play a game. The game consisted of a picking a card with a feeling that would have to be acted out and every one else at the table had to guess that feeling. Using the game opened up the group and gave them an opportunity to see that emotions are not experienced the same way. That they can mean many things to different people and over lap with other emotions. I would always start the conversation often connecting micro-aggressions to power, privilege, inclusiveness, and expectation through my gender or ethicticity. Depending on the person(s) the conversation would move to different subjects of gender, race, media and etc. but all following the my main points of interest and a bit of history.
Conversational Tablecloth
2015
fabric, SMD lights, copper wire, breadboard, Ardunio Leonardo, copper cloth, conductive thread
props: tea pot, tea cups and saucers, iced cookies, instructional cards, chairs and table
5 1/2ft x 5 1/2ft
This is the second form of the Conversational Tablecloth. A special made table was created to house the electronics that would regulate the conversation performed at this table. A group of four individuals would be seated and enjoy tea and cookies as mediums for having a conversation. The cookies are iced with topics which the participants have a chance to express their personal experiences about them. During the performance the participants abide by a set of rules that direct them how to communicate and interact with each other and the electronics.
Conversational Tablecloth Trailer
2015
47:16 min
Password: ISTHESIS15
This is the full audio conversation performed using the tablecloth with four participants.
Conversational Tablecloth Test
2015
2:19 min
A test video of how the table electronics work.
Conversational Tablecloth I
2014
fabric, SMD lights, copper wire, breadboard, Ardunio Uno, copper cloth, conductive thread
4ft x 3ft
This is a collaboration between Ajoa Donkor and Kelsey Lee.
The beginning of the project was about getting a small audience to interact with each other using a form of actions. While I was studying abroad in Italy, I was able to visit the 2013 Venice Biennale. At the British Pavilion and the Iraq Pavilion audiences were served tea and some traditional tea cakes. Neither pavilion artists or commissioners, Jeremy Deller of the British Pavilion and RUYA of the Iraq Pavilion, stated if this was a planned occurrence or not. What I found interesting about these two actions was that both countries have a history of tea drinking that has become a common cultural behavior. Both countries and many others have developed a set of mannerisms, for those involved have to learn and understand those manners. Any disruption outside those manners is considered rude; these manners are like another language.
For Conversational Tablecloth, Ajoa and I wanted a controlled conversation through the use of directional lights to create an artifical teatime etiquette. But we were also curious if anyone would break those manners too. The conversation would be directed by the lights on the table and the questions in the tea pot are a mix of mundane to controversial subjects. Four people have to be sitting together to enable the tablecloth to work. The lights choose one person to pick a question in the tea pot as a main subject. It is read out loud and then each person has a chance to speak. By picking up a tea cup in front of them, they are giving the next person a chance to speak.
Meditation Huts
2015
Structures: bamboo, string, wire, reed, strip LED and 9v battery(for structures 1 & 2), nylon sheets, snaps, denim harnesses
Props: light up pillows(fabric, strip LED, thread, 9v battery, polyfill), sleeping bags(cotton and canvas fabric, thread), yoga matts(carpet samples, newspapers, cotton fabric, thread), small speaker, phone "Listen to Wikipedia", book "Gandhi on Non-Violence" by Thomas Merton.
5ft x 5ft
This is a collaboration between Erica Oh, Camille Hallin and Kelsey Lee
The Meditation Huts provide a space for different forms of meditation such as listening to music, listening to calm readings and taking part in breathing exercises. These huts can be hold up to 3 to 4 individuals at a time and can be carried around using a harness attached to the inside of the structure. The lights in the pillows and other two huts provide a calm glowing atmosphere and some visibility for the reading meditation. The huts roughly equal to each other in structure and design, but with some individuality.
These Meditation Huts are meant to be strapped on a person and carried around from place to place. My group and I chose to make portable huts as a way to bring people together and to reflect on their lives and distress. Each hut has meditation leaders who carry on a set of exerises. Participants can freely move from one hut to another at anytime, but the reading and breathing meditation huts will always have a 5 to 10 minute time set. This is so participants can join in from the beginning without having to wait for too long and also be able to participate in the other meditations.
Each hut provides the participants with a form of sitting/sleeping object. One hut has body length pillows for sleeping on or sitting on, another hut has sitting yoga styled matts and the last hut has sleeping bags so that participants could lay down or sit while listening to music.
The music that my group used is called "Listen to Wikipedia", the program takes the information of changes on the site at real time and translates it into sounds. Depending on the size of the changes and who is changing it, e.i. a logged in user or non-user, a low, a high, a long or a short sound is made. All together these sounds make a calming composition of music. We saw this a good metaphor for the chaos in the world that can become a harmony. The reading, "Gandhi on Non-Violence" by Thomas Merton was chosen for its thoughts on peaceful protests and meditation so that violence externally and internally of a person can be mediated.
Dreaming in the Dark Dress
2015
found dress and shirt, nylon pockets, conductive thread, copper fabric, LED strips, 9v battery, aligator clips
song: The District Sleeps Alone Tonight by The Postal Service
4 to 5 minute
While working as a summer camp counselor I observed that quite children stay within themselves when alone, but when they are with others or in a social activity they open up. Like a child I wanted to get my audience to be first comfortable around me and then become comfortable around each other. The performance dress that I created lights up when the sensor in the hand is bent. By holding hands with each audience member the lights turn on to signify joy in a connection. A separate tutu was made to signify a child in play, pretend and the start of the dance. My routine was performed in half light so that the light on my dress would be visible and to show case my movements. Once the song began I placed myself in my original position, straight stance with hands in the pockets, after rotating my head a few times I danced with a tutu before putting it on. Then back to my original position and then walked up to the first person in the audience. I gave them my hand walked them to the center of the room, twirled and then walked them back. The pattern was to choose a person from either left or right, then center. Every other person either twirled once, twice, or trice, after the third count I would take a person in each hand and twirl with them once. Once everyone had a single dance with me, I gathered two people, connect their hands and we all danced and twirled till the song ended. The twirling effect was also liberating even if it did make me a bit dizzy and reminded me of the whirling dervishes. The environment that I produced enable everyone to participate, enjoy themselves and to let go of their shyness.
The dress and shirt were found items that I attached together and then sewed on LED strips. The dress has a double layer of fabric that allowed me to cut a slit up the inside of the dress so that the lights could be sewn close to the surface of the first fabric layer. The conductive thread allowed for a flexible circuit that wouldn't hinder my performance. The way the circuit operates is simple, it connects to two sensors on each hand that light up the string of lights. Currently the dress does not work as it should because of a small accident, but before the accident it worked very well.
Sock Stories II: Can You Hear Me?
2014
found socks, conductive thread, copper fabric, thread, wires, computer, Arduino Uno, breadboard, amplifier, pvc pipes, basket, fabric, lamp stands
5ft x 6ft
The clothing stand is made of PVC pipes and lamp stands, these were glued and spray painted. Each sock is attached with clips to secure the connection of circuits. The wires are wrapped around a clothing line and run down the PVC pipes. Five of the six socks were sewn inside with different analogue sensors, the sixth sock is wired with a speaker. Audiences were meant to play with the socks by pushing, pulling or stretching the sensors inside the socks to make the sounds play.
Sock Stories II: Can You Hear Me? is a continuation of Sock Stories but the audience has to listen instead of read what the socks are feeling. I wanted the audience to complete the instillation by using certain actions that also affected and personified the socks. Both art pieces are interactive, but Sock Stories II is displayed as a clothing line where more than one person can play with the socks. By pulling, pushing, squishing and stretching the socks the audience can hear the environment and the emotions of the socks. For example one of the socks has a stretch sensor, when pulled a gasping sound is turn on. This emulates the idea that the socks have a life or a breath that can be taken out of it.
Drawing with Rules
2013
fabric, thread, cranberry, sticks, popcorn
6ft x 4ft
The “paper” of the drawing is a shear red curtain that was drawn on by needles and thread. My personal rules for creating a drawing was to not have normal drawing materials and to not use my own hands.The people who helped make this drawing had to use needle and thread. Their rule was to start drawing from the center out and or continue a completed line. They also sewed in parts of their environment like sticks or food.
Drawing with Rules is a dual rule based project, a set of rules for myself and one for the participants. This began with a set of rules that I had set up for myself that required that I could not have my own hands in the project and no traditional drawing materials like paper and pencil were to be used. As I was trying to find a solution to my harsh self-imposed rules I thought of Sol Lewitt. He often created rules or directions for installations that other people had to start and finish in order to complete the art piece.
Since I couldn’t use my own hands I asked other people around the park and lawn spaces to participate. Their rules were to use only needle and thread and to draw a line from the center outward. They could use any color provided, had to draw on the same fabric and they did not have to have experience using sowing needles. Progressively added 'lines' made by many people changed the landscape of the drawing, it also depicted each person's personality. Sometimes the participants would sew in organic materials from their surroundings like sticks. One of the hardest things that I had to do was trying to get participants; some declined in participating because they didn’t have the time or that they were intimidated by using a sewing needle. In the end the unintended consequence was that this project created five to ten minute conversations depending on how many participants and their friends were around me.