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Melissa Brown and I destroyed each others artwork every other day, for one month, outside Espeis Gallery in Brooklyn New York. The idea was to not work constructively, giving the public an event instead of a mural. Once we set the schedule for alternating days we didn’t speak.
We hoped for vandalism, since it would be more of the same de-constructive progression. But we also couldn’t announce this intention or we’d see a free wall. In the final days Melissa antagonized some kids and they rearranged our blue painters tape after she’d left. But that was it. Tags stayed politely minuscule and off to one corner.
I think, as a game or framework, this has potential to be tried everywhere. Its interesting to see the purely visual conversation between artists. Its fun to see art destroyed. And as a means to bait and study vandalism, I think it turns some ideas of public and art on its head.
Melissa and I documented the wall with video from fixed positions.
The host Gallery Espeis liked the project so much they brought the wall panels inside, and had a show. We created a print commemorating the colaboration. The print looks like this. It was created the same way as the wall – by passing a file back and forth.
And the show looked like this. Thanks to Zoe and David, Melissa, and New York.
