Ideas for Thesis Show

A truly successful memorial to living widows should invite interactivity to facilitate healing and community building.  It would have artifacts testifying to the activity of the Lines in the Sand (or Lines on a Chalkboard) project, an element of line drawing activity, documentation and, as a measure of its sincerity and efficacy, a foundation to support widows in some concrete way.


The question is not what can I do for thesis, but what can I do for my thesis show?  The Lines in the sand is undoubtedly a powerful metaphor, as is the chalkboard grid... and the idea of raising awareness, empathy and advocacy (and money) for Iraqi war widows, but what will make the most effective, powerful show.

I've been lying in bed thinking about all the possibilities which present themselves.  I could of course retreat to performing the chalkboard, but I'd rather do that at shows during the year in galleries.  Cliff M. asked, how do I show the Lines in the Sand? I cannot cart in tons of sand (though that might be fun), but the alternatives are equally fun.

It reminds me of an earlier blogpost about a Widows Memorial.  Cities, countries have veterans memorials - but what about Widows Memorials?  What would they look like?  They would have to be meditative spaces, oasis from work and commerce - peaceful.  They should be places of healing, and places to activate healing or closure or outpouring of emotion.  But isn't that what some memorials do already?  So I would say that they should invite interactivity.

A truly successful memorial to living widows should invite interactivity to facilitate healing and community building.  It would have artifacts testifying to the activity of the Lines in the Sand (or Lines on a Chalkboard) project, an element of line drawing activity, documentation and, as a measure of its sincerity and efficacy, a foundation to support widows in some concrete way.

Artifacts could include: a chalkboard, a sandpaper-board or sandpaper-floor, with sticks of chalk or paint to draw with, a sandblasted window over  video-documentation which activates through sensors when drawn on with sticks or pounded bamboo brushes (still sticks). Artifacts can also be a pile of sticks used to draw the three million lines or bronze castings of those sticks.  There can be piles of used chalk and chalkdust.  There could be a bench made from the sticks or the stick-castings.  There can be castings of the lines in the sand done in plaster or metal.

People should be able to draw lines in any of the ways above.  And tally them.

Video or still imagery should document the process. Or drawings.

There should be links to charitable opportunities, suggestions of ways to help, links to pertinent information or the project's website and charitable fund.