8 Hr. Project

On Saturday at the 8 hr project I found it fascinating how the artists worked.  I pictured a high energy scene and while this was present for brief periods it was not as ubiquitous as I had anticipated.  I also liked seeing the partly finished pieces and imagining where they could go, all of my predictions were not that accurate.  It was also interesting to see the great variety in the artists techniques, some projects like Byron's were technical and has an almost passive execution where planning and preparing are vital to the success of the project.  There were also projects such as Ian's that were very active and involved during the 8 hours.  I love to see how there are endless ways and methods used to create art and express an idea and they all, if done with proper attention and thought, have the potential to produce a beautiful piece of art. One could easily argue the show its self and the process of creating their pieces is as much a piece of art as any of the pieces, akin to the concept behind Byron's piece.
At the opening I found it immensely valuable and interesting to hear from the artists.  Their insight into their thought process during the project and their thoughts about their work added so much to the story and meaning behind their pieces.  I found this especially influential with Steve Prince's piece.  During the 8 hours and even seeing the drawing in completion I didn't really know exactly what the meaning behind the piece was.  I could tell it was of a fight but due to my lack of historic fighting knowledge it was difficult to know his intention.  Following his presentation of the piece the work came alive and had so much more meaning and beauty behind it.  I also thought that Heather Brands piece was so fascinating and the ideas behind her work were quite integrating.  Due to the nature of the piece the concept was kept a secret during the 8 hours but when she presented the piece I felt that I could appreciate the to a greater extent.  Not that any explanation is necessary to derive meaning from art or for the meaning to come across; however, I enjoyed seeing the whole process and how it evolved throughout the day culminating in the opening with the artists expressing their ideas.  Thinking back on the 8 hours I can now see why they did what they did and appreciate each artists process and approach.