Thanks!! It was a blast

Our performance was a real party.


I want to give a huge thank-you to everyone who came to help out and make it so special. I'm posting a bunch of pictures below of all the crazy happenings.

We were out there all day both Saturday and Sunday and it was a freak show. The festival itself was wonderful. There were all kinds of nutcases who did all kinds of silly projects, and also a lot of really good art.

In addition to the bodies, which came out pretty well, our other sculptures were really nice. A number of both friends and strange strangers came and did work with the trash we had provided.




The shoes that Kate picked-up on Tench Island were a really powerful statement about ocean trash.


This picture is when I got a bit carried away. I was telling somebody that my "artistic vision" required the bodies to be further out in the river. Kate caught me out on it, and somebody captured it on film.




Here are few highlight pictures. Thanks to the people who sent them to me:

Installation in Progress!!!

Hi Everyone. We picked up trash from all over the city on Sunday, and it is all installed on Governor's Island now ready for the weekend. I have uploaded a map. Its hard to see at this resolution, but the little yellow box in the upper left is our location:

I NEED Trash, Lots of It

We are bringing back some PNG trash, but there isn't a whole lot of it around here, and I only get so much weight in my luggage. There is also customs to be concerned with.

Please help me by starting to collect cool trash when you are out paddling. It must be trash you find on the beach or in the water.

For now just collect it. I'll come and get it all, or arrange for pickup. I'm trying to work out some drop off locations. I'll get back to you.

For the Bodies:
-Clothes - The bodies have to be made of clothes. Pretty much anything will do.
-Shoes - Bodies will look more lifelike with shoes. Flip Flops, Boots you name it. I don't need a matched set! odd shoes will be more fun.
-Gloves - This will make the hands more life like.
-Head Things - Lobster Floats, Basket Ball, Anything with a Face.
-Accessories - Something to put in the hand a briefcase, handbag, a dead fish, hypodermic needle etc.
-Hair Material - Anything fuzzy. Carpet, Wigs, Cheerleader Pom Poms, Rope, Cord.

For the Sculpture Component:
Sky is pretty much the limit here, just anything funky, and not too nasty. We plan to do large and small works, so this is another case of size does not matter.

Help Out as a Kayaking Ghoul

I need kayaking Ghouls to help me tow the bodies around. Ideally this will be people who will kayak over to help and bring their own kayaks, but I can probably borrow a few and leave them around.

Let me know if you can help on Saturday June 12, 2010 or Sunday June 13, 2010, and what times you are thinking of.

I will provide a gourmet lunch with fine wines and cheeses...

Letters to Friends About Project

I sent the following out.

If I forgot to send it to you its because I don't have your email don't get offended. If you know me this applies to you!!!

Hi guys,

Kate and I will be back in town for most of June. I hope to see all of you then, and I want to ask you to help me with a little project I cooked-up for the Figment festival on Governor’s Island.

As many of you know I am interested, some would say obsessed, with trash, especially trash I find when I am out kayaking.

I had an idea to do a project at Figment where I put a bunch of bodies floating in the water around Governor’s Island. Kate said “That’s crazy, it’s a family event, they won’t let you do that” She foolishly agreed to help me if I could get the project approved, the joke is on her.

She also suggested some better ideas for the project, to bring a bunch of beach trash to the shore, and do interactive sculptures. She did some great ones on a trip we did out to the Norwalk islands once. This is probably what made them accept the project.

I am still hoping for the shock value, and to give some little kids nightmares, but it should be a bunch of fun, however it shakes out.

Because there isn’t much set-up time I need some help. In exchange I promise you a good time, a gourmet lunch, and an after the event booze-up.

See my proposal, and several helping threads here:
www.bodiesoftrash.org

I put some posts on the blog above for the things I need help with. Please use the blog comment feature, or if you think blogs are stupid just email me, and I’ll get back to you…