Accumulation Thesis Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Fine Art in the Graduate Schoo

Accumulation

Thesis

Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Fine Art in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University

Susan Li O’Connor

Graduate Program in Art

The Ohio State University

2010

Thesis Committee:

Malcolm Cochran, Advisor

Laura Lisbon

Suzanne Silver

Susan Li O’Connor

2010

Abstract

The overarching theme of my thesis research is my ongoing fascination with accumulation. We begin at an early age to gather and collect things, out of a need or necessity as we form ideas of ownership or personal distinction from one member of the family to another. As we grow older, we begin to accumulate not only material things but ideas and perhaps an accumulated sense of experiences as well. The biggest component in my work is the fact that every piece has some form of accumulation in it, whether it is through the use of material, in mark making with a traditional tool, or accumulated personal experience. My interest in accumulation lies not only in my studio practice through my process of mark making, but also in part to the idea that the urge to accumulate material doesn’t stop at the studio door.

Dedication

This document is dedicated to Darren and Evan.

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Acknowledgments

Thank you to all my friends and mentors who have helped me along the way through these last two years: Suzanne Silver, Laura Lisbon, Malcolm Cochran, Todd Slaughter,

Catharina Manchanda, Julie Taggart, Tim Rietenbach, Danielle Julian-Norton, Julie

Abijanac, Mariana Smith, Molly Burke, Leah Wong, Jeff Sims, Christopher Yates, Sean

Foley. Thank you to my family for all your love, support and patience: Mom, Dad, Jim,

Darlene, Jean, Lily and a special thank you to Darren and Evan.

Vita

1992 ...... Westerville North High

1996 ...... Columbus College of Art & Design

1999-2000 ...... California State University, Sacramento

2008-2010 ...... Graduate Teaching Associate, Department

of Art, The Ohio State University

Fields of Study

Major Field: Art.

Table of Contents

Abstract………………………………………………………………………………ii

Dedication………………………………………………………………………..….iii

Acknowledgments…………………………………………………………...………iv

Vita……………………………………………………………………..…..….……..v

Table of Contents……………………………….………………………..………….vi

List of Figures…………………………………………………………………..vii-viii

Chapter 1: Introduction………………………………………………..…..………….1

Chapter 2: Accumulation as seen through process and identity……………….……..5

Chapter 3: Accumulation as seen through time…………………….……………….17

Chapter 4: Accumulation as seen through nature and scale……………….………..30

Chapter 5: Conclusion………………………………………………………..……..41

References………………………………………….………….…………………42-43

List of Figures

1. Terracotta Army, UNESCO World Heritage Site……………………………..2

2. Silk Road, Transasia trade routes, First Century………………………………6

3. Stacks of plastic bags, studio view, 2009……………………………..……….7

4. Made And Not Made In The U.S./ Made But Not Made In China 2009…...….8

5. (detail)…………………………………………………………………….……………9

6. Tunneling My Way To China 2009………………………………….……….10

7. (detail)………………………………………………………………………..13

8. Journey2008……………………………………………...…………………..15

9. (detail)…………………………………………………………..……………16

10. Traditional Chinese hand scroll, Huang Gong Wang painting………..……..17

11. Memory of East To West 2010………………………………………...…….19

12. (detail)………………………………………………………………….…….21

13. (detail)………………………………………………………….…………….22

14. Random News 2009………………………………………………………….23

15. (detail)………………………………………………………………………..24

16. Interior view of Collyer Mansion……………………………………………28

17. Wunderkammern room…………………………………………………...….29

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18. Single Bird………………………………………………………..….………31

19. Birds Swarming………………………………………………...……………32

20. Masked Tape I, 2010………………………………………………...………33

21. Masked Tape II, 2010………………………………………………………..34

22. Masked Tape III, 2010……………………………………………………….35

23. (detail)………………………………………………………………………..36

24. Sea sponge………………………………………………………...…...…… 37

25. Honeycombs…………………………………………………….….….…….38

26. Plant cells………………………………………………………...... ….….….39

27. Chicken Bones………………………………………………………....…….40

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Chapter 1: Introduction on Accumulation

Why do we collect? What is it about humans that give them the need and urge to gather and accumulate materials? Is it out of necessity for survival or simply a desire to appeal to another based on how much knowledge one can gain as a reflection of love or competition? As far back as 2.5 million years ago, the earliest human species were able to survive primarily through gathering as opposed to hunting in order to sustain them.

As humans evolved, domestication of animals and livestock as well as interest in agriculture provided enough resources to allow a larger population to grow and expand.

These resources provided not only food for sustenance, but became a source for material such as wool, cotton, and silk to be used, sold and purchased as commodities, as well as a source of transportation to accommodate trading of those goods and commodities. As we evolved, and ideas of commerce expanded to reach other far away lands, consumerism took hold and forms of capitalism arose beginning as far back in recorded history as the

Age of Discovery in the 15th century, the period of the Middle Kingdoms in India, and the Qin Dynasty in China (well known today for the buried terra-cotta army found in the region). (Figure 1)

Figure 1. Terracotta Army, China

Perhaps this is where my ongoing interest in gathering material comes from: from the memory of these peoples and the ways of gathering that provided them with the means to survive. Through a more recent memory, a memory based upon my own recollections of my childhood and seen through my eyes as a parent watching my son as he gathers and collects, I find myself thinking about the many aspects of accumulation and how complex the connections are between them. We begin at an early age to gather and collect things, out of a need or necessity as we form ideas of ownership or personal distinction from one

2 member of the family to another. As we grow older, we begin to accumulate not only material things but ideas and perhaps an accumulated sense of experiences as well. By definition, the word accumulate is to pile, collect or gather, especially over a period of time. The biggest component in my work is the fact that every piece has some form of accumulation in it, whether it be through the use of material (i.e., multiplying one object exponentially), in mark making with a traditional art making tool (i.e., parallel hatching with a ballpoint pen on paper), or accumulated duration of time.

My interest in accumulation lies not only in my studio practice through the process of making, but also in part to the idea that the urge to accumulate material does not stop at the studio door. In past and certainly even in some contemporary cultures, there may not be a need or even a desire to want to accumulate material goods just for the sake of having more. Our consumer culture, however, dictates that we need to go out and buy the next new thing, whether we need it or not. There is a sense of urgency when glossy commercials are strategically placed between Saturday morning cartoons featuring the newest kids’ sneakers that promise a child who free falls from a high ledge to be able to land squarely on his feet. My child’s enthusiastic request follows: “Mommy, can we get that?”

But perhaps this is not about my judging others and myself for our part in amassing more stuff. After all, accumulation can be found not just in physical materials but also experiences and knowledge gained and gathered over a period of time. The writing of

3 this paper is an attempt to turn the mirror around for me to examine how I see accumulation in my work, what the accumulation is within each work, and ultimately, ask myself the question of where I can move forward as an artist living and working in the

21st century using accumulation.

Chapter 2: Accumulation as seen through process and identity

Made And Not Made In The U.S./Made But Not Made In China, is a sculpture made from clear plastic bags, and when fully extended, reaches upwards of fifty feet. Each individual segment of clear plastic is cut to different sized squares and rectangles and then seamed together using an impulse sealer. The bags were originally packaging for individual articles of clothing manufactured in China or Hong Kong and shipped to retail stores worldwide. Once the merchandise arrived at its destination, it was pulled out of the bags, and the bags were inevitably thrown into the trash. On each bag, the words

“Made in China” or “Made in Hong Kong” are clearly printed in black ink. I amassed my collection of bags from approximately five years of working at a retail-clothing store.

The title of the piece refers to both myself the artist and the material I choose to use in this particular piece, and is one of a few pieces that deal indirectly with my interest in identity, and more specifically, the identity of my family history. Born in Taipei,

Taiwan, I am one of three children of parents who were born and raised in China. As early as the 1st century, trade routes in China connected East, South and Western Asia with the Mediterranean, as well as Northeast Africa and Europe, primarily as a route to trade silk. (Figure 2) These routes were dubbed “Silk Road” in 1877 by the German

5 geographer Ferdinand von Richthofen. Much has been written regarding the Silk Road and its travelers. What began as a cross-continental trade route turned into a complex series of transcontinental trade routes, both by land and by sea.

Figure 2. Silk Road, Trade Routes

When I was originally gathering the material for this piece, I had no idea of what I was going to do with it. The main action I had in mind at the time was to accumulate as many of the empty plastic bags as I could get my hands on. (Figure 3) Over time, as I began cutting the plastic apart, then carefully seaming them back together again, I couldn’t help but to see the irony in what I was doing. Here I was, a naturalized U.S. citizen, Chinese-

American, working in a self-imposed factory-like manner, creating something from material that originated from China.

Figure 3. Stacks of plastic bags, studio view.

Figure 4. Made And Not Made In The U.S./Made But Not Made In China 2009

The form that began to emerge was tubular and tunnel-like. It is clear and transparent, at times narrow, at other instances, quite large and bulbous. Due to the constricting of interior space within the clear plastic, the form feels as though it undulates in and out and through our physical space. (Figure 4, 5)

Figure 5. (detail)

The visual form of the tunnel-like shape in Made And Not Made In The U.S./Made But

Not Made In China and the ancient maps of the silk road trade routes lead me to begin thinking about maps and geography in general, and the notion that tunneling through an underground route could somehow be made visible and seen as an above ground, topographical scene. Thus, Tunneling My Way To China was conceived. 9

Figure 6. Tunneling My Way To China 2009

In Tunneling My Way To China, the initial idea was to create a piece using boundaries, or constraints, which I would place upon myself while in the studio. This was not going to be a real map depicting any trade routes from ancient maps, nor was it meant to be a response to commercialization or globalization of China. Rather, by placing a system of checks and balances upon myself, the goal was to free up any preconceived notions of what I should be making in the studio. After the initial constraints were employed, I would then be free to continue with the piece without those boundaries restricting me.

The accumulative experience is found here via the process.

I used subscription postcards found in three art magazine publications on which I drew four different shapes. These were inspired by toy wooden train tracks, which come in only four different shapes, but when connected, can be manipulated to form multiple layouts of various sizes and configurations. (Figures 6, 7) Additional constraints included: maintaining the orientation of the postcard (it had to remain horizontal) and using only black ink and red gouache. The “tracks”, as I started to call them, could never cross over each other. The last rule I made was that the tracks could not be adhered to another piece of paper, but had to live as a wall collage. Once I finished attaching them to the wall (in this case, my studio wall), I knew that I needed to make a second set of tracks, this time, going against the first set of boundaries. I drew another series of tracks, this time on parchment paper, this time more tunnel-like, using charcoal and then using an eraser to erase the lines created by the charcoal. They varied from the first set not only in the method and materials used, but also in configuration. I allowed this second track to cross over each other, and as more and more accumulated on the wall, the overall image is perceived to be topographical in nature.

The form that eventually evolved out of the magazine postcards resembled interior parts of animals or humans, intestinal, red, snakelike, and because the form is more vertical, there is a relationship to the human scale. Parts of the collage look at times to be topographical views of maps, at times a depiction of what a tunnel might look like when taken out of its context.

The idea behind this piece is an extension of the idea that rests behind the Silk Road inspiration, but with a twist. It is a chart, but does not chart anything, a map, but does not map anything. It is very much an open system, not a closed one. It has no true sense of a beginning nor does it have an end. It is a system that means nothing, that has no purpose, and yet, through this sense of accumulation, it could have the potential of continuing on without end.

Figure 7. (detail)

Journey is a suite of 26 drawings of various dimensions on newspaper that, when placed together like a jigsaw puzzle, become a single large-scale collage. The images are cut from newspaper spreads that include color photographs, specifically those with figures.

The figures are crucial to the piece: the heads on each figure are the only visible parts on each page- all other surface areas are covered with either white acrylic paint or blue ballpoint ink. (Figures 8, 9) The figures appear as though they are either being swallowed by the undulating striped umbilical cord-like form or emerging from it. In the other two pieces, we are aware that we are outside looking in and that the forms themselves are empty. In this case, although we are still on the outside looking in, these forms contain something now. They are no longer transparent, but physically hold something.

The accumulation within this piece comes not necessarily from the amount of paper used nor does it come from the amount of figures visible on each paper.

Rather, it is through the accumulation of incremental changes in the art making process.

As such, all three of the above mentioned works have this sense of accumulated individual sections, which then link up somehow, to another section, continuing and growing, changing form as the material accumulates. This is crucial to my art making practice in that, although I sketch often, I never sketch out what a final work is supposed to be. There may be moments when portions of a piece can be viewed by itself, but it is nearly always merely a part of a greater whole.

Figure 8. Journey 2008

Figure 9. (detail)

Chapter 3: Accumulation as seen through time

Memory of East to West began as a free association drawing. It has two components to it:

1) a drawing in black ballpoint pen on a small roll of receipt tape, and 2) a video projection showing my hands unrolling the scroll. The landscape within the drawing is a nod to traditional Chinese hand scroll paintings. (Figure 10)

Figure 10.Traditional Chinese hand scroll

I use the term landscape loosely because within my drawing, there is no true landscape.

Parallel hatch marks made with a ballpoint pen make up what appear to be topographical bumps, curves, smoky swirls, etc. Traditional scrolls are read from right to left, the

17 contents of which are never meant to be seen all at once. In my video projection of my scroll, I unroll the scroll from left to right, allowing the viewer to “read” the drawing in a

Western manner. A traditional way of viewing a hand scroll would be for one or two persons at a time to view the image, thus allowing for a more intimate experience to take place. This differs from that of viewing a Western painting in that typically, a Western painting is large, rectilinear in format, and is generally presented on a wall for many to view at the same time. (Figures 11, 12, 13) The projection in this piece can thus be seen as a stand in for the Western painting.

One of the crucial differences between this particular piece and the others in my body of work is that this is the only one that deals truly with the passage of time as it occurs not only in the studio (the maker laboriously working on creating parallel hatch marks in a seemingly futile exercise in mark making), but as it occurs throughout the duration of the projection as the viewer watches the maker unroll the scroll. The accumulation of hatch marks in the hand scroll gives the viewer a chance to see and experience a work in which evidence of time actually moving occurs. The sound as my hand unrolls the hand scroll across the covered table is audible; giving another clue to the viewer that time is passing.

In addition to that, I deliberately slowed down the playing of the DVD, nearly doubling the amount of time it takes to actually unroll the scroll.

Figure 11. Memory of East to West 2010

The viewing distance is crucial to this work. From across the gallery, one can see fairly clearly the projection on the wall, but it is only once the viewer walks up to the pedestal to view the actual scroll that he or she can see the individual marks made. The format I chose to present for this piece allows me to be able to navigate the two worlds, the East and the West, thus allowing me to inhabit both without having to choose one over the other. Born in a different country, raised by two immigrant parents, I find myself often trying to remember what it’s like to be Chinese, Chinese-American, American.

Figure 12. (detail)

Figure 13. (detail)

Random News is a series of drawings in ballpoint pen and acrylic on newspaper. To date, I have 21 drawings completed. They do not have much to do with accumulation, in the sense that there is not the same kind of visual accumulation as seen in the other pieces. Rather, it is more about identity and what is or isn’t being identified.

Figure 14. Random News 2009

In my studio practice, I will often use whatever material is on hand to draw on, sculpt with, etc. With this body of work, I wanted the viewer to see that each drawing runs the entire length and width of one page of a full color newspaper spread. A person could not read one page of a newspaper and fully be able to grasp the full story behind any of the articles. To read a full page of a newspaper seems absurd and literally cannot be done.

One image upon a page, however, can be achieved fairly easily. The irony here though is

23 that the image or form that is identified as covering up the news is truly an unidentifiable object.

2 4

Figure 15. (detail)

Although this is the second in a grouping of series of paintings and drawings that I have done on newspaper, this grouping differs from that of the first. Where the viewer could discernibly see heads popping in and out of the serpentine form enveloping their bodies in Journey, in this grouping, the figures in the newspaper photographs are no longer a primary focal point. The drawings applied directly on top of the newspapers are now the main focus, and are singular forms, generally dominating one single color page spread of a newspaper. (Figures 14, 15) These drawings are organic in form, and the print and photographs from the newspaper can occasionally be seen through some of the drawings.

The forms are sometimes reminiscent of figures, contorted, dismembered, at times jarring and uncomfortable.

The idea that news, whether newsworthy or not, is happening minute by minute, and that the newspaper is meant as a daily reading of the previous days events and is essentially a throwaway commodity is of great importance to me in this work. A moment is fleeting, and although the newspaper is a way to solidify the news for us to read and receive the information, it too, is fleeting. The high acidity level within the newsprint causes the paper pulp to yellow within a matter of days, and the softness of the newsprint when originally printed upon, begins to harden and become brittle to the touch. I enjoy the irony of working with such a temporary medium, knowing full well the material being printed on is just as temporary as the content being printed.

As I was working on the series of newspaper drawings, I came upon a story of two

26 brothers, Homer and Langley Collyer. Theirs is a sad story of another sort of accumulation, that of compulsive hoarding. Born in the late 1880’s to well to do parents, they lived eccentric lives, never venturing outside of their home in New York after their parents deaths. Over a span of nearly three decades, the two reclusive brothers accumulated over 130 tons of material, including newspapers, books, furniture, etc. in their brownstone. (Figure 16) They were paranoid of the outside world, completely surrounding themselves with the material they gathered, and eventually, both succumbed within their own home. The irony in their story is that one of the brothers, Homer, developed hemorrhages behind his eyes, thus leaving him incapable of reading. Langley began saving newspapers, and was reported to have kept the bundles of newspaper in the hopes that when his brother regained his eyesight, he would be able to catch up with the news. They made headlines with their eccentricities and became the news themselves.

The brothers’ story drew so much attention that to this day, firefighters use the term

“Collyer Mansion” to describe an over packed house.

Figure 16. Interior view of Collyer Mansion

A different sort of collecting, known as Wunderkammern, became popular in Europe during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. (Figure 17) Wunderkammerns, or wonder rooms, were rooms where typically rare and unusual objects collected from travels to faraway countries were displayed and showcased. This was a way of depicting how wealthy and well travelled the owners of these Wunderkammerns were.

Figure 17. Wunderkammern room

Why do we collect? What is the difference between a hoarder and a collector of fine objects? Is the difference as simple as stating that one is a form of a disorder, an illness, while the other is a controlled, refined hobby or pastime? In both cases, accumulating some thing is of high priority. Both exemplify the true definitions of the word accumulate, that is, to gather, pile or collect especially over a period of time. My interest in hoarding tendencies and collections of all sorts is not necessarily in the psychological realm or truly in knowing why we do what we do. Visually, something begins to happen when one thing is multiplied exponentially, causing the singular moment to gradually over time transform into something altogether different. 29

Chapter 4: Accumulation as seen through nature and scale

The transformation that takes place from a singular experience to a moment filled with awe is what I find so appealing in an accumulation of an object. Moments like this occur quite frequently, particularly in nature, when there is a swarming effect that takes place.

Seen apart from others, one single bird can be described in full detail, down to the color of its feathers, the shape of its head and body, etc. (Figures 18, 19)

Figure 18. Single bird

Seen within a swarm, the individual bird is no longer visible. Another form takes its place, that of the collective greater whole. The visual impact is stunning. The accumulation in this case deals with that of transformation, and although some of my earlier works described have some transformative qualities to them, particularly through the additive and subtractive nature of the materials used on the surfaces, none vividly capture this particular method of accumulation more so than the Masked Tape pieces.

Figure 19. Swarming birds

Made from only one material, Masked Tape is truly about transformation. (Figure 20-23)

Taking the cue from forms found in nature, I cut one single segment of masking tape, approximately 2 inches long. I rolled it so that the sticky side was visible on the outside, rolled more individual segments of tape in the same fashion, then connected them sticky side to sticky side, and slowly over time, a sort of swarm of rolled masking tape began to take shape.

Figure 20. Masked Tape I 2010

Although the inspiration began from swarming habits of living creatures, the end results of the Masked Tape series cannot be described as a swarming effect. Swarms are typically described as a group in motion, individual forms collectively moving in sync with each other. Masked Tape, on the other hand, is stagnant. One noticeable change that occurs in each piece from the series happens gradually over a period of time. Due to a combination of change in temperature or humidity as well as the gravity of its own weight, each one within the series has visibly collapsed- some to the point of fragmentation an disintegration, others only a subtle shift so that the end result looks 33 slightly slumped over.

Figure 21. Masked Tape II 2010

The larger form that naturally starts to take shape from the small individual rolls of masking tape is reminiscent of sea sponges and honeycombs. (Figures 24, 25) There is a

34 sense of absorbency, an inside as well as an outside both being active and activated at the same time. There is also a resemblance to images found under the microscope. Viewed at a magnification of 568 times, the cells of a plant are not so dissimilar to that of the growth of rolled masking tape. (Figure 26) Nor is it so far removed from that of a close up image of cell structures found in chicken bones (Figure 27).

Figure 22. Masked Tape III 2010

Size and scale matter in these particular pieces mainly for the fact that the correlations between micro- and macro- worlds are so obvious. The desire to want to see the individual rolls of masking tape is equal to the desire to see what they do as a collective whole. Gathered together, they seem to have a greater strength than when seen alone as 35 one single piece of rolled tape.

Figure 23. (detail)

Figure 24. Sea sponge

Figure 25. Honeycombs

Figure 26. Plant cells

Figure 27. Chicken bones

Chapter 5: Conclusion

After nearly two years of research at the Ohio State University, I find myself asking more questions now than when I first began. The difference, however, is that I no longer am wandering aimlessly, trying to figure out what kind of work to make in the studio. I feel that I do not need to categorize myself as either a painter or sculptor, but that my ideas and thoughts for the next piece will dictate what material, whether two-dimensional or three-dimensional, it will take. I am asking more pointed questions now than I have ever asked of myself before. What do we gain from accumulation? When does accumulation stop? If there is an accumulation, what is the opposite of that? One could say that

Masked Tape starts to degrade over time, and with that, entropy is introduced into the dialogue. With that, I move on, accumulating more through experience in material studies as well as space and time. In the grander scheme of things, I would like to leave an indelible footprint, a trace of the tangible with a touch of the ephemeral.

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· The New York Times, August 16, 1923, page 15, "Obituary Herman L. Collyer"

· The New York Times, April 5, 1939, page 26, "Gas Company seizes meters of 'hermits'"

· The New York Times, August 5, 1942, page 21, "Mortgage on recluses' home is foreclosed, but legendary brothers still hide within "

· The New York Times, August 8, 1942, page 13, "Bank and Collyers declare a truce"

· The New York Times, September 30, 1942, page 24, "Collyer mansion keeps its secrets"

· The New York Times, October 2, 1942, page 27, "Order ejects Collyers"

· The New York Times, November 19, 1942, page 27, "Collyers pay off $6,700 mortgage as evictors smash way into home"

· The New York Times, November 21, 1942, page 24, "Collyers get deed to home"

· The New York Times, February 3, 1943, page 21, "Collyers may lose house"

· The New York Times, February 4, 1943, page 24, "Government gets Collyer property"

·The New York Times, July 27, 1946, page 16, "Subpoena flushes Harlem recluse"

· The New York Times, January 28, 1947, page 25, "Hermit brothers get $7,500 award"

· The New York Times, March 22, 1947, page 01, "Homer Collyer, Harlem recluse, found dead at 70. Police require two hours to break into 5th Avenue home, booby-trapped with junk brother fails to appear investigators think, however, he may be 'Charles Smith' who summoned them. Homer Collyer found dead at 70 as police forced entrance into home of recluses. Homer Collyer was found dead yesterday in his decaying brownstone house at 2078 Fifth Avenue, but the legend of the two recluse Collyer brothers still lives on."

· The New York Times, March 26, 1947, page C24, "The Collyer mystery. To patrolmen on the midnight-to-eight tour, who sometimes chatted with Langley Collyer on his nocturnal strolls, he seemed, for all his shabbiness, a well-mannered and cultured old gentleman. They probably never thought that some day the entire Police Department would be on the lookout for him."

· The New York Times, March 27, 1947, page 56, "Langley Collyer is dead"

· The New York Times, April 2, 1947, page 38, "53 attend burial of Homer Collyer; 2 Harlem Neighbors Present, but Langley Does Not Appear -- Police Press Search. Homer Collyer was buried yesterday in the family plot in Cypress Hills Cemetery, Queens."

· The New York Times, April 9, 1947, page 1, "Body of Collyer Is Found Near Where Brother Died. Langley Collyer was found dead yesterday in his old brownstone home at 2078 Fifth Avenue. His body, wedged in a booby trap set to keep out intruders, was lying in the same room on the second floor where his blind brother, Homer, had been found dead on March 21.

· The New York Times, April 12, 1947, page 15, "Langley Collyer buried"

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