12 days of projects from Fatboy Review
This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.
Fatboy Review, an online journal of arts and culture that’s simply interactive without much explanatory throat-clearing, is on the last day of its holiday project, 12 Days. Coinciding with the 12 days of Christmas, it launched in late December and has been adding projects every day since.
Most of the pieces are art projects that have been shown at big-city galleries, have a show upcoming or are performance-based and captured on film. But there are also written works, by Douglas A. Martin, Chris Rose, Luke Kennard and Leah Garnet. And author Rick Moody has contributed -- not writing, but short audio clips, some of his young daughter.
Joan Dickinson’s ‘Lindar Man,’ an older work, is a transcript of her trying to persuade a man to help her break into a house for an art project. Here’s an excerpt:
Jim: I don’t know. This sounds ... no offense ... but this sounds... you want me to help you steal an egg and put the egg on display in an art gallery? Joan: Yes, that’s what I want to do. Jim: No offense ... but this sounds pretty stupid if you ask me. I don’t think it’s worth the risk. Joan: Well, how risky could it be? You’ve done this before, and I assume that you’ve done it enough that you haven’t always been caught? You must know what you’re doing, right? I mean, you’re not in jail or prison or anything, so, I mean, you just don’t want to do it because it’s just for an egg? Jim: Look, look, look. I’m not in prison now, but, ah ... let’s put it this way ... I mean, have you ever heard of parole? Joan: Yeah. I’ve heard of parole. Jim: Well, that’s what I’m on. I’m on parole. If I break my parole ... I mean, look ... I don’t want to go to prison again. Especially ... I mean ... for an egg. An egg? You want to risk this for an egg?
‘I admire these pieces and wanted to present them with more immediate and contemporary work,’ Fatboy Review editor Richard House wrote in an e-mail. Originally, the idea was that the works would be online for only these 12 days, but it’s possible they’ll last longer. ‘Interest is high, and as these are meant as small gifts, it seems a little mean to take them off immediately,’ House wrote. ‘I like the idea of starting this small, of encouraging people to revisit, and having it available for a short period.’
Because we’ve now reached day 12, that short period could end at any time. More short-term projects are planned for later in 2011.
-- Carolyn Kellogg
Image credit: Fatboy Review
