Page 42 - Studio International - November 1971

14
Two Jumps for Dead Dog Creek, Idaho 197o
15
Backtrack 1969
16
Deformity 1960-1970
17
Residue Collection
Surface build-up on auto after 10-hour drive around
Kearny, New Jersey
Top photo : Microscopic enlargement of sample
residue. Courtesy Photo-optics Stony Brook
University
Bottom photo: Sterilizing surface prior to travel. Car
Wash, Kearny, New Jersey
18
Colour Application (for Chandra) 1971
16

DO: Deformity was done is Aspen in summer
197o. Again, my interests centred around the
proximity of material to the force that changes it,
the material being part of the same system that
initiates change. This is especially true of Nail
Sharpening. The accidental dropping of the
brick on my big toe ten years ago resulted in a
permanent deformation of the keratin tissue.
ws : Is your toe permanently black ?
Do: Yes. This photograph is a beautiful
rendition of my big toe. I had done the
Fingernail and Wound pieces prior to this but
this project seemed more interesting. It pro-
voked a certain amount of discussion about the
role which the artist was assuming with respect
to his material.
ws : What do you mean ?
Do: Potentially, it suggested an inward action
resulting in permanent physical derangement.
ws : Masochism?
DO: In terms of direction, no. By dropping a
brick on your toe you are initiating a bodily
change, and if one is interested in that kind of
aesthetic, that's no great commitment to make.
In other words, it's no big deal to drop a brick on
your big toe. The fact that it happened to me ten
years ago by accident is not significant.
ws : Do you see this as comparable in any way to
Acconci's work ?
Do: No; this piece is different in terms of
longevity. This is a permanent recapitulation of a
particular time in history. The same is true of
Wound. It's a mark you always carry around
with you. If I were interested in directly
precipitating an art of downward force, I would
consider carefully the elements of impact,

190