How to Play Well with Others
In collaboration with Noah Pica during our residency at the Textile Arts Center, Brooklyn
(Oct 2018-June 2019)
Our individual work is aligned; similar materials, similar interests. Our approaches and skillsets are completely different. Together we are creating something entirely new. This project is an experiment in collaboration. We make men’s shirts with soluble material. How far can we push this fabrication? Does the patriarchy dissolve with the fabric? Does masculinity? Does Gender? What’s next?
Washed Boy – activated by Eli van der Rijn 8/24/19 in the fountain at Washington Square Park, NY
private collection
Net (worth) Boy
private collection
The Hand Off/Taking Turns/Merging Practices – collaborating with Noah
Before we begin I’m filled with anticipation & anxiety.
a sampling of what’s running through my head…
What if i fall short?
What if i don’t live up to expectation ?
What if we don’t actually work well together?
a sampling of text messages from noah…
“Don’t worry about it Winnie, it’s gonna be great.”
“I’m handing it off to you Monday.”
“Winnie, it’s not done. I’ll have it to you Friday.”
“All I have to do is the sleeves.”
“All I have to do is re set the collar.”
“All I have to do is have the buttons attached.”
“I’ll pick it up Monday.”
“I didn’t come in Sunday so I’ll take it in tomorrow.”
“You’ll have it Wednesday…”
What I’ve learned collaborating with Noah
If you want to collaborate you need to be patient & flexible.
If you want to collaborate you need to free your ego.
If you want to collaborate you need to change your thinking from I and me to us and we.
How to Start A Revolution
In collaboration with Tiantian Lou during our residency at the Textile Arts Center, Brooklyn
(Oct 2018-June 2019)
You’re Invited...
template for a revolutionary dinner party
“A revolution is not a dinner party, or writing an essay, or painting a picture, or doing embroidery; it cannot be so refined, so leisurely and gentle, so temperate, kind, courteous, restrained and magnanimous. A revolution is an insurrection, an act of violence by which one class overthrows another.” -Mao Tse-Tung
We disagree. A revolution is a dinner party or rather a dinner party can be a revolution. The only way to start a revolution is through community and community is often built by sharing food.
part art installation
part revolution
part dinner party
part social experiment
it’s an idea
it’s an ignition point
it’s an opportunity to see yourself as a revolutionary
Inaugural activation Saturday, September 21st, 2019 6-8 pm
collaboration diary–
From Conception- collaborating with Tiantian
I am working on a project that needs a painted background so I ask Tiantian if she will help me… But as we talk the project changes and morphs and expands. We have additional conversations and soon it’s a whole thing separate from and not even using the original work. We research and talk and design and research some more and send each other links and files and start a google doc. We make a first round of prototypes. We present our ideas at critique. We receive very constructive feedback. We meet, we research, we justify, we consider. Our google doc grows. We plan a work day. We call it a test- but I’m pretty confident that we can just print up the entire project. 1 day becomes 3 days. The learning curve is steep. I have yellow ink in my hair. We’re gonna have to reprint the art. We’re gonna need to reclaim the screens. I can’t believe I thought it would be easy. We present a second round of prototypes at critique. We get more feedback. We take a step back to rethink. I reclaim the screens. Tiantian reprints the art and re burns the screens. We schedule another workday. We will print and build the next iteration of prototypes. It’s a work in progress and it keeps getting better. It was all magic and discovery- both of us working outside of our comfort zones.
What I’ve learned collaborating with Tiantian
If you want to collaborate you have to be be open to possibilities.
If you want to collaborate you need to be ready to work and compromise and learn and riff.
© 2019 Winnie van der Rijn