Amy Stacey Curtis

Installation: approximately 15 1/2 x 28 x 1 3/4 inches (39.4 x 71.1 x 4.4 cm)
Two, white, wall-mounted cases, each 15 1/2 x 12 3/4 x 1 3/4 inches (39.4 x 32.4 x 4.4 cm), with each containing 99 acrylic-painted wooden cubes that have been hand embossed with a number and with each cube being 7/8 x 7/8 x 7/8 inches (2.2 x 2.2 x 2.2 cm) (198 cubes total)
Signed and dated on back of one case in graphite

At first, in left case, 99 white cubes, placed algorithmically randomly “1” through “99”; in right shelf, 99 black cubes, placed in order “1” through “99”, left-to-right, top-to-down.

Working instructions:
“Place black cubes on left shelf in random order. Place white cubes on right shelf in order.
When all black cubes reach left shelf: Place white cubes on left shelf in random order. Place black cubes on right shelf in order.
When all white cubes reach left shelf: Place black cubes on left shelf in random order. Place white cubes on right shelf in order.…
If unsure in what direction cubes are moving, choose.”

Notes:
Instructions as much part of installation as other elements
Audience does not always follow instructions/interprets instructions; this is part of the art.
(Inventory #33674)

Installation: approximately 40 x 40 x 1 3/4 inches (101.6 x 101.6 x 4.4 cm)
Nine, white, wall-mounted cases, each 12 1/2 x 12 1/2 x 1 3/4 inches (31.8 x 31.8 x 4.4 cm) with each case containing 81 acrylic-painted wooden cubes with each cube being 7/8 x 7/8 x 7/8 inches (2.2 x 2.2 x 2.2 cm) (729 cubes total)
Signed and dated on back of one case in graphite

At first, each case contains cubes of only one color.

Working instructions:
“Choosing randomly, swap any color cube with any other color cube.
When each case contains nine cubes of each color:
Choosing randomly, swap any color cube with any other color cube.
When all cubes in each case the same color:
Repeat.”

Notes:
Instructions as much part of installation as other elements
Audience does not always follow instructions/interprets instructions; this is part of the art.
(Inventory #33676)

Installation: approximately 27 x 70 x 1 1/4 inches (68.6 x 177.8 x 3.2 cm)
Two columns of eighteen white, wall-mounted shelves, each 1 1/4 x 32 x 1 1/8 inches (3.175 x 81.3 x 3.175 cm), with each containing 30 acrylic-painted wooden cubes (1080 cubes total)
Signed and dated on one shelf in graphite

At first, 540 black, .875″ wood cubes are set toward center in inner-most 15 slots of each column, while 540 white cubes are set toward outside in outer-most 15 slots of each column.

Working instructions:
“Switch any black cubes with any white cubes so result of participation is symmetrical. In other words, cubes on left side mirror cubes on right side.”

Notes:
Instructions as much part of installation as other elements
Audience does not always follow instructions/interprets instructions; this is part of the art.
(Inventory #31557)

Image/paper size: 2 1/2 x 10 inches each (6.4 x 25.4 cm each)
(Inventory #30775)

Over the course of a year, Curtis took video of 99 people including herself.  She asked each to count from 1 to 100 at the same pace.  Curtis gently squeezed each participant’s ankle 100+ times to convey the pace, then merged/super-imposed all 99 video clips to start at the same moment, all saying “one” simultaneously.
Duration: 2:44
Edition of 9
Signed and numbered on accompanying certificate
(Inventory #28543)

1,520 spruce posts, acrylic, oil paint, audience

10.6.12-10.26.12

In 1998, Amy Stacey Curtis began an 18-year commitment to art-making, a project which would culminate through 9 solo-biennial exhibits from the year 2000 to the year 2016. In the end, Curtis will have installed 81 large-in-scope interactive installation and new-media works in the vast mills of 8 or 9 Maine, USA towns. Each solo-biennial exhibit is a 22-month process, each exhibit exploring a different theme while requiring audience to perpetuate its multiple installations. “Without participants my work is incomplete.” The Maine Arts Commission’s 2005 Individual Artist Fellow for Visual Art, Curtis has committed to this temporary sculptural work to convey that we are a part of a whole, that everyone and everything is connected and affects.

1,520 spruce posts, acrylic, oil paint, audience

10.6.12-10.26.12

Alternate View

Before opening, Curtis installed posts in convex form. Using floor chart provided, audience transferred wood, transforming installation into concave form. Once concave form generated, installation was complete. (form at start of exhibit: 47.5″x156″x156″; form at end of exhibit: 47.5″x156″x156″)

1,080 plotter-paper cores, wood, conduit, audience

10.4.8-10.24.8

From Curtis’ EXPERIENCE and MOVEMENT, audience viewed tubes from far away, inches away, moving side to side, up and down, back and forth…Perception of light moved and changed with each participant’s perspective. (144″x84″x36″)

99 hourglasses, pedestal, labels, audience

10.9.10-10.28.10

One hourglass for each hour of biennial on 64-foot-long pedestal, Curtis inverted first hourglass at 12pm on October 9, 2010, marking start of exhibit. Subsequent hourglasses were inverted successively by Curtis and participants, one per exhibit hour. (each hourglass: 7″x4″; pedestal: 48″x12″x768″)

99 hourglasses, pedestal, labels, audience, 10.9.10-10.28.10

Alternate View

(installation shot from “Arise: Summer Group Show” at The Barbara Krakow Gallery, June 23-July 28, 2012).

Over the course of 3 months, Curtis asked 99 people to draw a 1-inch line without using a ruler, then a 2-inch line…through 12 inches. Then, she sorted these 1,188 drawings–99 people’s 1 inch, 99 people’s 2 inches…from the shortest length to the longest length. The first drawing uses the 99 people’s perceptions of 1 inch, the second drawing uses the 99 people’s perceptions of 2 inches… For each drawing, Curtis translated the perceived measurements into concentric squares. There are 99 centered squares per drawing, all 12 drawings on 22.5″x22.5″ 140lb archival paper.

9 cd players with headphones, 9 cds, tape, audience, 10.7.6-10.27.6

Each participant asked to choose and listen to one of 9 cd players… (each player: 1″x6″x6″; each path: 576″x12″)

Alternate View

glass, water, metal, plastic, droppers, audience, 7.7.0-8.15.0

Audience maintained nine menisci for duration of exhibit, adding water to installation when necessary. (72″x14″x6″)

glass, water, metal, plastic, droppers, audience, 7.7.0-8.15.0

Alternate View

1,080 slate tiles, acrylic, audience, 10.6.12-10.26.12

Before opening, Curtis installed tiles white-side-up in a 20×54 configuration. Audience each walked upon tiles to pause upon any single white tile of choice. Then, he or she flipped this tile before walking upon tiles to exit installation. Once all tiles inverted, or once exhibit ended–whichever came first–installation complete. (.25″x297″x807″, 20×54 configuration; each tile: ~.25″x12″x12″)

1,080 slate tiles, acrylic, audience, 10.6.12-10.26.12

Alternate View

9 chairs, 9 timers, wood, drywall, audience, 10.9.10-10.28.10

Participants entered each of up to nine booths, attempting to remain in first booth for one minute, second booth for two minutes, third booth for three minutes, through to ninth booth for nine minutes. Each booth had optional count-up timer for those interested in accuracy. If participants chose to participate in all nine booths, and were accurate, they were in booths total of 45 minutes. (each booth: 96″x48″x48″)

9 chairs, 9 timers, wood, drywall, audience, 10.9.10-10.28.10

Alternate View

86,617 feet of acrylic yarn, plexiglas, audience

10.9.10-10.28.10

Curtis crocheted hour every day for year; tying yarn together from 36 large skeins so continuous. Starting October 9, participants removed yarn from form, placing undone yarn into plexiglas box. Installation was complete once “undone” or once biennial ended at 5pm, October 28–whichever came first. (form at start of exhibit: .25″x108″x864″; plexiglas box: 16″x16″x84″)

Photo by Luc Demers

86,617 feet of acrylic yarn, plexiglas, audience

10.9.10-10.28.10

Alternate View

86,617 feet of acrylic yarn, plexiglas, audience, 10.9.10-10.28.10

Photo by Kathryn Bean Davis

Alternate View

36 mirrors, duct tape, fishing line, audience, 10.4.8-10.24.8

Audience instructed to walk slowly between two rows of mirrors where they observed their undulating infinite reflections. (78″x60″x756″; each mirror 12″x48″)

36 mirrors, duct tape, fishing line, audience, 10.4.8-10.24.8

Alternate View