70 Faces of Work

"There is a fine line between the pathological and the creative, between addiction and practice…Addiction consumes energy and leads to slavery. Practice generates energy and leads to freedom…Habits are addictive if that mysterious acceleration factor is present, when enough is never enough, and what was enough yesterday is not enough today." Stephen Nachmanovitch, Free Play

Early this Spring a Wofford student caught me working very late in the evening in my office. He suggested I go home. He said, "It is sad that you are setting such a terrible example for me, even though you think you are actually helping me by working too much."

I took the student's comments to heart and examined the topic further.

For the past 70 days, I have examined my personal tendency to devote too much time to work, creating a daily self-study. Each piece is roughly 9''x 12''. I have used a variety of media as I created them on paper, glass, canvas, and board. In these studies, I have logged all of the hours I have worked each day as well as any conflicts that arose between my work, my life, and my art. Click here to view thumbnails of the 70 Faces of Work.

Starting on May 6th, these pieces will each be entrusted to friends and family who I have neglected by my work habits. This durational performance piece is intended to begin to restore a more proper balance between my work, my art, and my life.