31 Prince Street
“Time-Based Architecture ” by Karen Brummund
August 6–September 26, 2010 at Visual Studies Workshop Gallery, 31 Prince St.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Architecture defines public space and artist Karen Brummund will be radically altering the local environment with a dynamic outdoor installation about the passage of time. For the exhibition “Time-Based Architecture,” Brummund will be installing directly on the façade of Visual Studies Workshop’s ca. 1913, two-and-one-half story stone building. Last year VSW entirely removed the ivy from its historic edifice, once the woman’s dormitory for the University of Rochester. The piece 31 Prince Street entails Brummund creating one digitally scaled image printed on hundreds of sheets of paper in puzzle-like fragments that she will temporarily adhere directly to the building surface. Exploring the removed ivy both as a bygone symbol of prestige and a physical force of nature, the paper image fragments in Brummund’s weather-exposed installation will fall, pile on the ground, and blow away causing the presence of the piece to change over time. An outdoor webcam video feed will also be projected in VSW’s 31 Prince Street gallery space along with an accompanying exhibition essay by Patricia Phillips and other documentation and education materials to illuminate Brummund’s project. Phillips writes that, “Brummund has developed a series of temporary installations that examine and expose our perception and experience of actual space through puzzling and phantom-like interventions.”
The public can interact with Brummund’s work through a Drawing Mob or Sketchcrawl organized in connection with Rochester Contemporary Art Center’s annual State of the City exhibition also opening August 6, 6-10 pm. Contribute to the State of the City Exhibition and participate in drawing as a way to think about community, architecture and urban issues. As part of the crawl, go to Visual Studies Workshop on opening night where the artist will be providing paper to sketchcrawlers. Participants will be encouraged (but not required) to add their drawings to the State of the City Exhibition. Open to anyone, you do not have to be an experienced artist to contribute. (.pdf for full version)
Essay by Patricia Phillips, July 2010