Megan and Murray

Idaho: Sea Shovel Process

For the show that's currently up at NNU's Friesen galleries, we were given both spaces: one for each video, Sea Shovel and The Stepping Up and Going Under Method. As a companion piece to the videos we made a 25 foot long collage in each gallery that documented the process of making that video. We used handcut photos, text from blog posts written while making the videos, and a conceptual "time-line" connecting it all, with handwritten notes which opened the process up even further.

At the opening, we found that audience members kept going back to see the video again after spending time with the collage. They were looking for particular details described in the process — like the fact that the ship was designed to just fit inside our studio and the sweepers had to step onto the ship at the end while the garbage throwers lowered the lights to make the ship seem to continue moving away. There was a lot of movement back and forth between the video and the wall. We thought the work was so successful that we're considering incorporating the process collage into other shows in the future.

Both videos and collages are on view at the Friesen galleries until March 9.

Opening in Idaho on Feb. 5

We're going to Boise this week to install a show that opens next Tuesday. The exhibition at NNU will feature two video and audio pieces, Sea Shovel and The Stepping Up and Going Under Method, along with a large-scale wall collage of the process documentation exploring the making of each video. The collage will span the range from step-by-step photos of the building of each of the video's sets to writings addressing the metaphorical underpinnings of the work.

Sea Shovel is a video in which a man carrying a shovel pulls a ship behind him; he is oblivious to his burden. On the ship are two groups of characters: the sleepers and the workers. As the ship moves along, the workers dump barrels of trash over the side while three soldiers follow behind, sweeping up in trash that scatters in the ship’s wake. The soundtrack of rustling trash mimics the sound of a boat out at sea.

In The Stepping Up and Going Under Method, a boat traveling along a metal track carries two characters: a woman crouched at the prow like a figurehead, and the mariner who guides the boat down the track. As the boat approaches an obstacle blocking its path, the travelers must make a choice: what will they do with the obstacle in front of them? The soundtrack is derived from a NASA recording of a rocket booster disengaging in space, re-entering the Earth's atmosphere and crashing into the ocean.

Sea Shovel Opens Tonight

Opening reception on Saturday, February 4, 2006 from 6-9pm. Upfront Gallery, Ventura, California. Featuring the Sea Shovel video and photographs.

Sea Shovel: Zach Kleyn

Detail of Shoveler Zach Kleyn. Show opens Saturday (click here for info).

Sea Shovel: Jeff Mullins

Detail of Sleeper Jeff Mullins.

Sea Shovel: Ariana Mullins

Ariana Mullins as a Worker in our new video Sea Shovel premiering at Upfront Gallery in Ventura this Saturday.

Sea Shovel: Michael Liaw

Sweeper Michael Liaw.

Sea Shovel: Jennifer Suh

This is a behind-the-scene detail of sleeper Jennifer Suh. Megan and I are continuing to work on the installation for the video this weekend. Click here for exhibition details.

Sea Shovel: Image 5

This is a detail of the Sweepers.

Sea Shovel: Image 3

These are images from our latest video, Sea Shovel, premiering in our new video installation at Upfront Gallery in Ventura, California on February 4. This is a detail of the Shoveler.