Chapter Zero: A Reimagining
(They told us in school that zero was art. How do you count to ten? -Bob Andy)
Introducing new polychromatic paintings. A Healthy Gut Biome helped us become “O,Que” with late-stage capitalism. Ghost Poo’n.
"I write about my own work because I want to speak for myself. I might not be the only authority, nor the best authority, but I want to participate in the writing of my own history. Why should artists be validated by outside authorities? I don't like being paternalized and colonized by every Tom, Dick, or Harry that comes along, male or female."
Marlene Dumas
Ditto. Eternally left enigmatic after years of huffing the Typhonian Dank while exploring the intricate depths of creativity, we now find ourselves deep in the Mauve Zone. Some like quid pro quo, we prefer pro. Our new work is an eclectic blend—part hunnid, part vituperative—that casts a spotlight on the wasteful inefficiencies prevalent in the art world’s hyperactive shipping practices and their internal logistics. These multifaceted polemic pieces serve as odes to the modern irony and the so-called veterans of waste in the art world—individuals from prestigious backgrounds who, despite their aspirations for blue-chip recognition, remain merely the waste handlers of the corporate elite's leftovers.
"If you're trapped in the dream of the Other, you're in trouble."
Gilles Deleuze
Sixteen 110-yard rolls of packing tape equal one mile, 1609.344 meters to be precise. The tape used in our artworks was appropriated from LA Packing, Crating, and Transport over a four-year span from 2008 to 2012. Each canvas embodies over three miles (5,280 yards) of heat-treated packing tape, supplemented with two pounds of solid Japanese high-heat paint, and four pounds of specialized glass powder "dust." Custom hand-bent neon lights and Swedish shrink wrap encapsulate the work, all housed in mahogany frames sourced from Reuse Hawaii and Bishop Museum scrap.
As these pieces age, the adhesive matures, enhancing the artwork's value over time. Given the precious nature of time, particularly in these slow-burning apocalyptic days, our work is designed to withstand the ever-evolving climate. Featuring comprehensive protection measures, our artworks are prepped for the lexicon of modern climate phenomena—heat domes, polar vortexes, atmospheric rivers, and bomb cyclones. Creativity must transcend market value, corporate timelines, and social media accolades, and instead find intrinsic worth.
These paintings are not traditional historical art but unique, evocative entities—luminescent and lyrical, yearning for an idealistic future. They exist outside the constraints of typical pandemic practices, reflecting a blend of past experiences from various locations in Hawaii and the mainland. Our work is not a game but a sincere exploration of the human condition, symbolized through various ethnically ambiguous, semi-hairy, and surly-cheeked figures.
Some new compositions just got installed, offering glimpses of humanity's potential future amidst the clutter of modern life. To many, they might appear useless and purposeless, devoid of immediate benefits, reflecting the thankless essence of our work. This is not superficial, but rather, a determined step away from past practices, embodying the innocence and precarious balance of youth. Wrapped meticulously in Swedish saran wrap and installed in the grimiest, neon-lit corners, our paintings are resilient against the passage of time.
In essence, our work captures the essence of modern-day dilemmas—corporate dominance, environmental decay, and evolving artistic expressions. It's a critique and reflection of the varied, sometimes absurd layers of contemporary life, wrapped in an ironically protective plastic sheath. This is a new kind of art, a perpetual vacation both on and off the walls, capturing the transient yet persistent essence of our existence.
