Artist Statement: Process Piece

         The piece below is an audio compilation of a student hurriedly writing and typing to finish his homework before the bell rings to send him off to class. He is in a quiet study room. These sounds represent sounds we hear everyday. They are sounds of studying, working, and putting our things in our backpack. These are all micro-processes that we as students experience all the time. The quick typing and writing and rushed sound of piling everything in the backpack represents the result  of procrastination. We all have procrastinated and have had those feelings. So this piece is meant to be familiar to everyone. It shows the monotony of constant writing and typing, typing and writing that students experience. But it's all for our good. The bell keeps us on our toes. The people we interact with between class educate and stimulate our minds.

         It's quiet, very quiet. The only sounds at the beginning are our minds thinking and our pencils writing. This piece is meant to be very simple but with energy. It is meant to be realistic, but subtle sounds we often tune out are brought to the surface in volume. It isn't very symbolic but it is a representation of the familiar, the everyday, the repetitive nature of school. The student is alone at first working away but soon surrounded by many people; the variety of student life. 

       The process viewings we saw for class were very interesting. I've never given much time to documentary but the video of the smokehouse reeled me in. The way it was shot and the processes were hypnotizing. Process can be very hypnotizing and therapeutic. That's why we are attracted to them. We like process but we also like product. Sometimes we just want the product. But the viewings we saw for class reminded me how intriguing simple process can be. It's especially intriguing when it's a process I've never seen before such as, making candy. Mr. Rogers was great at showing process I've never seen like crayon making. It reels me in. It zones me out of my world for a bit. That's why it creates a sense of euphoria. 

      But in all honesty we all like product, that's why we go to Walmart instead of make our own stuff. And there is a tradeoff. Because of so many products being provided for me today I am able to make films for a living. I am able to focus on that process. If I had to spend all day cutting down trees to make my own furniture, growing food, and sewing clothes, I would never have time to make movies. So in summary I like product because it allows me to focus on other processes like filmmaking but I do appreciate the importance of process and the therapeutic nature of human process and labor.