It's teatime
- WCU Author/Contributor (non-WCU co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
- Leigh Ann Parrish (Creator)
- Institution
- Western Carolina University (WCU )
- Web Site: http://library.wcu.edu/
- Advisor
- Matt Liddle
Abstract: When my grandmother, Emily Pearl Dorsey, passed away I thought life would never be the same.I was right. After years of investigating my memories, and recalling them through my artwork Ihave come to realize the true beauty of memories and shared experiences. It’s Teatime celebratesthe shared histories of unique objects, stories, skills, and most importantly, simply spending timetogether. Our shared precious moments only stand the test of time by being passed on to eachother. Many years from now, all that will remain of our time together is the story, and maybesome papers stained with tea from a party long ago.It’s Teatime compares how memories connect people through both physical and virtual artexperiences. My thesis show is an interactive art installation that explores collective memory inactive engagement versus virtual connectedness during tea parties, and the impermanence ofmemories through the deterioration of tea bags. I am creating two contrasting cycles of remembrance—one where people participate in a tea party then metaphorically leave their mark bystaining the walls with teabags after the tea party in the museum; the other where people watchingthe tea party live on the Internet can leave comments on a live web feed as their way of marking our time together. The physical stain of our existence contrasts the online comments thatexist only in the virtual world. These physical acts then become memories completing the cyclewith only a trace of the event left by the tea stains and comments.Some of the conversations already occurring in the art world about collective memory,food, and physical versus virtual existence include Jennifer Rubell’s edible installations andRirkrit Tiravanija’s curry feeding performances. They have all influenced this installation. I wasalso inspired by performance artist Marina Abramovic’s utilization of live internet feeds to contradictthe intimacy of spending physical time together in “The Artist Is Present” (Anelli, "Mo-MA.org | Interactives | Exhibitions | 2010 | Marina Abramovic: The Artist Is Present | Portraits”).These artists explore themes I delve into further in my thesis.
It's teatime
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Created on 11/1/2015
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Additional Information
- Publication
- Thesis
- Language: English
- Date: 2015
- Keywords
- Installation Art, Leigh Ann Parrish, Memory, Teatime, Virtual
- Subjects
- Installations (Art)
- Collective memory
- Tea