Bennett Schatz, DXARTS (intended)

Contact ickis3@u.washington.edu

Free Change

This project is a continuation of a project started in DXARTS
200. It explores the concepts of systems art,
social/cultural/psychological dynamics, and human interaction. The
project involves me sitting in a public place with a cup of change and
a sign (in the first iteration the sign simply said Free Change,
though i may explore different signs to explore different reactions)
soliciting various passersby. In this piece I fit in almost completely
with the social/cultural image of a beggar, however I am not asking
the public for change, rather I am offering to give it to them at no
cost (both literally and metaphorically). The reactions of these
passersby will be recorded both in a journal updated after each
iteration, and via a discretely placed photographer (Kenny Breit).
This piece hopes to explore the systems of interaction between beggars
and the public, the extent to which the public generalizes based
solely on positioning and preconceived notions, the effect of a sign
on these preconceived notions, and any number of other topics brought
up whilst performing the piece. While this is a performance piece
whose substance lies mainly in the interaction between the performer
and the public, it is nonetheless necessary to document the individual
iterations of the piece for a retrospective summary. This
documentation will be done in the form of written journal entries, a
retrospective analysis, and a series of photographs documenting the
various performances (hence the need for a camera).