Bustering

So we were able to take a field trip to the Frye to see the exhibit on Buster Simpson. He's an extremely fascinating guy, with a large body of work. I know we were there mostly to learn about his interventions even though there was a lot of gallery work.



I particularly enjoyed his Hudson River Purge, wherein he threw in limestone antacids for the bay, neutralizing it's acidic Ph balance. It's very humorous and I think that it is a quite successful intervention that bring your attention to the environmental problems of the modern world. Seeing the video as a projection, almost an animated gif, worked well for the gallery and makes it almost never ending.

Busters' Woodman, the man walking with sticks, didn't appeal to everyone, but I get it. Here's a guy actively struggling with his task and he is pretty much being ignored wholesale. I feel like I do that a lot, in regards to seeing people struggling with their loads, be they homeless or not. I feel guilty on many an occasion, since I think I could help, but I suppose the problem is that once you start helping, people kind of expect you to help whenever they need it, which can be troublesome for you.

I am getting off topic somewhat though. The trip was very enlightening, and while it is still kind of tough to make those distinctions between performance art and social practice, seeing Buster Simpson's work does solidify some of the ideas we should be thinking about.