Social ecologist Ethan Shoshan presents an archive of 31 treasured objects and their accompanying conversations. This project encompasses vignettes into people’s lives through objects that hold significant personal meaning to them. Through each object on display, a conversation with its caretaker begins; visitors have the freedom to peruse the objects and listen to an accompanying audio guide conversation. It is through these stories that we connect and engage with the person behind the story and gain insight and an intimate connection to something deeper within ourselves. From Bibbe’s relationship with her mom through gathering stones to a realization of home in acceptance of every moment as “perfect,” to SKJ’s first projector providing the construction of personal and social resources that help shape his creative community. A new inspired look at timeless portraiture, weaving together personal archives and institutional archives, forgotten histories, memories, and embodied experiences in a testament and an affirmation of life and its lessons.
Collaborators
Arthur Aviles, Jill L. Conner, Barry Frier, Bibbe Hansen, Geoffrey Hendricks, Jim Hubbard, Stephen Kent Jusick, Stephen Lack, Agosto Machado, Stefani Mar, Liz McGarrity, Lucia Maria Minervini, Angelo Monaco, Augustmoon Ochiishi, Uzi Parnes, Dennis Redmond, Hunter Reynolds, Charles Rice-Gonzalez, Rob Roth, Edward Rubin, Rafael Sanchez, Arleen Schloss, Gervaise Soeurouge, Sur Rodney Sur, Chris Tanner, Brad Taylor, Gail Thacker, Jack Waters, Kathleen White, Brian “Soigne” Wilson, and Stephen Winter.
An online archive of the recorded conversations is available here.
“Just Do Art! Strange Birds” review by Scott Stiffler for Chelsea News
“Ethan Shoshan’s Miss Piggy” blog post by Christina Squitieri for CBA Blog
Support for Center for Book Arts’ visual arts programming is provided, in part, by the New York State Council on the Arts and the New York State Legislature, and by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.
