Bryce Hammond
work in progress
Florida Migration Project
The Florida Migration Project is a series of 6 large scale (8' to 12' range) modular paintings and 9 supporting works on paper (30"X22.5" each). The body of work examines the exodus to Florida during the 1930's as comment to the current state of the economy; focusing on how families cope with the hardship of relocation without sufficient financial means.
The subject matter is derived from vintage snapshots depicting families vacationing in Florida which were submitted through social network request. The depicted families relocated to Florida during the Depression, to escape challenging economic conditions. Two of the families lived in their cars upon arrival, another in railroad housing.
The works consist of enlarged photo transfers contrasting vacation images with inevitable hardship: Iconic Hibiscus flowers painted with discarded house paint, railroad row housing and mobile homes painted on burned wood panels and deteriorating screen doors. Dried fish, peppers and orange peels are encased in found plexi glass.
The modular paintings are constructed in a puzzle-piece gestalt; extending from the wall at varying intervals. The photo imagery relies on viewer investigation directed by the works on paper. These smaller formal paintings serve as map keys for discovery.
Florida Migration Series: Daddy Said 55"X98"; discarded latex, acrylic, plexi, orange halves, dried lizard, marble, beeswax, ink on wood (modular) 2011
See More Florida Migration Project Images
work in progress
You Will Forget me Tomorrow
segment 1: 15 Years of Cards
Bryce Hammond
Installation origin, biography
15 years of cards
15 years of cards is a site specific installation structured after temporary pedestrian construction hallways in New YorkCity.
For years, I have been intrigued by the temporary passageways built of scaffolding and blue-painted plywood that run parallel to construction sites and building renovations. Every 4 feet, the words Post No Bills are roughly stenciled in white spray paint. Graffiti and promotional posters are removed and painted over daily.
Recently, while in New York, I built a series of small, Fuller-inspired geodesic domes from my surplus of post cards announcing my past exhibitions. At 4:00 am, I glued the domes to the blue plywood under the Post No Bills warnings. The pieces remained glued to these temporary walls for more than 24 hours.
My purpose was to disregard the warnings and post 3-dimensional promotional objects, implying: “These materials are here for your consideration, but you will forget about them tomorrow.”
I began to contemplate why, (after 15 years of painting, showing and selling), am I immediately forgotten the day after an exhibition closes?
I remembered the quote from Sun Ra’s Space is the Place 1974, “I’m not real, you don’t exist. In this society, we’re both myths.” Contextually Sun Ra’s point was specific to African Americans in the early 1970s; commentary that nothing really had changed, the civil rights movement had been forgotten.
I was in no way comparing my identity as the forgotten artist to the plight of the oppressed African American community. However, Sun Ra’s words, music and film motivated a reflection of my personal anger toward the dominating players of the art world.
Many hours of my artistic practice are spent on the self-promotion hustle; seeking notoriety among collectors, critics, curators. Success is evident when collectors purchase paintings, the press writes reviews and galleries print out promotional cards and press packets.
Right after the shows, I am forgotten. The only residual clues of my existence are the extra invitation cards and promotional materials which the venue presents me in stacks.
I have now found a use for this residue. A statement, promotional materials, geodesic domes, nylon cables and a procession through simulated New York scaffolding will voice the statement: “Tomorrow, You Will Forget Me.”
Short Statement
After years of working as a professional visual artist, I find myself trapped in a perpetual cycle.
I hustle galleries, critics and collectors to forward my career. They reward my practice with sales, articles and exhibitions. In the end of each cycle, I am left with only clues of my existence; press clippings and thousands of extra post cards.
The day after I was heralded by the crowd at a solo exhibition, I was filling out free lunch applications for my children.
The cycle repeats after your journey through this passageway, and my quiet voice exclaims:
“Tomorrow, you will forget me.”
You Will Forget me Tomorrow
segment 2: Wall Text
Artist biographical wall text is removed from a Musuem wall, exposing a process of elimination. The exhibition is fading from memory, and the artist is reduced to a pile of letters.
Over a 3 hour period, letters were removed one at a time exposing words and statements hidden in the text. Finally, there were only circles, (the letter o out of context), a blank wall, a pile of letters, nothing.
wall text 1
wall text 2
wall text 3
wall text 4
wall text 5
wall text 6
wall text 7
wall text 8
wall text 9
wall text 10
wall text 11
wall text 12 (final)
You Will Forget me Tomorrow
segment 3: Street Corner
information, photos and statement to come in the Fall of 2011
work in progress
Bee Brood, A Human Project (working title)
This collaboration with Luke Aaron Clark will be developed over the next 2 years. It involves documentary travel, monumental-scale architectural installation and a full sound experience.
More information and documentation will be posted here when developed.
Interview With a 5th Grader
Very early in the project. Development will be documented on youtube.
Screen Test