Lux Aeterna by Johnny Monicker
June 8th, 2007 6:13 PM
I decided to install seventy seven candles depicting figures such as "The Baby Jesus" and "Our Lady of Guadalupe" down Morgan Street between 31st and 35th. I decided these candles would resonant with most people, especially those in the neighborhood, many of whom are either Catholic or Mexican or both. The installation was mostly successful. There was only one major obstacle that hampered my progress and that was what Lue Rawls referred to as "The Hulk" in his introduction to the song "Tobacco Row," that is the wind.
Instead of lining the candles along the edge of the pavers in a solemn streak of light I opted to place the candles in doorways up and down the street. In retrospect I don't think this made the installation less effective. Unfortunately, by early morning the wind picked up and I'm certain most of them went out (although I did see a few that were still lit by morning). The next night I gathered the candles that were left and gave them to charity. The majority were taken by the residents of the buildings. In retrospect, if I were to do this again I would pay better attention to the weather, although in Chicago that's going to be a losing battle.
And thank you everyone for the votes (of confidence!)
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YellowBear
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rongo rongo
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la flaneuse
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Burn Unit
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teucer
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urbanspaces13 comment(s)
Wow...I just signed up to do this task and I will admit to being a bit intimidated. That's a hard act to follow. Well done! Why 77 candles?
That's beautiful---good instantiation of the strange and beautiful.
I really love Chicago, and for better or for worse I think this kind of thing works really well there because there isn't quite the same culture of putting public art everywhere (either that, or it all gets sandblasted by Daley two hours after it goes up).
I understand why you might think that the installation doesn't work as well because you had to put them in doorways rather than lining the street. However, I think it still works, plus think of all these people coming out and seeing these candles lit up on their doorsteps. And then they'll look down the block and see the candles in their neighbors, and all down the street. Wonderful!
Way to jump right in the game with an amazing completion.
Really beautiful! I especially like that you didn't just line the street with them. Plus, selfishly, I am relieved that the first completion of this task didn't use my basic idea.... although now you have upped the ante for those whose follow.
I often wonder about the whole "intimidation factor" or the "I'm glad this didn't use my idea". I occasionally find myself feeling as la flaneuse expressed, or I see it by other commentators on SF0.
I hope in the long run our community doesn't make people feel either intimidated or unoriginal. I think some task completions should stand unique or solitary, sure. And I'm a major appreciator of original ideas; I hope to have a couple myself! On the other hand, I would love to see a rash of imitations. I mean, if 77-candle collections turned up in a dozen cities around the country, so what, right? It'd be freakin' awesome, that's what!
As rongo rongo suggested in her Waiting Game, I believe you can use other people's task completions as foundation for your own, or outright copy them in your own way. I suppose yeah, it makes you "less original" but perhaps in the spirit of Glasnost, people will eventually find the right balance. Probably.
That's our senator talkin'! Always politikin'!
Also wanted to mention that the photos are breathtaking as well. Made me miss Chicago muchly.
Thank you everyone for the votes of confidence. I don't think people ought to be intimidated by a task completion. Someone could easily do something just as spectacular with far less work.
Also, When I chose to create the installation and post it via this website I assumed that emulation by other artists was a potential consequence. I would be delighted if other people were to copy the light installation. I have little control over that and wouldn't want any.
It's things like this that make me really glad that the anti-consumer task is no longer around. Nicely done, and I wish I could have seen the look on peoples faces at the new street theme...