Green vs Red

GREEN vs RED is a game Engstrom and De Souza have been playing together for over a month, and will continue throughout the duration of the Without Borders exhibition. Using oversized game pieces each player makes a move by integrating the piece into some environment or life-setting that communicates something about that player’s life and artistic practice, and then documents that ‘move’ with a digital photo. The photos are then posted on a blog and points are earned for each ‘move’ dependant on the amount of time required for the player to respond. The players also have the option to submit bonus items of an artistic nature, and with them the ability to earn extra points. During the exhibition postcards will be available and will include game pieces with which viewers will be encouraged to play their own correspondence game.

WORK STATEMENT

This project has developed from an interest in the kinds of distant relationships that people are able to maintain through the use of technology and the ability to mutually influence each individual’s life in the relationship. We have undergone an exploration of the social role of games in cultures resulting in the creation of GREEN vs RED, an art correspondence game.

This project is the result of our three main concerns: games – as they create a culture of healthy competition, correspondence – as it aids in the maintenance of human relationships, and technology, as it relates to an increasingly globalized experience. All three of these realities considered, we are lead to thoughts and anxieties with respect to how we continue to find meaning and value in our interpersonal experiences. We find ourselves in a position that is in limbo; able to maintain relationships over a long distance in using various technological advancements, but also removed from the gratification that direct, corporeal relationships bring.
Games, of course, offer a source of entertainment, but many games rely heavily on intellect or physical ability rather than luck alone. Artistic endeavors also rely primarily on intellectual ability. One such example is the game of Chess where players must adequately challenge their opponent within pre-determined criterion so as to get the upper-hand and win the challenge. Each player responds with a move that is tailored to that of the previous move. These types of activities are often played on an informal basis, and among friends. This is perhaps inconsistent with the concept of competition. We are interested in the somewhat paradoxical relationship between that of mutual respect and competition.

In order to maintain a relationship between individuals there must be communication. Correspondence denotes a language-based relationship that usually takes place between two individuals over a distance that eliminates the option of a direct relationship. The goal in this scenario is to maintain a presence in each other’s life and thoughts. Each individual has their own communication style that reflects their personality. Each piece of correspondence contributes to a foundation of communication between people, and creates a stream of consciousness between individuals.

The most common correspondence game is likely correspondence chess. It is not a game of chance but a game that pits intellect against intellect. Performing this activity through correspondence has the added benefit/challenge, not simply of making moves with the intent to win, but to communicate subtle thoughts and ideas that may expose the personality of a given competitor as attributes such as humor, aggressiveness, confusion, panic, etc. are transferred and interpreted by the other player upon each move. Through this process players may develop a friendship built on respect and admiration. This is much the same reality as with members of close-knit artistic communities.

GREEN vs RED incorporates a set of predetermined rules, a point structure and the use of oversized game pawns that are used by the players to create their correspondence. It is a game played by two artists who wish to take part in friendly competition, but also build and maintain valuable relationships so as to find influences and inspiration that might add diversity and richness to their own artistic practice. Players use the visual language, rather than a verbal one, as the primary form of communication. Combining this with the structure of a competitive game produces a process whereby the artists/players are challenged to construct and deconstruct meaning on a competitive/cooperative and ongoing basis. The results are documented by social technological means, a blog that also serves as the visual display mechanism for the game. This allows for both the players to easily respond to each other within the long-distance relationship, and for others to follow and comment on the game being played. The use of internet technologies is the basis on which distance relationships can exist but, as artists, we are attempting to encourage increasingly creative modes of communication in order to maintain more prosperous and connected relationships as our interpersonal experiences become increasingly globalized ones.

COLLABORATIVE PROCESS STATEMENT

The creative process often holds the risk of being a vacuous and solitary one, particularly in lone studio environments. As a result artists are often drawn to collaboration as a way of challenging and recognizing art and life as an ever-evolving process and experience that is based on relationships between individuals and is continually changing. This project upholds these expectations.

In her project proposal for collaboration, Shyra expressed a desire to cultivate her relationships with friends and family as these interpersonal experiences become increasingly globalized and technology-based, rather than direct, local experiences. Her concerns stem from a desire to maintain meaningful relationships with those who she has little direct contact with. These concerns apply equally to that of relationships between artists, and the ways in which an artist might seek competition, camaraderie, and mutual respect as it feeds into their artistic practice. These interests and challenges lead to the use of game play to explore this further, and proposed to create a correspondence game.

A fundamental interest of mine is the consideration of the everyday experience as it relates to a blurring of art and life. I was intrigued by the prospect of working with someone that had similar interests and who would become an influence in, and part of my everyday existence. The distance separating us and the use of technological means, including email and later a blog, to pursue this relationship also pushed this consideration further by looking at the prevalence and social role of technology in communication that allow these relationships to form and continue.

With these concepts in mind, we began to form our game through email correspondence, steadily expanding on the each other’s previous considerations. This process lead to the formation of a set of rules and a point structure, allowing them to evolve as the game progressed.

Playing the game has enabled the development of what is a competitive/collegial relationship, and has become an ongoing presence in our daily lives, as well as an influence on our routines and activities. Since we’ve begun our regular ‘correspondence’ every element of our work for this exhibition has been a creative, reciprocal effort and, we feel, is a reflection of what art and human relationships are all about.