So when the three arty farty's were in London back in September, we came across a disposable camera which had been left on a bench by Temple Tube Station. The person who had left the camera attached to the bench had also left this note:
We all thought that was such a brilliant idea! Especially that when the camera's were developed, the photographs would go up on a blog so that the public who had taken the photos could see how they had turned out.
So we decided to get involved in this by taking some pictures of our own. This is how they had turned out: (Images taken from http://secretlivesofbenches.blogspot.com/ )
(Rach posing with the camera on the bench)
The photo of me and Amy turned out rather dark, but the photo of Amy's belly had turned out really well!
I really like the way that the general public are involved within the creation of the art as a result of the artist providing the materials. The audience is engaged directly in the creative process, allowing them to become co-creators of the work. However, this does make me question as to whether this type of art pushes boundaries with more 'traditional' and conventional ways of working. Nevertheless, as we live in a world where creativity and innovation are essential to our existence, why shouldn't participatory art play a part in the artisitic process?
I am going to start and continue to experiment with the idea of participatory art and see which directions this takes me. Thank you Secret Lives of Benches for inspiring me! Exciting times lie ahead!
