The Fish Exchange is a performance art and cultural exchange project, in which I trade with commercial fishermen my art for their fish.
During a two-month artist residency in The Netherlands, I will complete the third installment in my Fish Exchange performance art project. I plan to trade with the captain of a commercial fishing trawler, offering him a piece of my artwork in exchange for the opportunity to spend several days at sea during a fishing trip. I'll spend my time on board finding out what it's like to work as a commercial fisherman, as well as sketching, and creating photo and video documentation of the experience. This documentation and the drawings I make during the residency will be the basis of an exhibition in Holland in May 2011.
I initiated the Fish Exchange in Iceland in January 2009 during a different artist residency in a small fishing village called Skagastrond. When I arrived in the village on January 1, it was the darkest and quietest time of the year. There was only 2-3 hours of daylight, and I was the only outsider in the village. Venturing out of my art studio there, to try my luck trading with the local fishermen was a way to meet people in that very remote place. You can see photos of that project here: http://philipsimmons.net/Projects/Pages/Fish_Exchange:_Iceland.html
I continued the Fish Exchange in Køge, Denmark in September 2009. I was there for another art project for the Museum of Art in Open Spaces, and the curator of that project put me in touch with a local fisherman who was willing to take me out for 2 days to help him set, and haul in the nets. Documentation of that project is here: http://philipsimmons.net/Projects/Pages/Fish_Exchange:_Denmark.html
The vital part of this work for me is the cultural interaction that happens during the trading process. Ideas are exchanged, values are negotiated, and interpersonal relationships develop. By taking my art practice out of the studio and gallery setting I hope to gain insight into how my work is perceived and valued by people outside of the art world. I hope the fishermen gain a new perspective on what being an artist can mean.
The money that you pledge to my project will help to pay for a portion of the art supplies and housing costs associated with the residency.
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25
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Funding period
Feb 5, 2011 -
Mar 13, 2011
- First created · 3 backed
- Has not connected Facebook
- Website: philipsimmons.net
Pledge $10 or more
1 backer
For this pledge amount, you'll get a personal thank you from me...via Skype or Google video chat from Holland! I'll tell you how things are going, and teach you any Dutch words I've learned.
Pledge $25 or more
11 backers Limited (39 of 50 left)
You'll receive a piece of the art from the project, a 5" x 7", signed and numbered, archival photo print in an edition limited to 50. This will be one of the documentary photos from the Fish Exchange.
Pledge $50 or more
2 backers
This gets you a hand written/hand drawn postcard mailed from Holland. Want to know what the weather was like on May 3rd in Renkum, along with a thumbnail sketch of the scenery? Well, here's your chance to find out!
Pledge $75 or more
0 backers Limited (20 of 20 left)
I'll send you an 8" x 10", signed and numbered, limited edition (of 20) photo print from the Fish Exchange.
Pledge $100 or more
5 backers
You'll receive an original 5" x 7" watercolor painting that I'll create for you during the residency in Holland. The subject will be fish, in the form of a $100 note of Fish Exchange currency, similar to the art I used for the Fish Exchange I made in Denmark. And certainly a video chat, if you want one.
Pledge $200 or more
5 backers
For generosity of this magnitude, I will create for you a unique 8" x 10" artwork, using mixed media, including watercolor, pencil and gouache. The subject matter will be my surroundings in Holland, and will include themes of nature and travel. I'll also send you a postcard, and skype you if you want!
