Project Rosso | Revised Proposal - Elimination or Conservation, the Antique Personal Space on the Streets
The fate of the red phone booth has come to the common end of most outdated creations. It is leading the current upsurge of nostalgia in the United Kingdom, becoming a landmark of diverse functionalities as well as the implicit relic of a bygone era.
For the first three weeks, my project is aiming at bringing people’s attention to the obsolete phone booths that have been neglected and filled with trash and advertisements. However, points have been brought up during the presentation arguing that the society has been moving on, things not in use ought to be weeded out or they will be occupying the current limited space and restricting new things from blooming.
Controversy has aroused about the removal and preservation of old things (1). I decided to develop my project regarding this controversial topic, whether or not we should conserve the memorable but obsolete tangible history. Furthermore, whilst calling forth discussion about “keep it, or lose it”, I want to further question the need for space, and especially personal space in the current world. On one hand people are calling for their own privacy; on the other hand we are asked to open up and to connect with the society. It is tricky for the new generation to find a balance in between provided that new technologies like VR, iPhone, have been sprouting one after another to constrain people within their own world. Being a relatively private and closed space in streets, in public spaces, the red telephone box stands to be a perfect starting point for this topic.
Post-processed photographs, models using various materials are the likely media I will be using for this project. The software drawing skill and model-making process will significantly help with achieving the project.
The photograph exhibition called Killed Negatives: Unseen Images of 1930s America (2) in Whitechapel Gallery has inspired me a lot because of the obscure nature of black holes on images. The iconic image of red telephone box can be magnified when comparing with a “London without Red Telephone Box”. In addition, Japanese artist Tatsuya Tanaka also opened up a new perspective for me with regards to tiny whimsical dioramas (3). Models do not need to be serious, they can be comedic and meaningful. Trying out with ubiquitous materials and granting new identities to them may bring more fun into this project.
The intended audience for the work should not be narrowed down to a particular group. It intends to affect as many as possible in order to evoke sympathy among society.
To conclude, the project aims to raise discussion about elimination and conservation, as well as to question the balance between personal and public space.
Reference
The Stretcher Railing Society. (Date unknown). FOR THE PROMOTION, PROTECTION AND PRESERVATION OF LONDON'S ARP STRETCHER RAILINGS. Retrieved from https://www.stretcherrailings.com/
Whitechapel Gallery. (2018 May 16 - Aug 26 ). Killed Negatives: Unseen Images of 1930s America. Retrieved from http://www.whitechapelgallery.org/exhibitions/killed-negatives-unseen-images-1930s-america/
Nevin Thompson. (2015 Aug 14). Using Paperclips, Broccoli or Microchips, This Japanese Artist Creates a Whimsical Diorama Every Day. Retrieved from https://globalvoices.org/2015/08/14/using-paperclips-broccoli-or-microchips-this-japanese-artist-creates-a-whimsical-diorama-every-day/
