Sunday, June 14, 2009

Burns Maxey & Maggie Nowinski - video installation



photos: Bob Raymond (MAG)


Burns Maxey and Maggie Nowinski

Untitled
video installation

Memesis from Burns Maxey on Vimeo.



The piece is a free-standing video with audio of a collaborative performance with Maggie and Burns of a conversation or attempt to communicate via shared tap shoes -- one on the left, one on the right. The audio is a translation of the conversation/story.

Burns Maxey
2009 "Politics of Shoes", Mobius, Boston, MA
"Project Elements Easthampton: Earth, a preview", Grubbs Gallery, Easthampton, MA
2008 "Art Can Be Useful aka Whenever I do Laundry, I am a star", collaboration with San Huxley, Easthampton Laundromat, Easthampton, MA
"Experimental Dance/Movement WIP, collaboration with Sara June, Mobius, Boston, MA
2007 "DIMENSION: determining the dynamics of space", Repetti Gallery, Long Island City, NY
2006 "Works on Paper", Northampton Center for the Arts, Northampton, MA, first prize
2005 "your travel environment", A.P.E. Ltd., Northampton, MA
"Works on Paper", Northampton Center for the Arts, Northampton, MA
2003 "Paintings, Prints & Installations", Up/Stair/Fine/Art, New Bedford, MA
"POV: Bringing the World into Focus", Artoconecto, Washington D.C.
"Halpert Biennial", Turchin Center for the Visual Arts, Boone, NC
2000 "Tails of the City", Metreon, San Francisco, CA
1999 "Post-Postcard 4", Four Walls Gallery, San Francisco, CA
1998 "The Norms", Benson Hall Gallery, Providence, RI, Solo show
1997 "Mother", AS220, Providence, RI, Performance, actor
"Paraphilia", Benson Hall Gallery, Providence, RI
"Union", Union Street Gallery, Providence RI

EDUCATION
1998 Rhode Island School of Design Providence, RI BFA
1993-1995 Bard College. Annandale-on-Hudson, NY

http://www.burnsmaxey.com/

Maggie Nowinski is an interdisciplinary artist in Western Massachusetts. Her work incorporates a variety of materials and contexts. She makes paintings, drawings, photographs and sculptural installations, with constructed and/or found objects, video and sound. She received her B.F.A. in painting from SUNY New Paltz in 1997, and her M.F.A. in Visual Art in 2007 from Vermont College of Fine Arts.

http://maggienowinski.com/

Note from the Curator: I knew of Burns Maxey's work through Sara June I emailed Burns about submitting an installation for The Politics of Shoes. I was expecting her to come up with or already have a sculptural installation of some kind for the show. Burns replied almost immediately:

"Funny you should mention shoes because I a friend of mine, Maggie Nowinski, have been having an ongoing conversation about tap shoes with for the past couple of weeks. This sounds like it would work in context for The Politics of Shoes show. The piece is a free standing video with audio of a collaborative performance with Maggie and me of a conversation or attempt to communicate via shared tap shoes-- one on the left, one on the right. The audio would be a translation of the conversation/story. We would supply the monitor/DVD player and earphones. If Mobius does not have an available podium/stand, I could probably locate one. If that's the case, you would only need to supply the electricity."

At first I was a bit disappointed I must admit because I needed more 3 dimensional pieces in the show (at the early stage of the submissions, I had almost exclusively 2-D work proposed and accepted). However Burns kindly supplied everything including the podium as promised, detailed and clear instructions drawn in pencil on a turntable cutout.

Another fortunate happenstance was having the opportunity to meet Burns Maxey's collaborator Maggie Nowinski when she literally had to drive from Western Massachusetts to Boston to de-install their installation.

The video is stunning, humorous, tragic. It seems to have take on layers of meaning the more times you watch it. If you have a few minutes to watch the original video embedded above (generously supplied by Burns Maxey), please enjoy.


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