_ particle monologues (letters to a universal you) --- 2008

in this multi-city conversation, breakarts artists rachel mcintire, beth sondel, maya erdelyi-perez, robert mauksch, and amanda leigh lichtenstein, along with artist friends jeff kay, robert possehl, jennifer mayes, lindsay madden, write poetic snippets addressed to a "universal you" on tags with string. we give these snippets to each other via post, and then tie each other's snippets in spots throughout our respective cities -- chicago, oakland, nyc -- to lamp posts, bicycle handlebars, street lights, fences, and tree limbs.

the project is based on rachel's theory of "particle monologues" -- the notion that each of us carries and rehearses the lost fragments of conversation addressed to a particular "you" -- when that person leaves, dies, disappears, we are still left speaking to that person -- addressing unrequited, undiscovered, unrevealed messages from within. here, in this project, we get to expose, expunge, exalt the voice inside each of us that speaks to another.

a glimpse into what's floating around nyc:

"quitting is courageous."

"listen to your last voice message 3 times. memorize it and perform it."

"just say yes"

a glimpse into what's floating around oakland:

"stand closer. lean louder."

" you smell a bit like yesterday."

"call your mother. call her back from the dead."

"tomorrow night, wander through a tunnel of sound."


stay tuned for photographs from chicago, nyc, and oakland....and be on the lookout for particle monologues floating near you!

The Particle Monologues Blog

More images from this project