Ten Sculptures in Ten Days some day will be a popular event...hopefully. For now, it is simply to keep me from losing my mind. What are my current struggles?... It's the middle of winter in the mid-west, I live at a sculpture park but can't make any sculpture. Why can't I? I have heard of these kind of feelings before in these kind of situations, but I always thought I could beat them and would work through the mind-block simply because I love to work. I am happiest when my mind and hands are busy. So, what is stopping me? 

I recently spent a lot of time applying to graduate programs across the country and thought I should save my ideas, save my work ethic, maybe “relax” for a bit, and also save my money. The only thing I have really been comfortable with spending money on so far is sculpture.  Its very difficult to make anything back from it, that is, to sell a work art. Maybe that time will come, or maybe it just is not in the nature of my work to be sale-able. Regardless, right now I am trying to hold off on creating things in order to save energy and resources for my near future of creating things. After some time, I realized that that idea is defeating. If I am stopping myself from making things because of limited ideas, funding, and resources... the best thing to do would be to change what and how I make things. Maybe it is unsuccessful as far as a finished product, but maybe that's not where all success lies. In a real academic sort of way, it can be thought of as a learning experience. Pushing ones self to do something new may be one of the best ways to learn about yourself. Setting up a sort of “contest” even if it's alone is a great way to make sure a goal is accomplished. Also, what if there are other people involved; people to give you feedback throughout your process and upon completion, or the feeling that others are doing what you're doing?  These things can be enough pressure to achieve. Then the after-school-ends fear of not having anyone to make art for or to with could be diminished. The fear of having no peers or like-minded people to be around could be softened a bit. It could change the way one thinks about themselves or their work, or it could just be ten days to get back into the game.

For me, this project came to mind to stay busy. It will be limiting in the small space I have to work in, and challenging with the materials I have, but I think I have finally realized those are good things at this point. Hopefully I can get others to participate in Ten Sculptures in Ten Days in the future, and I will post their writings, ideas, process, photo's, and feedback, and it can be a source of inspiration for many others who feel like I do. Here are the guidelines I am setting for myself. Thanks for reading.

Ten Sculptures in Ten Days; Dane R. Winkler

-Franconia Sculpture Park, Shafer, MN, USA

-Sunday Feb 24th 2013, 9:44 a.m – Wednesday March 6th 2013, 9:44 a.m

     

Guidelines  (All of these posted to this page on Wednesday the 6th)

-Ten completed sculptures with in progress and finished photographs (or videos), as well as sketches by above date and time.

-No part of the works may be started before said date and time

-Writings from each day about process, tool use, and the music listened to

-A photograph of the space worked in

-A list of tool and material usage

-A documented materials budget of $200 total. Less is better

-A writing upon completion about the works and the ten day process

-An Image Script complete with Title, dimensions, materials, description (if necessary), and price (haha)

-A clean workspace at the end of the project
-A photo of a beer while working

-If I fail........ nothing happens. Except I don't think I will feel any better about myself,

and the final photographed beer will be an in-expensive can. CHEERS! See you in ten days.

450 Farmall