Velvet Pelican Tree 1

Hello yet again. Finally this summer I have been able to get around to putting some flags out for the general populace to consume at random. I have, over this summer given out a handful to some folks who have been kind to others or just as a pleasant surprise. The set in the last posting went out for whomever wished to take one. I chose to locate them on the Beverly Commons not too far from my house and right next to Montserrat College of Art.

I put them out around 6:00 Friday morning, yesterday. This set originally had ten pieces but 7 made it to the tree. One for my archives, one random recipient and a third was lost to weather experiments. Each one had a small plastic sheet attached with some simple instructions/ a request attached to it. I have asked each person who takes one to send a photo to the Velvet Pelican email so that I might post it here.

It is my hope that people will keep in the spirit of my intents. That being to help remember to have a few moments of solitude in their day. As I am not able to require this we will have to wait and see. It would not be in kind to dictate their location or use as I am in working in this capacity.

So why do I do this? Well... I can not see me becoming the world famous artist learned about in the art history cannon. Nor do I ever really see the day that I will be making a ton of money doing this or my art. So what do I do with my super secret art powers then? Velvet Pelican is my answer. If one person walks away with a refreshed thought or memory then I have accomplished my mission. Is it that simple? I suppose so and I am comfortable with that.

I have started to discover a new funny aesthetic with this set and come to an interesting conclusion. I have considered working with fancier materials and getting a bit more complex. This seems a logical route. What I have decided though is a bit contrary. The ethic is to keep it simple. The flags are the artifact of the intent. The combination of the production, intent of them, installing and the idea that they are gifts become the total package of the art piece. This might change down the road but, for the moment, it seems to be developing hand in hand with the Velvet Pelican mission.

Well, I suppose I have rambled on enough for now. If you have one of these nifty items please be kind enough to send a jpeg to: velvetpelican@gmail.com. I would very much appreciate your efforts. I will be setting another set loose shortly and will post the info as the time draws nearer. Until next time....