the irony of hotness

like the previous posted has already stated, it's hot out. First Backyard is hot—scalding hot.

now there's media out there who seems to believe it too.

hot art days

The heat is descending upon us and I know that maybe this seems that it would be impossible to continue an entirely outdoor art event held on a concrete pad that retains and amplifies all of the heat from the sun that has been beating on it all day.

But you would be wrong.

First of all, First Backyard highly recommends and is now officially endorsing baking soda as your drug of choice to combat the usual seemingly unavoidable stinkiness that comes with this time of year. Don't ingest it, of course, but powdered on instead of deodorant and we swear, although you may still sweat and occasionally have to combat white phantom rings, you will no longer smell like a horse.

So, keeping this in mind, try conjuring up that next great project you've been wanting to play around with to share with our intimate First Backyard audience. The sun and heat, if not producing hallucinations, have and can still inspire great works of performance, spoken word, sound, installation or participation. Stay tuned for examples of such inspiring works.

We will even provide a large vat of baking soda, seeing as it is available for the artist-friendly price of only 99 cents.

Send a short description of your project along with a web link or other images to: furryjenusATgmail.com

FB in Capitol backyard

I wanted to feel things out to see if anyone is interested in creating a performance, staging a reading/discussion/thinktank in relation to the recent SB1070 events.

Given First Backyard's proximity to the capitol, i feel like i've been part of all the events going on. if i'm not at a rally at the capitol, i can hear one happening from my backyard. a Fox10 helicopter spent an entire 2 hours hovering over my backyard on the day Jan Brewer signed the law.

Does this give anyone some ideas? If it does, let's talk about it here or on the Facebook First Backyard discussion board and get something happening now!

1stBY#2!

The 2nd First Backyard event on April 16 brought together a performance where both the artist and viewer were made to consider the experience of time; vegetable garden perusal; hopscotch; art submissions; art solicitation; cheese; fresh-baked cookies; Hall and Oates; parachutes; post-its (that i'm still finding in the oddest places) and the energy of Join and Cast brainparents Jen and Catherine.

If you couldn't make it, i'll give you this short moment to feel disappointed that you weren't there...

and now, some photos:

thanks to Christy Puetz, Kristin Fukuchi, and Join and Cast for the photos

preparations for 1stBY#2!

it may not look like much now, but on Friday, April 16, this sad little square of concrete will transform into performance space, video screening, parachute play area, art exchange and social launchpad.

i'm working on the final details for my performance "taking a long time to get somewhere" and Join and Cast Ventures is making final preparations for their "official, super fun-time, give us your art, party". They'll have parachute games, participatory guide handouts, possible live music and of course snacks. From 7-9pm on April 16 you can get your submissions off your hands and into theirs!

Hope you can make it to the event...and here's the map to help you get there:

2nd 1stBY event! "taking a long time to get somewhere (a 1 minute act in 1 hour)", April 16

The next First Backyard event (1stBY#2 ) is ready to go for April 16 (Third Friday to you Phoenicians):

taking a long time to get somewhere
(a 1 minute act in 1 hour)
a video and performance by Jen Urso

April 16, 2010 (Third Friday)
7–9 PM (performance begins at 7 PM and will last 1 hour. audience can come and go.)
1341 W. Woodland — PHX (map is on this previous post)
(southeast corner of 15th Ave and Van Buren, in the backyard)
In this 2nd event for First Backyard, we also welcome Join and Cast Ventures, a Phoenix Art Community publication where Artist Book meets a Participatory Zine.
Stop by for this one-night only performance and to find out more about the 
Join and Cast Ventures project.

For this piece (thought up after a rare 3-hour afternoon nap a few days ago) i will record myself doing something for 1 minute, then stretch the video out to an hour, then perform the action at the 1-hour pace during First Backyard. Video of both the real time action and the slowed-down footage will be shown while i perform the task.

First Backyard is now on Facebook!

look for First Backyard's very own page, now on Facebook!