Prologue for A Story to See

 

This project began when I joined artmesh.org an international website devoted to artists, collectors and curators. After many months, I realized that there were few storytellers on this site. Most contemporary art shuns a theme, message or narrative. I desired to meet other artists with a story to tell, so I set up a group within this site and immediately found a family of like-minded artists. The artists in this group span the world, artistic media, religions, lifestyles, etc. but share a delight in storytelling. Shortly after I set up the group, Sahin Ozbay joined and suggested a collaborative project which would take the form of a virtual book. I eagerly embraced the idea, as did most of the narratives and storytellers group.

 

Next, Sahin and I set out some parameters. Would there be a prewritten story? Would there be a theme to follow? Would the artists be beholden to a technique? A static image? No, we jointly decided that each artist would be free to pursue their own style, media and image. The only criteria are using at least one object, scene, or person from the preceding image, a ratio of 2:3, and a three-week deadline to complete the artwork.

 

Ultimately, our vision with this project is to create a flowing narrative with no verbal text. It is the ultimate visual story. A cast of artists creates an ongoing story with only elements of one panel fueling the next. The artists are inspired one from another and an overarching story being created from it all. A story to see is a visual delight for any audience because of the enormity of possibilities inherent in this project. The lack of verbal narration creates an experience for the viewer and the participating artists which transcends language.

 

Several facets of this project make it highly unusual. The randomness of the art which is a result of the order that the artists signed up for the project creates an extreme stylistic mix both in media (painting, photography, digital art, drawing) and context (different cultures, religions, attitudes). In what direction will it go? Additionally, this project requires the viewer to take an active part in trying to find the element which is borrowed from the previous panel. The viewer can see how these objects change in meaning as the context changes.

 

Sahin has been the best of collaborators. He has originated the idea, he has created the digital platforms to facilitate this, he has set up the websites and the programs. He is a steady, thoughtful and practical partner in this. I owe him thanks for generating a project beyond my greatest hopes.

 

Gabriella Boros

June 2008