Heidi Schaaf will be in the Snap Space gallery to meet and talk with visitors Friday August 7, from 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm. Please visit our website for further instructions on how to reserve a 30 minute, five people or fewer time slot.
Just Add Water is a series of pieces made of non-precious and atypical art materials. Choosing a challenging material to work with is an important aspect to my work because I strive to have a partnership with it, where ideas can be generated based on the physical qualities. The Manhattan phone book is an ideal material to experiment with, because it is a standard size which lends itself to permutations of manipulation that generate new ideas. I make my own modules that become another standardized part and then I alter that unit or add to it. The material is visually banal which sets up an interesting challenge for content and formal qualities. Transforming the material to become ambiguous to the viewer if only for a short period adds a surprising layer to the experience. Using this particular standardized material can refer to the post-industrial world where piles of consumer waste offers new potential for art and idleness.