Three days and two showers later, I’m still picking glitter out of my pubes. I know I prattled on yesterday about how nifty the island was, but I have to tell you about the magic that was specifically Figment, too.
FIGMENT’s vision for art looks past the white-walled galleries and into the realm of participation. Art is not just something that you stand still and quietly look at – it is something you participate in. You touch it, smell it, climb it, write on it, talk to it, dance with it, play with it, learn from it… Interactive art creates a dynamic collaboration between the artist, the audience and their environment.
FIGMENT’s goal is to advance social and personal transformation through creativity, in the form of free participatory arts events and exhibitions. FIGMENT is uninterrupted by commercial sponsorships, transactions, or advertising. Selling or advertising goods or services is not permitted. Neither our artists nor our planners and staff are paid – everything that you see at FIGMENT is born from a simple desire to share imagination with each other and the public.
If you have six minutes to spare, you can view a great video from last year’s event here. It makes me grin all over again. I almost don’t even mind that I’m still fishing glitter out of random orifices.
I’m not even exaggerating this time. Seriously! There was a kiddie pool filled with silver glitter – gobs and gobs of glorious glitter! In and amongst the glitter, the artist had deposited toys to manipulate the shiny mana – colanders, hand mixers, ladles, tea balls. When I dipped my hand beneath the surface, it was submerged in the softest, purist sand I’ve ever touched. I slowly raised my hand, watching the silver pour over my knuckles, leaving an iridescent trail – as though a thousand tiny snails had traversed the plains of my hand.
Interwebz, I could have stayed in that spot all day. If Justin Timberlake had walked up holding a cheesecake, I would have honestly believed I had died and gone to heaven. My brother quickly dispelled that notion when he dumped a handful of glitter on my head. The inevitable glitter brawl ensued and now my used q-tips look like tiny disco balls.
Gnome Adoption Agency
FYI: Glitter brawls are fan-fucking-tastic.
As Thom and I paused to pick the glitter out of our teeth, a garbled voice warbled from farther down the hill. “Did she just say, ‘Pink unicorn of doom?’” I asked Thom.
“I’m pretty sure,” he responded.
“Kiddie pools of glitter AND pink unicorns of doom?!??! This is the best day EVER! We are SO going there next!”
Upon arrival, we found two kiddie pools (I swear it’s like a theme!) approximately fifteen feet apart. Each pool was filled with water. The lawn surrounding the pools was scattered with broken and soggy stuffed animals. A guy and a gal stood side by side within each kiddie pool – wearing costumes. All four of the individuals were panting from exertion. One gal, particularly winded, was doubled over. Her left hand pushed against her thigh for support while her right hand tried frantically to secure her tiara before the next round.
Random Sculpture
The garbled female voice emerged erupted from the bullhorn again. “ARE YOU READY?!?!” Tiara Gal managed to stand upright while everyone else nodded. “GO!!!”
In a flash, everyone was out of their kiddie pools collecting stuffed animals and then dropping them into the water. Once the majority were collected, they then proceeded to fling the soaked plushies across the fifteen feet of grass and into the faces of their opponents. I couldn’t help but giggle when the guy to my right took a soggy Snoopy to the face. I looked back to the left to see Tiara Gal trying to extract a dripping SpongeBob from her headdress.
Then I saw the giant fuchsia mass moving through the air. I was momentarily blinded as the bright sun reflected off a golden hoof. Could it be? YES! It was the dreaded Pink Unicorn of DOOM! When all it’s water-logged girth crashed into the horror struck duo, they crumpled beneath it’s weight. “GAME OVER!” screamed the referee into her bullhorn.
Wishes
There were so many wonderful exhibits that I can’t possibly recount them all, but I have to tell you about one more – a wishing tree. A beautiful ancient oak tree was wrapped with a fine copper wire wound in endless twists and graceful twirls. The artist provided participants with a tiny, metal-trimmed, paper circle and a marker.
The only instructions were to write your dream and hang it on the tree. On one side, I wrote my dreams that I say out loud to anyone that asks. On the other, I wrote the dreams that I dare not speak out loud. I reached as high as I possibly could (which, let’s face it, is pretty damn high) and added my disc to the collective, my public dreams broadcast to the sky, my secret desires whispered to the tree.
If you’re curious, you can see more photos from the day here.
Glitter fights and baby doll flinging – sounds like a Party!
.-= Holly B´s last blog ..Bling Your Beaver – Put A Sparkle On Your Snatch =-.
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Just another day in the life…
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The Glitter Pond and the Wishing Tree are too wonderful for words! I looked at all your fab photos and tried not to think obvious but obscene thoughts about those giant inflatable earthworms with the signs “Do Not Climb.”
.-= Debra She Who Seeks´s last blog ..Super Model of the World =-.
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I kept thinking that if it were a Star Trek episode, Captain Kirk would have totally had sex with those things.
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OK, I have a problem…
Number 1 – Three days and only two showers
Number 2 – Pubes
The End
.-= Eternally Distracted´s last blog ..I love you all, like an enormous racing heart and stupendous flowers =-.
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Oh honey, I once went 6 days between showers. Granted, I didn’t have any hair at the time, but I’m pretty sure that’s grosser. I promise to at least do PTA bath before I make out with your Granny. (That’s pits, tits, and ass – FYI)
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OMG. A glitter sand box???? I’m so jealous.
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okay, your photos are lovely and all, but where are the photos of the wet plushie fight?!?!?!?
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I know. I tried. I just couldn’t capture the unicorn in all it’s glory. It’s possible I need to get a real camera some day.
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words on my wish disc: glitter brawl with elly. holla!
.-= pattypunker´s last blog ..happy summer (one week early. because i can’t wait. because i’m a child like that.) =-.
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Obviously it will be a permanent installation when we move the commune there.
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Honestly, that glitter pool sounds like my idea of heaven. I must recreate this on my deck.
.-= Hip Hop Hippie´s last blog ..Burpgasm =-.
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I bet you could charge admission.
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If you don’t use that first line on your tombstone, I will.
And you New Yorkers are so weird.
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I’m donating my bod to consumers reports so you have at it, doll!
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OMG that is how I imagine heaven! Glitter baths and pink unicorns of doom. Please tell me they serve tequila and I am dumping my family, picking up my lazy marshmallow arse, packing my Dorothy shoes and moving there.
PS told you glitter gets EVERYWHERE
.-= Rusty Hoe´s last blog ..Fabulous Friday: Glitter Dreams & Dorothy Shoes =-.
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Allegedly you can’t bring booze on the island. Obviously they haven’t met me.
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That sounds like such fun!!!!! Imagine the fun you will have for weeks to come while you still find glitter in various places
.-= Barb´s last blog ..Aloha kakahiaka (good morning) =-.
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When I watched the video all I could think of was dressing up in my most awesome pink tutu and running full speed to that rose petal leaf pile. How incredible is Figment, and what a shame that I’ve never been there!
The glitter sand box is an idea I’m taking for my own back yard this year.
Gov & Roosvelt Islands were not all that popular when I was there, and clearly what a shame that was because look at that fucking place. What an underappreciated gem.
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To be honest, the pile of flower petals started to smell like death after hours of rubbing against sweating bodies and baking in the hot sun. Vom.
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Forget going to panels at BlogHer. We should have such an event for female bonding: pink tutus, tiaras, glitter sandbox and glitter wrestling. That would be the best day ever.
subWOW´s last [type] ..Response cached until Wed 23 @ 19:36 GMT (Refreshes in 23.91 Hours)
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I already ordered my tutu. I need time to bedazzle it properly.
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