Our main questions for this project were:
-can a non-sentient being make art?
-can an object produce feeling?
-can we automate (brew) art?
-can a ready made produce another ready made?
This piece will require an installation as setting. A shelf will be built from wood and mounted on the wall. If there’s not enough resources, just something elevated the Keurig can sit on will do. A piece of muslin will be used as a canvas that will hang from the shelf. The paint will run down the muslin and create a keurig-made image.
Materials needed:
-keurig
-3-4 acrylic paints
-a muslin canvas
3 pieces of plywood
screws
First attempts:
After the first “brewing” process, we came to the conclusion that these pieces were incomplete. Instead, we plan to make the act of brewing the painting itself the final work via performance. Lu decided to utilize the original canvases by making an apron for the performance.
The day of the presentation, Lu brought in the apron (which I wore due to white pants), while we used pink glitter, white paint, and red paint mixed with water to fill the Keurig’s water basin. The Keurig was propped on Lu’s old table and the loose piece of canvas hung from it. In the photos below, it is clear that the Keurig made quite a mess, splashing all over the wall, floor, and pooling on the table. However, most did land onto the canvas with the help of tilting and lots of patience. Conclusion: machines can make art-especially with the help of human hands.
