Monthly Statement:
May 2006

OBJECT # 35
DATE SENT: May 31, 2006
SENT TO: Melissa Buesing
SENT VIA: Hand Delivered

DESCRIPTION OF OBJECT: 8 1/4” x 8 1/4” x 6 1/4” glass fish bowl. Bowl has a circular top opening with a lip, curved sides, which end in a flat bottom and a raised seam running from top to bottom of both sides. Exterior of bowl appears to have been hit with spray paint, with residue of green, blue, and white remaining. There are also a few drip marks and circular drops of blue paint. Bowl can be placed on bottom, but also on one side, which has a flat surface, so the top is then at a 45 degree angle, as opposed to straight up. In that position, fish bowl looks more like a candy bowl, which it may well be. Interior of bowl has water stains and some residue of green paint.

ORIGIN AND APPROXIMATE DATE OF POSSESSION OF OBJECT: Found in my studio storage space by Jonathan Glick (see d-acum 22 who shirt) over a year ago. I have no recollection or knowledge of how it arrived there.

MOST RECENT LOCATION OF OBJECT: In my studio storage space, on a shelf near the bathroom. Shelf is on the northeast wall of the storage space.

RELATION OF OBJECT TO RECIPIENT: Melissa is a former student whom I have known for approximately five years, since she first took a Photo History class I was teaching at New Jersey City University. She was an exceptionally hardworking student in that and all the classes she took with me, and graduated a few years ago. Since then she has been exhibiting her photographs in various shows and working. Melissa is soft-spoken, yet focused and determined in all things I have seen her attempt. When Jonathan (see above) spotted the fishbowl, he asked if he could have it to give to Melissa, who is his girlfriend. He thought it might be part of a present for her. I couldn’t give it to him at that time since I wasn’t sure whom it belonged to. But over the last few months as I’ve seen it remain in the same place I realized it was not anyone’s property except my own. And so it seems that Melissa should be the proper recipient of this fishbowl. She has been through some difficult personal times over the last year or so, events that have been life changing for her. It struck me that having this fishbowl, watching the swirl of the water, a small tropical fish swimming around the enclosed space, some tiny figurines settled in the bottom, might be perfect for her now. She might feel the reward of nurturing the fish, of giving it the safety of a world that is controlled, tended to, and adequately provide for all its needs. On the other hand, she might just decide this is, in fact, a candy dish, clean it thoroughly, and fill it with gum drops or jelly beans and enjoy the sugar rush whenever she wants.

RESPONSE OF RECIPIENT:

DATE OF RESPONSE:

Process: My plan is to de-accumulate objects I now own during the course of the exhibition year. I will photograph the selected object then send the object with a letter to a person who has some relationship to the object or whom I think might be interested in the object. The letter will discuss the project and tell the receiver they can keep the object, destroy it, give it away, recycle it or anything else they choose. I will ask them to document it in the place they now have it and send their image and/or written description back to me of what they did with it and where it is. I plan on de-accumulating an average of one object per week. The new images/descriptions will be placed in a plastic folder and exhibited along with a photograph of the object as it was in my possession.