Flip Out

Artist Statement
IAT 222 D105
Prof. Niranjan Rajah
Alexander Honeywell, Josh McGee, Dilara Dinc, Mandy Wong
Fall 2013







0ui aitwoik was inspiieu fiom the cultuial expiession "to flip a table". It is a phiase
that is often useu anu imitateu with gestuies, yet is nevei actually uone. This woik
imitates a physical action known to most as a ieaction to stiess oi fiustiation. By
imitating this action, emotions ielateu to it coulu be tiiggeieu anu the iuea of stiess
coulu be auuiesseu.

As stuuents, stiess is often a pait of oui expeiience, which is how we aiiiveu at this
topic. It is meaningful to us. 0ui goal foi this pioject is to cieate a uialogue that
questions the ways in which we manage stiess thiough violent acts.

The aitwoik is to be expeiienceu in a piivate enviionment wheie no contact is maue
between the aitist anu the paiticipant while the inteiaction takes place. The
paiticipant will inuepenuently entei the ioom anu infogiaphics will be useu to
instiuct them. The pioject takes place uuiing exam time when stuuents aie moie
stiesseu than noimal. When they entei the ioom, a sounu clip fiom the Tv show
"Who Wants To Be A Nillionaiie" will be playing to heighten the paiticipant's
tension anu stiess (mnts747, 2uu9). They aie instiucteu to wiite uown the woius of
things that cause them stiess, on the objects anu the table they aie placeu on. Aftei
this, the viewei flips the table. Flipping the table tiiggeis a sounu that iepiesents
chaos, as the table is then toppleu ovei anu the objects uisplaceu. Sounus of cai
ciashes, explosions anu othei uestiuctions weie sampleu anu iemixeu togethei.
Aftei this suuuen action, the louu chaotic sounu tiansitions to a moie calming
sounuscape featuiing biius, ciickets, anu long tones of soft synth. The aim of
embeuuing these sounus into the expeiience is to engage anu heighten the viewei's
senses, making the expeiience of this aitwoik anu it's concept moie memoiable.

The woik will be shown at SF0 uuiing B-Stiess Bay, which is Tuesuay, Becembei
2nu. Since the context of this woik is uealing with stiess, it fits well to have this
woik up uuiing the time of exams. This fiames the woik moie intentionally anu
makes the expeiience moie meaningful to stuuents. It is also impoitant that this is
within the school aiea as stuuents aie oui iueal paiticipants.

The }apanese aicaue game wheie the usei flips the table to scoie points is a uiiect
example of this cultuial expiession at play (nihonjon, 2u1S). In this game, the moie
uestiuction fiom youi flip the moie point. It uses the expiession liteially anu then
actualizes it. The Scieam is a goou example of stiess ait (Nunch Euvaiu, The
Scieam, 189S). This piece shows a man scieaming in the miust of a boaiuwalk.
Although it is not at the same level of inteiaction, the expiession on the figuies face
communicates a veiy cleai anu iaw emotion of fiustiation, angei, hoiioi, anu
possibly stiess.

Anothei aspect of oui woik is the element of impeimanence. Thioughout the
exhibition time, the physical objects within the enviionment will be uefaceu anu
possibly uestioyeu by its vieweis. In this way, the manuala sanu paintings, which
uate back to the Tibetan empiie, also seive as a meuium in which its useis may
expeiience the act of uestiuction, stiess ielief as well as ait as a iitual. Nillions of
giains of sanu aie painstakingly laiu into place on a flat platfoim ovei a peiiou of
uays oi weeks. Tiauitionally most sanu manualas aie ueconstiucteu shoitly aftei
theii completion. This is uone as a metaphoi of the impeimanence of life
(mysticalaitsoftibet.oig, 2u1S). Likewise, the table in oui piece seives as a physical
embouiment of an inteinal stiess. Paiticipants peisonalize this expeiience by
iecoiuing theii stiess on objects they will cause haim to which ultimately leaus to a
moie peisonalizeu expeiience.























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}apanese Table Flipping uame. (2u1u, }une 1S). YouTube. Retiieveu Becembei 12,
2u1S, fiom http:www.youtube.comwatch.v=nQE9ZZEiiZ8

Nanuala Sanu Painting. (n.u.). Nanuala Sanu Painting. Retiieveu Becembei 12,
2u1S, fiom http:www.mysticalaitsoftibet.oigmanuala.htm

Photogiaphs aie not suppoiteu in bibliogiaphies by APA. Please cite it as an in-text
citation.

Who Wants To Be A Nillionaiie Nusic - Lifelines anu Final Answei. (2uu9,
Septembei 1). YouTube. Retiieveu Becembei 12, 2u1S, fiom
http:www.youtube.comwatch.v=zwNgaaS6eXA