JOSH GREENE: SOME PARTS MIGHT BE GREATER THAN THE WHOLE
San Francisco-based artist Josh Greene is the second artist in residence for the Social Studies initiative of the ASU Art Museum, an exhibition series in which the Museum turns over a complete gallery to an artist to explore their social interactive approach.

Greene’s Some Parts Might Be Greater than the Whole is an exploration of how and where inspiration is found. Through community engagement, the artist will use the “safe zone” of the Museum gallery to allow relationships to move forward and develop. Unlike traditional public space in the United States where contact and relationship building with strangers is often contrary to social norm, or even a traditional Museum exhibition in which interactions mostly occur between viewer and object, the space provided is continually adjusted by Greene to encourage social interactions. Through this community engagement, one of the most important ASU commitments, the results of these interactions takes the work and the artist beyond the Museum’s traditional exhibition structure.

It is often said by Museum visitors that a work of art inspires them, but is it the actual work of art that inspires or is it the artist’s vision and inspiration? In traditional art world models, a work of art is created in the solitude of an artist’s studio, shipped to an exhibition space, installed by preparators, and when that process is complete, allowed to be viewed by the patron. Within that format the “human factor” of each work on exhibition is often present only in text form, with credit and wall panels providing brief background on the artist and possible motive for creation of that work.

The artist residencies of the Social Studies initiative are an attempt to open the creative process, making the “human factor” relevant beyond didactic labels and documentation, creating actual relationships through artistic practice. This is a unifying theme throughout Greene’s past projects. Often using the source of labor, work and play, Greene has developed such projects as Service-Works, which provides a monthly project grant to individuals, the amount of each month's grant determined by how much money he earns as a waiter on a specific night in a fine-dining restaurant in San Francisco; Unlicensed Therapist which consisted of creating a venue dedicated to conversation; Luncheon, a weekly luncheon prepared for the administrators of an alternative art space in San Francisco; and Sophie Calle's Bed, in which the artist wrote to artist Sophie Calle and asked to borrow her bed to help him through a break-up process.

During an initial exploratory visit to Arizona in January of 2008, Greene met with individuals throughout the community and visited sites of interest. He conceptualized possibilities of projects that might be realized, but is extremely interested in interactions and the generation of ideas with Museum visitors.

In The Artists Own Words:
“This is kind of a unique set up in that it is a refined institutional setting, but the Museum has made it into a laboratory of sorts where there is room for things to evolve and change.”

“I am doing a number of different projects during my stay in Arizona. Some projects will be ephemeral gestures, while others will be more involved. I want to leave room to respond to the environment, the viewers and my own experiences. The list of potential ideas and current projects is growing and evolving. Some things will definitely happen, others will likely not.”

COMPLETED

1. Gallery Decoration As Suggested By My Wife
2. Jessie Smith’s Selections from the Permanent Collection – see YouTube Video
3. Inequity No More – public restroom intervention
4. Conversation with a chimp about art ideas – video to come
5. Mascot / Docent
6. Thursday afternoons with Legend
7. It’s Not You – staff restroom intervention
8. Serving as an actor in other artist’s video productions – video to come
9. Museum staff audio recordings, their ideas of the Social Studies initiative
10. A small tribute to Jarbas Lopes
11. AZ 3TV anchor man Scott Passmore as depicted by 58 fourth graders -
    See Josh interviewed for 3TV’s Good Morning Arizona show.
12. ASU Art Museum Curator, John Spiak’s office - see YouTube Video
13. An installation of the artwork of the Museum’s installation crew
14. Scrapbook tribute by Ellen Medway, mother of artist, with accompanying audio recording

See Josh interviewed for 3TV’s Good Morning Arizona show.

Watch the video created by Arizona Republic reporter Chad Graham:

The Arizona State University Art Museum invites you to be part of the creative process by engaging with Greene from February 18 through April 4.
 
For more information on the artist please visit his web site at:
http://www.josh-greene.com

Exhibition Catalogue
An exhibition catalogue documenting the residency and project will be available in fall of 2008.

ASU Art Museum Presentation
Organized by John Spiak, Josh Greene: Some Parts Might Be Greater Than the Wholewill take place in the Arizona State University Art Museum’s Nelson Fine Arts Center.

Duration
Josh Greene: Some Parts Might Be Greater Than the Whole (February 18 through May 18, 2008) is open at the ASU Art Museum: Tuesday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., closed Monday. Josh Greene will be in residence February 18 through April 4.

Support
This exhibition was supported in part by Friends of the ASU Art Museum.

ASU Art Museum Exhibitions
Selected past exhibitions at the ASU Art Museum include:
JARBAS LOPES: Cicloviaérea
SEAN DUFFY: The Grove
NEW AMERICAN CITY: Artists Look Forward
NOT QUITE MYSELF TODAY
NOOKS AND CRANNIES
SITES AROUND THE CITY: Art and Environment
SCREENSHOTS: Digital Drawings by Jon Haddock
CONTEMPORARY ART FROM CUBA
BILL VIOLA: Buried Secrets
MARK NEWPORT: Super Heroics
ART ON THE EDGE OF FASHION