Exquisite Poop: Blind Reproduction

This is the catalog for Exquisite Poop: Blind Reproduction, a project and exhibition shown at A Gathering of the Tribes in March 2012. Exquisite Poop combines the names for two communication games, Exquisite Corpse and Ipupyukat (Eat Poop You Cat). Inspired by the different descriptions Steve Cannon s visitors would give of the art on the walls, and by taking the blind professor to art openings, the curator organized an elaborate art and writing project in blind reproduction between over two dozen artists and writers. The artists were invited to contribute a small two-dimensional work, and commit to another. Images, titles, size and media information were then assigned to the writers, who were charged with describing the art as thoroughly and sincerely as possible. These descriptions were nearly randomly assigned to the contributing artists, who were tasked with recreating the artwork they thought the writer had described, without knowing the artist or seeing the original image. The first stage of translation from visual to verbal varies hugely in style and focus, even given stylistic restrictions. The artist s job is even harder and even more subject to the variations of personality and style. The difficulty of supposed representation opens a dialogue on visual literacy. The resulting illustration of mis/communication varies from wondrous to farcical and demonstrates the impossibility of conversion.