Stemming from Kurt Perschke’s RedBall Project. How a Single Photo encompasses an Era & Movement.

SUBTITLE: A Useful Idea for a Future Magazine or Online Feature.

DateLine: Wednesday, October 1, 2008

TO:

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Chicago, IL USA: Kurt Perschke’s Redball Project (http://www.redballproject.com/) is a Red Hot Topic and what better Way is/was there to immortalize it than through TAKING PICTURES? As the Stock Market plummeted, a Surge in Film and Digital Cameras soared because that’s what most People did during September in Chicago while his giant Red Rubber Ball visited Fifteen (15) Landmark Locations. Cutting clear across ‘The Windy City’ no matter what the Weather brought, the RedBall brought out 'the Inner Photographer' in Thousands of People.

(INSERT: Notwithstanding the wicked Weekend of September 13-14 when the Installations were temporarily cancelled due to the Remnants of Hurricane Ike that caught Chicago by Surprise and by Storm, due to northbound Jet-Streams we have absolutely no Control over).

Q: Would the RedBall Sculpture look good in Black & White Film? If so, then, the old Newspaper Adage:

“What’s Black and White and RED all over would certainly apply!”

In total, I, too, personally got caught up in The RedBall Mania and snapped approximately 164 Pictures during Kurt’s RedBall Project Exhibition (that rolled into Town – ‘Sweet Home Chicago’ on September 1 and bounced out on September 25). To add more Texture, Dimension, Response and Pizzazz to my Photos, during that Month, I penned 21 accompanying Blogs about the Sculptural Exhibition all found at:

KOOPERSMITHin’ ®
http://adriennesiouxkoopersmith.blogspot.com/
Archived: September, 2008

Being a Stickler for Perfection, I’m even pleased with 40 of those 164 Impressions or 24-17/41%. Accordingly, this is not Bad Odds considering I'm so picky about My Art(s).

After all, that’s what Photography is about. Its End Product, a Photograph, is an Impression of a Person, Place or Object that a Viewer thought enough of to immortalize and preserve on Film or digitally.

THE PTA: PHOTOGRAPHER–TURNED–ARTIST:

Moving into this ‘Second Skin, the Photographer’s Creation is then wildly dependent upon Mechanisms that sometimes cannot be ‘controlled’ as:

Aim,
Angle,
Environment,
Forces of Nature,
Lighting,
Skill/Talent and
Technique

It is amazing how a BIG RED BALL (composed of Rubber + Air) can elicit such a Great Response in Humanity. Not only were People drawn together but said Topic provided by The Ball opened up the Journalism, Creative Writing Fields, raised the Art of Photography to a Fine Art as well as getting People to communicate to each other in a sometimes cut-throat, pushy Environment – a Cosmopolitan City where Indifference, a Cold Shoulder and (sometimes) Hostility are usually in play. This was all accomplished within a few short Weeks and caught on via the Interplay of Word of Mouth, Word of Mouse and the Media.


CANDID MOMENTS IN PLAY: ‘Play Ball’ (or ‘Play with the Ball’) certainly was the immediate Response The RedBall stirred in Viewers (of all Ages) at every Location it visited. Nationalities were linked. Every Age Barrier was crossed. Your particular Affiliations did not matter nor what Political Side you preferred (if any). Suburbanites traveled miles into ‘The City’ to see The Ball. People stopped; stared and seized The Moment to reflect. Removing yourself from your ‘Own Zone of Cares, Troubles and Frustrations’ can be a most Welcomed Diversion – even if it is only Momentary. It’s just plain refreshing. If this was a Spot (outside a Bar, Coffee House, Zoo or Library) to meet ‘Members of the Opposite (or same) Sex and begin a mutually lively Conversation, RedBall was ‘The Place.’ I can certainly attest to that.

Later, many Photographs snapped displayed that some Viewers did not ‘act’ that civilized by pounding, pummeling, pouncing or punching The Ball. The ‘Zoo’ Personae (or Side) of Mankind took over at that Point. The RedBall’s Magnetism and Magic is that it elicited a Plethora of Feelings and Attitudes in each of its Viewers.

Chicago is renown and famous for its Installation of Public Art Displays that began with the Cows On Parade in 1999 and later, Suite Home Chicago. Kurt Perschke’s RedBall Project was a dynamic Ending to the Summer of 2008.

The Photos taken...
The Smiles emitted...and
The Barriers broken...attested to that.


“The riveting and fascinating Dimension of Public Art Displays lies not only in their Visual Content + Element of Surprise but at a more personalized Level is found in the immense Amount of Photographs that are snapped by Camera Owners (of all Persuasions) whose ‘Aim’ is to preserve The Moment The Art was seen and/or discovered.”

QUOTE OF ASK: Adrienne Sioux Koopersmith
Sunday, September 28, 2008 - 3:57 & 4:47 PM CST

Whereby ‘The Ball’ Perschke created and envisioned (beginning in 2001) was of great Sculptural Content and Cultural Interpretation an After-Effect of its ‘Being’ was that its Image (of the given Moment, in Space & Time) was captured on Film so that the Life of The Sphere could be saved, archived and translated to other Artistic Formats. Inclusive of:

Paintings,
reinvented in Photoshop, and
other clever Multi-Media Effects others have notably mastered, perfected and advanced on their own).

Hardcopy as Books, Blogs, Literature and fleeting Conversations that outlasts the actual Life of The Ball (Visit) itself also lend themselves to Volumes of Archived Material for the History of The City The RedBall Project visited as well as those Individuals it touched.

A PURPOSEFUL DILEMMA: BOTH
The Purpose of this Writing (that is also found on my Blog) is to ask the leading Photography Magazines across the USA and Canada to address a very important Issue suffered by Artists by featuring an Article about the critical Topic of:

Q: What happens to valuable Photos taken by Observers that are not returned to teh Artist (him/herself)?

THE CASE IN POINT: Kurt’s previous RedBall Installations visited:

Barcelona, Spain,
St. Louis, Missouri,
Seoul, Korea,
Sydney, Australia,
Scottsdale, Arizona, and
Portland, Oregon,

yet the Artist found that although thousands-upon-thousands of Images were taken of his movable and transient Sculpture, few were sent back to him. After speaking to his Audiences, Kurt and/or his Staff found some of these Viewers were from other exotic Locales and/or ‘on vacation’ or at a convention when The RedBall Project appeared. Locating these Photographs for use in other Artistic Endeavors is his present Concern. In the Digital Age, it’s easy to accomplish this via a few Points & Clicks.

OF IMPORTANCE TO NOTE: The Sponsor and/or City Hall/Cultural Center of a Showing (as this) also can refer you to the Artist's Studio Address and Contact Info.

Kurt Perschke is probably not alone in this Dilemma, yet the Subject (for a Magazine) has never surfaced before…until now.

THE REALITY CHECK CONCERNING PHOTOGRAPHY: But then again, is it not a Blessing People found The Ball pleasing enough to photograph? I certainly think so.


SHUDDERING VS. SHUTTERING:

This pressing Issue is experienced by Popular Artists across the World. If you, as a Publishing House, could address this important Problem, it may make Photographers (who are not aware and not associated with major Publications, TV/Radio Stations or Websites – ie: the ‘Every Man of Photography’) realize that their Images are indeed vital Tools to the Artist himself who meticulously takes Time, Effort and Talent in creating and developing their Object(s), often for their Audience’s immediate Enjoyment + Entertainment. Your discerning Eye and Contribution to the Art Industry are Part of that Creative Process. Having that/those Picture(s) returned to the governing Artist would hoist the proverbial ‘Cherry’ to the Top of the Sundae. That Portion of the Project would be entirely completed, archived and/or taken to yet another Step. That’s what the Experts call: Follow-Up. More than ever before, it is extremely easy to locate People via Google ® within a Matter of Minutes (or less).

"The Concept of taking Photography past the point of a mere Picture makes the Adrenalin flow. Making Photography a Win-Win Situation can be picturesque for all Parties involved. Recording the Portions of a good time and allowing it to filter into the Future is a Luxury that no other Art so quickly or diligently does as Photography has accomplished since its Invention"

Quote of: Adrienne Sioux Koopersmith
Thursday, October 2, 2008 - 1:25 PM CST

IN CLOSING: Thank you for considering this photogenic Subject Idea. If you need to interview or ‘ask’ me more Questions or Queries on how to proceed with this Angle, I can be easily reached at:

askoopersmith(at)hotmail(dot)com
or
Adrienne.Sioux.Koopersmith(at)gmail(dot)com

I would enjoy sharing and collaborating upon more about this Topic of immense Relevance to Present and Future Generations.

Sincerely,

ASK: Adrienne Sioux Koopersmith
Koopersmith’s Global Communications
“People read what Adrienne writes about…”
&
GORF Werks Central
‘Home of The Grin Reaper’ – ‘Chicago’s First Green Mascot’
‘The Icon of The Green Movement’
Chicago – chicaGORF – Illinois 60660-1319 USA


First Posting: Wednesday, October 1, 2008 – 2:15 CST
Second Posting: Thursday, October 2, 2008 - 1:30 PM CST