Book review: Jeffrey Vallance, Desk Job

Jeffrey Vallance found my Blog and read my last post about his book: The World of Jeffrey Vallance. He posted a comment which was very nice thing to do. Thanks Jeffrey! 

Unfortunately, his comment has given me stage fright. I promised my readers a follow-up review. I had actually forgotten that I wrote that I would do an additional review. But then a real live PUBLISHED author read my review. Yea, I'm flipping out. A little. Ok, ok I am grateful for the reminder.

I found my notes buried under other paperwork on my desk. It is funny now that I think about it. My desk is not working for me. I need a desk job. For weeks I had this note to myself:

"stuff about this texas art piece"

My notes that had been buried under other work.

What Mr. Vallance did was set up an office-type environment in a gallery in Texas. He had a desk, chair, computer...you know the works that can be found in an office. He did this in his own version of what an office space might look like in a typical Texas office. Then, Mr. Vallance sat in his office in the gallery for a duration. 

In his book he wrote about this art project and called it Desk Job.

The office that he created essentially became a fish bowl. People looked in. People stopped in to talk to him. He sat at his desk in the gallery.

My studio is a fish bowl. I guess that is why I could relate to what Mr. Vallance created.

That's me, my son took the picture for me. He is outside. I am sitting in my studio at a desk.

I work in a sleepy town in Southern California. Sleepy, but very pleasant. People stop by once in a while and I sell some of my greeting cards to them. We chat. Sometimes I am grateful for the distraction. Other times I close the shades.

Studio Storefront.

Is Jeffrey Vallances' performance/installation piece worthy of a blog post? Well, I guess it is because here I am writing it. I suppose that Desk Job has likely already been extensively written about back when it actually happened. I wonder is the idea behind it still valid? Questioning the workplace.

I question: am I in a performance installation when I am at work in my studio? Until I read Desk Job I had never thought about how odd it is that I chose to work in the public's view. I have a strong work ethic and I love the idea of "opening up shop" when I come into work. My studio set-up never seemed strange to me until I read Desk Job. I guess I am strange or Jeffrey is–if it matters.

There are entire websites devoted to selling desk and office gadgets - anything to get your mind off of work. When I sat down to work today this website called Art Bistro had sent me a promotional e-mail for office toys. If we all worked at a storefront none of us would need gadgets and toys, instead we would be able to put off working by communicating with other people. Imagine that.

My performance/installation is working for me. So far I have sat or worked in my "Desk Job" longer than Jeffrey Vallance did in his. I have had this set up for over a year now. I guess maybe it is time I wrote about Suzanne Gibbs The Artist is Present*.

*This is in reference to those who have not yet seen: MARINA ABRAMOVIĆ THE ARTIST IS PRESENT a documentary of her performance in New York's' MoMA.

Why do we call Desk Job an installation performance art piece? Did Mr. Vallance have a big enough message in his execution of the Desk Job? I am not sure. I did not get to see the installation/performance in person. 

I wonder, will my next studio will be in a closed-door building? Or will I look for a studio in a not-so-sleepy town and expect even more on-lookers? Time will tell. 

Jeffrey, thank you for provoking questions in my practice. In this way, you rock! The garbage man just waved at me as he took my garbage away.