Artist in Residence Robert Reed: Update on my interactive mini-golf sculpture

This was a very busy week of building the foundation for my interactive sculpture. I had lots of great visitors and feedback. I installed a drawbridge that contrasts the old sayings “every man’s home is his castle” with a “woman’s place is in the home,” added a back porch (as the backyard was significant to people moving to the suburbs—it became the private area where the family interacted rather than the front porch), and finished the layout for the path for playing.

I also decided that I will do a performance for the piece during ARTafterDARK on July 29. At present my idea is to have parties of four play the game as my family whilst I circle the piece as the announcer. The clubs and balls will also be handmade and atypical, but corresponding to the player. There will also be many apparati that will have motion sensors and a path of Astroturf to follow. I am in the process of changing the mats to indoor carpet squares. The piece is growing in my mind much faster than I can build it! Unfortunately, it was not ready to play this weekend but will be by ARTafterDARK. Hopefully after the foundation is completely set in the next couple of days, the rest will go much faster.