1,457,258 Sweeps
Statement:
This piece is to illustrate my growth in many different respects. To start, the creation of this piece is based on 330 different recordings of erg (rowing machine) Monitors, specifically a Concept 2 RowErg. The images are taken over the last 5 years and span many different locations.
In not particular order:
Row New Jersey (previously Mountain lakes rowing club) Boat house
Gold's Gym (now closed) (901 Metro W Dr Whippany, NJ 07981)
My house in New Jersey (till summer 2019)
My house in Atlanta (staring summer 2019)
Atlanta Junior Rowing Association (AJRA) Boathouse
My Family House in Santa Cristina, Tuscany
University College Dublin Sports center (Ireland)
Marino Center Northeastern University
All these Locations mark places where I have had some of my best and worst moments.
The creation of the piece was first printing out all monitors on a singular piece of paper. then brought it home and I completed a 3x10km piece at home club (AJRA). After the 2.5hrs the paper took in all the sweat, rain, spilt water, grease, and cleaning liquid and created the wrinkled texture and salt stains.
The video overlaid is recordings of the last 5 years of me learning this sport, competing and becoming more fluid as I use the machine. My relationship to both the sport and the machine has changed. I started out with hating it, I would meet it with stomach aches, I would fear everyday I was close to the machine. Upon moving to Atlanta, my world changed, I was no longer fearful of the machine, instead I was fearful of the piece. I became more accustomed to the machine so it was less of a fear of the pain, it became mental. I was fearful that I would lose my spot, I would lose my seat in the boat.
This I still have the problem with, but the reason changed. As I grew on the team and became stronger, it was no longer if I would lose my spot in the boat, instead it was if the College coaches would recruit me. As soon as I met a point of struggle, I would stop, I would quit, I would turn around and hide. Even though I no longer talk to the coaches, in my mind I still have this block. I still have this fear that each test needs to be the fastest ever instead of just going into it for myself, no one else has to see it.
Story:
A man goes to a monastery and asks the monk how to achieve enlightenment, the monk hands him a broom and says to start sweeping.
A year goes by and the man goes back to the monk and asks
“how do I achieve enlightenment?”
The monk says to keep sweeping
Another year goes by and the man goes back to the monk and asks
“how do I achieve enlightenment?”
The monk says to keep sweeping
A few more years go by and the man asks
“how do I achieve enlightenment?”
The monk says to keep sweeping
Another year goes by and the man asks the monk
“How do I get better at sweeping?”
Upon this revelation the man takes a deep breath and understands that he has achieved enlightenment.
He then proceeds to look back down and to continue to sweep.
