Sissi Westerberg

bioproposalwww.sissiwesterberg.comwww.s-u-b.se

 

I ♥ LA? ( January 4th, 2006 )

One question posed to us on an early stage in the project was: By who is the city designed and for whom? Coming as a visitor to LA I have little knowledge about this and know the city more form stereotype images, as has been an issue referred to by most of us. So another question is: Who chooses what gets to represent the image of a city? The stereotype images, the mythology, the souvenirs that you are presented with as a visitor, are probably not the things that the most of people in LA see as representative for their lives in the city. You could see this as a kind of discrimination. I would like to make room for at alternative, trivial, individual and less glamorous issues to be brought up and allow multiple stories to be told.

My idea for the project is to collect objects, shapes and fragments that could be just as valid representatives of the city according to me, the other participants and people of the city. I will ask people to contribute with, or point out something that somehow represents LA to them.

I’ve chosen to develop a very physical and material-based tool to document this research. The pink-latex-spray-gun will be used to perpetuate the proposed things and make skin-like casts of them. The aim is to eventually turn some of these things into inflatable balloons, as away of, iconizing, celebrating or promoting what ever these things represent. Even if ironic or trivial this can still be seen as an expression of love for the city and a way of giving importance to things that somehow matter to some people.

I often wish that the whole world was just soft and pink, so for me this will be like a kind of love act. Like an uncontrolled eruption, enclosing and transforming. Like an act of God, everything touched will turn pink and become uplifted. The inflation part will be the second stage of transformation and manifestation, also a possible product to be used for a campaign or sold as a souvenir.

Balloons are one of these mass-produced things that are so terribly uniform even though they are used for many different occasions. Maybe we can find new opportunities. The act of inflating and making something float or even take off, like clouds or dreams, it’s thrilling to me. It might not work, so it will also be a project about a persistent attempt make things fly.

I favor the idea of being used as labour. The latex technique can be used to document the research or ideas of any other project in Civic Matters, as these are things that matter to you. I am eager and willing to be put to work… Making campaign-balloons for The Journal’s, documenting the things honored with Raketa Gold stickers, fundraising for Outpost or inflate any other issue that is brought up in this project. I can also make a balloon-making workshop that anyone can join. My wish is to make some kind of parade or manifestation in the end and release the balloons to the sky.

I would also like to make a video documentation of the process of making these spray-casts. Maybe in a sort of Tv Shop-do it your self-demonstration manner.

/ Sissi

 

Proposal from Sissi Westerberg ( December 22nd, 2005 )

At the moment I just want to cover everything in pink latex. As a way of expressing love, but also to make things more loveable. I think this will be my way of approaching LA. Using my newly developed pink-latex-spraygun-technique I have the possibility to cover objects, surfaces, interiors, exteriors or your mother in latex, peal it of, display it at LACE and then bring it home with me. In search of the Ultimate LA-Souvenir, I would like to ask the other participants to help by telling what they think that might be and to give suggestions of what to spray. Or to bring something with them to LACE that they think somehow represents a piece of their life in the city. At the moment I’m looking into different ways of making balloons or inflatables out of, or inspired by, these shapes as a way of iconizing them.

Could this be something for the ”Campaign”? I mean in every campaign you have balloons no? Especially in the States, for election, I have seen on TV.

As this is more like an idea then something that will actually work for real I would like to make a video documentation of the process of making these spray-casts. Like a kind of fake tv-shop ”This is how easy it is to make you own inflatable souvenirs in 5 min”. Looking for possible help or cooperation to make this happen!

I also want to say I think the Fallen Fruit Shopping Cart Tour and the Group Craft Event sounds wonderful. I love this making together-thing. Maybe I could also make some use of the found material.

Merry Christmas to Everyone / Sissi

 

Were to find this stuff? ( December 29th, 2005 )

Dear Friends,

I’m wondering if any of you in LA have tips on were I can turn to find the following things.

Latex – Company that sells industrial latex in big quantities.

Scuba diving air tank

Regulator – to bring pressure down

Spray Gun – for air pressure painting

Electric Compressor- for air pressure of ca 8 bar

Helium Tank

If you have any tips or good contacts please send me an e-mail sissi.westerberg@telia.com

All the best! / Sissi

December 29th, 2005

I would like to be able to spray things with latex. This smells a little bit though. I don’t know were would be a good place to do it at LACE. Could it be done outside at the back and then brought back in? There are two possibilities for getting the air pressure that is needed. With a compressor run on electricity (that makes a lot of noise) or with a scuba-diving air tank that is great because it is portable, but it needs a regulator to bring the very high pressure down to 8 bar.