Neighbor : who

A free international art action, 2016

In mid-November 2016, I announced via social media that I would make a work of art as a gift for anyone who responded within about a week. Working in a serial fashion, I created 200 unique but very similar pieces. The works were begun together on larger sheets of paper painted with four equal bars of color, which were later torn down to the size of the individual works. Before tearing, I placed my thumbprint across the axis where each separation would occur. These marks visible on the top and bottom edges of each work communicate their one-time physical connection to neighboring works. Finally, the surface of each work was divided roughly in half by opaque matte black. In early December 2016, the entire 200 works were publicly displayed together in the arrangement pictured below, before being distributed worldwide to people on residing across six continents. The title of the project Neighbor : Who is a reference to the Biblical passage Luke 10: 25-37.

Neighbor-Who Install straight-1000px.jpg

The process

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Sheets of paper were painted with 4 bars of color. I placed my thumbprint across edges where I knew the sheets would later be torn.

Painting process

Since the works were made in serial fashion, several sets of color proofs were made to determine the colors for the final group.

The final pieces were then randomized and numbered.

Red example

Yellow example

Blue example

Green example

The entire 200 works were then arranged, installed in this configuration and exhibited publicly in early December 2016.

During the time the piece was on view to the public, local drawing recipients could come, locate their assigned work, and remove it from the wall.

Receiving a drawing

The back of each work was stamped with information about the project including instructions that the piece could be re-gifted but never sold. I also hand numbered and signed each piece.

An image I received of a drawing recipient with their work by the Black Sea in northern Germany. February 2017.

Image I received from a recipient showing their drawing and the accompanying materials, which included a brochure about the project, a short note from me, and my short piece of writing titled: “Louder Than Bombs.”

An image from a drawing recipient in Kansas

An image I received from a drawing recipient in London.

Who (and Where) is my neighbor?

The numbers and names below are keyed to the image above

1 Aaron, Tulsa

2 Bob, North Newton KS

3 David, Ambler PA

4 Gregg, Philadelphia

5 Jesse, Northport MI

6 Andrew. Philadelphia

7 Kayla, Philadelphia

8 Lisa, Washington DC

9 Marilyn, Washington DC

10 Melissa, Philadelphia

11 Oriane, Brooklyn

12 Rick, New York City

13 Stephanie, Madison WI

14 Valerie, New York city

15 Mary Lou, Lancaster PA

16 Kocot & Hatton, Philadelphia

17 Distributed on my behalf by IS-Projects, Leiden, Netherlands

18 Maria via Gray Contemporary, Houston TX

19 Dean, Wallingford PA

20 Dmitra, Athens Greece

21 Adam, Philadelphia

22 Brenton, Camp Hill PA

23 Demetrios, Montreal

24 Gretchen, Philadelphia

25 Jesse, Bellingham WA

26 Jonathan, Columbus GA

27 Keith, Pittsburgh PA

28 Lisa, Staten Island NY

29 Marion, High Wycombe UK

30 Melissa, Brooklyn

31 Noreen, Philadelphia

32 Roberta, Bala Cynwyd PA

33 Steve, Philadelphia

34 Valerie, Denver CO

35 Jeffrey, Cincinnati OH

36 Familie Meier, Jena Germany

37 Distributed on my behalf by IS-Projects, Leiden, Netherlands

38 Distributed on my behalf by Gray Contemporary, Houston TX

39 Tim, Philadelphia

40 Mary, Philadelphia

41 Alan, Schwerin Germany

42 Brian, Athens GA

43 Edgar, Laredo TX

44 Hadi, San Francisco

45 Jill, Albuquerque NM

46 Dennis, Berlin Germany

47 Ken, Orlando FL

48 Liz, Doylestown PA

49 Mark, Philadelphia

50 Michael, Philadelphia

51 Pam, Flemington NJ

52 Rodney, Dallas TX

53 Stacie, Philadelphia

54 Sharon, Minneapolis MN

55 Donovan, Lancaster PA

56 Distributed on my behalf by 57 W 57 Arts, New York

57 Distributed on my behalf by Sol del Rio Arte, Guatemala City

58 Unknown recipient in Ghana Africa

59 Tonya, Philadelphia

60 Mark, Greer SC

61 Alex, Brooklyn

62 Caroline, Philadelphia

63 Eileen, Philadelphia

64 Heidi, Albuquerque NM

65 Joanne, Salem MA

66 Judy, Goshen IN

67 Kimberly, Reading PA

68 Louise, Sydney Australia

69 Mark, Brunswick ME

70 Michelle, Goshen IN

71 Paolo, Brooklyn

72 Robert, Wilmington DE

73 Suresh, Pittsford NY

74 Natalija, Vestal NY

75 Denison, Lancaster PA

76 Familie Meier, Jena Germany

77 Distributed on my behalf by IS-Projects, Leiden Netherlands

78 Mel and Elizabeth via Gray Contemporary, Houston

79 Linford, Philadelphia

80 Lori, Philadelphia

81 Allen, Goshen IN

82 Carrie, Leonardtown MD

83 Ellen, Brunswick ME

84 James, Brooklyn

85 Jodi, Nashville TN

86 Julie, Philadelphia

87 Kimberly, Lambertville NJ

88 Luc, Mechelen Belgium

89 Mary, Washington DC

90 Mike, Seattle

91 Patrick, Hills IA

92 Roger, Arlington VA

93 Tamar, New York City

94 Nile, Philadelphia

95 David, Philadelphia

96 Rosaire via 57 W 57 Arts New York

97 Distributed on my behalf by Sol del Rio Arte, Guatemala City

98 Didier, Bogota Colombia

99 Camden, Denver CO

100 Myong, Seoul South Korea

101 John, Philadelphia

102 Melanie & Richard, Kaleva MI

103 Elyce, Philadelphia

104 Jason, Wichita kS

105 Joel, North Troy VT

106 Justin, Philadelphia

107 Kostis, Philadelphia

108 Lucas, Philadelphia

109 Mary, Minneapolis MN

110 Miriam, Philadelphia

111 Rachel, Ridgefield CT

112 Romi, Santa Fe NM

113 Tami, Philadelphia PA

114 Renny, Akron PA

115 Jeanne, Mt. Joy PA

116 Familie Meier, Jena Germany

117 Distributed on my behalf by IS-Projects, Leiden, Netherlands

118 Donna and Henry via Gray Contemporary, Houston

119 Terri, Philadelphia

120 Tom, London

121 Anne, Brooklyn

122 Chris, Oakland CA

123 Emma, Melbourne Australia

124 Jeff, Bluffton OH

125 Joel, Philadelphia

126 Justin, Philadelphia

127 Krista, Santa Monica CA

128 Matthew, Philadelphia

129 Lunden, Philadelphia

130 Munira, Portland ME

131 Randy, Takoma Park MD

132 Ron, Buffalo NY

133 Timothy, Albany NY

134 Anne, Radnor PA

135 Tim, Goshen IN

136 Sue via 57 W 57 Arts, New York

137 Distributed on my behalf by Sol del Rio Arte, Guatemala City

138 Stefani, Philadelphia

139 Alexis, Philadelphia

140 Rachel, Ridgefield CT

141 Arielle, New York

142 Christina, Auckland New Zealand

143 Erin, London

144 Jeff, Oakland CA

145 John, New York

146 Kaitli, Philadelphia

147 Laurence, Philadelphia

148 Lynette, Framingham MA

149 Matthew, Seattle

150 Myriam, Zikhron Ya'akov Israel

151 Rebecca, Philadelphia

152 Ruth and Beth, Philadelphia

153 TJ, Springfield PA

154 Christine, Philadelphia

155 Dan, Philadelphia

156 Familie Meier, Jena Germany

157 Distributed on my behalf by IS-Projects, Leiden, Netherlands

158 Lisa and Matt via Gray Contemporary, Houston

159 Megan, Philadelphia

160 Conrad, Philadelphia

161 Becca, Bend OR

162 Dan, Chicago

163 Evan, Philadelphia

164 Jennifer, Philadelphia

165 John, Athens OH

166 Karey, Seattle

167 Linne, New York City

168 Magdelene, Toronto

169 Matthew, Philadelphia

170 Kale, Chicago

171 Richard, Philadelphia

172 Ryan, Philadelphia

173 Charlie, Philadelphia

174 Larry & Heidi, Philadelphia

175 Amy, Goshen IN

176 Daniel via 57 W 57 Arts, New York

177 Distributed on my behalf by Sol del Rio Arte, Guatemala City

178 Abner, Goshen IN

179 Joanna, Philadelphia

180 Mary, Beverly MA

181 Ben, Philadelphia

182 Daniel, Rochester NY

183 Gina , Philadelphia

184 Jerry, Lancaster PA

185 John, Goshen IN

186 Karl, London

187 Lisa, Philadelphia

188 Marc, Philadelphia

189 Megan, Los Angeles

190 Nils, Croton on Hudson NY

191 Richard, Paris

192 Sam, Minneapolis

193 Valerie, New York

194 Velma, Leola PA

195 Amy, Birmingham AL

196 Distributed on my behalf by 57 W 57 Arts, New York

197 Distributed on my behalf by Sol del Rio Arte, Guatemala City

198 Randy, Goshen IN

199 Ricky, Philadelphia

200 MINUS SPACE, Brooklyn