REBECCA WASILEWSKI

#yoursolutionisaproblem #newgrammar Mock Up for LIGHTBOX proposal, NO POP Gallery, 48x48" lightbox on outside of buildingconcept & design: Rebecca Wasilewski     photograph: Michael McVey — *#yoursolutionisaproblem #newgrammar*
Mock Up for LIGHTBOX proposal, NO POP Gallery, 48x48" lightbox on outside of building
concept & design: Rebecca Wasilewski photograph: Michael McVey

FIRST DRAFT of submissions for NO POP Gallery's forthcoming zine - black & white, to be editioned on photocopier

Good / Better : Why / Why Not?         custom video piece for Art on the Marquee, Boston, MAGood/Better : Why/Why Not? is a visual exploration of a minor epiphany that has caused major effects in my life. Curious a… — *Good / Better : Why / Why Not?* custom video piece for Art on the Marquee, Boston, MA
*Good/Better : Why/Why Not?* is a visual exploration of a minor epiphany that has caused major effects in my life. Curious and cautious by nature, I have been well served by always asking *why*, but that eventually lead to over-validating all my decisions. I was getting bogged down by justifying daily minutia, choices in my art practice, and major life decisions. A few years ago, I made a hasty, ridiculous drawing to use as a postcard. Anticipating a confused reaction, I added, “Sometimes it’s better to ask why not?” and dropped it in the mail. This revelation became a breakthrough in and outside the studio. By inverting the *Why?*, our patterns are disrupted and analyzed, and new actions are provoked. *Why not?* gives greater flexibility in responding, deciding, and creating. Also, listing reasons why something should *not* be often reveals clearer and fewer choices, leading to quicker and more instinctive resolutions.
In *Good/Better*, this playful but profound dialogue unfolds. The lively, metaphoric video demands attention. *Why?* fades in slowly and is prolonged; it is the mental rut we unconsciously trace again and again. That line of thinking is cut, there is a dark pause, and finally *Why Not?* replaces *Why?,* attacking our query from the opposite direction.
To develop this custom marquee piece, I teamed up with Ben Pender-Cudlip. The imagery in *Good/Better* is previously unseen footage from our ongoing film series *Chromatic Aberrations*. The HD video was shot live and uses no animation or digital manipulation except for speed adjustments. I hope viewers remain mentally engaged with *Good/Better’*s broad implications well beyond its short duration. At the very least, the piece substantiates itself in a most literal way: A passerby may wonder, “Why? Why is there such a strange video playing on these enormous public screens?” The simplest counter is, “Well, why not?”

3D video preview of "Good / Better" for Art on the Marquee, Boston, MA

Chromatic Aberration: Signs of Things to Come, short film, duration: 2:34min

A complete piece on its own, this short film showcases a few different aesthetic landscapes that will be in the upcoming series of Chromatic Aberration short films. Each film will be 2-12 minutes long and will have focused imagery and scores to create an immersive viewer experience - each one distinct from the other. The audio on this film is composed of copyright free "Numbers Stations."

Chromatic Aberration 2, Video Still — *Chromatic Aberration 2*, Video Still

Chromatic Aberration A, short experimental film, duration 11:56 min

*sound is an integral part of this piece

This piece was an attempt to realize my prints and paintings in motion. Visually, it is not very focused and has technical issues, but musical duo Connector did such a fantastic job with the score that it is worth viewing in total. Headphones are recommended. This was a launch-pad for a second session of more directed shooting with improved technique.