Tony Jones
003: Walking from Point A to Point B
My art praxis appeared to be gaining momentum. The Sky Is My Canvas drew a modest, but committed audience. Even more important, my ideas and techniques were beginning to mesh.
Looking forward, I wanted successive works to build upon the openness and spatial freedom of the landscape. Planting Text for Future Inspiration and The Sky Is My Canvas drew from the practice of earth art. Within this tradition, the studio, and all required materials, are typically found within the environment. The series of works titled Walking from Point A to Point B would emphasize this concept of panoramic access and, hopefully, pay homage to a long lineage of earth and land artists.
The origins of this piece were inspired by a conversation that was overheard several years ago. I was seated in a coffee shop when I heard two strangers discussing their various travels. One of the men had multiple knapsacks and well-worn features. It was obvious that his travels had imposed a noticeable effect upon his physical appearance. The reason I noticed the conversation in the first place was due to his slightly escalating tone. He appeared very passionate about convincing the other stranger about his validity as a traveler. Here is an excerpt of the overheard conversation:
“You know man! I’ve been all over the world. I’ve made it a point to treat the horizon like my living room. And when I’m in Europe, people greet me with open arms. They welcome me and take an interest in hearing about my journey. But, when I’m in the United States, people give me cautious looks. They avoid me, as if I were going to cause them harm. That’s right! In Europe, I’m referred to as a traveler. In the US they call me a bum! A freakin’ bum!”
This snippet was enough to inspire Walking from Point A to Point B. I decided to plan a series of works where I would walk as long as my body would allow. I would start each voyage from a centralized station, either train or bus. I would only stop walking in order to eat, engage in conversation or relieve myself.
At the conclusion of my walk, I would mark the distance covered on a map and document any noticeable physical changes. Ultimately, my goal was to materialize the words of the mysterious traveler – to make the horizon my living room. I was also interested in observing the relationship between physical appearances in relation to space traveled. Would the extended voyage transform my exterior into the persona of a seasoned traveler? Ultimately, I intended to explore, and, perhaps, redefine the distinctions between the drifter/nomad/bum/traveler/artist.
Prior to beginning Walking from Point A to Point B, I released the following statement:
Walking from Point A to Point B
I, Tony Jones, will walk from point A to point B.
Point A will be a train or bus station. I will depart Point A at sunrise and continue walking in a random direction.
I will walk as long as my body will allow. Once I have reached the point of exhaustion, I will stop walking. The location where I stop walking will be known at Point B.
The performance will conclude once I’ve reached point B.
Tony Jones
My art praxis appeared to be gaining momentum. The Sky Is My Canvas drew a modest, but committed audience. Even more important, my ideas and techniques were beginning to mesh.
Looking forward, I wanted successive works to build upon the openness and spatial freedom of the landscape. Planting Text for Future Inspiration and The Sky Is My Canvas drew from the practice of earth art. Within this tradition, the studio, and all required materials, are typically found within the environment. The series of works titled Walking from Point A to Point B would emphasize this concept of panoramic access and, hopefully, pay homage to a long lineage of earth and land artists.
The origins of this piece were inspired by a conversation that was overheard several years ago. I was seated in a coffee shop when I heard two strangers discussing their various travels. One of the men had multiple knapsacks and well-worn features. It was obvious that his travels had imposed a noticeable effect upon his physical appearance. The reason I noticed the conversation in the first place was due to his slightly escalating tone. He appeared very passionate about convincing the other stranger about his validity as a traveler. Here is an excerpt of the overheard conversation:
“You know man! I’ve been all over the world. I’ve made it a point to treat the horizon like my living room. And when I’m in Europe, people greet me with open arms. They welcome me and take an interest in hearing about my journey. But, when I’m in the United States, people give me cautious looks. They avoid me, as if I were going to cause them harm. That’s right! In Europe, I’m referred to as a traveler. In the US they call me a bum! A freakin’ bum!”
This snippet was enough to inspire Walking from Point A to Point B. I decided to plan a series of works where I would walk as long as my body would allow. I would start each voyage from a centralized station, either train or bus. I would only stop walking in order to eat, engage in conversation or relieve myself.
At the conclusion of my walk, I would mark the distance covered on a map and document any noticeable physical changes. Ultimately, my goal was to materialize the words of the mysterious traveler – to make the horizon my living room. I was also interested in observing the relationship between physical appearances in relation to space traveled. Would the extended voyage transform my exterior into the persona of a seasoned traveler? Ultimately, I intended to explore, and, perhaps, redefine the distinctions between the drifter/nomad/bum/traveler/artist.
Prior to beginning Walking from Point A to Point B, I released the following statement:
Walking from Point A to Point B
I, Tony Jones, will walk from point A to point B.
Point A will be a train or bus station. I will depart Point A at sunrise and continue walking in a random direction.
I will walk as long as my body will allow. Once I have reached the point of exhaustion, I will stop walking. The location where I stop walking will be known at Point B.
The performance will conclude once I’ve reached point B.
Tony Jones