Mierle Laderman Ukeles: Maintenance Art Works 1969-1980

"I am an artist. I am a woman. I am a wife. I am a mother. (Random order). 

I do a hell of a lot of washing, cleaning, cooking, renewing, supporting, preserving, etc. Also, (up to now separately) I 'do' Art. Now I will simply do these everyday things, and flush them up to consciousness, exhibit them, as Art."

(Ukeles,1969: 3).

Mierle Laderman Ukeles  born (Denver, USA in 1939) and is a New York based artist known for her feminist and everyday routine of life in artworks, which strongly relates to the idea of process in conceptual art. Ukeles through her Maintenance Art attempted to erase the boundary between art and life and created a practice that is pure from artistic sophistication. 

In 1969, after the birth of her first child, Ukeles started to become aware that she needs to divide her time between being a mother and being an artist. She became frustrated with this divide and this is how her Manifesto for Maintenance Art came about. The manifesto was written as a proposal for an exhibition titled Care. It is formed of two parts, in which clearly presence artist's views on the value of maintenance. She discusses differences between art and life, nature and culture, and public and private. In first part is titles 'IDEAS' Ukeles looks at maintenance and development within the context of art and personal life. The second part titles 'CARE' is the proposal for an exhibition based on ideas from part one. In her manifesto Ukeles states that 'Everything I say is Art is Art. Everything I do is Art is Art. ' (Ukeles, 1969: 2) It feels as though anything could be art. By saying so Ukeles erases the divide between art and life, exposing the aspects of personal life and rejects the traditional approach to art. It becomes pointless to try and relate her work to a piece of art because in this case one of the main concepts - blurring of life and art - contradicts this attempt to clearly categorize it. 

Ukeles first public performance was at Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford in 1979 which consisted of four acts. In Hartford Wash: Washing, Tracks, Maintenance Inside, the performance consisted of artist scrubbing, mopping and cleaning the floor of the museum the duration of four hours. In Hartford Wash: Washing, Tracks, Maintenance Outside, Ukeles cleaned the building's front steps. She took care of the spaces as her own, as she would take care of her own house. She describes these activities in her manifesto as 'floor paintings'. In Transfer: The Maintenance of the Art Object, Ukeles introduced her cleaning of a protective display case as a ‘dust works’. The Keeping of the Keys, was the fourth performance, where the artist went around with a set of guard keys, locking certain galleries, often with visitors still inside to highlight the behind the scenes services performed at a museum. 

For Ukeles the role of the artist is to empower people to act and change social values and norms. Art is not complete or fixed, it is an ongoing process that is connected with the everyday life.

Washing, Tracks, Maintenance Outside

Washing, Tracks, Maintenance Outside

Washing, Tracks, Maintenance Outside

Washing, Tracks, Maintenance Inside

Through these performances Ukeles explores the tension between public and private spheres of life. She raises cleaning and other maintenance services to the same level as the displayed artworks and objects in the museum. Usually museums try to hide the jobs by doormen or caretakers from public view, making them invisible as well as the important work that they do. Ukeles highlights their importance and laborious work of everyday through her performances, experiencing these jobs first hand and appreciating what the workers do for the smooth operation of the museum everyday. 

~ Ev

Reece's Old Ballroom

12th November 
I have been interested in unusual/unique/abandoned spaces since visiting Williamson Tunnels and forming an exhibition there. Since then i was searching for a similar space, unusual/abandoned with history. I wasn't sure why. At first i though it was because i wanted to come up with another exhibition but then after my exploration of Liverpool i think i am interested in these spaces because they have memories imprinted in them, sounds, movement, people, events etc. I realised that i want to work with the space and its memories imprinted in the walls, to create a piece of work myself rather than organise an exhibition. By creating a piece of work for the space i want to highlight its history and purpose. Bring back its memories. 

I have recently been told by a friend that there is an old ballroom in city centre that is about to be converted into apartments. I decided to read more about it and see if i could find pictures of it. I also wanted to visit the space and see how i feel in it and what ideas might develop.

"City based developer, Caro Developments is preparing to transform the Parker Street neo-classical building into studio and one-bedroom apartments and has given a glimpse of the former venue’s remains.

Preparation work for the 91 new homes has uncovered more about the history of the building, where Beatles legend John married Cynthia in 1962.

Photographs, original tickets, dance cards and posters from Reece’s Ballroom were found including a leaflet advertising a beauty event which was attended by cosmetics entrepreneur Helena Rubenstein.

Caro Developments says it aims to stay true to the building’s original design when it refurbishes the upper floors and rooftop for the residential scheme, which will be situated above the street’s Superdrug store."  link to your move magazine

I have contacted Your Move Magazine who have passed my details along to a person who works with Caro Developers. Hopefully they will be open and happy for me to create a piece of work for the space. 

Reece's Ballroom as it is now:

Reece's Ballroom (before):

1934

John and Cynthia Lennon in 1962

A piece from The Liverpolitan Vol.13 No.12 pg.33, December 1948

''The tremendous increase in the number of devotes of the Terpsichorean art must be apparent to every social observer. At one time dancing was a form of recreation enjoyed almost exclusively by the middle and upper classes. That is not the case today for the art is practised by practically all. This is largely due to the new freedom which has found expression in a thousand different ways since the end of the Great War, and partly to the discovery on the part of many who were formerly prejudiced against dancing as a pastime that its pursuit is in no way detrimental to morality.

With characteristic foresight, when Messrs Reece embarked upon the erection of their magnificent restaurant in Parker St, they decided that the whole of the third floor should be laid out as a ballroom. From the pictures reproduced on this page it will be seen that it is spacious and airy. The spring floor is of the most modern construction and gives perfect enjoyment to the patrons. Another advantage is found in its easy accessibility from all parts.' 

18th November

I have been contacted by a person who works with Caro Developers from an The Foundary Agency, informing me that the work has already began at the site and i wouldn't be able to enter the space anyway due to health and safety rules. This hasn't put me off and i can work around that. 

My proposal for the space:

It is a space full of memories imprinted on the walls, full of history, people, dancing. It is a space in transition. I want to bring this forward. While the building is in the transition stage of becoming something else i want the sound of ballroom music to play for the last time. Whilst builders are working in the space i would want them to listen to ballroom music instead of their usual music that they would have played. With a chance for people to listen to it outside as well. Possibly speakers attached to the outside of the building, possibly for the duration of the transition until completion. This depends on if they like the idea and are willing to do this throughout or just for one day. 

24th November
I have contacted a general contact number the only one i could find linked with CARO. It wasn't CARO Developments however it was a previous project they have done - CARO Lettings at Bridewell Studios. It is proving hard to get a hold of CARO Developers themselves so i am trying another route through projects that they have already done. The route through the The Foundary Agency hasn't worked, a dead end. Just have been looked down on and shooed away. 

My next step would be to chat with an architect from university and see what is his opinion of how i should approach it.

25th November

I have found the architects that are working on the site - Falconer Chester Hall

link

~ Ev

Exploring - 12th November 2016

I walked around exploring Liverpool in search of interesting spaces and places that might inspire me in some way. I wasn't sure what i was looking for but decided to walk around places anyway. Whilst in a space i tried to figure out why it was interesting to me, what stood out and why.

These are the spaces i have found interesting in some way:

Stanley Dock

This place is frozen in time, empty and fragile. What i found interesting in this space is the sounds coming from somewhere inside. A repetitive sound of metal playing music with the wind. Although i couldn't get inside or even walk around the space because of the fence surrounding it, i could feel the atmosphere of the space and how lonely it was. When i got home i researched further and found that Stanley Docks will soon be transformed into luxury apartments. Another place that will be restored and will find new life.

Long bridge with smaller tunnels underneath
This space is opposite the Stanley Docks. Again i was interested in the sounds around, the echo when standing under the bridge and the train sound from above. The vibrations. This place feels hidden although there are houses around.

The Chairs
This place is on London Road next to Lime Street. There was a building here before - Jerome’s photography studio.

Jerome studio

The Chairs (before)

The building was demolishes and in place of it now there is an art exhibit called “the chairs” which was installed into the space in 1995. Although it would be nice to think that "the chairs" represent a photographic sitting in the previous Jerome Studio, Alan Dunn (one of the artists responsible) stated that this was just fortuitous coincidence. He didn’t discover the Jerome’s heritage until a few years after "the chairs" were installed.

When i found the space i didn't know anything about it but i knew that it was something special. To me it looked like a set for people to engage with e.g sit and chat. After 20 years the place looks dirty and not well looked after to the point you begin to question if it is a piece of work. When i visited it there were bins around everywhere, and rubbish around the chairs. The atmosphere of the sculpture and the place has been taken away. You can easily walk past the space now as it blends in. As i researched more about this space and sculpture i found that the sculpture is soon to be removed as the plot has been sold to a developer.

The Chairs (now)

From this walk i started to think about memory of a place, the sounds around and how these are imprinted in the space.  I started to think about other spaces, abandoned building with history and purpose and how they are frozen in time. I thought of how through some kind of intervention art piece i can bring memories of a place back. 

~ Ev

Sophie Calle + My Journey (09:14 am, Train to Liverpool, Autumn, 10th November 2016)

Sophie Calle is a French writer, photographer, installation artist. After completing her education she went travelling for 7 years. After her return she went to Paris in 1979 and started to produce a series of projects to familiarise herself again with the city and the people and with herself. Her work has emphasis on artistic idea rather than the finished object. Her work relates to herself and the everyday, what is happening around her. She manipulates situations in which the process is the work. Calle' s work only exists through documentation in the form of photographs and text. They are the only "proof" of the work. 

Detective (1981) 

This piece consists of Calle being followed by a private detective for a day, who had been hired by her mother (requested by Calle herself). Calle led the detective around parts of Paris that were important to her. With this work she reversed the expected position of the observed subject. This piece questions the role of the spectator, with viewers feeling uneasy as they become collaborators in violation of privacy. In a way this piece is evidence of her existence. 

I really like this piece as the art for me is in the idea and the process, as it happens. The write-up after is the documentation of the day and what happened on that day tracking every single movement of the artist. Although there was only one audience (the detective) the documentation acts as evidence that this piece occurred and wider audience can enjoy the work by reading about it (detectives writ- ups) and looking at the photographs. 

link if you want to read about the day

Detective (1980) 

The Hotel (1981)

In this project Sophie Calle was hired as a temporary chambermaid for three weeks in a Venetian hotel. She was assigned 12 bedrooms on the 4th floor. Throughout the course of her cleaning responsibilities, she examined personal belongings of the hotel guests and observed through details lives which were unknown to her. She read diaries, letters, postcards, went through suitcases and studied the room to find out more about the guests. Returning and observing again what has changed. Again her work was documented through writings and observations she had made as well as the photographs. She goes to such a length to do her pieces which is very inspiring to me. She only started working there just to accomplish her idea. She creates environments for herself to create these works and observations. Her art is engaging with the everyday life and observing it. In this project she was a detective. 

The Hotel, Room 44 (1981)

The Hotel, Room 29 (1981)

I have been creating my own observations but not to such a scale as Calle. I observed my surroundings and the people on train from start to finish, capturing through writing what happens around me in that particular moment. However they are not that extensive as Calle's pieces and for me they are at the moment experimentations or idea triggers that can potentially develop into an artwork. 

09:14 am

Train to Liverpool

Autumn

10th November 2016

On a train back to Liverpool

Leeds Platform 16A

People pushing, shuffling, moving…

I already took my seat: coach B Seat 28,

next to a window on the right hand side.

We have set off.

A woman sat next to me in her 20’s, hot drink in hand.

A very polite man in glasses (a conductor) just checked my ticket.

Now i can sit undisturbed.

It has been snowing at night but surprisingly it is not as cold today

It is chilly with a sunshine and blue sky.

We are passing green trees,

surprised they haven't turned yellow yet as it is autumn.

“This is Dewsbury, the next stop will be Huddersfield…”

We stopped.

The doors opened

A breeze of cold air brushed against my feet

The door closed, we are on the move again

I see graffiti on my right, on the back of the building

Red, blue, green, white…can’t make out the imagery

The woman next to me started watching a film on her laptop

I don't recognise it.

Around, people are chatting, discussing work or staring into distance

Sudden silence

Rustling of crisp packet

Sounds of heavy typing on keyboard

Conductor asks for passes from Dewsbury

I keep looking through the window

The scene disappearing in seconds as the train moves

I see trees

Green, red, yellow, orange, brown…

Its 09:28am

We are slowing down.

“We will shortly be arriving at Huddersfield..”

A man across from me is falling asleep.

The sun is blinding my eyes

Warm and peaceful

Through the window i see shop signs - Matalan, Wynsors, B & Q

We have stopped

People are leaving

A cold breeze against my feet

New people are coming and we set off

I had a sip of Ribena

I see men in a suit and tie walking past expressionless,

Boring office jobs i assume

Passed a small tunnel

I love tunnels

A line of small detached houses through my right window, identical

Another tunnel

Should i count how many tunnels we will pass?

Beautiful trees and greenery, reminds me of Latvia

I am going there in December but there trees will be bare by then

A snowy white winter

A woman's phone began to ring, surprising both of us.

Ringtone: Take That - Rule the World

From the conversation i understood she wasn't feeling well and cancelled her plans

Trees, trees, and more trees

Its 09:42am

A train has passed moving in the other direction, fast

3rd tunnel

I see reflection on the window of what is inside of the train

A double image

Layers

Laughter, chatter, silence…

We are moving in a straight line at a constant speed

Time is passing fast

4th tunnel (very long one, 5 minutes in the dark)

Two guy on far left in suits talking about the gym and protein beer

Protein beer? Is that even a thing?

Trees, trees, trees…

Sheeps on a slope

I am tired of sitting

I have figured out what the woman next to me is watching

It is Downton Abbey series

I have watched it before with my mum but forgot to keep up

A small lonely tree in a small green field

5th tunnel

“We will shortly be arriving at Stanley Bridge…”

We have stopped

New people came in

We are on the move again

My feet are freezing

6th tunnel

I am sleepy, my eyes feel heavy

Graffiti in the distance, a bright blob

It's 10:15am

An hour has passed

“We will shortly be arriving at Manchester Piccadilly…”

The woman sitting next to me has left

I see a lot of people crammed together, standing on the platform waiting for their train

New people entering my train

The whistle blowing and we are on the move

I sit alone

Tall beautiful buildings of Manchester city surrounding us

According to the voice person we are late by 13 minutes

A set of small tunnels on my right under a big bridge. Beautiful

1, 2, 3, 4, 5….

Graffiti

We are moving really fast, left and right

Trees

A guy in front of me is called Ben,

i know that because he has introduced himself so on his phone

There is a seat between us, i can see him through reflection in the window.

He is wearing a yellow/purple/green sports coat vintage style and a brown hat

Ben has mid brown hair and an overgrown stubble

Bright sun from window from far left shining onto the page i am writing on

Flashing when something is in the way

Flash, Flash, Flash…

And then it is constant again

It's 10:37am

I just sneezed quietly fourth time today

The faster we go the flashier it gets

Plays with my vision

7th tunnel

Sipping on Ribena

“We will shortly be arriving at Birchwood…”

Arrived

People getting off

Moving again

Still sitting by myself

The train is quite empty

8th mini tunnel

Roads, houses, trees, cars, busses…

The conductor asking for tickets

Ben is asleep

A man next to him is reading the newspaper with a sad expression

Flash flash flash

It's 10:54am

Sudden laughter somewhere from the back of the train

9th tunnel

10th tunnel

“We will shortly be arriving at Liverpool South Parkway…”

We are moving really slow, i keep looking through the window

My legs are stiff i want to get out

We have stopped

It's cold

People are getting off

Ben is still asleep

13th tunnel (long)

It’s 11:11 make a wish

“We will shortly be arriving to Liverpool Lime Street where this train will terminate”

11:14 we have stopped at platform 9

Everybody leaves

...

What i like about this observation is that it is done on the move and i take in my surrounding and what happens around me as i go. Observing both the inside and the outside of the train. After a while patterns started to occur in what was happening e.g counting tunnels, the stops... Counting the tunnels became a game and listening and observing people became interesting as they showed their personalities e.g the ringtone or Ben. Also although i observed what was happening around me at the time and writing about them, my own personality showed through in the way i wrote things and what i naturally focused on. Different people would have observed the same situation differently.

I wrote for two hours straight and after a while it became automatic and natural. I was in tune with my surroundings and was able to notice and find beauty in the smallest of things. It was a very enjoyable process.

Not sure where this will lead me but i will continue to make these observations.

~ Ev