Foreword
AngelRowGalleryispleasedtobeworking withartistandcuratorEllieHarrison torealisetheambitiousprojectthatis Day-to-DayData.Wearealsodelightedto becollaboratingontheprojectwithAspex Gallery,Portsmouth,DanielleArnaud contemporaryart,London,SCANande-2.
Day-to-DayData providesaplatformfor twentythreeartiststocreatenewwork inthreedifferentdomainsandtakepartin theprojectatanumberofdifferentlevels. Thephysicalexhibitionevolvesasitmoves betweenthethreedifferentgalleryspaces. Severalartists’ projectswillberemade toreflectthelocalityofthethreecities visited,andadditionalartistswilljointhe exhibitionatdifferentstagesofthetour. Theshowalsoextendsbeyondthegalleryonto theinternetwithfournewlycommissioned web-basedprojectsandontothepagesof thispublicationwithfivenewpage-based works.
Thispublicationactsasthecentral pointofthewhole Day-to-DayData project –aplacewherealltwentythreeartistsare drawntogetherandcoexistside-by-side. TwospeciallycommissionedessaysbyBen HighmoreandKrisCohenhelpsetthescene fortheexplorationoftheartists’ ideas andinterpretationsof Day-to-DayData.
ForAngelRowGalleryitwastheambition andbreadthoftheprojectthatattracted ustoworkwithEllieHarrison,providingus withtheopportunitytocontinuesupporting excitingandchallengingcontemporaryartand
alsoenablingEllietodevelopherindividual curatorialpractice.
Theprocessofbringingthisvastproject togetherreflectsherownartisticworkinits meticulousplanningandorganisation–from invitingartiststosubmitproposalsandtake partinworkshopstoexploreanddeveloptheir ownideasfortheproject,throughtothe finalselectionandcommissioningofartists andpreparatoryworkforthispublication. Concurrentlythewebsitewasestablishedand developedtobecomeanintegralpartofthe projectandonewhichwillcontinuetoengage withthedebatesstartedintheexhibition andpublication.Itisthisconsideredand methodicalapproachwhichunderpinstheethos of Day-to-DayData,andwhichcanbetraced throughouttheworksofalltheartistsand essayists.
ForAspexandindeedforeverygallery, thecollectionofvisitorfigures,audience analysisandmarketresearcharedaily activities. Day-to-DayData demonstrates tousaworldobsessedwithinformation. Involvementwiththisprojectenables Aspextomakeadirectconnectionbetween theactivitiesundertakeninourofficeand thatwhichtakesplaceinourgallery.It isnocoincidencethatthenewofficemantra is ‘wemustalllearntoloveDATA’ .
DanielleArnaudcontemporaryartislocated intheunusualanddemandingsettingofa centralLondonGeorgianhouse.Thisfacthas meantIhavealwaysbeenapprehensivewhen artistsproposeelementsofdomesticityand
everydaylifeforthegallery.However, afterrememberingthecontinuousexercise oflist-makingwhenrunningthegalleryand theschizophrenicsenseoftimethisactivity engenders,Ifeltastrongurgetoletthe artistsin Day-to-DayData invadetheintimate spacesofthehousewiththeirobsession, absurdityandhumour.Furthermore,twoofthe artists,CleoBrodaandRichardDedomenici, aredevelopingspeciallycommissionedworks forthespace,includingaprojectlinkingthe gallerytotheDurningLibrary,recentlysaved fromclosurebythelocalcommunity.
Afterconsideringtheideasof:day-to-day dataalongsidepublicdata,intimatemoments andpersonalobjectsbeingthrownintothe publicrealmandtheprivateandthepublic dichotomyofthegalleryspaceitself,itmade perfectsensetosharetheexperienceofthis adventuroustouringexhibition.
SCANisanetworkoforganisationsinthe SouthofEnglanddeliveringprojectsand initiativesthatinvolveemergentpractices andtechnologies.Forus Day-to-DayData providesaveryappropriatecontexttoexhibit workfromour 9PIN project.Theproject, initiatedin2003,isaseriesofresearch anddevelopmentcommissionsinvitingartists tomapandconnecttheorganisationsand locationsintheSCANnetwork,throughthe collectionofdatasuchas:ambientsounds, soundscenarios,temperature,movement, humidityanddatatraffic.Theworknotonly reflectstheorganisationsinthenetwork,
butalsodemonstratesacontemporaryinterest inthewayinwhichdatacanbemanipulatedand interpretedthroughvisualsandsound.
WewouldagainliketothankEllieHarrison, theartistsandessayistsfortheircontinued commitmenttothe Day-to-DayData project, ande-2andtheArtsCouncilEnglandNational TouringProgrammefortheirsupport.
JimWatersandHelenJones,AngelRowGallery
JoBushnell,AspexGallery
DanielleArnaud
HelenSloan,SCAN
Curator’sIntroduction
Theideafor Day-to-DayData begantoemerge towardstheendofmypostgraduatestudyat GoldsmithsCollegein2003.Ihaddeveloped aninterest,withinmyownpractice,in thedocumentationandanalysisofsmall orinsignificanteventsfromwithinmyown dailyroutine,creatingandmanipulating whatItermedthe ‘dataofeverydaylife’ .
Iwasreachingtheendofayear-long durationalprojectcalled TheDaily QuantificationRecords;whereeachdayI collecteddataaboutmydailyhabitsand bodilystate.Iwasinterestedinthewaythe experienceofADAYcouldbequantifiedand abstractlyrepresentedthroughthe informationdisplayed.
Iconsidertheideaof Day-to-DayData astwo partswhichcanbebrokendownandanalysed separately:theday-to-dayandthedata,the subjectmatterandthemethodology.This publicationaimstoexplorethecontrasts andcrossoversbetweenwhattheartistshave chosentostudyandthewayinwhichthey havechosentostudyit.Andhow,throughthe applicationofascientificormethodical approachtoobjects,eventsorexperiences whichanormalscientist(ornormalperson, forthatmatter)maywelloverlook,canlead toanabsurdorhumorousnewvisionofthe everydaylifeweareallaccustomedto.
Forthispublication,allofthe Day-to-Day Data artistshavebeenaskedtowriteabout theirprojectsintermsofthesetwodistinct areas.Consideringfirstwhathasdrawnthem tothesubjectmatteroftheirinvestigation
andthenrevealingtheirowndatacollection andanalysismethodology.
Athoroughexplorationofthetwoareasofthe Day-to-DayData themeisprovidedthroughtwo speciallycommissionedessays:BenHighmore, theauthorityoneverydaylifetheory,looks atthevariedsubjectmatterof Day-to-Day Data inhisessay UnprocessedData:Everyday LifeintheSingular.KrisCohen,sociologist andresearcherintotheritualofphotobloggingontheweb,addressesthequestion ofwhyartistshavechosentocreateandwork withdatainhisessay BettertheDatayou Know…
EllieHarrison
UnprocessedData:EverydayLifeintheSingular
BenHighmore
Day-to-Day
Theeverydayhasbeenthereallthetime;it istheworldhiddeninplainview.If,atthe moment,itisbecomingthefocusofacertain amountofattention(fromartistsand academics,forinstance)thenweshould rememberthatthisisnothingnew,andthat artists(thinkofPicasso’suseofnewspaper andwallpaper)andsocialinvestigators (thinkofthosemassiveVictorianstudiesof thehabitsandhabitatsoftheworkingclass) havebeenscrutinisingtheeverydayfor years.Andyettheeveryday(yours,mine, andtheirs)oftenexistsintheshadows, relativelyfreefromourownscrutiny.
Everydaylifetendstowardstheunnoticed; itswayofbeingseemstocraveourdaily inattention,anditsnaturalenvironmentis mostoftentheunexaminedlife.Andwhenitis scrutiniseditisinevitablytransformed.The half-awakeandhalf-ignoreddailyablutions becomesomethingdifferentwhentheirtraces aremeasuredwithprecision,forinstance, intheworkof MaryYacoob (TraceElements). Andthespotsandmarkingsonabananatakeon adifferentpatinawhenscrutinisedasrunic signsormapsfordivinationintheworkof HelenFrosi (Life/ Lotto).
Ordinarily,asunexaminedlife,youcouldsay thateverydaylifeharboursthevastrangeof
attitudesthatmakeup ‘normallife’,while alsoworkingtomaintain ideas ofwhatconstitutesnormallife(ideaswhich,ofcourse,may havelittletodowithactuality).Everyday lifeisbothordinaryandextraordinary. Indeed,properlyspeaking,itistheplace wheretheextraordinarybecomesordinary (who,forinstance,doesn’thaveaneveryday life?)andwheretheordinaryisfinallyready toberecognisedasextraordinary.While itpresentsitselfasthegreatswathofthe unexceptional,everydaylifeneedsonlya littlejigglingforittorevealmostofus asexceptions,or,moreroutinely,ascontradictions:thearchrationalistwhowilltalk ofillness,disasteranddeathandquickly searchoutforapieceofwoodtotouch (increasinglydifficultincertainenvironments);theobsessivetidierwhosebathroom isfilthy.Everydaylifeistherealmof looselyheldtogethercontradictionsandthe realmoflow-resolutionideology,usually paradedas ‘commonsense’ and ‘nature’.And thisismoreorlesstheproblemoftheeveryday:endlesspeculiaritymeetstheendless ‘quiet’ reproductionofsocialnorms.Which isitthen?Istheeverydaytobeminedfor itsmassofminorinfractionsofsocialnorms, itsceaselessgenerationofidiosyncrasies? Orshouldwerecognisethatintheeveryday lurkthemosttrenchantideologicalbeliefs, themosthard-to-fightbigotries?Isn’tthere somethinginsidiousandsurreptitious,as wellasferociouslydepressing,abouttheway racismandsexismhavekeptastrongholdin theeverydaylongaftersubstantialvictories hadbeenwonattheleveloflegislation?Any attempttocelebrateindiscriminatelythe
everydayneedstofacethefactthatitalso providesasafe-houseforourveryworst attitudesandactivities.
Contradiction,then,mightbeseentobeat theveryheartofeverydaylife,anditis fittingthattheartistsof Day-to-DayData areadeptatexploitingthepowerofthe unresolved(andirresolvable)contrast. Tea,asusedby TimTaylor (OurDailyDrugs (MorningActionPatinas)),producessubtle visualhaikusonadailybasis:itisalso aproductthatbearsthehistoryofWestern imperialismandthecontinueduneven relationshipbetweentheWestandAsia.Soap powder,asseenby AndersBojen&Kristoffer Ørum (Detergent(Realimaginarysystem)), containsawholecosmologyofstrange biomorphicforms,unsettlingsatellites, aFerriswheelandvariousbubbledfigures, andyetitremainsacommodity,availablein anysupermarketaroundtheworld.Soapwas aninstrumentalingredientintheeveryday culturalcolonisationofIndiaandAfrica, forinstance:itcarriesitshistoryasa secretcargo.1 Soappowderistheexamplethat HenriLefebvre,authorofvariousvolumes ofthecritiqueofeverydaylife,oftengave forthewaythatthecommodityis ‘thoroughly penetratingthedetailsofdailylife’.Soap, tea,andsugar,2 withtheircolonialhistories andneo-colonialpresents,areevidence ofthewaythatimperialismandcapitalism colonisetherecessesoftheeverydaythrough themostordinarymaterials.Andyet,these ordinarymaterialsandtheirpossibilities arenot,intheend,simplyreducibleto forcesofimperialcapitalismandits derivatives.
Whenday-to-dayobjectsbecamecommodities theywereencouragedtodream(soasto obscuretheshabbyandexploitative
conditionsoftheirproduction),butthis dreamworldquicklysurpassedthepragmatic needforsubterfuge.Theworldofthings hasconjuredafantasyworldofelaborate dimensions.SoappowderscancontainFerris wheels,justasanewcarcanmakeyoumore attractive.Thereisanexcessofdreamsout there.Andtheabilityofobjectstodreamhas notjustservedaworlddeterminedbyprofit; ithasgivenexpressivepotentialtotheworld ofthings.Thuswhen CleoBroda (PersonalSoft DataArchiveSystem)chartsheremotional attachmenttothethingssheislettinggoof, shealsorecognisestheirattachmenttoher. Andwhen AdelePrince (TrolleySpotting)maps theroutesofdesertershoppingtrolleysas theyheadforthecountryside,waylaidinthe shallowstreamsontheedgeoftownorcaught inbackalleys,sherecognisesthetrolley’s dreamtoescapethearmydisciplineofthe supermarket. GabrielleSharp’s (Losingit inLondon)investigationofmislaidandmisplacedobjectsuncoversatreasuretroveof mnemonicobjectssilentlywaitingfortheir mediumsandmediatorswhowillonceagainlet themspeak.Itisthisunpredictableandin somewaysunmanageableremainderthatisone ofthesubjectsof Day-to-DayData.
Data-Day
Everydaylifeseemstohaveapeculiar penchantfordata;justasdataseemsalways readytobeseducedbythedaily.Trawling throughthemassoffactsthatcirculateon theinternet,themostreadilyavailableseem toconsistofthemass-regularitiesofthe daily.ForinstanceitturnsoutthatUS
1.SeeAnneMcClintock, Imperial Leather:Race,GenderandSexuality in theColonialContest(LondonandNew York:Routledge,1995).
2.HenriLefebvregivesthe exampleofsomeonebuyingsugarfor demonstratingthewaythataseemingly banalmomentofdailylifeisconnected tobothglobalcapitalismandpersonal desireandmemory(andeverythingelse inbetween)–HenriLefebvre, Critique ofEverydayLife:Volume1,translated byJohnMoore(London:Verso,1991), p.57.Thispassagewasoriginally publishedinFrenchinthe1958second editionofthebook.
citizensdrink35billioncupsofteaeach yearanduse68millionkilogramsofteato dothis.Moreinterestingmightbethe ‘fact’ thatover1,000tonnesofspacedustfalls toeartheachyearandthatthismightbe responsibleforfluepidemics(Iimagine thatafewtonnesmustbefallingintothe cupsoftea).Alternativelyyoumightbe fascinatedtoknowthatdogslivinginthe UKproduce1,000tonnesoffaeceseveryday (collectively,thatis).Data,asusedto mapregularities,quantities,frequencies, probabilities,andsoon,producesalandscaperichinsurrealpotential.Italsomaps alandscapethatisusefultosocialplanners, thestockmarket,trans-nationalretailers, securityservices,practitionersofcultural studies,andsoon.
Theeverydayuseoftheword ‘data’ has aqualitywhichissimilartothewaythat theterm ‘theeveryday’ isused.Data,asmy dictionaryinformsme,isapluralnounthat isoftentreatedasasingularone.Itis thereforegrammaticallyincorrecttoclaim asinglepieceofinformationasdata;it ismorecorrectlyadatum.Factsabouttea drinkinganddogexcretingareproducedvia arangeofinformation:theycoalesceasa compositeform–onegiantdog,onegiantturd –onemonstrousorchestratedchorusoftea drinking.Theterm ‘theeveryday’ exhibits someofthesamequalities:essentially plural(asingledayclearlywon’tdo)it oftenseemstoveilitselfinthesingular –asifoneeverydaybelongstousall,as
ifeverydaylifeisnotcharacterisedby unevennessandconflict.But,anditis abigbut,thisisnotapluralnounbecoming ‘singular’ bystressingthematerialparticularityofanobjectexistingataspecific moment.Itisthesingularasanabstract entitythatworkstoveiltheconcretesingularthatweallexistin.Anditisagainst this ‘abstractsingular’ thattheartistsof Day-to-DayData aremostthoroughlyengaged aschampionsoftheinsistentmateriality ofthe ‘concretesingular’ .
Onewayoutoftheabstractionsofdata processing(andonestepnearertothe concreteeveryday)istoreverseitsoperationallogic.Thisiswhat LucyKimbell does withher PhysicalBarCharts.Shebeginswith theabstractionsofprocesseddataandworks tomakethismaterialconcretebygetting visitorstoclaimandpossessspecificbits ofdatum.Abstractionbecomessubtraction andphysicaldatais ‘returned’ tothesource. Anotherwayoutofabstractionistoliteralisetheprocessofdatacollectionintheway thatBorgessuggestedwhenheimaginedamap beingmadethatwasasdetailedandofexactly thesamescaleasthelanditrepresented.3
Thisisthetacticof SamCurtis asheproceeds toconducthisown IDUK censusbypersonally countingeveryoneintheUK.Yetanotherway istodiscoversurprisingconcreteactualitiesintheabstractionsofnumericallyrawand randomdata:thisiswhatRichardDedomenici doeswhenhe ‘discovers’ anuncannyconglomerationofnailsalonssurroundingthe satellitecitiesontheedgeofLondon(Nail SalonBelt)andprotectingthemfrom metropolitanencroachment.
RoutineMatter
Asdefendersofthe ‘concretesingular’ the artistsof Day-to-DayData shareanumber
