photograph from oprah performance...thanks for the flowers!

above is an image from a recent performance (mother's day). the image is tentatively titled, "pre-emptive memorial (chicago, IL)" 2006. if you read below, you can read a fundraising email i sent to participants that contextualizes the image a bit...

Thanks to everyone who participated, including bucket rider gallery who snatched up the last 10 of the edition of 50. if you're interested in purchasing one of these, you can find their contact info at: www.bucketridergallery.com. Five large prints of 40x50" will be printed in an edition of 5 and available through the gallery as well.

**********

here is the email that i sent to prospective participants:

i need your help to make a photograph, read below:

i've been racking my brain for a couple years about how to make an
interesting picture of the harpo productions sign on
randolph...fascinated by it because the oprah phenomenon makes its home
in the same neighborhood as my gallery only a mile from my house. i was
reminded of this fascination recently when my parents came to visit and
my parents wanted their picture taken in front of the sign. this
morning i have finalized a proposal toward making an image of this
phenomenon.

i want to buy $1000.00 worth of flowers and as a performance quickly lay
the flowers all around the sign, waist-high, bountiful, colorful, as if
a parade of people had recently visited this sign and paid their
respects. the image of this self-standing 3d sign on the corner
surrounded by flowers (and a few candles in front) can conjure up a
number of things: as a celebration, a memorial, a holiday, an
anniversary...this ambiguity is powerful to me.

i am interested in the performance as a pre-emptive memorial to a
potential future scandal that could hypothetically plague oprah. martha
stewart has taken a widely public scandal and turned it into a mixed bag
of publicity, her popularity now on a lukewarm simmer...

the idea that oprah could fall from grace by some hypothetical future
scandal is very interesting to me

....just like i hope obama somehow manages to uphold expectations that
are becoming beyond human (a picture concerning him is currently in the
works), i wait with oprah to see if she manages to keep oprah inc. a
flawless cultural beacon resting impossibly high over millions of
admirers.

i am asking for $20, and in exchange to each participant, you will
receive a signed 11x14 photograph in an edition limited by the number of
donations (limited at 50). funds from 50 entries will be spent on
flowers for the performance and to be left at the sign at the conclusion
of the shoot. the performance itself is to be very short, maybe 10
minutes to avoid intervention, and will be the result of 5 assistants
and a cameraperson...all i ask is to keep your donations, criticisms,
and enthusiasm discreet until the performance is over.

my tentative goal set is to raise these funds by may 1st. if you're
interested, please make checks payable to jason lazarus. my address is
810 n wood, 3f, chicago, iL, 60622. receipts for your donation will be
provided upon request...simply include your mailing address. i'd also
like to publicly thank participants as the project is later displayed in
a gallery context...let me know if you'd like your donation to be kept
private.

finally, please consider discretely forwarding this to potential
participants. i will send updates to participants as the goal becomes
closer. if you send a check via snail mail, shoot me an email alerting
me so i can immediately add you to the update list.

thanks in advance for your consideration, i hope to make an engaging
piece you'll enjoy for years...if your committed to this idea please act
now!

best, jason

www.jasonlazarus.com

ps: let me know what kind of flowers you'd like me to purchase with
your donation.