Andrew Shoemaker
Sometimes a nicer sculpture is to be able to hang out with your friends and have fun
Interdisciplinary Arts & Media
Project Statement
Sometimes a nicer sculpture is to be able to hang out with your friends and have fun is a series of collective art-making events, resulting in a multi-media sound installation which will take the form of 512 sound-absorbing panels. My goal is art as friendship. In a 2019 article titled "Why You Never See Your Friends Anymore," Judith Shulevitz writes, “It’s a cliché among political philosophers that if you want to create the conditions for tyranny, you sever the bonds of intimate relationships and local community.” Creating stuff together is an age-old method of creating these kinds of intimate bonds. This act of hanging out is a way of pushing back against the prevailing conditions we live in now.
Artist Statement
I like to spend quality time with my friends, having a good time. I untangle wires, plug things in, and create computer files. I made this project because I think there should be more parties. Unfortunately, the Covid-19 pandemic has temporarily affected this mission.
Artist Biography
Andrew Shoemaker is an interdisciplinary artist living in Chicago, Illinois. He enjoys long walks on the beach in google maps and playing the guitar.