With over 1000 photos from the past 100 days in Kassel, Germany, to choose from, it is difficult to limit this summary to two dozen images. We have grouped these photos into 4 sections; Artists/Participants, Places, Art/Work, and Extended Relationships. Of course, there is cross-over in each section. Above, we focus on the three artist-collaborators who formed the core of 'just us at work' — Veronica Betani, Cebo Mvubu, and Deborah Doering. We also say 'thank you' again to those artists and artisans who spent one or two weeks working in the Amtsgericht with us: Nancy Adams, Glenn Doering, Kathryn Trumbull Fimreite, Irene Perez Gil, Shauna Hupe Angel Blue, Denise Laurin, Magdalena Linden, and Kathryn Maple Whitten. We sincerely appreciate your contribution to 'just us at work.'
Our main workplace for 'just us at work' was the entrance hall of the Amtsgericht (Offices of Justice) on Frankfurter Straße 9 in Kassel, Germany. On our first day, June 1, 2012, we hung the "Manifest O", a 9' x 21' hand-embroidered tapestry, conceptualized by DOE Projekts, and embroidered by the artists of the Keiskamma Art Project of Hamburg, South Africa. We then began to work with the idea of the zero and one in a specific movement pattern, to create various embroideries and painted prints. By the end of our 100 day project, 35 embroideries and 40 painted prints had been created. In addition, we had over 200 sketches of various concepts and designs, and also several dozen "wax rubbings" created from stencils we hand-cut. Eight embroideries and two prints were sold during our 100 days in Kassel. Previous to the start of the project, several of the art works were promised to supporters/patrons who had pledged funds for our project. We continue to seek out opportunities to exhibit and sell the artwork; purchasing our work contributes to the ongoing work of both DOE Projekts and Keiskamma Art Project. Please contact Deborah Doering, dadamsdoering@yahoo.com, if you are interested in providing such opportunities.
In addition to making embroideries, stencils, rubbings, and painting-prints, various guest artists and artisans worked on other types of handwork, but all participants used the zero-may-be-seen-as-a-one conceptual system as a point-of-departure for their work in the Amtsgericht.
The people of Kassel, and also the many people who visited dOCUMENTA (13) during the 'just us at work' art action, were very friendly, interested, and supportive of our work. Our project was invited to participate in d(13)'s Critical Art Ensemble (New York City) and Theaster Gate's (Chicago) Huguenot House. We also exhibited at d:gallery and Werkstatt Kassel. Our work was favorably reviewed by Lori Waxman, critic, also part of d(13). Once again, we thank the many people who gave us support during our 100 day 'art action' called 'just us at work.' An essay by Danish art critic, Louise Mazanti, many be read in English or in German at this link: http://www.deborahdoering.com/writings/justus.html
