benches-For and AGAINST

FOR and AGAINST Benches

The "For and Against Benches" are two 6 foot long benches made of steel coated in bright thermoplatic colors. They were installed in various temporary public locations through out the Washington, DC Metro Area in Fall 2008, before the November election. People passing by were invited to participate in the art work by sitting on the bench of their choice and/or writing one thing they are for or against. Those who wouldn't mind having their picture on display in an exhibition were photographed on the benches by Linda Hesh.

The images are from the original Fall 2008 project as well as a special one day photo-shoot in front of
the Museum of the Americas in Washington, DC in November 2009 where the Bench Project was on display.

Gallery of 336 Portraits

(opinions collected from the public and not necessarily those of the artist)

Statement

The words "For" and "Against" have no meaning in themselves. But when they are used in a sentence and brought into context, a partisan situation is created that mimics the situation in our country today. Though this temporary interactive public artwork was installed right before the elections, it was not simply about which party or candidate you support, but about our hopes for the future. Whether they voiced a personal issue, or one on the world stage, people were eager to have this forum for expression. The result was over 1000 written opinions and 336 photographed poses on the benches. In the end, I found we are similiar in our hopes for a better world, perhaps differing in the path we envision to get there.