The "Oracle @ WiFi" is an interactive art project that's also a system of divination, much like the I Ching or tarot cards. Just like the original Oracle at Delphi, I am available for readings only on the 7th day of each month. People are invited to call my cell phone to request a reading. With my cell phone camera, I take three photographs wherever I happen to be at the time of the call.
For each reading, I lay out the three images in the sequence they were taken. The date and time of the each capture along with the question are noted below the images. The final composite is posted here on my website. Exhibition prints are sized 17" x 44"
Rather than relying on historically predetermined meaning for images as with traditional systems of divination like Tarot of the I Ching, interpretation relies on a shared cultural reference to assign symbolic meaning to contemporary objects, actions and situations.
If you'd like to participate...
1. Write down your question so it's clear in your mind.
2. Call my cell phone at 404-805-5431
3. Keep your question secret!
4. I'll take 3 images at random and email them to you.
5. You reply back with your question
If you can't reach me, it means I'm doing a reading for someone else. Please try
JIm Casper writes about the Oracle Project on his website, Lens Culture. He makes it sound like an incredible project. THANKS JIM!!!! for a FABULOUS write up. The website is great. I'm going to download many of the artist interviews to my IPOD.
COMING JUNE 1 - I'll be in Athens GA at Athica (the Athens Institute of Comtemporary Art) to give an artist talk along with some of the other artists. If you go, be sure to check out Nate Larson's book /photo project "Miracle Pennies" I was FLOORED. Lots of good work but that one is a person fav. The closing events (artist talks, panel, etc) will be from 4 - 6pm
SIX readings from The Oracle project will be featured in The King Bridge Biennial at the Columbus Museum of Art which opens June 14th. Each print is 17" x 44" and it's amazing to see details in the images that just aren't visible on the web.
ART PAPERS - The Oracle @ WiFi project received an excellent review by Piper Marshall in the January/February issue. Click here to read the article
papermag.com - Written by Oracle participant Alex Gartenfeld, it includes his take on the experience as well as quotes from his interview with the artist.
Shooting an event for MOCA GA. Taking calls from MOCA members on the 14th, 15th and 16th. Since I had to be down in Columbus , Georgia for the opening of the 2008 Biennial, AND I'm so tired of shooting in Atlanta that I can't see a thing, I decided to wander around the Columbus area sites. For Thursday, I decided on Calloway Gardens. They had a daily raptor/bird of prey show (vultures! now that's a symbol!) and the FSU has a circus that performs there in the summer.
June 13
Early caller for the MOCA project. Me and Eric McDonald, who's writing the essays for the "Monster" book, were driving around town to ID the trees that are going to be in the book (American Elm, Water Oak, etc). I got a call as I was turning from Marietta onto Huff Road. So Eric and I stumbled around a vacant lot and deserted buildings for about an hour and nothing was right. Since I was at the intersection when I got the call, I decided to go back to the corner and see if that helped. Even better, Star Provisions is on the corner and they have the best coffee in town so we jumped at the chance for air conditioning and hot coffee. And of course, I immediatley saw great shots: a magnifying glass, a bundle of US flags and a blue toy sail boat. That evening when I got home and checked my emails for the question, I found proof to always go with your gut feeling. The caller asked how we coudl turn Georgia into a "blue state" this election. Ha! Now tell me construction debris and pond scum would have made any sense but by golly, I see smooth sailing for the democrats this fall. When you see it, you'll be amazed like I was. And for all you nay sayers, you have Eric as a witness that we had no idea what the question was when I was taking the pictures.
June 7, 2008
One item of note from Saturday. I got into a lively discussion with the two security guards about photographing on private property (2:40 pm). I imagine their surliness was due to being stuck out in the middle of a dismal parking lot when the thermometer reads 97 degrees and you know it’s much hotter on that asphalt. Still, I did think the spitting was uncalled for.
I'm interested in focusing on specific communities and I've begun to work with arts institutions to host an Oracle event for their city. I schedule three consecutive days where I take calls only from that area. The readings are presented in a variety of ways. The first event was for the Athens Institute for Contemporary Art. For their show, "Adventures in Mysticism", the readings were posted on a website and viewable in the gallery on a monitor. Look for postings of the readings on this website. If you are interested in hosting an event, please email me at sbethlilly@gmail.com
