Jay Hollick: March 2008

Play is a C. Farrell Scholarship proposal that uses drawing and sculpture to explore the idea of play. The concept of this project is based on the idea of zero-sum games played with the end result of having a clearly defined winner and loser in American society. My intention is to create an intergenerational outlook of play in American culture that we would not normally see on a traditional playground. The idea becomes one of playing as a competitive activity with the direct outcome of a winner and loser, accentuating this notion of winning as everything. These ideas will be expressed through the concept of a playground presented to an audience by architectural blueprints and models.

Play is a culturally significant activity. We relate play to childhood and as a developing factor that shapes us as human beings. In my opinion our assimilation into the dominant culture begins with play. Play contains rules and boundaries; creates friends and social groups. Play can be serious or silly; complicated or easy. The games that are created for play are fascinating in themselves. My interest in play lies within America’s competitive adult world and its origins in childhood with the types of games known as zero-sum. A precursor to the competitive world we live in as adults.

The exhibition Play will consist of four architectural blueprints of the playground and its major components. Each of these prints will be 65 by 42 inches in size and will range from defining a playground toy to defining the parameters of the playground itself. Accompanying the blueprints will be a 3-dimensional model of the playground, which will be developed from the blueprint specs. The sculpture and blueprints will function much like an architectural model plan. To supplement the architectural model plan, I will also develop a rulebook in order to define the games that I intend to create using the playground as a field with its components. The play that is developed consists of games that do not already have a written set of rules, but whose toy components are remade to facilitate this idea of competition. Situated within Sarah Spurgeon gallery, the exhibition Play will translate America’s cultural values back into childhood activities.

The playground becomes an area where zero-sum games are played. An area normally designated for children becomes a field of exploration into our social values. The playground blueprints and models will have the equipment and fields found on a traditional playground, however, these areas will be used for games of play that result in a distinct winner and loser. Common games such as four square and tetherball will be tweaked as to hyperbolize the effect of winning. Other items such as swings, jungle gyms and various other playground toys will be modified into games within the rulebook so that they become devices in which people are forced to compete. Winning will become the standard to which everyone will be judged on the playground and the form of play will reflect this change through rules, size and effect.

The purpose of this project is to explore the idea that our cultural values begin forming at the time we begin to play games. I am specifically interested in investigating America’s value for competition and winning, which I believe is a trait learned early on in our growth and development, where, even seemingly mindless games reinforce win or lose cultural ideals.

Thank you for considering my proposal,

James Hollick