Douglas Park

Douglas 더글라스 Park 파크, internationally active visual artist, author of literary prose and critical essays, also exhibition curator, as well as all practices combined. Currently resides in Antwerp. The majority main-bulk of my output consists of written art and literary prose "stories", both as my project and collaboration input or as "essays", as well as almost kinda normal "criticism" and supportive backup information. However, despite appearing or even partly being eccentric and autonomous, I'm severely conscientious, ethical and pragmatic -- given my insistence on gleaning maximum insight and lowdown -- and full consultation of those involved in the same venture, as much for myself and my input as for the project. But many of my works can "survive", alone, by themselves, on their own; reuse is possible and sometimes done -- not lazy, dismissive and noncommittal disposal -- always selected and chosen with reason. Form taken can vary from: the printed page; live events (recitals and lectures, at launch receptions, performances, conferences etc); audio recordings; moving image; exhibited artwork; online etc. Despite being akin to literature, most origination, development and outlet is linked to visual art -- and rooted very much in my earlier mostly unexposed and abandoned visual art practice -- sharing many common concerns and characteristics -- but allowing infinitely greater potential for flexibility and scope -- never easy or even possible in my previous practice. My "service" can be applied to just about any and every thing, where, body and time. When I still made visual art, it was mainly deadpan oneliners; jokes with categories, definition, meaning and contradictions-in-terms; excuses to use found, modified and self-authored language. I always wrote anyway, including critical essays and information. My more recent and ongoing almost / semi / non "career" (such as it is) began around the late 1990's and year 2000; after I'd given up deluding myself and deceiving others of whatever it was I claimed and pretended I "did" or was; beforehand, if people encouraged or invited me -- I all too often gave up -- despite a partial track-record dating back to the late 1980's and early 1990's; only this time around, I embraced and accepted offers and opportunities, following up ideas -- at 1st, salvaging and regurgitating ideas and material leftover from what I'd done earlier -- then soon, avoidance, escape, disguise, transformation and improvement of that -- until moving onwards and away from there. As I said in an unpublished statement: "I suppose I'm an opposite other way around reversal of (yet another idiom or genre I identified -- as part of my habit of 'idioming' and 'genrefication'). Whereby (ex) literary writers and poets / publishers (persons of letters etc), later become more exposed and successful as visual artists -- yet with many common and recurrent threads held onto. Vito Acconci, Vincenzio Agnetti, Marcel Broodthærs, Joan Brossa, Christian Dotremont, Ian Hamilton Finlay, Jochen Gerz, Jiri Kolar, Henri Michaux, Michel Seuphor, Jean-Claude Silbermann and Emmett Williams etc." As for my present works, I usually generate, introduce, describe, enforce and inflict an inescapable reality; whereby strange but familiar and credible environments, processes, events and forces unravel and proceed (nota bene: some of these "stories" are born out of reaction to site-visits, research and insight, which I follow up, develop and perfect). A mutant hybrid cross-between nature and artifice, lacking culpability or authorship attribution and accusation -- as though somehow just happening -- and ambiguous as to morality of intention, purpose and outcome. Embodiment and delivery of such imagery and scenes is pulled off using half prosaic and part deadpan words and phrasing; any human presence and action is nearly absent, except represented by mere implication, symbolism, metaphor and anthropomorphosis or the most fleeting and brief of clichés. Every aspect of the ensuing overall end-result is a mental, perceptual, material and cultural presence and experience; hopefully coming across as already pre-extant, up and running, known, accustomed to, normal and inevitable. Issues arise and are addressed of how free, controlled, honest, insincere, genuine and false any creativity or anything else for that matter can be or is. While rarely born or finalised using systems (like Raymond Roussel, Oulipo authors, the Vienna Group etc), theres more deliberate contrivance than there supposedly is in Stream-Of-Consciousness, Surrealist Automatism and Beatnik Free-Association. Although banal and mundane found language is used and referenced -- and readymade quality is aimed at -- I rarely manipulate lifted sources (as in "found poetry", William S. Burroughs and Brion Gysin's Cutup and Fold-in novels, Unica Zurn's profound anagrams, Tom Phillips's 'Humument' stories etc). If and when possible, necessary and justified, my contribution is presented in such a way as to parasitically infest, take over, feed off, grow on and play games with (or save) the host. An otherwise marginal inclusion is made central, whilst a group or collective outlet becomes solo. Sometimes, I write spin-off revelatory "meta-literature". Behind-the-scenery and inside-storytelling about the background, production and other circumstances around my work and projects. To quote myself in my artist's statement (or 'Policy'!), "in many ways my work is illustration in reverse" is what I've said about all this, finally arriving at the summarized definition of it as "Dynamic Inventory / Itemised Miasma". ©, Copyright, Douglas Park