Dot-to-Dot Mission Statement
Dot-to-Dot is a bi-national collaboration of artists and children dedicated to nurturing creative expression and forming a dynamic cultural exchange by bridging the Mexican/United States border to transform communities.
Dot-to-Dot achieves its mission through:
• providing art education to children who do not otherwise receive it.
• managing a permanent site in the border zone of Baja California,
Mexico that serves as an art space for children and artists.
• maintaining an artist-in-residency program that offers encouragement
and professional support as well as extensive teaching opportunities.
• arranging venues for exhibiting and producing collaborative works.
History of Dot-to-Dot
Dot-to-Dot began in 1999 as an experimental art piece out of the San Francisco Art Institute. Founders, Brandie Maddalena and Jason Rogalski intended it as an exploration of social sculpture, life art and functionality of art.
Dot-to-Dot’s first manifestations were a series of road trips from San Francisco through Baja California. In these art works the ‘site’ was mobile. The artwork moved through space, effectively connecting the Californias. These evolved into the ‘Circuits’ program. Through the Circuits, we found our greatest attraction was to an area called the border zone.
In 2001, Dot-to-Dot took up residence in the border zone of Baja California. This allowed living access to children’s groups, political turmoil, cultural/economic clashing, as well as all the arising misconceptions and rationalizing myths.
New programs began and evolved. The Chalkboard Collaborations program was fueled by artists from the Sharing program. All the artwork being produced needed to be exhibited, so the Community Exhibitions program came into being. In 2002, Dot-to-Dot began collaborating with the Rosarito based group, Cultura a la Mano.
In 2003, Cultura a la Mano disbanded. 911 happened in the U.S. causing near depression in the Baja border-zone. Dot-to-Dot experienced a series of gigantically successful events, coupled with dismal failures. We intentionally slowed down so as to reevaluate our strengths, weaknesses, and our purpose and thus direct our growth.
Now, in 2004, we are a trimmed tree with leaves sprouting. We see that we provide art education to kids that would not otherwise receive it. And even more distinctively, we provide opportunities for kids on either side of the border to communicate across the border with one another in a ‘pen pal’ style, using art. We also provide opportunities for artist teachers to experience the contrast of working on both sides of the border simultaneously.
While Dot-to-Dot started as the artwork of a couple people, it has grown over the years. It has taken on a life of it’s own that involves many people. Dot-to-Dot can no longer be claimed as the work of any one artist, as it is a collaboration of many. Dot-to-Dot continues to evolve.
Why is Art important?
Why teach art? Can art do anything other than just be pretty? These questions have many answers. We focus on three main reasons to perceive artfully.
First, is that creativity is a tool which helps a person to change their station in life. It allows one to define what will make them happy. This vision then helps one to seek or create the situation in which they feel they belong. It fosters hope.
Secondly, artful perception will help a person to be happy in the station they are currently living in. To perceive reality as art is to love life. It fosters appreciation.
And thirdly, art allows for communication. Sometimes as basic as a person drawing a picture and the other person looking at that picture, but communication can be far more complex. This form of communication can happen between people who speak different verbal languages. It fosters understanding.
Action as Art
Dot-to-Dot focuses on the action of creation and collaboration as our main art emphasis. We understand that the process of art making brings the children into the ‘now’. These experiences build the strength to create action within life, fostering artful living. Like a drop of water falling into a puddle…we teach that the initial drop is the impetus of art: the action. Rings always radiate out from the initial drop; the ripples are the finished works, memories, relationships, goals and so on. We embrace the whole body of water as art, rather than one ripple, allowing the children to chose their path throughout their lives.
The Language Barrier
Many of the Dot-to-Dot artists speak fluent Spanish or English, but not both. When we work with people who do not speak their language, this should cause a language barrier. Instead, we turn this ‘barrier’ into a toy. The collaborative art that happens between those who do not speak the same language is often the most interesting. In these works, the art becomes a middle language. The collaboration is a REAL way to understand one another.
Art-Time
Imagine a culture that does not have a word for art because it considers everything to be art; plants, pottery, dirt, the ocean and every wave, the dog yawning in the morning and the worry that something was forgotten.
“Art-time” is a term coined by artist Mardy Pottenger. It is a designated period of time in which everything perceived is part of the art piece.
From its’ conception, Dot-to-Dot has used Art-time as a tool. Using art-time as a frame helps participants to experience life as art.
Life Art
Life-Art, for us, is a mode of perception more than an art genre or movement. Life art ignores nothing and encompasses all. It includes, but surpasses the traditional arts. In life-art the artist may frame anything conceivable. Often times the spectacle aspect disappears. The spectacle caused by a physical frame or flashing lights becomes fake, forced and unnecessary. Just as a beautiful sunset is better in person and does not require a gold frame. It is a subjective experience.
But then, we want to share our wonderful subjective experience (making it objective), so we some how frame it. Maybe we take a photo, or write a passage, paint a picture or collect a relic from the site. But this documentation is secondary to the original experience. A person who experiences it later will have a different experience than that which we were trying to share.
But their secondary experience is also real. The difference is that within life art, when one experiences the documentation…it is the experience that is the art, rather than the documentation.
Functional Art
Dot-to-Dot is interested in functional art. Art that meets a utilitarian use. In 1917, Marcel Duchamp presented ‘The Fountain.’ An unchanged object, taken from everyday life. He called these art works: Ready-mades. This huge step taught us that the artist does not need to do anything to make an object art, other than present it as art.
An object presented as art will be perceived artfully. We will see its’ beauty and consider its’ symbolic meanings. But this object may also function on a utilitarian level…such as a rocking chair.
Dot-to-Dot takes much inspiration from a turn of the century Russian Art Movement called the Constructivists. These artists lived in a poor, drab condition. They used their creativity to design and mass-produce beautiful clothing, furniture and dishes. The Constructivists made sculpture and painting, but also architecture and art organizations that worked to provide various social needs. They used their creativity to improve the quality of life for the poorest of their culture.
Social Sculpture
‘Social Sculpture’ is a term first coined by artist Joseph Bueys. Generally it refers to an artwork, which is comprised of a group of people within a larger social construct. But, there are many sorts and they can be categorized in many different ways.
Some social sculptures are abstract independent entities: beautiful and slightly connected to the larger social construct. Floating for the worlds’ consideration and poetic entertainment. These important works ask questions and make statements about the world, that is the function they meet. This happens on a symbolic level. They do not function on the more utilitarian level.
An abstract expression of social sculpture could be a play you watch in a theater, say; A Mid-Summer Nights Dream (William Shakespeare). Or an even more abstract social sculpture might be a staged fistfight in front of a Hooters restaurant (Tony Labot).
Whereas a social sculpture that functions on a utilitarian level could be the Fire Department, the Apple Computers Corporation, the Green Party, the Democratic Party or Dot-to-Dot. These organizations meet actual needs of the society they live in. Every aspect of a social sculpture may also be read as a metaphor.
Questions arise like; aren’t the abstract expressions of social sculpture also functional, or don’t the functional social sculptures have abstract qualities? And does it matter if the group has not already been framed as art? These are questions Dot-to-Dot are exploring.
How is Dot-to-Dot Art?
Dot-to-Dot began as and continues to be a social sculpture. Those involved with the organization are part of an art piece. It is framed as art.
Social sculptures plug into/or arise from the larger existing social circumstance. This social sculpture, Dot-to-Dot, is focused on utilitarian functionality, as adverse to abstraction. Meaning that in addition to its’ beautiful aspects or the layers of metaphor that one might read into it…it also meets actual needs of the society that it exists in. The needs, which it sates, are, at times, almost unmentionable like some social taboo and rationally debatable, yet intuitively vital.
The Life-art context is another way of understanding Dot-to-Dot as art. Life-art embraces Dot-to-Dot. Everything that Dot-to-Dot does is part of one art piece. This includes its’ actions not traditionally considered to be art, such as; washing the windows, filling out governmental documents with a old pen, the sun reflecting off a bowl of alphabet soup onto the ceiling, being sleepy when you wake up early,… Reality is art.
Documentation
To document or not to document often becomes an issue with life-art. For example, lets say that an artist may experience a head on collision at the border crossing as an art piece. For the artist this first hand experience was poetic and symbolic and beautiful. The experience had many aspects and happened over a period of time.
The artist tries to document it by taking a photograph. It is of the two smashed cars after the collision. But the photo does not move, you can’t smell the fire and you can’t hear the noises, much less experiencing the emotions. The photo does not share the artists’ experience with the audience. Instead, they see a small clean photo of two smashed cars. The photo is on a clean gallery wall that smells like paint. Muzak plays in the background. The audience’s second hand experience is real, but it is very far from the experience that the artist was trying to share…only the tip of an iceberg.
But, this seems to be part of our human condition. It is the best we can do. All communication is this way, not just art. As frustrating as it is…the only thing worse would be not to try at all.
Dot-to-Dot is a bi-national collaboration of artists and children dedicated to nurturing creative expression and forming a dynamic cultural exchange by bridging the Mexican/United States border to transform communities.
Dot-to-Dot achieves its mission through:
• providing art education to children who do not otherwise receive it.
• managing a permanent site in the border zone of Baja California,
Mexico that serves as an art space for children and artists.
• maintaining an artist-in-residency program that offers encouragement
and professional support as well as extensive teaching opportunities.
• arranging venues for exhibiting and producing collaborative works.
History of Dot-to-Dot
Dot-to-Dot began in 1999 as an experimental art piece out of the San Francisco Art Institute. Founders, Brandie Maddalena and Jason Rogalski intended it as an exploration of social sculpture, life art and functionality of art.
Dot-to-Dot’s first manifestations were a series of road trips from San Francisco through Baja California. In these art works the ‘site’ was mobile. The artwork moved through space, effectively connecting the Californias. These evolved into the ‘Circuits’ program. Through the Circuits, we found our greatest attraction was to an area called the border zone.
In 2001, Dot-to-Dot took up residence in the border zone of Baja California. This allowed living access to children’s groups, political turmoil, cultural/economic clashing, as well as all the arising misconceptions and rationalizing myths.
New programs began and evolved. The Chalkboard Collaborations program was fueled by artists from the Sharing program. All the artwork being produced needed to be exhibited, so the Community Exhibitions program came into being. In 2002, Dot-to-Dot began collaborating with the Rosarito based group, Cultura a la Mano.
In 2003, Cultura a la Mano disbanded. 911 happened in the U.S. causing near depression in the Baja border-zone. Dot-to-Dot experienced a series of gigantically successful events, coupled with dismal failures. We intentionally slowed down so as to reevaluate our strengths, weaknesses, and our purpose and thus direct our growth.
Now, in 2004, we are a trimmed tree with leaves sprouting. We see that we provide art education to kids that would not otherwise receive it. And even more distinctively, we provide opportunities for kids on either side of the border to communicate across the border with one another in a ‘pen pal’ style, using art. We also provide opportunities for artist teachers to experience the contrast of working on both sides of the border simultaneously.
While Dot-to-Dot started as the artwork of a couple people, it has grown over the years. It has taken on a life of it’s own that involves many people. Dot-to-Dot can no longer be claimed as the work of any one artist, as it is a collaboration of many. Dot-to-Dot continues to evolve.
Why is Art important?
Why teach art? Can art do anything other than just be pretty? These questions have many answers. We focus on three main reasons to perceive artfully.
First, is that creativity is a tool which helps a person to change their station in life. It allows one to define what will make them happy. This vision then helps one to seek or create the situation in which they feel they belong. It fosters hope.
Secondly, artful perception will help a person to be happy in the station they are currently living in. To perceive reality as art is to love life. It fosters appreciation.
And thirdly, art allows for communication. Sometimes as basic as a person drawing a picture and the other person looking at that picture, but communication can be far more complex. This form of communication can happen between people who speak different verbal languages. It fosters understanding.
Action as Art
Dot-to-Dot focuses on the action of creation and collaboration as our main art emphasis. We understand that the process of art making brings the children into the ‘now’. These experiences build the strength to create action within life, fostering artful living. Like a drop of water falling into a puddle…we teach that the initial drop is the impetus of art: the action. Rings always radiate out from the initial drop; the ripples are the finished works, memories, relationships, goals and so on. We embrace the whole body of water as art, rather than one ripple, allowing the children to chose their path throughout their lives.
The Language Barrier
Many of the Dot-to-Dot artists speak fluent Spanish or English, but not both. When we work with people who do not speak their language, this should cause a language barrier. Instead, we turn this ‘barrier’ into a toy. The collaborative art that happens between those who do not speak the same language is often the most interesting. In these works, the art becomes a middle language. The collaboration is a REAL way to understand one another.
Art-Time
Imagine a culture that does not have a word for art because it considers everything to be art; plants, pottery, dirt, the ocean and every wave, the dog yawning in the morning and the worry that something was forgotten.
“Art-time” is a term coined by artist Mardy Pottenger. It is a designated period of time in which everything perceived is part of the art piece.
From its’ conception, Dot-to-Dot has used Art-time as a tool. Using art-time as a frame helps participants to experience life as art.
Life Art
Life-Art, for us, is a mode of perception more than an art genre or movement. Life art ignores nothing and encompasses all. It includes, but surpasses the traditional arts. In life-art the artist may frame anything conceivable. Often times the spectacle aspect disappears. The spectacle caused by a physical frame or flashing lights becomes fake, forced and unnecessary. Just as a beautiful sunset is better in person and does not require a gold frame. It is a subjective experience.
But then, we want to share our wonderful subjective experience (making it objective), so we some how frame it. Maybe we take a photo, or write a passage, paint a picture or collect a relic from the site. But this documentation is secondary to the original experience. A person who experiences it later will have a different experience than that which we were trying to share.
But their secondary experience is also real. The difference is that within life art, when one experiences the documentation…it is the experience that is the art, rather than the documentation.
Functional Art
Dot-to-Dot is interested in functional art. Art that meets a utilitarian use. In 1917, Marcel Duchamp presented ‘The Fountain.’ An unchanged object, taken from everyday life. He called these art works: Ready-mades. This huge step taught us that the artist does not need to do anything to make an object art, other than present it as art.
An object presented as art will be perceived artfully. We will see its’ beauty and consider its’ symbolic meanings. But this object may also function on a utilitarian level…such as a rocking chair.
Dot-to-Dot takes much inspiration from a turn of the century Russian Art Movement called the Constructivists. These artists lived in a poor, drab condition. They used their creativity to design and mass-produce beautiful clothing, furniture and dishes. The Constructivists made sculpture and painting, but also architecture and art organizations that worked to provide various social needs. They used their creativity to improve the quality of life for the poorest of their culture.
Social Sculpture
‘Social Sculpture’ is a term first coined by artist Joseph Bueys. Generally it refers to an artwork, which is comprised of a group of people within a larger social construct. But, there are many sorts and they can be categorized in many different ways.
Some social sculptures are abstract independent entities: beautiful and slightly connected to the larger social construct. Floating for the worlds’ consideration and poetic entertainment. These important works ask questions and make statements about the world, that is the function they meet. This happens on a symbolic level. They do not function on the more utilitarian level.
An abstract expression of social sculpture could be a play you watch in a theater, say; A Mid-Summer Nights Dream (William Shakespeare). Or an even more abstract social sculpture might be a staged fistfight in front of a Hooters restaurant (Tony Labot).
Whereas a social sculpture that functions on a utilitarian level could be the Fire Department, the Apple Computers Corporation, the Green Party, the Democratic Party or Dot-to-Dot. These organizations meet actual needs of the society they live in. Every aspect of a social sculpture may also be read as a metaphor.
Questions arise like; aren’t the abstract expressions of social sculpture also functional, or don’t the functional social sculptures have abstract qualities? And does it matter if the group has not already been framed as art? These are questions Dot-to-Dot are exploring.
How is Dot-to-Dot Art?
Dot-to-Dot began as and continues to be a social sculpture. Those involved with the organization are part of an art piece. It is framed as art.
Social sculptures plug into/or arise from the larger existing social circumstance. This social sculpture, Dot-to-Dot, is focused on utilitarian functionality, as adverse to abstraction. Meaning that in addition to its’ beautiful aspects or the layers of metaphor that one might read into it…it also meets actual needs of the society that it exists in. The needs, which it sates, are, at times, almost unmentionable like some social taboo and rationally debatable, yet intuitively vital.
The Life-art context is another way of understanding Dot-to-Dot as art. Life-art embraces Dot-to-Dot. Everything that Dot-to-Dot does is part of one art piece. This includes its’ actions not traditionally considered to be art, such as; washing the windows, filling out governmental documents with a old pen, the sun reflecting off a bowl of alphabet soup onto the ceiling, being sleepy when you wake up early,… Reality is art.
Documentation
To document or not to document often becomes an issue with life-art. For example, lets say that an artist may experience a head on collision at the border crossing as an art piece. For the artist this first hand experience was poetic and symbolic and beautiful. The experience had many aspects and happened over a period of time.
The artist tries to document it by taking a photograph. It is of the two smashed cars after the collision. But the photo does not move, you can’t smell the fire and you can’t hear the noises, much less experiencing the emotions. The photo does not share the artists’ experience with the audience. Instead, they see a small clean photo of two smashed cars. The photo is on a clean gallery wall that smells like paint. Muzak plays in the background. The audience’s second hand experience is real, but it is very far from the experience that the artist was trying to share…only the tip of an iceberg.
But, this seems to be part of our human condition. It is the best we can do. All communication is this way, not just art. As frustrating as it is…the only thing worse would be not to try at all.