Making living / Living making consisted of two separate installations that occurred simultaneously: Making living took place in my own apartment, and Living making, at a gallery called the Palace @ 4 am, both in London, Ontario. The two locations were approximately two miles away from each other, and the viewers were encouraged to visit the two installations one after the other. In Making living, I created an "art-viewing" space by dividing my living room with a metal mesh wall along with metal chains across the kitchen and the bedroom, designating a space where the viewers were permitted. On the wall in this art-viewing space, displayed were the various objects, which I had either made or purchased. In Living making, I reconfigured the gallery space by constructing a low ceiling made of the same metal mesh material as the wall in the apartment. In this space I displayed nine oil paintings of either animals or abstract forms with price tags. At first glance, the two installations appeared to set up obvious binaries, such as private vs. public, ‘authentic’ art (painting) vs. readymade, art for sale vs. art against commodification, viewer vs. viewed, (entertainer vs. entertained) and so on. However, the simultaneous existence of Making living and Living making resulted in the overlapping, if not fusing, of these supposedly opposing conditions and perceptions. It signified my investigation into where and how art and artmaking might exist in-between or outside of these trajectories (binaries) and ultimately, where and how I could or would want to exist as an artist. Through the physical and conceptual journey between the two installations, I intended to invite the viewers into these indefinable middle grounds, where one may be left confused, yet strangely entertained.

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