2 IN One Eye

2 in One Eye by Budh &Ray comes across like a parody of a museum catalog for a new exhibit for a set of performance artists. Which, in its own way, is art itself. Each section is a different art project, verbal, image, or combination of the two, and is usually only a page or two long, so there is a lot of jumping from one thing to another. One good example is the Easter Island Go-Go (page 8) where Budh &Ray suggest an art instillation of full-sized Easter Island monoliths, each placed on a functional gyratory base so they can rock freely and always return upright (much like the old punching clown toys). Interesting conceptually, but entirely impracticable.

With all that said, 2 in One Eye uses a variety of font styles and colors, along with images to create an ongoing collage of concepts and ideas that will entertain the interested reader. Some of the image reproduction is at too low a resolution for close inspection, and in the case of “PAYING ATTENTION TO NOT PAYING ATTENTION” (page 2) the inability to read the text might be the point (after all, if you can’t quite make it out, you’ll try harder to see what isn’t readable, thereby paying attention to something you can’t pay attention to). This is an exercise is printed performance art, yet also makes one interested in what might be with some of the “installations” described. After all, who wouldn’t want to see British MPs reading each other a poem on anniversary of William Blake’s 300th birthday? (2057, to save you a Google search.)

Is this an exercise in creativity or a practical application of believing impossible things before breakfast? Either way, 2 in One Eye is another form of art. From Abby Hoffman’s Steal this Book to Banksy’s tweaking of popular culture, art is not something to be placed in a frame or on a pedestal and admired from a distance, but something to experience or participate in along with the artist. Maybe you can’t rock a monolith, but you can find something that will open your eyes and engage those around you.