
The
Swing Thing posited a community through common experience. Four swings, staggered
throughout the space, glided though the air in rhythms, carrying their passengers
toward and away from each other. Each swing was a unity of continuous movement,
integral to the workings of the whole. Music played in the large space and spectators
observed in small groups.
Using yellow industrial belts as the instruments of communal motion, the swings
spoke the language of a public playground without suggesting a literal repetition
of it. The material choices made in the studio were influenced by the post-industrial
space and it's location adjacent to residential life. The event was fully formed
with the participation of the area residents.
Swinging to and fro, relationships of movement translated to conversation, often
challenged by different rates of motion and positions in space. One would have
to pump faster to maintain a conversation with a fellow swinger. Crossing paths
with an adjacent swing in motion, a binary interaction between two people often
opened up to include a additional swingers. This dynamic relationship of motion
and dialogue was continuously stimulated by the introduction of new swingers
and swing spectators.


