ANNIE HECKMAN

Having arrived on Earth in 1981 with three older siblings, I thought that most music was somehow tied to Michael Jackson. Like if I didn’t know who sang a particular song, maybe it was him, and I thought that Weird Al Yankovic was somehow Michael’s funny brother until I was in 3rd grade (I assumed that Yankovic just got to make the funny versions of the songs because they shared things). I see Michael Jackson through the inaccurate but enthusiastic lens of childhood.

So his passing is making me feel more mortal than usual, like I came from a specific time and place that’s going to be hard to explain to the little ones in my life, but that the explanation will somehow be part of my job as an adult. Just in case they’re already surfing the web to find out, I’m posting here some video of the first ever moonwalk, along with another classic (or as some have decided, the best ever) moonwalk. Thriller is a favorite, but is un-embeddable per the Michael Jackson YouTube preferences, so I’ll just link up to it here. That red jacket is amazing.

As I was preparing my diorama projects for The Synesthetic Plan of Chicago (see post below), I was curious about techniques for planning and constructing miniature landscapes. Artist and friend Kelley Schei recommended looking at the stop motion version of Wind in the Willows from the 1980s. Here’s a lengthy clip I found on YouTube — my favorite part is the crumbling boat.

Amazon also has these animations for sale on DVD:

Sometimes a project comes together so suddenly, with such amazing convergences and good circumstances, that I barely have time to process it. The Synesthetic Plan of Chicago is one of those.

Not too long ago, Daniel Godston invited me to come along with him to a meeting and kick around ideas about how to combine over 30 artists’ projects exploring multi-sensory experiences of Chicago’s neighborhoods in one space. A few sketches, proposals, and phone calls later, I find myself in the midst of a small movement of artists collaborating to make visual sense of sensory experiences in Chicago.

The result, an interactive installation made with amazing energy and support from artists and the benefactors listed below, is now on view at the Chicago Cultural Center, in the Visitor Information Center near the Randolph entrance.

Here are some preliminary photos from our installation days, and I’ll be adding more to the album shortly. If you’re in the Chicago area, please come check it out! The exhibit will be on view through September 30, but because of the interactive nature of the projects, you can expect new things to happen there on a regular basis. More on this soon.

I’m proud to mention that this project is presented in collaboration with Chicago cultural and neighborhood organizations, the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, Chicago Office of Tourism and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Bureau of Tourism.