Boundaries
By nikki leone and French Bulldog(s)

Started on: 06/11/10 11:55:56
Medium: Visual

Over the course of my stay here in California, there have been more opportunities for Napoleon to be left off-leash during our excursions in open spaces. Everyplace that he has been able to be allowed to roam freely where ever he feels fit, there has always been some form of barrier. So, it seems that there is this idea of "free" but, holding the allusion of freedom's hands there is a boundaries which keeps him in a specific place.

In the parks, there is always a "fence" of shrubs or a creek which keeps him from wandering too far. Although, if he wanted to (sometimes he does) he can cross that barrier, but always seems to want to come back. As if there is this connection between us that has a certain radial strength and he gets "pulled" back to whereever I am, like a center point to a circle.

At the beaches and bluffs there are cliffs and water lines that keep him in a certain area and the paths which he can take are limited to two choices...north or south.

I have decided to make a work which can document his movements. By making a "box" like sculpture which depicts my own boundaries by restricting my movements to only inside, I have projected videos of my documentation of Napoleon playing outside off-leash. By follwing his movements, I created certain markings to depict where we are and what he is doing.

The idea of this is that my "freedom" is to decorate or create as freely as I want to, but my boundary/barrier is the structure and the restricted movements that I can make while documenting his movements. Just as Napoleon is free to roam wherever he chooses, but his barriers/boundaries are depicted by the natural formations of the land of California, and by me being his partner.

This piece has led me to rethink that relationship that we have, at what point is there an opportunity for him to break this radius? Would he really just run away if he surpassed my idea of this bonded circle? He could by choice just run across the creek, or run past me down the beach and never stop. But, he is my best friend and I would hope that this would never cross his mind.


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