I will head west from Chicago, following the American Discovery Trail, the nation's only coast-to-coast, non-motorized trail, spending the night in campgrounds, farms and in the middle of nowhere.
My journey will be about facing fears and fantasies.
I have always had a special fascination with horses. And I used to ride regularly when I was younger. I tend to forget the bad experiences: horses walking on my feet, biting me, getting scared and galloping off, (almost) crushing my chest with their hooves.
My most persistent romantic dream is, to this day, to travel by horse through majestic landscapes and undergo some sort of heroic transformation. I haven’t been a teenager for thirteen years now. It is time to explore what was real about this desire, and face the reality of physical exhaustion, loneliness, fear. I will document my metamorphosis from irritable city dweller to whatever I will become after this epic feat. Failure is a possible outcome. Solitude will make me write.
I will carry with me a DSLR camera (capable of shooting HD video), a digital sound recorder (with binaural microphones), a film camera, pen and paper. This equipment is already in my possession. I’m considering bringing an iPad and regularly updating a blog.
I want to deconstruct my own myths but also interrogate the American myth of the Great Outdoors.
My journey will also echo the spiritual journeys undertaken by shamans in oral societies in order to reconnect with the non-human world and enrich human discourse with the stories embedded in the land and its animal inhabitants.
When I get back to Chicago I will turn my material into a documentary, several artist's books, a series of prints, an installation, maybe a performance.
I can’t make any of this happen without you. This is your chance to be involved in the development of my new line of inquiry, which will likely culminate in my MFA thesis project.
Who am I?
I'm an MFA student in Interdisciplinary Arts and Media at Columbia College Chicago. I'm originally from Rome, Italy.
My artwork tends to originate in a place of darkness. It harnesses raw, potentially destructive energy, but my process is a movement toward greater understanding. I strive to recompose dichotomies and find solace in humor and beauty.
I was recently selected to be featured on my department's website as an example of interdisciplinary risk taking, sharp conceptual focus, and outstanding achievement:
http://www.colum.edu/Academics/Interarts/research/student-research.php
And this is my personal website: www.valentinavella.com
What I Need
I need 11,000 dollars to cover the first year of my expenses. This includes the cost of buying or renting a horse.
This project will likely last two or more years but for now I just need to get it started.
Before leaving I will spend some time training and acquiring survival skills. I will learn how to plan excursions, take care of my horse, stay away from danger. I am taking natural horsemanchip lessons at a local equestrian facility.
I already possess most of the equipment I need to document my journey (I might just need to get extra batteries, SD cards, solar chargers etc...) so the majority of the money will cover horse tack, riding and camping gear, transportation, lodging, food, horse care, horse board.
In a perfect world I would start my journey in the summer 2012 and stop only once I reached the Pacific Ocean, but money and time limitations (being an MFA student) will require a different plan: I will travel this summer for about a month and then head back to Chicago to attend my fall classes, during which I will start turning my material into art that I will share with the public.
I will use Columbia College’s audiovisual facilities and its Center for Book and Paper Arts to create videos, artist’s books, prints, installations, sound pieces about my time in the saddle. I also plan on giving presentations and lectures.
I will resume my journey when I have the material resources and the time to do so. I won’t consider this project finished until our feet and hooves are resting on a California beach.
In case I don’t manage to raise all the funds I need by the end of my campaign but I still get enough to cover part of my budget, I will embark on a fully documented smaller-scale solitary journey which I will share with you all. I will then keep working on raising funds for the full project by applying for grants as well.
If I don’t get enough money for a small-scale journey I will at least train physically and mentally, research opportunities, volunteer at a local natural horsemanship center and keep working on making the full project happen.
What You Get
By contributing even a small amount of money to this project you will have the satisfaction of having empowered an artist to make new art. And your donations are tax-deductible!
There are of course perks, especially for people making substantial donations. They range from handwritten postcards, to producer credits, to several kinds of artwork. If you are not interested in receiving rewards you can say so and get a deduction for the full amount.