LAWN JOBS \ FLATLAND \ CIVIL TWILIGHT \ IMPOSSIBLE NEUTRAL \ FRACTURE UTOPIA \
STACK AND SPRAWL \ PEOPLE PAINT \ CHANGING LANDSCAPE \ HOUSE AND HOME \
OREO \ A TIRO' DE \ LE MONDE DE L'ART \

	PEOPLE PAINT: FORMULATE, 2002 - ONGOING. 148 QUARTS OF CUSTOM INTERIOR EGGSHELL ENAMEL, INKJET PRINT ON ARCHIVAL PAPER. DIMENSIONS OF CANS VARY. WALL CHART 40 X 44 INCHES.

In December 2002, I began asking friends and strangers to contribute to Formulate, an ongoing database of flesh-toned paint derived from Home Depot’s custom color matcher. Participants’ hands are scanned into the store’s computer and processed into paint formulas. A copy of the recipe is given to each participant to use for purchasing paint matched to their skin tone. It is also suggested that participants keep their new formula card as an alternative pocket ID. By replacing the actual color samples with names and product recipes, Formulate shifts the focus from the obvious (skin-tone), to the viewers’ multivalent readings of the language and information presented.

Formulate constitutes my reaction to our culture’s interpretation of color, customization and commodity and the effect these have on our perception of identity. The process itself is a humorous response to the ambitiousefforts to digitize and archive huge data sets, and our affinity for cataloguing, and organizing information. The work alludes to increasing levels of personal customization afforded through initiatives like The Human Genome Project, an endeavor proceeded with great excitement and concerns regarding privacy, cloning and designer genes.