James R Ford at Ferreira Projects

James R Ford at Ferreira Projects

23 February, 2009
by: Katuschka

Traditionally, playing Guitar Hero for three hours is considered at best, unproductive, if not a total waste of time. But after my recent visit to Ferreira Projects' new exhibition Only Boring People Get Bored, I realise that it is, in fact, art. From now on I will indulge guilt-free, knowing that I am making a profound comment on existentialism rather than avoiding washing up. Alongside filming himself playing Guitar Hero, my new guru James R Ford has completed jigsaw puzzles, played Bop it, fiddled with Rubik's Cubes and generally indulged his inner ten year old in the guise of an 'existentialist outing via the by-products of boredom'.

Inspired by a book called 33 Things To Do Before You're Ten, Ford decided to do these things before he became married, and a fully fledged adult, and documented it in a blog. This exhibition represents the culmination of these activities as well as an examination of boredom in a postmodern society. Where it triumphs is as a piece of pure pop-art. Bruce Nauman's playful nature and John Baldessari's use of bold, irreverent colour are cited as artistic influences: these are present in a giant Hypnotizing Bop it wall-hanging and a mind-bogglingly large-scale Rubik's Cube; colourful and fun pieces of the kind you might see displayed in nostalgia nightclub chain Reflex. There are also plain jigsaw puzzles in the printing-press colours of cyan, magenta, yellow and black, and huge circles covered in scribbles that represent the mind-numbing nature of boredom-alleviating activities.

However, Ford rarely takes his work beyond the aesthetic and he doesn't offer any answers to the questions he poses. Rather, he seems to be glorifying the trendy design of his toys and making a hefty buck at the same time (the plain jigsaw puzzles are £1,250 a go). Ford has appropriated the bold eighties look which panders to a hipster demographic, and seems to be trying a little too hard to place himself as a laissez-faire orator of the meandering youth, with a profound understanding of delayed adulthood and an understanding of what makes the cool kids tick; screaming 'Hey look I play Guitar Hero too…'

Ford's blog documenting his experiences offers a more satisfying account of his experiment, doing away with philosophy and offering a sense of fun that the exhibition lacks. It is a shame Ford has attempted to turn an intriguing idea into a glorified Yes Man-style project. This should have maintained a sense of irreverence and kept tongue firmly in cheek rather than becoming a product of its own ideology. Perhaps worth a look for the giant Bop it, but if you want to see someone complete jigsaw puzzles or play computer games, you may be better off saving yourself the trip and watching your flatmate waste some time. 

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