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The Colorist Chess 2006
 
The Colorist Chess 2007
 
 
Textaportation/Textual Master Copy
         


THE COLORIST CHESS 2006: EXQUISITE CORPSE THROUGH TEXT

"Explanations of your Head/Neck, Torso and Legs/Feet"
Colorist Chess Project by Annie Stone, David Castillo & Risa Tollentino: Information submitted by general public, in the form of text, telephone messages and walk ins. The descriptions were then interpreted onto paper using pen/marker and the format of the Exquisite Corpse drawings.


   
David Castillo
Risa Tollentino
 
Annie Stone



THE DRAWINGS

The following text was taken over either the telephone or email here at the gallery.
1.   Head: Comb
Arms / torso: dresser
Legs: disposable razors
 
     
2.   1) head: small, oval, big forehead, small ears (right one with wrinkle at top in the middle that makes it almost pointed like Spock's), left eyebrow can be raised indepently of the right one, hazel eyes, shoulder-length brown hair (although I went through a phase of dying it first platinum blonde and then shades of blonde until all the brown came back), widow's peak somewhat disguised by bangs in front, cowlicks at the crown in back, big lips, biggish nose with a bump. I'm not sure all the pieces go together very well, but they mostly function OK. And as my mother used to say when I complained about ANYTHING -- Well, at least you have two arms and two legs. Can't beat that with a stick.
2) arms/torso: I don't think about my arms/torso very much, but they are proportionate with the rest of my body -- which is about 5 feet 6 inches. My legs are longer than my torso, so I'm not a half-and-half body (which is what an old friend used to call people whose legs were the same length as their torsos). My right hand used to be very strong -- it had a death grip tendency. I have no tattoos anywhere, but a big scar across my stomach that was never going to be below the so-called bikini line despite what the doctor said afterward eons ago when I was 17 and had to have emergency surgery.
3) legs/feet: like everything else about me, my legs used to be very thin, like Vera Ellen's in White Christmas (at least according to a different old friend of mine). Now everything is fatter. And my feet used to be really pretty, although years of walking on them in not always appropriate footware has added some tarnish to the glitter. They're still cute, though, and petite.
 
     

3. 

Head: Frenzied bee hive construction (as action), enveloped in a broad chunk of outerspace. Occasionally pausing for inspection only to dive in and frenzy again. Covered by normal human looking skin with catterpillars for eyebrows, vanilla style nose and a puddle for lips. Oh and put some dark ellipses around the eyes with stems, parrallell to the floor, leading back to two satellite dishes, on either side, with naughty loud animals nesting in them. The animals are talk very loud, play bad music and yell into a microphone and scare me when I'm sleeping.
Torso:Pillow with bees and weasels stinging it and biting it all over. Not from the inside, but from the outside. The inside is pretty comfortable for the most part.
Legs and Feet:Sometimes like trees with roots, but the roots are not planted. Also sometimes like 2 windblown leaves gliding along. Either way, rarely feeling useful or confident anymore.
 
     
4.  1. head/ short reddish-brown hair, choppy bangs, long/oval face.
2. thin arms with tattoo of Scythian stag on left arm. Boobs, on the smaller side. Torso, thin.
3. Bigger butt (not huge, though), somewhat muscular legs. I often stand with my legs crossed possibly one leg is shorter than the other. My left foot has a screw in the big toe and my right foot has a bunion.
 
     
5.  

I am inTaiwan. My head is perpetually glowing from the tropical climate sweat and from the euphoric culture shock. My perfume is Burt's Bees' insect repellant. I wear a mysterious pendant from my tribe to announce my role as 'visiting goddess "
I am in Taiwan. I am working on a public art project. My hands have little nicks and cuts, and have a mild rash from paper mache paste. I wear a watch and bracelets. There is paint on my forearms and hands and nails. I have clay under my nails.
I am in Taiwan. I have waterproof gortex shoes. I have insect repellant on my legs. I wear brightly colored socks that I buy for 30 cents at the chaotic morning market. The socks stand is in between the fragrant liliies and the raw pig intestines stand. Sometimes I hide a little white mouse puppet in my socks (only if I don't have pockets).

 
     
6.   Head: egg shaped, brown and pale, thin with edges, blue dots, black plastic boxed, confused at times
Arms/torso: blue wool, thin with ribs, brown, leaves, dirt, still for a minute, then moving again
Legs/feet: bent up and straightening, leather and corduroy with wrinkles
 
     
7.  
(1) head -- Divided and questioning so much that once seemed certain, yet sniffing my way to a future I believe I want.
(2) arms/torso -- Aching to be filled and pressed and held captive by my lover's arms/torso in a way which has eluded us since we met.
(3) legs/feet -- Willing and trying, trying, trying to run in the right direction at the right time if I could find it while; hopefully refrained from tapping too impatiently when I sense disinterest in others' stories or frustration at what I perceive as their hesitation in life.
 
     
8.   1) I tend to get lost in my thoughts. People tell me I look sad or upset but I'm just thinking, contemplating, planning for the future, reflecting on the past, daydreaming about things that may or may not come to fruition. I'm quiet but when I start talking, what I say is meaningful (I hope so anyway).
2) This area gives me tons of headaches. Everything's either too broad or too round.
3) What to say about this part? I have two left feet. Can't really dance that well.
 
     
9.   1) Handles like the ones on ski poles, one on either side. Eyes that spiral conically inward. Big, straight, square teeth in a small mouth. Skin texture is like that of an avocado.
2) Primitive robotic arms that look as though they were made from a child's toy construction kit. Dinosaur head grabber-arm hands. Cylindrical body, like a giant paper towel roll.
3) Delicious looking legs in the shape of large turkey drumsticks. They have a just-roasted sheen to them. Feet are covered by classic 70's running shoes.
 
     
10.


1) Head:Inside: • prone to cursory analytical thought with excursions into thorough analyses of seeming minutiae• Earlier in life, essentially a sponge for knowledge of all things academic except for history (never been so good at memorizing names). At present, the repository remains, but recall circuits are clogged – I believe it is all still there, but locked away, awaiting trigger by random mnemonics.• Equal usage of left and right hemispheres• Enjoys vodka marinades • Use of the occasional Xanax for sleep aid purposes• Greatly influenced by the Pixies and Brian Eno as well as NOVA and Frontline• Hasn’t quite answered all the existential questionsOutside:• smallish, oval, slightly asymmetrical, cheekbones of the Scandinavian ancestry, often bespectacled with a special pair for the laboratory - complete with protective side shields• aux yeux bleus• Hair of light brown that hasn’t been snipped in over a year and is greatly in need of a new “style” though due to aversion to most preening activities, it will most likely remain as is until a generous friend offers to help settle the dilemma. • Widow’s peak but free of cowlicks• Virgin ears of 31 years• Lips, as of late, on the dry side• All teeth are true except for 2 crowns required as a result of a freakish bicycle accident years ago – no fillings, no whitening, relatively straight smile thanks to 3 years of wire-heavy orthodontia (complete with rubber bands and headgear – worn only in slumber) in early adolescence• Mouth with a propensity toward a natural frown• Never a brow that required plucking (this, I have been told, is enviable) • Least favorite attribute: nose especially when viewed in profile Arms/Torso: • shoulders broad • arms larger toward the top, but with pronounced triceps development underneath the fat – should put more effort into toning • hands small with fingers prone to hangnails and friendly cat scratches • nails that easily tear and bend, but are never painted • recent development of tendonitis in the right forearm that has necessitated chiropractic aid – most likely caused by gardening, do-it-yourself printmaking (wooden spoon) and 9-key entry • small breasts with a natural sag • hips - pretty nonexistent so men’s Levi’s are the only way to go • large mass of scar tissue above the left posterior hip – due to same bicycle accident that resulted in 2 crowns – that limits range of motion in some stretching poses• mole on upper left quadrant of the back that probably should be removed • strong core muscles, but still much flesh to hold onto around the midsect Legs:• Long legs • quite flexible (splits front to back both legs easily attained, but not side to side) • unshaven above the knees • blindingly pale flesh with great visibility of blue veins • strong quadriceps, but rather chicken-like as you descend • healthy knees • most comfortable in men’s cut jeans and/or those pants that have a fat cuff Feet:• high arches and narrow width • partial to striped socks of the knee length variety, but have recently been seen in various floral prints• no toe longer than the big toe• pronating • once upon a time there was a sole freckle on the left little piggy but it seems to have disappeared• never an ankle twisted• upper right hamstring pull that has flared up off and on for the past 4 years• proper footwear required• anything with a heel need not apply

 
     
11. 1) I am half Swiss and Japanese. A scramble of cheese and fish. Or breadand rice.
2) Assertive but not glamorous
3) Stubby like the toes of an Inuit.
 
     
12. head: face round like a pie plate. hair short but in a few months just like robert smith from the cure unless i wash it (like i did today for parent teacerconference!) at which point is is flat and shiny. blue eyes. nose ring. thats my head. arms, torso: chubby and tan. and tatooed on the arms.birds and planes. my sister is a physician and shetold me i am thick. which i took as a compliment, considering she is disapproving of my lifestyle legs, feet: when i was on a canoe trip in missouri with some junior high kids i got sunburned on my thighs and one kid told me my legs looked like pork! he was right. but i have beautiful feet. i was a dancer for many, many years, and i still dance at parties, but my feet are the only evidence i have. high arches. so high.  
     

13.

Head - Bushy-haired bloke, black man's nose and lips (but I am a white man), coffee stains on teeth, 5 o'clock shadow
Torso - slight love handles, inny belly button (sort of deep), very hairy except for on the sides, racing stripes on sides
Legs - muscular legs, big calf muscles, stubby, not as long as torso
Feet - Basic size 11 with hair on the toe knuckles
 
     
14.

my head: i have black eyes. not brown. black. half slitted from the half asian genes. quiet eyes. observant. a greasy stoic nose. i now have facial hair. i've been trying to grow it out, with varying degrees of success. sometimes i even look like a man though i still get carded for cigarettes at my neighborhood corner store. I have taken up smoking more seriously. Does it show on my face? Are there smoking wrinkles now to accompany the smiling and confused wrinkles that are slowly being folded into my skin?I've been cutting my own hair, black hair (maybe brown) for years, though it still usually looks better when a girls does it for me. I used to think that I have my mother's asian hair, but sometimes I think I actually have my father's jewish hair, which is sad, not because he's jewish, but rather because he's bald.
my arms/torso: my arms are tools, and if one looks closely it is apparent in which practices they assist: callused hands from biking. bitten up fingernails from thinking. I often find small cuts and abrasions on my hands and arms without ever knowing the sources of these minor injuries. my veins along my forearms bulge, more so than others i have been told. i like buttons on my shirts. and I like ties around my neck, but I forget how to tie them, and so most my ties are permanently in the 'tie' position, never to be unwound.
my legs/feet: my legs were trained on the tumbling mats of chicago gymnasiums, on the frisbee fields of montreal, and now find themselves on the hills of san francisco, pushing my mass forwards on two wheels. I definitively have biker legs now. They have always been strong, but the muscles now remind me of those of caricatures of tour de france riders. I can generally ride bikes faster, climb trees higher, and jump mailboxes better than most people I know. I am thankful for my legs. They make me want to wear my short-short bathing suit all the time, especially when inappropriate, because they make me feel happy and silly. I am also pigeon-toed

 
     
15. I've never looked in a mirror so I can't tell you exactly what my head looks like, but I can tell you it feels different from day to day depending on how well I sleep, and what I choose to put into it's orphuses the day before. Today it feels very light, and egg-shaped. Long strands of threads coming out the top, that I consult a "stylist" about every 2 months or so. I pay her alot of money and she cuts and colors the threads and tells me I'm beautiful. But I never once, look in the mirror. The other day I got a facial. Again, paid money to have have an "esthetian?" put smear cream all over my face and put cold wet cotton swabs over my eyes and fell asleep under some kind of dinosaur machine that blew warm steam on my face. Now it feels like porcelain. But I don't know what it looks like, I don't look in mirrors. Then I went to a makeup counter because I was told that if I paint my face it will protect me from the outside world. This woman pulled out bright colors of red, green, and blue and applied them on my face with brushes and sponges. A regular Matisse, I guess. Then sh told me I was beautiful and asked me if I'd like to look in the mirror. I said "no thanks", gave her all my money, and went on my merry way.Because I'm a warrior, I train my arms and legs to be lean and strong. No one ever messes with me, probably because of the face paint, so I rarely have to use them as self-defense. I'd rather use them to hug.  
     
16. Head: slightly round with a squared off jaw. Short brown hair. Blue eyes. Small lips, ears and nose.
Arms/torso: left arm has swallow tattoos above an arm band with stars and then a heart tattoo on forearm. right arm has large, art nouveauesque winged design on tricep area. Torso is thin and not too noteworthy.
Legs/feet: Regular "guy" legs with small feet.
 
     
17. My arms are flailing, my legs are convulting, and my head is spiraling.  
     
18.

(1)Head, great big cheeks, and sparkling brown eyeswith super long lashes. My hair is blond and shortish. I have a big smile most of the time with smaller teeth than you, I'm guessing. My skin is so soft and smooth right now.
(2)arms/torso, My hands are a little chubby but very cute. I cover up with clothes most of the time, but don't have any marks natural or man made to distinguish me from others, although I am a lot shorter than most and have silky skin. I love showing off my belly button, which is an outty by the way.
(3) legs/feet, they keep me moving all day. I'm always on the go, running jumping jumping!! I sometimes wearfunny bunny blue slippers.

 
     
19. Head: The creative source of so much... including endless permutations of thought, dreams, flights of fancy... and the place from which double hair follicles have produced ample locks to be cut, colored, crimped, styled every which way for decades for the edification of morning primping... though I shall never master the art of the blow dryer.
Arms/Torso: Ah, the waist, with it's ability to expand and contract and signal ripeness and cues about "It's a boy... no... it's got to be a girl from the way you're carrying," to a place of haunting loss: of health, youth, shape, life.
Legs/Feet: The metaphoric region of "groundedness" - of being grounded by the body, anchored to the earth yet able to maneuver through the ocean, of reminded to walk in the shoes of others to keep the heart open... and best of all... to have your feet on the ground and your head in the clouds... simultaneously.
 
     
20. I am a 29 yr old Indian women. Short and stout and ya round as a tea pot too.