Puzzles Aimed to Puzzle

For the past few months I have been engaged in an art project involving forty blank puzzles I purchased at a local craft store. I used a black permanent marker to hand-draw a stylized image of a jig-saw on each one, thus making them literal "jigsaw" puzzles. While the project may initially seem to be a bit of a ‘one-liner’, there is a certainly more depth to the work than just that. While obviously quite simple, the project touches on the history of the jigsaw puzzle by referencing its beginnings as a mere educational tool, while still commenting on its modern status as a popular pastime. The project also attempts to address how the jigsaw puzzle has become an accepted medium for displaying images and illustrations often deemed "art".

I wrote my contact information on the back of the puzzles, and then proceeded to break the pieces up and place them in envelopes that I sealed and labeled only with the words "Open Me". I then spent the past few months scattering the envelopes around various locations for people to find. My goal was to evoke a response to the work, while at the same time trying to introduce the general public to the concept of self-installed art. The works were placed in an assortment of settings, including local pubs, coffee shops, restaurants, music venues, along the street, and even in well-respected art galleries (two puzzles were actually installed at the Mackenzie Art Gallery).

Unfortunately, I have yet to receive any feedback on the work, though there is no doubt the puzzles have been ‘found’. I figure either the individuals that discovered them were unable put the puzzle together, simply didn’t want to take the time to respond, were perhaps intimidate by the project, or just didn’t understand the project at all (or care, for that matter). While I am a bit discouraged by the lack of response, I do feel somewhat accomplished in that I did manage to install two of the works in the Mackenzie Art Gallery, which does beg some interesting questions: How does self-installation, particularly in a reputable gallery, impact the concept of "curator"? Also, can the location of an artwork alter the way the work is perceived? For example, does placing a work of art in a gallery give the work any more credibility than if it were placed in a pub? (I was hoping responses would vary depending on where the puzzles were found). What do people generally consider "art"? And, when it comes to art, what is behind a name? That is, if someone recognized the name on the back of the puzzle, would they have responded differently than if the name was unknown to them (I’m assuming most people didn’t recognize my name when they found my contact information, and had the name been someone more locally famous like, say, Joe Fafard, would the response have been any different)?

That said, I think that despite the project’s obvious failures in some areas, the work was successful in at least being able to raise some questions about art, while also drawing attention to the history and nature of the medium it was presented in – the jigsaw puzzle. The jigsaw puzzle got its name because it was first made of wood and the pieces literally had to be cut with a jig-saw. The first jigsaw puzzle was actually used as a teaching device and was presented as a map with all the countries being the interlocking pieces. Students could memorize the names and locations of the countries by placing the pieces in their proper arrangement. The popularity of the jigsaw puzzle as a tool for education quickly increased, and it soon spilled over from the schools into people’s homes. Crafters began applying the technique in a more creative and entrepreneurial capacity, thus allowing the more modern and leisurely form of the jigsaw puzzle to emerge. Of course over the years, for cost efficiencies, wood was eventually replaced with cardboard, and the pieces were cut instead with a hydraulic press. The basic premise of the jigsaw puzzle, however, remains the same today: to put the pieces together to form a bigger picture.

If you would like to know greater details about the jigsaw puzzle’s past, I recommend reading the online Wikipedia articles "Puzzle", "Jigsaw Puzzle" and also this article here.

Since most of my work is shrouded in mystery, secrecy and the unknown, I also felt this project was an appropriate reflection of me. I have been described by some as a puzzle myself, and felt a project that embraced that quality would be something worth exploring. It certainly was for me, and after reading this, I hope it was for you too!