#tattfoo tan

Percent for Art: What inspired you to create your piece at PS971?

Tattfoo Tan: The S.O.S (Sustainable Organic Stewardship) pledge was something I was working on, and fortunately, the idea fit the requirements for the commission. The S.O.S. Pledge is basically a promise to be green, and to be a steward for the earth. The piece is very monumental; it is carved in marble with gold leaf, and features a very positive ecological message. It is my permanent public project, and I hope it will be a reminder for students to be sustainable in their daily lives both at school, and at home. Additionally, after the piece was completed, I had the opportunity to go into the school to organize workshops for the students.

Percent for Art: What types of workshops did you lead?

Tattfoo Tan: I did a workshop on how to raise chickens and brought my own chickens (who are collectively known as S.O.S 5PM) for the kids. It was sort of like a petting zoo experience. I had another workshop about composting, and demonstrated how worms and composting are good things. I like worms. There are no such things as “pests,” but we humans categorize worms as pests.Worms serve a function, and have a place in the bigger scheme of things in the world, despite our negative connotations. I also had a seed-ball workshop where the children took clay, dirt and wildflower seeds, and rolled them into a ball. 

Percent for Art: Another one of your projects that’s often used in schools is Nature Matching System.Is this project connected to your commission for Percent for Art?

Tattfoo Tan: Well, Nature Matching System was the first part of a trilogy I have been working on, which also includes S.O.S., and my current project New Earth. Nature Matching System was inspired by my need to eat healthy meals with fresh, colorful fruits and vegetables, while S.O.S. deals with my desire to know where these foods come from, and the part I could play to make sure they’re clean and organic.

PS971 has its own Nature Matching System in the back of the school, although it is not part of the Percent for Art commission. Additionally, Nature Matching System is on display right now in the New Children’s Museum in San Diego, and there is also a downloadable manual on my website. The manual for Natural Matching System was created with 601 Tully in Syracuse, the non-profit arts center and local school. Hopefully other schools, art centers, and communities can take that manual and work it into their own program. 

Percent for Art: Has your work evolved since your Percent for Art commission?

Tattfoo Tan: My Percent for Art piece is a permanent work, so the way it functions is different from my other pieces. Being awarded a Percent for Art commission is like a badge of approval, confirming that I am an artist who can work in that capacity; I think it is very crucial, and hopefully I will have more opportunities to work on permanent commissions in the future.

My current project New Earth deals with climate change. There are a few different umbrella projects under that title including NEMRE, NEAKA, and my next project NEPSK. NEMRE stands for New Earth: Meal, Ready to Eat, where I save waste from the food system. I cook and dehydrate the remains, and reseal them in shell stable packages. You can reconstitute them with hot water, either while camping or during an emergency situation. NEAKA stands for New Earth: Apocalypse Knowledge Advancement Unit, and isa catamaran boat that is a vitrine for the MRE project. It is currently on display at Smack Mellonin Brooklyn, and will travel to Pier 42 at the end of July.  NEPSK is the New Earth: Personal Survival Kit. It is sort of like an Altoid-tin survival kit. I will be doing workshops at Pier 42 where people can come and have an a la carte experience. They can pick different items to put in their kit, customize it, and bring it home with them so they have something to keep in their bags.

Percent: Can you talk about your uniform?

TT: It is part of my S.O.S Project; the S.O.S. Steward is a persona that I put on. I took various classes from different city agencies and earned certificates. I designed patches for my shirt that translated those certificates into something I can wear, similar to a boy or girl-scout patch. Each patch is an artwork that represents the knowledge I have gained.

Tattfoo’s S.O.S. Project is currently on display at Culture Lounge in the St. George Ferry Terminal on Staten Island. On July 8th, the S.O.S. project launched an action guide in collaboration with EcoArtSpace. Written by Patricia Watts, curator of the show at Smack Mellon that features NEMRE and NEAKA, Tattfoo hopes the book will circulate widely and that people will use the S.O.S Project in their own communities and schools. The Action Guide can be viewed on Tattfoo’s website here.  

Image of S.O.S Pledge at PS971 Courtesy of NYC Department of Cultural Affairs.