Photo: Industry of the Ordinary

Mathew Wilson is co-founder, with Adam Brooks, of Industry of the Ordinary, who, through sculpture, text, photography, video and performance, are dedicated to an exploration and celebration of the customary, the everyday, and the usual. Their emphasis is on challenging pejorative notions of the ordinary and, in doing so, moving beyond the quotidian.

Industry of the Ordinary was formed in 2003, with Wilson and Brooks having both come from long histories as visual and performative artists. They bring complementary sensibilities to their activities. Their projects exist in temporal terms but have also been conceived to function on the web site associated with the collaboration, www.industryoftheordinary.com. On this site the visitor can find short descriptions of the performances to be undertaken and images of completed works. The web site is envisioned as a dynamic and autonomous entity that is constantly being updated, bringing a new dimension to the notion of the performative activity.

Embedded in Industry of the Ordinary’s situationist interventions, with their deceptively understated, off-handed, humorous actions, lies an intelligent and resonant social, cultural and political critique. Their activities have included: Phosphorus (Industry of the Ordinary drink a crate of beer and document the change in color of their urine), Passion Play (Industry of the Ordinary recruit a couple to use phosphorescent paint as a record of their lovemaking), Current Affairs (Industry of the Ordinary purchase a copy of the Chicago Tribune, paint it white, and mail it to the mayor), Epilation (For the Gala Opening of the Hyde Park Art Center, Industry of the Ordinary shear a fur coat and give the residual material to the crowd), Ten (Industry of the Ordinary move a transitory ice sculpture of the Ten Commandments from the MCA to the Art Institute, by way of Michigan Avenue. As the object melts, Industry of the Ordinary bottle the residue and give it to members of the public), and Public Opinion (Industry of the Ordinary collect names on a petition to ban performance art).

www.industryoftheordinary.com

Industry of the Ordinary, as Old God and Young God, play table football, first to 100 goals, on the promontory point by North Avenue beach. Previous Next Close	Industry of the Ordinary place an electoral sign in various locations around Chicago. Previous Next Close	Industry of the Ordinary (Adam Brooks and Mathew Wilson, center and right, with Max King Cap, left) exchange facial hair. Previous Next Close	Industry of the Ordinary invite the security personnel of the Chicago Cultural Center to participate in a group portrait. Previous Next Close	Industry of the Ordinary collect one hundred used toys and offer them as a sacrifice to General Logan. Previous Next Close
Industry of the Ordinary Match of the Day II Photo: Greg Stimac	Industry of the Ordinary Democracy Photo: Industry of the Ordinary	Industry of the Ordinary Well Groomed (with Max King Cap) Photo: Industry of the Ordinary	Industry of the Ordinary Secure Photo: Jay Wolke	Industry of the Ordinary Child’s Play Photo: Industry of the Ordinary