Artwork copyright Mike Mandel. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright Mike Mandel. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2017.

Kids Clean Desks, 1986

Mike Mandel
(American, born 1950)

Location: Tiffany Park Elementary, Seattle

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

Kids Clean Desks is part of artist Mike Mandel's 1989 book of photographs titled "Making Good Time." The images feature colorful light trails and moving subjects. They reference and parody early studies of human motion (called chronocyclegraphs). Frank and Lilian Gilbreth developed this method to analyze the motion of factory workers and other professionals. They hoped to find the "one best way" to increase industrial efficiency while reducing fatigue. Mandel notes, "I make my own time/motion photographs to turn the Gilbreths upside down and shake them out of my brain. I want to find the 'one best way' for the worst reasons – to analyze motions that have never been measured and don't need to be. I want to completely reevaluate day to day life, distorting the Gilbreth imperative to suit my needs: More waste = more fun."

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Renton School District.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Artist Mike Mandel creates large-scale mosaic murals using photographic imagery. He states that his "approach to permanent public art is to tap into the intertwined stories of history, myth, images of land and community."

Mandel received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from the California State University Northridge in 1972. He received his Master of Fine Arts degree from the San Francisco Art Institute in 1974.