My small studio was one of the many artists's studios in Venice, California, that an art tour group of 45 people planned to visit on Sunday, October 24. When the group leader and the first ten or 15 people knocked on my door, I met them wearing a gray orderly's jacket and holding a roll of tickets. I politely informed them that in order to gain access to my studio they would each have to buy a one-dollar ticket. The group leader grumbled that he had not been informed of this and that everyone had already paid the college that had organized the tour 13 dollars. Thus, he successfully discouraged some of the people who were already reaching for their wallet. However, word filtered back to the remaining 30 people about the studio with the extra one-dollar charge, and I was able to sell 12 tickets. Coming in small groups of two or three people, I gave them a thorough 20-minute tour of my studio – sleeping loft, moving mat couch, improvised shower, grocery list, file cabinet, desk, and an idea of how I spend my time in this small space.
Chris Burden, Studio Tour
