Saturday, March 28, 2009

Look Ma, It's a Chrysler



Chrysler Hubcap

Life is good! I got my hubcap for the Landfillarts project. Be sure to
check out the artist gallery-164 images to date. I didn't see Jafabrits
hubcap posted yet; you'll have to check out her blog to see her art
reclamation. Ken Marquis, the organizer of Landfillart hopes to
find 1000 artists to reclaim hubcaps for art. Ken's goal is to use
any profits from the project to fund reforestation through
Carbonfund.org. Now to the drawing board or shop.



Dad's truck and shop

My father left dust bowl Nebraska, moved east and started
an auto body shop. Long before I knew what art was I was
welding old auto pieces into creations. I shouldered plenty
of chiding from my dad and his brothers. Generally it was
along the lines of if spent as much time on my trade as I did
on junk I might make something of myself. Lol, I think they
may be looking down and probably haven't changed their
minds. Notice our phone number was 38M.

Thanks to Mineke Reinders for the "I Care" keepsake. Mineke
publishes her breathtaking watercolors as well as song and
poetry on an almost daily basis.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Journals


Bamboo Forest Installation

Yesterday I ran out to pick up some blank refills for my
journal. So this morning I'm sitting and procrastinating
other work and looking over past entries and sketches.


'03 Script for video (and reminder to service car)

Perhaps I need to look back more frequently because
I've got a backlog of art ideas. On the other hand maybe
the little books are just fine by themselves. In any event
they are a way for me to show up for my art each day.


Text Messages from the Dead (excerpt)

I find time most days to journal or sketch. Yesterday, of all
things I felt a short story evolving in my head in relation to
the "A Book About Death" project. Strange that I wanted an
image to pop out but it was a narrative. I pulled over, tore
the shrink wrap off my new refills and wrote.

Friday, March 20, 2009

March Hares


March Hares and White Rabbits

Vernal Equinox, the beginning of Spring, and not a moment
to soon. A change from shoveling our "mixed precipitation" to
to working our gardens (mind gardens included). March Hares
or White Rabbits - what suits my mood today? This morning "I'm
late, I'm late" but yesterday I was at Alice's mad tea party during
my visit with my 93 year old mom. My ancient ones dementia
has me puzzling the fragile nature of memory.



Kali Devours Time
(Tibetan wall hanging - collection of the artist)

I was following Sarah Elizabeth's blog yesterday as
she presented a link for artists to participate in
the "A Book About Death" project. This is an open
invitation to submit an image in postcard format
concerning any aspect of death. I'm not quite which
old wounds to reopen but I will be contributing to
the project. Perhaps it may be time to replay one of
the saddest times in my life. Karen and I had just
moved to NYC and three of our best friends there
died within a year. Two were artists and one a
musician. One from leukemia, one suicide and one
auto accident. All so different, all so sad and so much
guilt over being alive. Perhaps time to make an
art memorial and let it go.

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Making Comparisons


Breeze

What a difference a few decades make. I continue to scan slides of
older works and it provides a great opportunity for comparisons;
to chart my journey. The piece above (1978) consists of five steel
plates holding individual sheets of foam packing material. The sheets
are light and easily blow in the wind. Very simple. Approximate size
is 6' x 15'. The piece clearly shows my minimalist roots. While I
actually began with welded steel constructions, I soon came to
use the steel in a more "original" state.


Totem (close up)

"Totem" is from only a few years ago. My choice of material here
is more eclectic; pennies, cloth, wire mesh, words and strips of wood.
The earlier piece is experimentation but within a certain academic
construct. Over the years I unlearned as much as I learned in order
to find an authentic "face" to my art. My years in NYC opened up
my eyes to artists working conceptually, Fluxus artists, Happenings etc.
My approach is also more eclectic as I pull from more experiences
and systems.


Tuesday, March 10, 2009

OBEY your art


Obey the Art

This morning I just felt the need to OBEY the suggestions of
fellow artist Jafabrit. If you follow the "obey" link you will
discover an ongoing dialogue concerning "fair use" in
artistic expression. Of course if you follow Jafa you will find
more disobedient links. It's a very slippery slope if either individuals
or corporations are allowed to copyright words or phrases
in common usage. Free use has many ramifications. It only remains
for critics to give lawsuit art a name, perhaps "The New Hypocrisy". I can
respect Fairey's art but can't understand why he is concerned
by copyright infringement in this case.

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Recycle


Glass Baskets

Technology weekend. Finally I got sick of my procrastinating.
I've got way too much work that hasn't been digitized, so I'm
relearning slide and negative scanning. Oh how I hate manuals.
I started with this neon, broken glass and wire mesh basket
piece. I made this quite a few years ago and only exhibited it
once. It might make more sense in our new "green" culture if
I hadn't sold the neon tubes and generator to fund other work.



Back in business

It was also technology crash week. I was using my point and shoot
Canon this week to photo a wall piece and tripped the wrong
lever on the tripod. The camera ends up on the floor with a
severe bend to the zoom. Its' replacement came yesterday; a
Canon SX10 with 10 megapixels vs 5 and a 20x optical zoom vs
3x. Bad timing for our finances. I had hoped to save for a digital
SLR with all the bells and whistles but they are too far out
of my range and this seems to have most of what I really
need. Strangely, Karen's happy not to think about a birthday
gift.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Mini Mini


Front of "Stage Fright"

I mailed off my submission to Spraygraphics Mini Mini Show
last week. Just in time, I hope. All works are to be 4" x 4" only. A bit
of a challenge for those of us unused to constraints. The piece is a
folded paper book work with an interior bamboo fence.


Inside

The works will be exhibited at Cartel Coffee in Tempe, Az during
March and move to Conspire Art Gallery in Phoenix during April.