Project Reclamation…Views from an Exhibition

I have had a few folks ask about the Project Reclamation exhibit I’m participating in and I thought this post would be a good place to feature this.  The exhibit opened a couple of weeks a go on November 2, 2012 and will run through January 12, 2013.  About a year and a half have passed since curator and artist Mary Margaret Sparks asked me to participate in this invitational exhibit.  There are thirteen artists represented in this group show with a nice cross-section of projects in various media addressing the complex topic of coal its use and extraction.  The Carnegie Center for Art and History located across the Ohio River from Louisville in nearby New Albany, Indiana has done a fine job of installing and interpreting the works and has planned many activities that the public can engage in to learn more about the controversial topic of coal mining through the practice of Mountaintop Removal or MTR.  This is a highly destructive way to extract coal from southern Appalachia’s mountains which also endangers  some of the greatest biodiversity in our part of the world in pursuit of cheap and reliable energy.  To further spur the artists along, the not for profit organization Kentuckians For the Commonwealth invited the participants to Whitesburg in Letcher County, Kentucky to tour Appalshop and watch a few coal-themed documentaries.  A guided tour into coal country provided additional impressions of the mountains and the folks who call this place home.

All of the participating artists had some prior interest either working with coal as a social issue or material substance before accepting the invitation to show.  There is a unity in the belief that the more we degrade the environment, the more we change ourselves and not for the best. For me, my entry came through the related issue of clean fresh water  which is also our number one vanishing resource.  I frequently find river-altered coal at the Falls of the Ohio State Park.  Combining this coal gravel with discarded and river found booze bottles gave me an opportunity to work with ideas about consumption and addiction.  The result was my “Mountaintop Mini-bar” sculpture, but I also have six photographs from my “Coal Flake Series” on view as well. My impression of our guided trip to coal country reinforced what I’ve previously seen and experienced.  It seems to me that the people who were sacrificing their land and culture were not receiving much in the way of compensation for our quest for coal.  Regrettably, this is an old tale seen time after time across the globe.  People might think that this is something that only happens in distant poor countries, but we have our own share of material poverty in our own backyard.

Most of the participating artists took considered approaches that referenced and respected the uniquely rich culture of coal country.  Several artists worked with traditional fiber and or needle and thread to produce their statements.  Julie Yoder created a large wall installation, “Appalachian Patchwork”,  assembled with woodcuts on handmade paper.  Patchwork quilting is an important Appalachian art form and Yoder’s piece represents the landscape and local culture as being a composite of unique designs that have come together over time to form a whole.  Mountaintop removal has a way of fragmenting this landscape and disrupting the continuity that life here depends upon for survival.

Other artists utilizing fabric, needle, and thread include Jo Ann Grimes with her sympathetic portrayals of miners.  Joel Darland and his marvelous hand-embroidered quilt squares.  Rachel Brewer’s two embroideries of song birds on dirty furnace filters.  Mary Margaret Sparks’ imposing “Lest We Forget” hand-embroidered and sewn re-purposed fabric waterfall that is a memorial to lost mountain streams and creeks that were damaged by coal mining.  Also in this group is a fascinating video entitled “Harriman” which is the work of Denise Burge and incorporates video, fabric, and thread.  Burge’s video is a statement made in the aftermath of a disaster.  A broken coal slurry dam in Tennessee had poisoned the surrounding watershed and imperiled the health of a community living in the area.  Burge’s video documents some of the clean-up involved and how protective the coal industry is in guarding its own image.

Photographs by Joshua Howard contrast the natural beauty of coal country with the grim realities of the industry.  A more overt political statement comes from Wayne Ferguson who sees Kentucky’s senior senator as being in cahoots with the industry that helps bankroll his re-election campaigns.  Ferguson’s drawings chart the corrupting influences of money and power at the expense of the land and the best interests of the people.

The sense that mountaintop removal is a great calamity for nature at large comes through the works of two artists.  Ceramic sculptor Alex Adams’ piece entitled “Wounded” suggests that MTR mining disrupts the very living tissue of the mountain range. He does this by representing two mountains that have had their peaks literally removed revealing  raw, open wounds.

Painter Michael Koerner’s approach is equally reductive and he comes to a similar conclusion about the fate of the mountains.  His diptych entitled “After the Canaries Left the Coal Mines, the Mountains Began to Leave Appalachia” is an argument reduced to its essential points.  For example, in Koerner’s landscape, the painting is physically divided into two parts suggesting man’s indifference towards nature.  The bare slopes past the forested mountains are a warning of what could occur with unchecked mountain top removal.

One last artist before closing.  Aron Conaway’s work lies at the heart of our culture of consumption.  His work entitled “Billions and Billions Served” features a Ronald McDonald clown driving a toy front loader on top of a large pile of coal.  In his work, Conaway makes it obvious that we are all implicated in the big issues of our day.  The demand for coal exists because we demand the energy to stay warm in the winter and cool in the summer time heat.  If we don’t like the side effects of coal mining, perhaps we should speed up our search for alternative energy sources, find ways to curtail our addiction to electricity or both?  The demand for cheap coal and energy is what drives the supply.

The Carnegie Center for Art and History has a nice program of upcoming events that expands the breath of this exhibition.  I have already participated in one gallery talk that drew an interested crowd.  Film screenings, art making opportunities, and a panel discussion on mountaintop removal and renewable energy sources will also be held during Project Reclamation’s run.  There is the hope that this show will travel which will be an added bonus.  Thanks to Mary Margaret Sparks, Karen Gillenwater, and the staff at the Carnegie Center for their hard work.  I hope you have enjoyed this glimpse into an exhibition from our area.  My next post will be from the Falls of the Ohio!

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Pecha Kucha Kentucky Style

I hustled out to Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest after supper.  The evening promised a twin bill of fun and I wanted to reach Clermont while the sun was still out.  I was able to take in the “Model Homes and Habitats” exhibition of bird houses and bird inspired art.  The show had a strong Murray State University flavor to it with many past alumni and one current professor showing work.  Murray grad, Brad White assembled the exhibition for Bernheim.  I even saw my old drawing professor Dale Leys there as well which was a nice surprise.  Twenty five years goes by fast!

The designs of the bird houses ranged from the traditional to the conceptual.  Because the light level was getting low, I’m surprised I had images to work with.  Unfortunately, I can’t credit many of the artists because I didn’t see an exhibit guide and some labels were hide to find.  This house with the scary back has a more traditional hole in front.  I liked this picture once I downloaded it from my camera…the house seems to be suspended in mid air.

My friend Raymond Graf had a nice piece in this show.  Inspired by dovecotes and Japanese architecture, this piece looked like a bird skyscraper.  The piece is primarily made of wood and incorporates many Louisville Slugger souvenir baseball bats in its construction. 

At Bernheim it can be hard to tell how many people are attending an event because the park can accommodate them all.  I know I saw several hundred people enjoying the music, food, and art. The bird houses were scattered along a walking trail.  Once the darkness fell, the white screen behind the band would become center stage.  Folks would concentrate in the informal amphitheater sitting on old limestone blocks from the renovation and expansion of Louisville’s McAlpin Locks and Dam.  Kentucky’s first sanctioned “Pecha Kucha” event was about to start.

Now I will confess that I have never heard of Pecha Kuchas before in fact I kept calling it Machu Picchu all week-long!  Apparently, two American architects decided that the traditional slide show was too boring and could be shortened and made livelier.  The idea is the presenter is limited to 20 projected images and 20 seconds a piece for a total talk of 400 seconds.  That’s it.  Pecha Kucha  is said to be Japanese slang for ”chit-chat”.  To me, it sounded like it could have some pace to it like a poetry slam.

Fourteen presenters interpreted the idea that “Mother Nature wants me to tell you something…” in very personal ways.  Many of the speakers were artists who are aligning what they make and do with the needs of the planet.  A concern for where society is going and what should we place value in were common threads in many of the talks.  Not all the presenters were smooth during their 400 seconds and you could tell a few less experienced speakers were nervous, but the crowd supported everyone with applause regardless of the performance!

This evening and the one before it were successful because of the collaboration and partnership between Bernheim and the Carnegie Center for Art and History in New Albany, Indiana.  The weekend began with the opening of Julia Oldham’s “Possumhaw Plant Electrics” exhibit at the Carnegie Center which consisted of four videos and a gallery of wonderful line drawings.  Julia is the 2010 Artist in Residence for Bernheim Forest and the videos were created during her ten week stay.  For those who have followed this blog, Julia is a new friend that I shared a couple of outings with that we posted on our respective blogs.  It was great seeing her in Kentucky again!  Sometimes it’s a big world and sometimes it’s not…perhaps we will meet again?  I hope so.  The next Pecha Kucha will be held in December at the 21C Hotel in Louisville.  That’s another fine venue to take in an event.

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Images in Found Transportation

Here’s a collection of found objects that I photographed on location at the Falls of the Ohio State Park.  All form a theme centered around transportation in the form of mostly discarded toys.  I found all this stuff by the side of the river during the past year.  Since the theme is obvious, I’ll just let the photos speak for themselves.  Let’s start with another boat.  It’s not the “Titanic” or the wreck of the ” Edmund Fitzgerald” but it bore witness to forces in nature larger than itself.

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Echostains Spotlight

Guess what everybody!  An interview I did with one of my favorite blogs was recently published and I’m honored to be placed in the spotlight.  If you get the chance check out the interview and scroll through some of Lynda’s stories.  If you like art, poetry, popular culture and more…than you will find her blog worth the visit!

Here’s the link to the Echostains blog, http://echostains.wordpress.com/

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Galerie Hertz Exhibit

After the Bluegrass Bioneers talk, I had works open in a group show at Galerie Hertz in Louisville.  The exhibit dates are October 18 through November 14.  Many of the fifteen sculptures on display were featured first in this blog.  It’s a night and day difference seeing them in a gallery context as opposed to their original settings at the Falls of the Ohio.

This space on South Preston Street is the latest incarnation of Galerie Hertz.  Billy Hertz and his partner Tom Schnepf are rightly credited for their work in revitalizing and rehabilitating old buildings and distressed neighborhoods.  Much of what exists as an art scene in Louisville, especially on Market Street, owes this unique pair a debt of thanks.  Whether lightning can be bottled yet again remains to be seen.  In addition to serving as a gallery, this large, high-ceilinged space is also home to the couple and serves as Billy’s painting studio as well.  Tom is a marvelous gardener and it has been fun to watch black top and concrete being transformed into a living space for plants.

Paintings by M. Van Pelt and W. Goodman line the gallery’s walls.  The opening was relaxed and informal and it was nice visiting with old friends.

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Man in a Tired Landscape

I had the itch to make a larger figure today, but only had a few hours to do it in.  I reached my outdoor studio and was elated to find that someone had left me a couple presents.  Two very abstract sculptures made with the materials I had left behind.  Here are what they looked like:

Not exactly my style, but I appreciate the effort.  In the six years I’ve been working out here only a half dozen or so anonymous works have been made with the materials I’ve salvaged off the river’s edge and left on site.    Here’s the piece I quickly put together and photographed.

With walnut and bingo dauber eyes this guy rode out the short rain shower with me.  We have been having some uncharacteristically cool and sunny days that have been picture perfect.  Unfortunately for me, they don’t seem to be occurring when I’m actually at the Falls.  I did a bit of slipping and sliding on the mud surface as I posed this piece along the riverbank.  There is this site that has all these abandoned car and truck tires and I wanted to see if I could make  an interesting image on location.

As I was moving this piece around and photographing it, I was approached by two local guys.  “Delante” on the left and his friend “Mikey” asked me if I could take their picture standing next to the figure.  At least it will give a better idea of scale.  They were moving down the shoreline looking for stuff to get into.  I later ran into them again with some of their friends and they were complaining of being “bored”.  That’s something I’ve heard my own sons say before and they know it always gets a rise out of me.  Life is too short to get bored!  You could always make Styrofoam figures like me for instance!  Now there’s an antidote for boredom.  One last image…this one is of two friends fishing and walking on water. 

 

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2009 Rock the Rocks

So far, everything I’ve featured on this blog was made on site at the Falls of the Ohio State Park.  I do, however, make independent art works from the same materials collected in the park.  Over the years, I have removed more than may fair share of junk off the riverbank and to my wife’s chagrin, brought it home.  I do prefer working on site, but making more conventional art objects from the same found materials comes in handy for other purposes.  I have made, exhibited, and yes, sold work through various shows and galleries.  I have also given as gifts many of these sculptures to family and friends.  And I wonder if this is true in other places as well, but I do get many requests from not for profit groups to donate items to fund raising auctions.  Among Louisville artists there is ongoing conversation as to whether this is a good practice if you are seriously interested in establishing a market value for your work.  For the most part, I don’t worry about this and feel it’s up to the individual artist to do what works best for them.  When I can, and when I have a personal connection to the organization and or believe in their mission…I’ll give them an artwork.  The above piece is such a case in point.  I call this work the “The Fruit Seller” and it’s made from 100% found materials from the Falls of the Ohio State Park.  It’s the second piece I have donated to the park to support their “Rock the Rocks” fundraiser. The sculpture from last year did pretty well in the auction.  Materials gathered and incorporated include Styrofoam, driftwood, mussel shells (the ears), various plastics, fishing bobber (nose), and walnut shell (mouth).  Of course, all the plastic fruit is from the river as is the reflectors and beaver-chewed sticks used for the legs and even the painted base was found.  If anyone is interested in learning more about the park, here is their website’s link:  www.fallsoftheohio.org  The event is scheduled to occur on August 22, at the park’s Interpretive Center.

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