It's been a while.
I'd like to bring you (and myself) up to date with what's been going on in this past year. Basically this: My work has expanded into some new and very, very rewarding fields (theatre!!), I was thus able to widen my palette and artistic vocabulary in ways that make me feel real good, while I've also reached a new step with my visual art. That's the short version. The real-time version is, of course, much more complicated than that.
my work space, 2012
What's been haunting/enchanting me? Plenty of things - ideas, notions, imagery.. some faint, some crystal clear. There can be too many ideas sometimes. Too many different directions, impossible to follow all of them with the detail and heart they deserve. When I experience these rushes, these loads of visions, it can be quite paralyzing. Because as I'm frantically taking notes I can grasp at once the hopelessness of the task, the fact that there will never be enough time in the day and that I'd drastically need to prioritize, carefully outline my resources and then go attack with somewhat of a plan in hand. Instead, I feel like an 8-year old at the toy store.
You can't just say GO! and head out, realizing new paintings, sculptures, sketches for stage designs, sound collages, video ideas and writings if the paintings alone, should they be faithful to the scope of the original thought, would take weeks or even months of attention.
Because of that, my phases of thinking, of pure contemplation extended noticeably this past year (As all of you artists know, letting the seed germinate in your mind is a crucial part of the creative process, and that can clash with your own pride and determination to spend time in the studio. A songwriter, whose name escapes me now, once complained that it's hard for him to explain to his friends that sitting on that porch, taking in the gorgeous view of that mountain range his home is facing, is actually work. I feel for the man.).
I realized that I had to focus on one thing (when it comes to my home studio) if I wanted to get that one thing right, and I chose the paintings - my faithful paintings - who I still think of as my creative home, my take-off point, my territory. The paintings I still understand best, which allows me to let go of (stifling) control most graciously without worrying, which in turn invites the unknown in.
Making art is like flying a kite, and what I'm saying is that for me the paintings are flying highest still, way above the clouds, collecting unseen stuff, but I'm still holding the string firmly. With other media, say video, it's still more of a challenge to do that because I'm basically still learning them, figuring them out, but the overall goal is to eventually have all my various strings disappear in the clouds, comfortably.
So I've been really getting some great results with the abstract paintings. They're almost exclusively on wood by now, which allows for roughness, open-endedness, raw energy. I've started using a heavy metal file quite a bit, biting and tearing into what I would've considered a finished piece perhaps a year ago. It's very pleasing to become more and more daring, fearless about your work, also fearless about leaving things unpolished.
Let me share some close-up impressions of some of the new work:
The other Great Adventure 2012 has been my induction into the realm of theatre work, and I cannot overstate what a blessing that is. My ultimate partner in the crime of life, Brittney Brady, has founded her own company this year - Ghostbird Theatre Company - which is now the resident theatre company at the Sydney & Berne Davis Art Center in downtown Fort Myers.
There have been two shows already: "Mud" by María Irene Fornés last summer and "The Pumpkin Grower" in September, an original work by our dear friend Jim Brock, who is also a firm part of the Ghostbird ensemble. Find his own blog, in which he writes extensively and beautifully about the performances, here.
My roles in this grand adventure have been varied and thrilling. For both plays I've contributed soundscapes - both live on stage (Banjo-playing for Mud) and pre-recorded, multi-layered sound collages I controlled from the booth (Pumpkin Grower) - and was involved with stage design aspects. The vibe in and around Ghostbird is one of love for experimentation and conceptual work - it's a company whose rich, black soil is ideal for true collaboration, which is more than I could ever have asked for as an artist yearning for an outlet for the performative and multi-medial aspects of his work.
The next production will be Samuel Beckett's "Endgame."
As of now, it'll run for four nights, from April 24-27, 2013. Four days of an absurdist shock to the system. That's good.
There is an important official announcement I'd like to make before I'll wrap this post up: I'm proud to say that I have received a City of Fort Myers Arts & Culture Grant for the second time in a row this year. We're talking about much-needed funding which is not be taken for granted (pardon the pun) in a town the size of ours, and I'm very appreciative of it, especially because it means that my work has been recognized in the community as valuable and worth funding. And that is really a great feeling. I used some of the money for getting materials and, most notably, bigger surfaces, because I've felt the need for larger works for a while. All of this can now happen, and step by step things are moving forward.
I will let you go with this little video I made early in 2012, more or less for fun - it's one of my video experiments combined with one of my music experiments:
So long for now. New works to be put onto my main website soon... stay tuned. Thanks for your attention and patience.
P.
