Deep Life Indy # 3

Uncle! I surrender!

I've made multiple attempts to write about the Indianapolis art scene of the past 30 years. This as prequel to the upcoming panel discussions which will accompany the 431 Gallery and Ed Sanders shows. I even wrote about giving up on trying to write about it. That turned into a long bit too, and is pointless to post. Bottom line, that's it. No more critiquing local art stuff. 

Subversion is still on the table.

Deep Life Indy #2

Branded!

Prior to In Vivo Gallery, William Adkins formed a group called the Indianapolis Artists' Forum. As with the other groups, Bill was the little engine that could, while the rest of us went along for the ride. “We” were a group of artists currently in Indianapolis. I believe it included Steve Paddack, Brian Fick, Ed Sanders, Becky Wilson. I had just moved back from Texas, so it must have been around 1990.

In our first meetings, we grilled Bill about the name, specifically, about the “forum” requirements. Just what do we have to do? What sort of forum? Bill kept explaining that it was informal, no expectations, just that we get together and talk about art...We still didn't get it. 

Finally, an exasperated Bill threw his hands up and said, “You don't have to talk about art, it's just to present ourselves as a group who talks about art!”

We found this hysterical. Every meeting afterward began with some shtick where we pretended to talk about art.

Such branding is so pervasive now. I'm not sure others will understand how comical it was at the time. 

Deep Life Indy #1

431 Gallery, Indianapolis, 1984

In June, the Indiana State Museum will honor the 431 Gallery with an exhibition including members' art. 431 was a cooperative gallery which Bill Adkins formed, led, and fueled for many years. It formed in 1984 and continued through the early 1990s. I was a founding member and participated in the first auction and show, but then moved to Austin, TX. I returned in 1989 to find a vibrant, concentrated art scene along Massachusetts Avenue. Denouement (Francy and Stephen Stoller), Patrick King, Ruschman Gallery, and 431 Gallery co-existed within the block. In Vivo opened over 431, before moving around the corner. For a couple years, art opening crowds would overflow and block the sidewalks. 

During the ISM exhibit, I will be showing some paintings at Indy Reads. Until now, I was oblivious to the obvious - that the Indy Reads venue is on Massachusetts Avenue, just a few blocks from the old arts area. The entire MassAve is now designated the arts district, but is mostly retail, dining, and pubs. It's easy to forget the past. 

The ISM show will coincide with the much anticipated Ed Sanders retrospective, which will be at Herron School of Art and Design, just a few hundred yards from the ISM. I can't wait to see this show!

Cracking reality, one accident at a time

Recently I had two accidents that offered new perceptions on previous work. Both involve painting, even though I've set that aside for now, and am focusing on the bike art displays and some 3-d experiments with polyform clay.

Some glass pieces from my clay project spilled over my old stash of not-quite-finished paintings. I'm not particularly interested in playing with the "edge" between the painting surface and 3-d reality, but when I saw these pieces on this particular painting....I re-arranged a bit, and something works, I think. Whatever it is seems related to what the painting was already doing. 

The extrapolated concept for this may acknowledge that these glass bits are usually used for decoration at weddings and other major life events... It's a thought of some sort. 

The other accident occurred as I took a selfie with an iPad, using the mirror filter. One of my large shaped abstract paintings was on the wall behind me, and I was and am still amazed by what happens when that painting is made symmetrical. It generates figures, all sorts of figures, quite readily. The slightest movement creates new figures. These remind me of religious imagery. 

Prop 13-143

The movers and shakers of Indianapolis have put a lot of effort and money into the city's image. This makes the language in a new panhandling ordinance peculiar, for it limits street performance in a way that will effectively ban it in the downtown area. As currently written, Prop 143 refers to performance with no verbal request for money, as passive solicitation.  While this version does not ban such activity entirely, it places restrictions that would make it impossible to busk in most populated areas, and after 8pm. 

Many performers are miffed at being called panhandlers, and are focused on changing the proposition to exclude musicians and performers from the ban. This petition by the Indianapolis Acoustic Music group wants a re-write to allow street performance.

I understand the outrage at having one's work labeled panhandling, when it so clearly is not. But I also find it highly offensive that one's access to public areas would be determined by desirability. This seems to be the argument for re-writing the proposition, rather than stopping it. 

Real cities have a range of activity and of people. While safety can be a justifiable reason for limiting activity, this does not include banning people from public simply because they make some people uncomfortable. There are already laws regulating panhandling behavior. One cannot verbally request money or be aggressive in any way. Still, many city leaders have openly sought the removal of panhandlers from the downtown area, because it doesn't look good for the city. 

It's a no-brainer that the artists should not, and ultimately will not, be banned. So why are they specifically named in this proposition? I can't help but wonder if they are being used to do the dirty work...of drawing the line of exclusion between themselves and the panhandlers. Their demand for an exception sets up a dangerous precedent.

If the government allows performers and not panhandlers, then the government also determines what acceptably qualifies as performance (or sets up an organization to do so). By asking for an exception which distinguishes them from panhandlers, artists are inviting the government to regulate their art.

If Prop 13-143 passes with an exception for street performers, it may mark the end for authentic activity in downtown Indianapolis. 

Two Nights, Two Dreams

Has this blog been dormant long enough for me to use as a private dream journal? Doesn't matter, these two dreams are share-worthy. Really, you gotta hear about this dream I had...

One dream was blatantly about death, and one was exuberantly joyful about life. Death came first, and the life dream happened the very next night. Death dream began with sharp pains in my leg (cat-claw-like). I was in bed and half-aware that it was a dream. I kept being attacked and I desperately tried to wake up. As dreamland me looked around, I saw shadows at the edges of the bed. These read as a supernatural presence and scared me. It was something I had no power to control.  I could only be afraid. I decided I would attempt to grab it, thinking nothing would be there. I reached down and was shocked and horrified when I did indeed grab and hold a limb, a leg. I quickly grabbed with my other hand, and was now engaged in battle, with something completely unknown. It was terrifying that it now existed as both a supernatural and a physical force. I held on and screamed for help, but made barely a whimper. I tried over and over, knowing I was dreaming and so I needed to try harder to scream. I tried to pull it apart, and at the same time worried I may be hurting one of my cats in non-dreamland. My eyelids raised and I saw glimpses of light. I told myself to wake up, but could not. More attempts at screaming. At some point I had two pieces of this thing, and by now it was skeletal bones. I had a leg and a skull. The thing seemed somewhat neutered, but I was still worried for my safety. The dream went on, with my trying to escape through winding passages, still carrying the bones. My fear took me deeper into an interior maze, and I knew I may not find my way back out, or if that were even possible.

The next night brought the turtle dream. I was living in a house on a small river, and was standing on the bank, telling a friend about the giant turtles that had been known to come there. This was a very rare occurrence, and possibly even just of a legend.  As I spoke a huge turtle surfaced and made an amazing booming splash with its body.  Within minutes, more turtles rose up and it became a raucous show. These are Galapagos Island sized turtles, only they are splashing around in water. There were also some giant sunfish in the mix. The sunfish were about 3 feet tall. I was simultaneously viewing this scene below the surface  - which is totally do-able  in dreamland. As spectacular as this all was, we turned to the left and another group of splashing turtles arose. They dwarfed the first group. At this point it we were delirious with joy. A little later the place became overrun with other people. Many were friends. Some were frantically trying to decide which photography gear to use. It was a great scene. I got choked up a bit, from the communal excitement over this event. I decided I really wanted to video-tape it, and I went somewhere to get my camera. As I returned, I crossed over a bridge. All around was the most bold and beautiful scene. It looked like somewhere in Canada, as there was some snow, an amazing river scene, with huge birds and swiftly moving water cascades. I taped some of that and then went back to Turtlefest.

:-)
 

More Studio Turf Wars - Gallery Version

 Blythe Hager self-portrait landscape meets topiary fairie mural from 10 years ago, freshly mounted on board.

There was also a little bit of spraying action, but art was removed from the studio/gallery for that.