“Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it.” Luke 17:33

So many thoughts about art and life right now.  This new piece, made for a recent Day of the Dead show is an appropriate piece for this post.  I don’t know all the story of the Latin American holiday, just that it was based on All Saints day and the Day of the Innocents , mixed with native beliefs and celebrations.  Dia de los Muertos seems to incorporate a more festive and also commemorative feel to it then the European Memento Mori motif.  Remembering and honoring deceased loved ones and celebrating their lives.

Recently a couple of changes for my wife and I, all good, have shifted my focus, at least for a season, away from art.  The time and energy required to pursue other things that are more important and pressing, and progress on those fronts will make my continued work in art more enjoyable eventually. But of course I was reluctant.  It meant not doing any shows in the Spring and even possibly the Summer or Fall. And I feel like I am just getting my work out there so that is not the direction I wanted to take. But I also am not pursuing art as a career, so I had to trust I would be able to keep my hand in it and God would be faithful to keep His purposes for me and art making on track (He’s big like that).

And that is still my intention, but God IS faithful.  I had been pursuing a few things recently, trying to promote my work, and while there were a few things in process before my decision, all of sudden I am having more exposure, more opportunities and more feedback since laying down my own plans and interest to pursue things I have neglected for too long.  I was approached recently by a local pastor to do a commission piece for his church’s location.  My work was not just featured in a magazine I had submitted to, but made the centerfold calendar piece.  I was asked to submit an two extra pieces for use in devotional covers, I had only planned on one. That recent exposure led to another sell…it just seems like after letting go, more is opening up than when I was completely consumed with trying to make stuff happen.

I also had decided and then had a few circumstances that kinda confirmed it, to get back to leaving a few small pieces around like I used to, I had been too busy to do that, but there is a joy in giving it away to be found and enjoyed by others as a gift, a grace.  And from time to time, remarkably, I hear from someone or about someone who picked up a piece and how much they appreciated it or how much it meant to them, and that’s pretty cool. So as I have time I’ll have that to work on, even if it isn’t for a big show or goal, it is an enjoyable part of my art making.

So for now, I will put my own plans on hold and work slower on stuff as I can, at least for a season.  I’ll avoid the obvious reference to death, transformation and butterflies, but it would totally fit.

 

 

It gets weird, in my life, office and art.  The subject matter, medium, and direction I choose to work in means I am picking up strange items; a shipment in the mail recently included coyote teeth and claws, miniature dried seahorses, snake ribs, pieces from an original 1935 edition of Monopoly, a facsimile of a 1928 $2 bill, and dental x-rays films.  It was a good day, at least to me. My poor wife often shivers at my collections. Though she seems supportive of the ideas I pursue, she always seems a bit concerned about being in the same room with my supplies.

But as funny (or not) as those issues are, I have been reflecting on some of the decisions I make about my art’s content.  The above image is from a Tarot card. As a Christian, I see much of the classic Rider-Waite deck steeped in Old and New Testament imagery and symbols.  It’s largely unknown to the public that the tarot decks originated from French, Spanish, and Italian playing cards, and were only later reinterpreted into mystic and occultic tools for divination in the late 18th century.  And while the images best known from Tarot are the reinterpretations by mystic Arthur Edward Waite and artist Pamela Colman Smith, they reference biblical material, symbolism and passages.

So as a visual artist, whose main work process is to take old images and objects and compose them together to form new pieces that often point in different direction than the original materials might themselves, what am I to do with these images?  What can I do?  What am I allowed to do? What should I avoid, detest, embrace, repent of and pursue?

Harold Best in Unceasing Worship writes that a believer artist is free in Christ to create, explore and make art.  His incredibly insightful writing has informed and served as a back drop to how I think through this issue.  I will quote him at length, because I can’t improve how he said it…

Christian artists have true artistic freedom, not on the basis of something as simplistic as right, wrong and so called artistic license, but on the basis of intent and direction.  Here’s what I mean.  Christian artists first of all understand that making art is indistinguishable from worshiping Jesus. In this sense, their art joins up and is made common with everything else in their daily round for which they are responsible as continuous outpourers (the term Best developed to describe the idea of a living sacrifice).  Their art may be their specialty, and its quality may be—should be—of the highest, but it has no greater standing before God than an honestly prepared income tax return.

Furthermore, artistic intent and direction are fully known only to God through Christ, while content is known both to God and to people.  This does not mean that Christian artists must limit themselves to so-called Christian content, especially the all too prevalent kind that is little more than spiritualized gingerbread. It means that every aspect of life is open to aesthetic inquiry, both as to the sinfulness of sin and the grandeur of holy living. Thus, to the Christian artists there are no off-limits subjects even though there are off-limits intentions and directions…Thus, no person has a right to lay an accusing hand, even if it means that artists, along with Christ, may be accused of consorting with sinners, gluttons and winebibbers.

Artistic freedom, however, is not artistic license. There is a twofold danger in what I have said in the preceding paragraph. First unwise or giddy Christian artists will be tempted to take up the badge of artistic freedom in itself (a much flawed and idolatrous badge) instead of being thrust forward in the freedom that is in Christ alone.  Also the public, especially the theologically pinched-up kind, will confuse artistic content and the artist’s intent and arbitrarily accept or reject both art and artist on that ground. Ultimately the artist must stand before Christ and answer for every artistic action taken.

So, the uniformed public be damned, I can use the images I want to!  Right? Maybe, but what this passage sets before me is not just an affirmation of our liberty, but also the wise counsel to consider my heart attitudes, my intentions.

My intentions were easy to ascertain in this regard.  I concluded that my interest in a few of these pieces was simply aesthetic, but by and large I wanted to make some pieces I felt confident would sell, because the images have a certain currency in particular audiences. Maybe I should be more ashamed of that admission, but it is just a fact of my heart.

Also instructive to me was my own review of the New Testament passages regarding witchcraft or divination. Reading the book of Acts, it is Apostles “4″ Occult “0″.  Jesus in his ministry among the Jews in Palestine never really confronts the issue, but as his disciples fan out in to the larger Gentile world, idolatry and witchcraft are constantly encountered.  And of the four times it is encountered in the book of Acts, money and power are linked to it.  The other two mentions are that witchcraft is a work of the flesh and that outside the heavenly city are those who practice magic. Not the company I want to keep.

So here I was, intending to make pieces that included occultic related images for the sole purpose of making money.

And so rather than push through the growing conviction and do what I want because I am “free” I sought counsel from mature, fellow believer artists and creatives, to open my heart and life.  And while the safety of their advice confirmed my sense of conviction, I was also blessed and encouraged to continue, setting my sight less on the commercial opportunities I saw and more on developing at my art.

And that is how in this instance my faith, artistic liberty, scriptures and community work to inform, direct, counsel and set direction for my artmaking, and more importantly how I live all my life.

 

I embarked on a project last summer 8/16/2009 to develop a discipline as an artist by looking for a object each day, any kind of object, collect it, log it and tie it to a string to keep it.

I did it, and I learned how much of a perfectionist I can be and how much I needed to push through the unimpressive days, the days of leaves and small bits of garbage and just keep doing the project.  Some nights I got out of bed realizing I had not collected, and once, just once I woke the next day and realized I never collected an object.  1 out of 365.  That is not bad.  I lost one object to find it later that day, and I have lost objects and not replaced, again just once.  2 out of 365, that’s a success rate of %99.45, again not bad for my first ever year long assignment. I found more value in overcoming small imperfections than restarting to get it right.

I challenged myself to try to not repeat objects, as best I could.  I discovered there are lot more people who lose their sunglasses and eyeglasses on than I expected.  I found drugs (turned in to Police) bullets, money, condoms new and used (only collected the new ones). I found stuff that was pure junk and I found stuff that was probably pure junk but that has found it’s way into other projects.  I discovered some parts of town have regular sweeping days while others no one seems to take responsibility for.

I have a canopy of objects in my study space, that seems fun to think was once underfoot.  It reads in some ways like the book of Proverbs, there is little pattern, just the constant object on display, one after another.

I am convinced it would make a great exhibit someday and somewhere, but that may be vanity, I know for sure it was worth doing and that I got a lot out of it, mostly unseen stuff for myself.  Below is the original instructions and the log with some more pictures.

365 Object A Day

A yearlong assignment beginning today, August 16, 2009.

Each day, find one object, and enter it in the log below and attach it to the string.  No alteration except whatever is required to attach it to the string.  I can add to the length of string as needed.  Duplication is not what I want but there may be several days of cigarette butts and beer caps, as long as I am daily looking for an object and at least every other day entering items in the log and adding it to the chain, so it doesn’t get piled up.

Interest is in daily discipline of looking and logging.  No apparent trend or meaning as yet just to develop a way of being and looking.

8/16/09                   yellow crayon                                                                   Wal-Mart parking lot.

8/17/09                  big, old bolt                                                                        St by our house

8/18/09                  gold and pearl clip on earring                                      Parking lot at work

8/19/09                  beat up feather                                                                   Parking lot at BnN

8/20/09                  bobby pin                                                                            Parking lot at church

8/21/09                  TY heart tag                                                                        Parking lot at work

8/22/09                  bracelet                                                                                sidewalk by house

8/23/09                   D cell battery top                                                              Church parking lot

8/24/09                  clear tube                                                                            Parking lot at work

8/25/09                  washer of some sort                                                        parking lot at house

8/26/09                  rusted nail                                                                          parking lot by house

While driving around looking for throw piles to go through I saw a homeless guy sitting under tree by busy down town off ramp and in back alley of my town I saw an old guy bringing water to take care of stray cats/kittens.  Both would have gone unnoticed if I had not been looking for discarded items to use to make art.

8/27/09                  blue plastic diamond shape                                            Parking lot

8/28/09                  penny                                                                                    Parking lot

8/29/09                   Ale8 1 Bottle cap                                                                Kroger parking lot

8/30/09                  rusted washer?                                                                    Church parking lot

8/31/09                  Losing KY lottery ticket                                                     Kroger parking lot

9/1/09                     yellow, black and white cord                                           stairwell at work

9/2/09                     part of a rubber ball                                                            parking lot at work

9/3/09                     rubber Palm accessory                                                       parking lot at work

9/4/09                     leather zipper fob                                                                 parking lot at work

9/5/09                     part of lamp                                                                           Minister’s Treehouse

9/6/09                     Copenhagen lid                                                                    VFW BBQ, TN

9/7/09                     Plastic cap for toy gun                                                        Going to mailbox

9/8/09                     Packet of silica                                                                     Grocery store

9/9/09                     garden tag                                                                              work sidewalk

9/10/09                  plastic shoe heel                                                                   church parking lot

9/11/09                   suction cup                                                                              taking out garbage

9/12/09                   spool of purple thread                                                          walking down the St

9/13/09                   tag from Tiger blanket                                                         bedroom floor

I have had this blanket since 5^th or 6^th grade, ca 1984, so it is at least 25 years old, and it is my wife’s favorite blanket.  I am glad I found the tag to include in this project, no idea how many more years it has.

9/14/09                  yellow wire cap                                                                       work parking lot

9/15/09                  plastic smiley guy with hat on                                            work hallway

9/16/09                  half of a plastic mechanical pencil                                    nature trail

9/17/09                  lego piece for a race car                                                         stopped at a light

9/18/09                  angel                                                                                          on my desk

9/19/09                  toothbrush                                                                                on the St

9/20/09                  promotional guitar pick                                                       work parking lot

9/21/09                  Grater’s Ice Cream Lid                                                          courtyard at work

9/22/09                  paper clip                                                                                 at the house

I had found a small losing game piece from a Subway cup, but it must have fell out of my pocket.  That is the first time I did not have an object from my day out.  I used a paperclip I found here in the house and will no longer collect just one piece, even on a slow day

9/23/09                  broken piece of Toyota logo                                                junkyard

9/24/09                  child’s alphabet block                                                          at church

Yes I do feel a little guilty but it was in an adult classroom and I figured it was probably a lost toy by now anyways.

9/25/09                  button                                                                                       courtyard at work

9/26/09                  broken break light piece                                                      checking mail

9/27/09                  little lighter                                                                             parking lot at work

9/28/09                  “driftwood”                                                                             random parking lot

I was sort of depressed Sunday when I found some acorns.  Only because I found them in a parking lot at Barnes and Noble, because of the landscaped trees.  Made me realize how far removed I am from creation on a daily basis.  This “driftwood” is actually found in a parking lot too, though it looks pretty and could be found on a beach somewhere so I decided to include it.

9/29/09                  Ricola wrapper                                                                     parking lot at Starbucks

9/30/09                  air freshener                                                                          junkyard

10/1/09                  child restraint tag                                                                 getting the mail

10/2/09                  Champagne wire basket                                                     in front of St Joseph’s Catholic Church

10/3/09                  .22 caliber bullet                                                                   in Kroger parking lot (Bullit County, KY)

10/4/09                  wiffle ball                                                                                train tracks

10/5/09                  rusty “V”                                                                                  parking lot at work

10/6/09                  top of tire gauge                                                                     parking lot at work

10/7/09                  broken key fob                                                                       Walmart parking lot

10/8/09                  tattered silk flower                                                               cemetery

10/9/09                  black tube                                                                               parking lot

10/10/09                paper airplane made from receipt                                   McDo0nald’s parking lot

10/11/09                birthday candle                                                      elevator

10/12/09                drill bit                                                                        hobby shop parking lot

10/13/09                tin top of mint box                                    roadside

10/14/09                popcorn                                                      theater

10/15/09                broken clothes pin                                    church parking lot

10/16/09                broken glasses                                                       Bardstown Rd

10/17/09                old Christmas ornament                                    walkway up to church

10/18/09                finger puppet                                                      church parking lot

10/19/09                wasp nest                                                      work parking lot

10/20/09               empty 50 ml vodka bottle                  cemetery

10/21/09                poorly written tract                                    outside tattoo shop

10/22/09                scissor handle                                                      railroad track

Five month anniversary

10/23/09                nut                                                                        work parking lot

10/24/09                grey cap to cover screw                                    Kroger parking lot

10/25/09                4 of Diamonds                                                      work

10/26/09                empty plastic badge holder                  outside work building

10/27/09                lead seal                                                      gas station

10/28/09               old rubber band                                    parking lot

10/29/09                old soda can tab                                    downtown Louisville

10/30/09               tire valve cap                                                      work parking lot

10/31/09                broken watch band piece                  along the road

David and Chrystal got married today.

11/1/09                  empty grape jam packet from McD’s                  along the road

11/2/09                  plastic hanger                                                      random parking lot

While looking for objects in this parking lot I came upon a homemade pipe, made from brass  fittings, a lighter and a bag with a joint and some weed left in it.  Called cops to have it picked up.  So far that is a first.  I have also spotted 4 used condoms.

11/3/09                  green rubber baby bottle nipple                  Bardstown Road

11/4/09                  wall plate for light switch                  work parking lot

11/5/09                  DOTD butterfly from 21C installment (on the ground)               7^th St.

11/6/09                  broken led light of some sort                                                              Walmart parking lot

11/7/09                  flat metal rod                                                                                           work parking lot

11/8/09                  plastic mesh net                                                                                     random parking lot

11/9/09                  Burt’s beeswax lip balm tin                                                                 Bardstown Rd

11/10/09                plastic floral decoration piece?                                                        On the floor at work

11/11/09                 metal plate of some sort                                                                      parking lot

11/12/09                 flattened bottle cap                                                                              Asbury College parking lot

11/13/09                 spring                                                                                                      Story Ave

11/14/09                 cut coat hanger                                                                                     flea market parking lot

11/15/09                 tire weight                                                                                              Dutchman’s Lane

11/16/09                 hair tie                                                                                                     parking lot

11/17/09                 thorn                                                                                                        tree by home

11/18/09                 kernel of corn                                                                                        railroad track

11/19/09                 engagement ring                                                                                  Bardstown Rd

11/20/09                metal cover for fan of computer                                                       floor at work

11/21/09                 spark plug box                                                                                      behind pizza place

11/22/09                 grocery list                                                                                             inside Meijer’s

6 month anniversary

11/23/09                 checker                                                                                                   desk at work

100 days of collecting

11/24/09                 metal nozzle                                                                                                            Bardstown Road

11/25/09                 Cool Grape candy box                                                                                          Frankfurt Ave

11/26/09                 wildflower (pressed for preservation by me)                                                      Lake by house

11/27/09                 plastic knife                                                                                                            parking lot at work

11/28/09                light bulb                                                                                                             Lowe’s parking lot

11/29/09                 gum wrapper                                                                                                            elevator at work

11/30/09                brass pipe fitting                                                                                          my new used truck

12/1/09                  rusty wire                                                                                                            Walgreen’s parking lot

12/2/09                  dental pick                                                                                                            Lowe’s parking lot

In violation of no orifice rule, but I did use a plastic bag to collect it and never touched with my hands.

12/3/09                  pencil                                                                                                                              Bardstown Rd

12/4/09                  broken glass bottle                                                                                          trail by work

12/5/09                  empty pill blister pack                                                                                          behind Borders

12/6/09                  Candy Label Santa’s Gift                                                                         Walgreen’s parking lot

12/7/09                  Papa John magnet                                                                                          front porch

12/8/09                  hair thing                                                                                                            lobby of building

I had this in my pocket from days before, it apparently fell out and I found it again later in the day. Lost and found and lost and found again.

12/9/09                   I’ve been Krogering sticker                                                                        Kroger

12/10/09                pump                                                                                                                              St

12/11/09                 plastic cap gun piece                                                                                          parking lot

12/12/09                crusted, rusted(?) piece of plastic                                                                        parking lot

12/13/09                baby’s sock                                                                                                            BnN parking lot

12/14/09                sparkly cardboard                                                                                          floor at work

12/15/09                B29 tag                                                                                                                              floor at work

12/16/09                thistle                                                                                                                              roadside

12/17/09                gumball machine plastic container                                                                        ashtray outside Subway

12/18/09                little skull                                                                                                            parking lot

12/19/09                hair clip                                                                                                                              parking lot

12/20/09                piece or chain link fence                                                                        Church parking lot

12/21/09                candle price tag                                                                                                            sidewalk at work

12/22/09                flattened cake decorating tip                                                                        parking lot by bakery

12/23/09                roll of used caps from cap gun                                                                         Ashley farm

12/24/09                leather skins cutout                                                                                          Big Lots floor

12/25/09                piece of yarn                                                                                                            Granny’s garage

12/26/09                fortune from cookie                                                                                          desk at work

12/27/09                headphones                                                                                                             parking lot at work

12/28/09                black thing?                                                                                                            Parking lot at work

12/29/09                peanut                                                                                                                              5 Guys Burgers

12/30/09                finger nail                                                                                                            outside bank

12/31/09                comb                                                                                                                              outside Lowe’s

1/1/10                     flower pod                                                                                                            Gethsemane Abbey

1/2/10                     squirrel vertebrae                                                                                           Michael’s parking lot

1/3/10                     earring                                                                                                                               parking lot

1/4/10                     soy sauce packet                                                                                          desk at work

1/5/10                     cigarette box                                                                                                            at work

Colder days making it tough to find stuff as what little time I have I am not spending outdoors, and while I have yet to break down and pickup the ubiquitous cigarette butts that are everywhere this find was dangerously close.

1/6/10                     paint marker                                                                                                            railroad tracks

1/7/10                     pink rubber bracelet                                                                                          parking lot at Kroger’s

1/8/10                     cheeto                                                                                                                              floor at work

1/9/10                     sticky rubber toy                                                                                          desk at work

1/10/10                  plastic thing                                                                                                            sidewalk into church

1/11/10                  rock salt                                                                                                            steps from apt

1/12/10                  rubber stopper                                                                                                            by dumpster

1/13/10                  seed pod                                                                                                            outside apt

1/14/10                  rusty key ring                                                                                                            parking lot

1/15/10                  nerf dart                                                                                                            Bardstown Rd

1/16/10                  wrapper                                                                                                            floor at work

1/17/10                  metal clip                                                                                                            sidewalk from church

1/18/10                  earring                                                                                                                               desk at work

1/19/10                  coffee creamer packet                                                                                          sidewalk by work

1/20/10                  piece of reflective road sign                                                                        parents driveway

1/21/10                  rusty nail clippers                                                                                          parking lot

1/22/10                  push pin                                                                                                            floor at work

1/23/10                  red ribbon                                                                                                            parking lot

1/24/10                  LGE tag                                                                                                                              outside Subway

1/25/10                  piece of evergreen                                                                                           sidewalk at home

1/26/10                  sequin butterfly                                                                                                            Bardstown Rd

1/27/10                  shotgun shell                                                                                                             lake by apartment

1/28/10                  plastic flower                                                                                                            Preston Hwy

1/29/10                  plastic snowflake                                                                                          CI Symposium

1/30/10                  concert ticket                                                                                                            Calvin College sidewalk

1/31/10                  yellow lego                                                                                                            Shelby St

2/1/10                     black cracked tubing                                                                                          parking lot

2/2/10                    penguin bubble blower                                                                                          Barnes and Noble

2/3/10                    party popper                                                                                                            along side road

2/4/10                    fluorescent light terminal                                                                        Bardstown Road

2/5/10                    black coffee lid flap                                                                                          gas station

2/6/10                    gum wrapper                                                                                                            elevator

2/7/10                    back of cell phone                                                                                          parking lot

2/8/10                    gum wrapper                                                                                                            inside work building

2/9/10                    icicle                                                                                                                               off my truck

2/10/10                  bendy straw                                                                                                            Kroger parking lot

2/11/10                  cello wrapped toothpick                                                                        Wendy’s parking lot

2/12/10                  roman noodles                                                                                                            desk at work

2/13/10                  lunch list (for Subway)                                                                                          parking lot at work

2/14/10                  water bottle lid                                                                                                            parking lot at work

2/15/10                  coffee stir stick                                                                                                            parking lot at work

2/16/10                  asphalt                                                                                                                              parking lot at home

2/17/10                  washer                                                                                                                              parking lot at home

2/18/10                  ball of string                                                                                                            McDonald’s parking lot

2/19/10                  rusty hair clip                                                                                                            Bardstown Rd

2/20/10                  ticket stub                                                                                                            floor at work

2/21/10                  birch bark                                                                                                            parent’s yard

2/22/10                  makeup brush                                                                                                            parking lot at work

2/23/10                  plastic thing                                                                                                            parking lot at work

2/24/10                  CD                                                                                                                              parking lot behind ACE on

2/25/10                  plastic square                                                                                                            930 Gallery

Part of a friend’s installation piece.

2/26/10                  plastic thing                                                                                                            3^rd St Bardstown

2/27/10                  key chain link                                                                                                            parking lot at work

2/28/10                  wooden piece of chair                                                                                                            by Tom’s house

3/1/10                     price tag                                                                                                            on the floor at work

3/2/10                    calendar                                                                                                            county clerk office

3/3/10                    2 unused condoms                                                                                          sidewalk by McDonald’s

3/4/10                    plastic casing of digital camera                                                                        sidewalk by work

3/5/10                    mini carbineer                                                                                                            floor at work

3/6/10                    silk rose petals                                                                                                            Ashley’s wedding

3/7/10                    tea light candle                                                                                                            Bernhiem Forest

3/8/10                    plastic ring from soda cap                                                                        parking lot at work

3/9/10                    Styrofoam square                                                                                          parking lot at work

3/10/10                  thing to keep birds off ledge                                                                        Barrett Ave

3/11/10                  pepper packet                                                                                                            floor at work

3/12/10                  mesh                                                                                                                              Construction site SCDT

3/13/10                  star wars sticker                                                                                          Kroger floor

3/14/10                  quick clamp piece                                                                                          church parking lot

3/15/10                  pen piece                                                                                                            work parking lot

3/16/10                  dental floss                                                                                                            work parking lot

3/17/10                  toe separator for polishing nails                                                                        work parking lot

3/18/10                  anchor piece for bolt                                                                                          work parking lot

3/19/10                  windshield wiper piece                                                                                          work parking lot

3/20/10                  half of a plastic Easter egg                                                                        Goodwill parking lot

3/21/10                  purple hair clip                                                                                                            church parking lot

3/22/10                  wrapper                                                                                                            stairwell at work

3/23/10                  leaf                                                                                                                              outside of front door

3/24/10                  quarter roll                                                                                                            parking lot at work

3/25/10                  seeds and a nail                                                                                                            in truck seat

3/26/10                  ball of yarn                                                                                                            hallway, Whitefield Academy

3/27/10                  lynch pin                                                                                                            parking lot at work

3/28/10                  plastic clip                                                                                                            Meijer parking lot

3/29/10                  marble tag                                                                                                            floor of office

3/30/10                  envelope label backing                                                                                          cabinet at work

3/31/10                  painted red rock                                                                                          nature trail at work

4/1/10                     matchbook                                                                                                            Mary St

4/2/10                    black plastic square                                                                                          parking lot at work

4/3/10                    candy cane                                                                                                            under desk at work

4/4/10                    electrical tape roll                                                                                          Wal Mart Parking lot

4/5/10                    sunglass clip                                                                                                            parking lot at work

I finally found real money…a twenty dollar bill behind a fence post on the edge of the parking lot as I walked and read and barely looked for objects.  I had pair 20 dollars unexpectedly towards a bill I didn’t know I would have so I was excited and thankful to God

4/6/10                    screw                                                                                                                              parking lot at work

4/7/10                    broken lighter                                                                                                            parking lot at work

4/8/10                    VIN tag                                                                                                                              Hwy 71

4/9/10                    plastic tip from adhesive tube                                                                         parking lot at work

4/10/10                  electrical cap                                                                                                            Family Restaurant parking lot

4/11/10                  half a crawfish                                                                                                            railroad tracks

4/12/10                  rusted bent piece of metal                                                                        sidewalk by work

4/13/10                  plastic hook                                                                                                            parking lot at work

4/14/10                  key fob from mechanic                                                                                          parking lot at work

4/15/10                  plastic thing on a string                                                                                          Cheyenne Church of the Hills

4/16/10                  silk rose petal                                                                                                            Cheyenne Church of the Hills

4/17/10                  plastic cocktail sword                                                                                          Chili’s O’Hare Int’l Airport

4/18/10                  helicopter seed pod                                                                                          parking lot at home

4/19/10                  pink cigar case                                                                                                            parking lot at work

4/20/10                  green beads                                                                                                            Bardstown Rd

4/21/10                  car cig lighter                                                                                                            fell out of truck

4/22/10                  red brick rock                                                                                                            by sidewalk at apt

4/23/10                  scrunchie                                                                        parking lot at work

4/24/10                  old key                                                                                    Bardstown Rd

4/25/10                  piece of metal                                                                                                            Oak Ave

4/26/10                  jaw breaker                                                                                                            parking lot at work

4/27/10                  aspirin packet                                                                                                            Bardstown Rd

4/28/10                  Nicorette gum                                                                                                            parking lot at work

4/29/10                  small plastic bag with screws                                                                        Bardstown

4/30/10                  sim card                                                                                                            Subway Parking lot

5/1/10                    clear glass marble                                                                                          floor at work

5/2/10                    wet red feather                                                                                                            Bardstown Rd

5/3/10                    mascara                                                                                                             parking lot at work

5/4/10                    wine cork                                                                                                            Bardstown Rd

5/5/10                    metal piece                                                                                                            Buzick’s parking lot

5/6/10                    plastic wheel                                                                                                            Oak Ave

5/7/10                    fuse                                                                                                                              parking lot at work

5/8/10                   ketchup packet                                                                                                            break room

5/9/10                    milkweed thistle                                                                                          church parking lot

5/10/10                  plastic bar code security thing                                                                        Kroeger

5/11/10                  weed eater thread                                                                                           parking lot at work

5/12/10                  ripped lottery ticket                                                                                          Preston highway

5/13/10                  Tweety bird without head                                                                        oral surgery parking lot

5/14/10                  plastic tube                                                                                                            parking lot by work

5/15/10                  Kentucky Derby horse and jockey                                                                        parking lot at work

5/16/10                  battery                                                                                                                              Adams St

Outside our new place we will be moving into in two weeks!!

5/17/10                  instructions                                                                                                             parking lot at apartment

5/18/10                  metal HBO keychain                                                                                          parking lot at work

5/19/10                  pencil                                                                                                                              Subway parking lot

5/20/10                  stick                                                                                                                               Ash St

5/21/10                  blue twisty tie                                                                                                            parking lot at work

5/22/10                  inhaler                                                                                                                               parking lot at work

One Year Anniversary!

5/23/10                  plastic piece in a baggie                                                                                          parking lot at Miejer

5/24/10                  mini ice scraper keychain                                                                        parking lot at work

5/25/10                  orange paw print sticker                                                                        parking lot at work

5/26/10                  black plastic lid                                                                                                            parking lot at work

5/27/10                  spray painted fireman from friend’s artwork                                                      outside new apartment

5/28/10                  black plastic thing                                                                                          parking lot at work

5/29/10                  metal cap                                                                                                            parking lot at work

5/30/10                  three dragonfly wings                                                                                          back deck

Moving day!  Moving from Shepherdsville to Louisville!

5/31/10                  puzzle piece                                                                                                            Frankfort Ave

6/1/10                    foam earphone cover                                                                                          parking lot at work

6/2/10                    red foam bendable thing                                                                        parking lot at work

6/3/10                    metal thing                                                                                                            Butchertown

6/4/10                    razor blade                                                                                                            parking lot at work

6/5/10                    Dunkin Donuts key fob                                                                                          floor at work

6/6/10                    electrical piece                                                                                                            Quincy St

6/7/10                    rusty, flat spring                                                                                          Quincy St

6/8/10                    black headband                                                                                                            outside work

6/9/10                    bent safety pin                                                                                                            parking lot at work

6/10/10                  metal mesh                                                                                                            Bardstown Rd

6/11/10                  egg from baby bird on porch                                                                        Quincy St

6/12/10                  metal strip                                                                                                            Adams St

6/13/10                  cable terminal                                                                                                            Quincy St

6/14/10                  metal  part                                                                                                            Adams St

6/15/10                  Charms Blo Pop                                                                                                            outside work

6/16/10                  empty tube of glitter                                                                                          Irish Rover parking lot

6/17/10                  nothing

Bummer, looked around all day but never picked anything up and didn’t realize it till the next morning.

6/18/10                  bolt                                                                                                                              Quincy St

6/19/10                  plastic light cover                                                                                          Adams St

6/20/10                  snail shell                                                                                                            front porch

6/21/10                  metal number from electric pole                                                                        Webster and Washington St

6/22/10                  no parking tape                                                                                                            Quincy St

6/23/10                  balloon                                                                                                                              Washington St

6/24/10                  chrysalis                                                                                                            parent’s house

6/25/10                  metal washer                                                                                                             Adams St

6/26/10                  fire cracker                                                                                                            Quincy St

6/27/10                  bubble blowing wand                                                                                          Wal Mart parking lot

6/28/10                  broken glass                                                                                                            electrical box, back porch

6/29/10                  blind                                                                                                                              Quincy St

6/30/10                  green plastic thing                                                                                          Webster St

7/1/10                     bone                                                                                                                              Quincy St

7/2/10                     note with my name on it                                                                        Quincy St

7/3/10                     Chuck E Cheese token                                                                                          parking lot at work

7/4/10                     Bendy Scarecrow                                                                                          Quincy St

7/5/10                     rice                                                                                                                              Washington St

In front of St. Joseph’s, from a wedding

7/6/10                     firework parachute                                                                                          field off of Adams St

7/7/10                     plastic thing                                                                                                             Butchertown

7/8/10                    brush                                                                                                                              Washington St

7/9/10                     clear cover                                                                                                            parking lot of work

7/10/10                  blue marble                                                                                                            Adams St

7/11/10                   wooden ice cream spoon                                                                        Washington St

7/12/10                  smoke bombs                                                                                                            Washington St

7/13/10                  match stick                                                                                                            Webster and Quincy St

7/14/10                  yellow plastic thing                                                                                          McDonald’s by work

7/15/10                  plastic battery packing                                                                                           Butchertown

7/16/10                  dead Butterfly                                                                                                            parking lot at work

7/17/10                  Drug Store Cowboy postcard                                                                        Ear-x-tacy parking lot

7/18/10                  large staple                                                                                                            Washington St

7/19/10                  broken pen cap                                                                                                             Washington St

7/20/10                  broken rubber shaped cross                                                                        outside work

7/21/10                  metal cap?                                                                                                            Washington St

7/22/10                  reflector                                                                                                            Buchertown

7/23/10                  plastic tie                                                                                                            Washington St

7/24/10                  tag                                                                                                                              Kroger parking lot

7/25/10                  propane tank cap                                                                                          Lowe’s parking lot

7/26/10                  fuzzy dice                                                                                                            garbage can, Washington St

7/27/10                  weathered King of Hearts                                                                         Quincy St

7/28/10                  piece of metal tubing                                                                                          Washington St

7/29/10                  orange toy figure                                                                                          Texas St

7/30/10                  cicada                                                                                                                              Washington St

7/31/10                  popsicle package                                                                                          Adams St

8/1/10                    rubber motorcycle clutch cover                                                                         Behind Quincy St

8/2/10                   maxi pad in package                                                                                          Adams St

8/3/10                   plastic piece                                                                                                            Adams St

8/4/10                   magnet                                                                                                                              Floor at work

8/5/10                   eye makeup applicator                                                                                           parking lot at work

8/6/10                   clearance sticker                                                                                           Wal-Mart

8/7/10                   spray paint cap                                                                                                            930 parking lot

8/8/10                   broken mirror                                                                                                            930 parking lot

8/9/10                   metal piece                                                                                                            parking lot at work

8/10/10                  Hot Wheels car                                                                                               behind Quincy St

8/11/10                  plastic plug                                                                                                        parking lot at work

8/12/10                  eyeglass cleaning cloth                                                                                  parking lot at work

8/13/10                  metal piece                                                                                                          Adams St

8/14/10                  small leaf                                                                                                            floor of Starbucks

8/15/10                  plastic ring from candy ring                                                                        Adams St

The End

 

I am in the midst of preparing to teach 1oo+ students from 3rd to 12th grade what assemblage is and then lead them through a brief project on assemblage.  Excited about the possibilities and to see what kind of projects the students develop. 

The tiles above are samples of the almost 200 6″ by 6″ cardboard tiles made to work on as a canvas of sorts.  Covered with a variety of backgrounds to give the students something to work against besides a blank slate.  The goal is to arrange a visually interesting composition with 5-6 objects. 

Hope to have pictures to share.

I did not expect the discomfort and emptiness that developed as we got closer to the opening of the Prayer and Wisdom group installation.  I felt the nakedness of having put my work out there and the anticipation of how it would be received, the crushing weight of trying to find my worth or validation through creativity, of trying to save myself, literally, by the works of my own hands.  Of course that’s not what I say my artmaking is about, but hours before the opening I felt naked, exposed and fearful and had to own up to my own misguided, crooked ways. 

And while trying to get the courage or clarity to work through these thoughts, or maybe avoid them, I did something I had never noticed before (though I am sure it has happened) I threw  myself into a new project.

Passing by the same plastic top of a shopping cart by the railroad tracks I do each week, the thought of actually picking it up seemed more immediate and pressing.  The images and projects I had imagined for it seemed close, coupled with the crushed red heart shaped tin I picked up earlier in the day from off the street in front of an abandoned Catholic church, energized by a week of installation building and fueled by a desire to hide from my own fears I got home and got right to work. 

I have been interested in religious folk art and wayside shrines for years.  From Gothic statutes and their unfinished look and edges, to lead singer Perry Ferrell’s cover art for Ritual de la Habitual for Jane’s Addiction, part of my own interest in assemblage stems from this art form and tradition. 

I have collected candles and prayer cards, rosary beads and symbols from the Catholic faith and I am not even sure why.  My own Protestant impulses and beliefs are not drawn to honor God through these means but I think I always feel an affinity for the ritual, the idea of sacred space or sacred ways.  I think we as humans are drawn to rituals and sacred spaces, even if we are not believers.  We attribute more value to certain activities or places or objects than we do others.  And while these may be simple folk ways, not part of a centralized belief system they do point to a larger human experience.

Yet we are also reluctant to name this or even recognize this in ourselves or society.  We speak of God with no content, no specifics.  Our discourse is polite to the point of having nothing to really say.  It is embarrassing to speak of specific beliefs, just belief in general. 

“TO AN UNKNOWN GOD” was an inscription the apostle Paul found on an altar in Athens.  He spoke to the people present, to declare to them the God they worshipped in ignorance. 

I wanted to illustrate our unwillingness to name this god of no content and make him specific.  I also wanted to point out the mystery is less mystery as it is willful ignorance.  A lot of great “spiritual” feelings get “ruined” by the specifics of faith.  We want to believe that Love is really all you need, as John Lennon sang, but we only seem disturbed by the lack of others to express this love.  We chose to not know, we chose to hide and not answer some questions or know some answers, symbolized by the heart, crushed in the streets of the city, guarded by barbed wire, unwilling and unable to answer or ask.  The saints have been removed from the candles, all that is left is an empty space surrounded by religious trappings.  And the whole structure is not what it appears, it is not special, it is not sacred, it is part of a shopping cart from Kroger and discarded and fashioned anew into a space, put on wheels to make it mobile, not stationary and thus not set in a special or sacred space.

It did not work to hide myself from my own nakedness or to try to save myself by my works.  My art is not sacred and it has no power to save me or move others to validate my efforts.  It’s just art.  We can hide in our little ritual spaces or we can run to them for help but as Paul told the curious onlookers,

 “The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things”

 

Shield

But You, O LORD, are a shield about me,
My glory, and the One who lifts my head. 

Perils, shouts of despair and hopelessness, shame, enemies, failures, temptations, fears, regrets, trials.  Not all the time and not all at once, but these are common struggles for us all.  One of the surest places in prayer I ever come to is the declaration that God is my shield, He lifts my head and He stands between me and my enemies. 

Ultimately, it is in Christ that we see this expressed, He bore our sorrows and the shame for our sins before His Father so that we might have access to pray and find acceptance with a holy God. 

Psalms 3, 84, 91

Every Tear

You have taken account of my wanderings;
Put my tears in Your bottle
Are they not in Your book? 

Every tear is kept and marked down.  Not a trial or tribulation is missed. 

I think it is easy to miss that God’s omniscience is not a divine expression of scrapbooking.  We aren’t comforted by the fact that God is all knowing or compulsive enough to keep track of everything, but that He thinks fondly enough of us to take note of our every trial and every tear.  It is great reminder that we can confidently draw near to Him, casting our burdens and anxieties on Him because He truly does care for us, on intimate level.

Psalm 56:8

 

Everything

Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.
Praise the LORD! 

Psalms are songs, no doubt, and most if not all, were put to music, but they are also instruction.  They call us to praise God in all aspects of our lives, sadness, anger, joy, triumph, lament, dedication.  But we aren’t all musicians that get to play in the great assembly of saints, and so Psalms ends with the instruction that everything that has breath is to praise God. Everything.

Psalm 150

I am exciting to be taking part in this group installation.  There is always a gap between what I visualize a project to look like and how it comes out, but this is even more exciting because it is such a grand scale, other artists with great visions and talents, and hearing their ideas but waiting to see it take shape and come together and how they interact.  The gallery space is being prepped and it looks awesome.  It has it’s own look and I am already amazed.

Below is an image developed for a stencil I made for one of my contributions, excited again to see how things come together and to move away from how I have done things before, open up for input while a project is in process and just have a great time laughing and working and moving pianos and hanging ropes and drawing with ash.  And that was just day one for me! 

 

 

Through our recent road trip and a DVD I borrowed, I  found out about a three men that have inspired me to continue attempting to make art and find a place of service and blessing to others in it.

Leonard Knight’s Salvation Mountain, in Niland CA, Horace Burgess’ tree house in Crossville, TN and H. Harrison Mayes’ roadsigns everywhere, are striking examples to me of how faith informs our lives, including making art.  From what I have read, all three were motivated by their faith and devotion and never tried to make more out of their actions than they did their faith.  No business, no catchy marketing, just living as they felt led.  No explanation and no fanfare.

Some can see it as odd or ecentric, misguided or benign, but I have been blessed justing knowing these men have it in their hearts to obey God and try with their lives to see others come to know that love and salvation offered to us through His Son.

Stirred in my own attempts and blessed by these works, I just wanted to share them with you.

 

Also check out Austin White’s site.  They were gracious and open to me using his photo.  And they personally have met Leonard and confirmed he is just an amazing person.

In the clearing stands a boxer, and a fighter by his trade
And he carries the reminders of every glove that laid him down or cut him
til he cried out in his anger and his shame
I am leaving, I am leaving, but the fighter still remains
Yes he still remains

The Simon & Garfunkel song, “The Boxer” always reminds me of a good friend of mine.  In every verse there is memory of him or his story.  We were together in Sept ‘01, watching the first live broadcast of SNL after the 9/11 attacks when Paul Simon sang this song after Giuliani’s opening monologue.  It seemed fitting then of the resolve during troubled times for NYC and as I reflect on my dear friend and his past and recent struggles in this troubled economy I find myself seeing him as that unwavering, hard headed boxer, being pushed by cold winds and struck by heavy blows and still standing and still remaining.

I doubt he feels heroic.  Most likely he only feels tragically “trapped.” All he can do is stand and take it, what else is there?  And certainly part of that is true.  Often in life we feel like we are fighters, not winners really, just fighters.  We are just too thick to quit, so we fight.  Life pushes us into a corner and the only way out it seems is to keep at it, but our arms get heavy, our vision weak and there is nothing to do but just take it until you get that second wind, until you find that strength or until you hear the bell sound.

And I get that, and realize the frustration of just reminding yourself of platitudes, but the biggest part of me, the truest part of me has to remember we aren’t called fighters or even winners, but MORE than winners, by a God who took on the blackest, darkest hour and heard the count to ten and in an incredible reversal, to which there is no earthly parallel, He rose and conquered our worst enemies, our very fears and made a way for His grace to reach us where we even oppose ourselves.

There is no denial of our pain; of our trials, of our suffering, though we are often reluctant to call it that knowing as we do the harder life of others in this world.  But we do suffer and we do lose heart after we receive blow after blow.  And there comes a time when we all want to quit or do quit.  Or we can hang on in stubbornness and not know what else to do.

And I am not suggesting my friend has failed to remember the promises of our great Savior or that he is deficient in crying out to God, I just have felt the need to be there for him and acknowledge that he is not crazy, he is not whining, and his complaint is just and to also encourage him, to “put heart into” him, to “strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble” that he not lose heart. 

 

This piece was made for him, just trying to show in a tangible way the prayers and thoughts that have been with him.

There is no solution presented in it, just a heartfelt acknowledgement of suffering and stubbornness and of the wounds we carry with us.

Recent international news has made me grateful for the peaceful transitions of governmental power via elections here inthe U.S. But I also have been reflecting for months on the mostly negative talk coming from Christians regarding President Obama. I didn’t vote for him and I disagree on many of his policies, but I am a Christian first and a U.S. citizen second.

This piece reflects my take on many of us in the church who look to influence our world through politics. We are not called to violence OR power. I am not opposed to Christians pursuing a life of service to community through political involvement but so called, decades old “Culture War” is largely being waged through politics and I feel like that is misguided.

I find most disturbing the Antichrist role many in the church and religious right assign to President Obama, not because that is offensive, it is and it bothers me, but worst than that is the lack of any mention of a Christ role in the story.  Jesus Christ isn’t mentioned, even the church isn’t mentioned, the only uneasy references to saviors are political players and that is what I am most concerned with.  My intention is not to engage as much in the dialogue of politics and speculate on 2012 candidates but to simply refocus my own thoughts and heart on the heart of the Gospel, the person and work of Jesus Christ, not elected, not chosen by us, but victor over death and as will be seen one day, ruler of all the earth.

The background to the ballots and bullets are bible passages that relate our spiritual battle and where our allegiance belongs. They have been cut out, as a symbol of the violence we do to the scriptures when we use them to support earthly kingdoms or ignore them to pursue power over preaching the gospel. But the lowest level has the same scripture passages still whole, shining through, because God’s word won’t fail even if we do.

Verses used
Jesus said…”No man can serve two masters” Mt 6:24
Paul told us that “we wrestle not against flesh and blood” Ep6:12
He also said we “walk in the flesh but don’t war after the flesh” 2Cor 10:3

And finally, Romans 13
Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.
For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil. Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience’ sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing. Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.