studio work

Back in the studio... I moved back into the studios of the grad students here at UC. By the way, I GOT THE JOB!!! They rehired me to be tenure track running the foundations program. I can't believe it, I mean I believe it, but sometimes I think, I am way too out there for this place. Sometimes I have to hold back my ideas and do the "mild" version of whatever I am thinking. The good news is I have gained a lot of respect from the other faculty in my time here, so making adjustments will be easier. The other good news is, and a clean sign that I am doing good, is that the Contemporary Art Center wants to talk with me again about designing a project for the students to do at the CAC once more. I guess that the America Starts here Picnic was a huge deal to them, and they loved how inventive my projects are.

Studio work is slow, as everyone who paints knows. I am working on two big painting projects for the summer. One is a collection of hand painted paper pieces that are the names of every artist I have ever told a student to look up. I am going to put them in record sleaves and have it be a flip through archive for the students to use when they need advice of who to look at. I like the fact that it works as both a teaching mechanisim, and artwork, and a service for my own memory.

The other project is a massive wall piece about my father (big surprise!) It is about his adventure in space trying to stop the evil beer barons who are sending drunk asteroids at the planet gatorade. I know it doesn't make any sense, but I get to paint on the wall again, and maybe this time make some sculptures to go with it. Maybe a cut away meteor with the inside showing the geothermal layers? ANd a space ship and a heart re-starter machine.

I did a few paintings for the lecture performance, that turned into slides. I love them. This is the first time I have performed the same lecture more than once and it was really odd. The energy from my excitement wasn't there. I didn't feel like a carnival barker, I felt tired, and empty. But it was more somber, and sincere. So glad that the music was there again. It really helps the work. The director of the CAC came to this one. And she was amazed at how different the energy was from the first one where over 250 people showed up! This time there were less than 20.