Open Studio Hartford Ct. A visit on one weekend to the most important show in town.

Crossing the street to see an art show can and may be dangerous. Going all over town, via shuttle, walking from venue to the next is not usually our idea of entertaining ourselves or guests who are visiting us for the weekend. But how can one who is now in this day and age mildly interested in art in this area not check out some of hundreds of artists, dozens of studios, galleries and other creative places if only to see what type of natural habitat these artists produce their art in. Been in all types of places in our long-life time stretching back to our coming of age in NYC in the mid- 1960s when all heaven began breaking loose in the world of art and artists questioned the very idea of art, what could be art, how could be art and what can we do in the name of art. Could the sloshing of water in our boot really be as grand as a symphony? Were we the conductor or the player? Could making a giant salad and having fun while getting our fill be filling? What about lines so high in the sky that no one could see them let along admire their beauty? Challenge, and change and challenge and change everything. Once back in the day when we were full of it, we wrote “Jump up create a space, go back down space erased.”

Keeping up with art all these years causes one to arrive in a place that has little room for fake. Has little room for reinventing the wheel, going around and around doing the same old thing and calling it by another name. Looking over the glossy program book we found the names of a few people in the area who make art that we may be interested in checking out and a few natural habitats that we wanted to see, if only to see what Hartford has to offer for artist space. Can we keep a straight face while viewing these places, side eyeing the studio all the while trying to go ahhh over the art works that hold very little interest for us? Do we on such a beautiful Sunday really want to join with the thousands of annual visitors and go about  looking at stuff, much of it ho-hum, the same old hum over and over or would we rather do something else? Maybe enjoy the Autumn colors? The colors are quite beautiful this year.

How far would be want to travel to see what we can see? Olga interest was piqued when she read about a artist way down at the Colt Gateway who did a “mixture of functional and non-functional ceramic ware.” “I just love non-functional ceramic ware,” said Olga, “just something to look at like a vase full of holes.” You know that it is a pretty good idea, just the vase, a vase that doesn’t hold water, just the vase as a work of art, full of holes. “Yeah,” said Bessy Marie, “I’ve seen so many non-functional pieces in my life I would rather go home and eat meatloaf.” Just look at the little pictures in the program book, over and over art, same old, same old, he is working in the impressionist school, she in pastels, beeswax, Hippie Hats, turned and carved wood. Wearable handmade jewelry, mixed media, Whimsical designs in metal, Abstract art 1, 2, 3, 4 everyone loves colorful abstract art and last but not least imaginative, surrealist, psychedelic and dreamlike paintings. Spin the great wheel of art history, pick a time any time do some art. “I graduated from art school and this is what I learned to do.” Smooth, clean, glossy and pretty. Since we are not in the market for anything for over the sofa, (we don’t even have one) don’t wear jewelry, and our home can’t hold another Knick knack or other object of art we passed up many a open door. Poking her head into a door way Olga added, “Here look at the very least we’ll see how talented Mary is because she can paint a cow.” Not that there is anything wrong with painting a cow as then I can have a painting of a cow in my apartment rather than chickens in the kitchen.  My goodness is my head swirling, tu m’ ennuies! is about all I can say.

the small writing says, “We must take the World as it is to be allowed our Work and intent.”

Photo Marc Burns

I will scratch my head on that line. Perhaps one of the artist who is more enlightened on its meaning can tell us sometime. I for one refuse to take the world as it is even if I have to give up my work but never my intent of making justice for all and liberation from the powers that be a number one priority. Maybe I just don’t understand it, the saying that is.

So, what do you like? Crossing the street looking both ways, walking slow so not to slip on wet leaves, or stumble on the cracks and upheaved chucks of concrete, avoiding a mud bath for our shoes wondering what the big black van was, hoping it wasn’t that small city music group who blasts out their sounds and causes many to block their ears, and visiting a show that we knew would move us from one place to the next. No time to be bored. You can bet $10.00 on us that we were not bored, interested to say the least. Very interested in this open Open Studio greenhouse weekend gallery. Light and airy. A show called Terraria/Novel Objectives at Knox Inc just a short walk across the street, not much to lose if we find ourselves bored almost to death we can go home asking ourselves why and take a nap.  Very interested in this piece called Bowls. My first question on entering the show was who piled the dirt? Well according to Marc Burns it was two gentlemen name Etani and Juan Perez who ran the skip loader. A helping hand to pile gives the artist a break so she won’t have to stand there and shovel, shovel full, after shovel full of dirt to make a mound. Not that there still in some situations isn’t a  need for shoveling if only to build up your muscles, if fuel is scarce or there isn’t a skip loader available to artist or farmer, ditch digger, or someone like we said in the olden day, was trying to dig their way to China on the other side of the world. (Tried that once but gave up after 8 mins.) The question of who drove the skip loader and if they were included as artists in the Bowls piece or not was lively causing me to write these little lines, “Who drove the Skip Loader and piled the dirt, Without him who did, the piece wouldn’t work.” We suppose here we could debate this idea for the longest time and are well aware of how it has been debated over and over through-out art history, just who gets the credit that require workers to help do the work? Shouldn’t they get a hurrah also? My god by now we should have pushed the artist off the pedestal and push the dam pedestal over? A short tit for tat came about concerning if the two who drove the skip loader and piled the dirt should or should not be given full billing with the artists who created the work?

Juan on the Skip Loader

But “Who Drove The Car?”

(a little art history)

“Way back in 1953 Robert Rauschenberg directed John Cage to drive his car in a straight line over twenty sheets of paper that Rauschenberg had glued together and laid out on the road near his studio. The front tires left a faint impression while the rear tires that had passed- through a pool of paint that Rauschenberg had poured in the street deposited a black tread mark that stretches along the length of the paper. Automobile Tire Print challenges the traditional understanding of art and authorship and presented a whole new definition of what it meant to be an artist. Was Cage here just a printer like one operating a printing press or was he also an artist in full partnership with Rauschenberg, without him there would have been no piece. Many other examples in art history could be sited here but why bother? We are not in the business of trying to convince folks to like or conform to our way of thinking. Who cares if the revolution is far from over and our side seems to not be wining.

The Show.

Artists in Terraria/Novel Objectives included Marc Burns, Rebecca Wasilwski, Matt Dondero, Angel Pena, Audrey Ryan, Adam Viens, Jason Werner some a no show according to one of the artists who was rearranging some heavy rocks bending over and causing a woman viewing the action to ask if he was a plumber. No telling who is going to show up at an art show.

 

Bowls: Rebecca Wasilewski, Marc Burns, Angel Pena, Etani and Juan Perez. (In the bottom left is Angel Pena’s 4 Stacked bags of Fast Setting Quickrete Mix)

 

A hand out

Mud Feast, Marc Burns: Dining table, Stuff Chair, covered pallet, table cloth, table setting with dining implements, served dinner with dirt, weeds, sticks, 2 music stands, chair.

Marc Burns: Close up of dinner table.

Marc Burns said of this piece The table is set for a rich man’s supper with music stands waiting for musicians to come in and play for his dinner. We found the arrangements of leaves, moss, dirt, sticks in the cracked bowl to be delightful. For his supper he shall get. A fancy fork and spoon, coins of the realm,  pretty stones, a large “whacking stone as Marc said, to whack your guests with if the poison wasn’t working, and on the music stand a found numeric tabletchere score 64328. Play it.

“They also feed on cornstarch, which can be spread in terraria with water and on cultures of sooty mold grown on laboratory agar.”

Audrey Ryan (left) Adam Viens (right)

Adam Viens says of his work: “Each panel has its own drawn perspective lines that compete with the actual perspective that they adhere to in the space or reality.” Along with the perspective lines there is statistical data, fictional facts, a circle graph all drawn some times backwards sometimes readable on white see through nylon. A pie chart explaining something, the words “An analysis of the original illumination Experiments” some appearing like gibberish, and some forcing the mind to wonder, what the hell is this. Nothing wrong with that as most of us wonder what the hell is this every day in these times. 5 Panels hang along the center space, working quite well with the panels and metal crossbars in the greenhouse. Right at home if you will, did someone take the panels from the greenhouse walls, draw on them and rehang them?  Each one of the panels we see could stand on its own. Trenches under the 5 panels of carefully raked mulch to form rectangles added a whole other dimension to the work. Raked mulch and sized just right. Under one panel tough grass was uncovered, brought to the light of day, growing alive and well, bringing us to the idea of what is hidden, uncovered, found alive and well, give it time and see what will grow in these trenches. If only we had the time.

“At least 17 gastropod species live only as hothouse aliens in greenhouses, aquaria and terraria.”

Matt Dondero

The black hand pointers as if of clock with no numbers begged us to change the time and see what we could come up with the pointers pointing in other directions. The piece left us scratching our heads and wondering, must say that doesn’t happen too often but interests us none the less. Being on the end of the sentence Born to Grow Grown To Die my batteries have just about worn out can I turn back time? If only in my mind? My body is over. Or set the hands full steam ahead. Recharge my batteries, see a naturopathic physician, get well and give a big middle finger to western medicine with the idea of pill after pill causing more trouble than its worth. Hoping by action to put new batteries in this old machine and run on and on. The top of the piece is a highly smooth glossy wood and the rest rough and wild. I don’t know Matt but you sure got me thinking, in the wrong direction perhaps. We like it.

Joke art? A no show showing, showing? Jason Werner piece, “Five Stones” and Twelve Stacked Tables.” What’s it all about Gertrud?

The artist says about this piece,  “Found objects if you will, but of use still as themselves, named but not appropriated. This differentiates it from it’s precedents I think.”

We have always loved that type of art. The art that just is. Staying where it is doing what it is doing. The artist eyes see it, says yes and it is. No need to move it into the gallery as if one can’t see it out there then one more than likely won’t see it in a pristine white walled setting. Does it make it any more art when we do this? Once we saw a thousand ants carrying a dead beetle home. That was far from any pristine white walled gallery.

Audrey Ryan, 2018:  Grade Stick, pine beam, aluminum, poly tubing, vinyl bag, doe urine.

Creating objects that exist independent of their origins and particularities. We want more of this artist and would love to see an entire show in Hartford of her works.

“Adding animals to the terrarium turns the container into a vivarium. Though many people refer to their reptiles’ homes as terrariums, the truth is once the little guy is established, it’s a vivarium. Of course, the vivarium needs to be appropriate for the creature taking up residence in it, so the focus of a vivarium is on the animals in the container. A terrarium is based on the plants it contains.”

I wonder should I register as a Hartford Artist so I can be in a show? What does it take to be an artist? Am I one even if nobody knows it? Well here I am crashing the show.

Intrusion in a art show: Birdseed Bell: Copy and Paste. 2018

Now if I were in this show, I would bring 15 Birdseed Bird Bells and hang them every once in awhile around the perimeter of the greenhouse. Let the birds come to eat and music would resound through-out the place. Can you hear it or is the highway noise too loud? A flutter here a flutter there, darting back and forth, scared, fly away. So many possibilities. A little action never hurt anyone and we love the idea that a bird visiting would do a poop letting go a seed and the seed would grow into a plant and everyone would say, “where did that volunteer come from” But you know that series Art For The Birds was 40 years ago but would be very appropriate for this exhibition.

“In communal terraria with other species of lizards, it rarely attacks smaller lizards unless the other reptile intrudes on its territory.”

Angel Penna, 4 Stacked Bags of Fast Setting Qickrete Mix.

“Hey Angel,” I said, “Where are the chickens?” I was hearing clucking away as I view the art and thought if anyone would know it would be him a farm supervisor at Knox and a collaborator on the Bowls work of art and showing 4 Stacked Bags of Fast Setting Quickrete Mix, (think of the possibilities holding in those 4 bags). “Right over here he said and brought me around to the side of the show. Thought it was only appropriate to see something of the farm while we were inside their gates. Knox is a great little farm right in the middle of the city, across the street from where I live. Last summer when my working hours were different I was able to go over every Friday to their Farm Market  bringing my scissors with me I went about the rows of flowers cutting a beautiful bouquet for the weekend. The honey purchased last summer was the best and I always heard that if suffering from any allergies get honey from bees who live close by. Artists Marc Burns told me that Knox was very generous with the use of their space and were a joy to work with. Maybe, just maybe Knox will someday provide a space for contemporary artists for installation works at the farm. I know anytime I have visited there that I have relished the experience of having such a place right next door to remove me from city life if only for a moment.

 Here is a picture I found of some of their cousins. A beautiful healthy looking stock. I never cared to admire these white kind, since chickens don’t take a bath they can look rather dirty and we can all be glad eggs come in a shell.

Found artistic Chickens by Me’ (not in the show but close by)

 

At interesting shows like this one, one never knows just what may show up saying, “Hey take a look at me, I crashed your art show and am showing as showing can be.

Spot of leak, Knox Farm Greenhouse, Open Studio exhibition, 2018 Hartford Ct.

Photos in this article are by T. E. Denman and Marc Burns..

#22 No Walls at the Fuller Brush Building. November 10 and 11, 2018

Next weekend we will pick up where we left off. There is one show we want to be sure not to miss even if it is off the beaten path. #22 No Walls at the Fuller Brush Building way up on Main Street. This is what the program book has to say about the show: In collaboration with Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner “No Walls” is a juried show of selected artists displaying their art. The core mission is to challenge the prescribed standards for art and how we’re made to interact with it.” We went over to their site to find out more, and what exactly this was all about. Found something dear to our hearts and want to plug it here. Even if you can’t go all over town be sure to stop off at No Walls! The title alone resounds well with our world we live it today. For any of us who have fought against racism and sexism in the art world this show is not to be missed.

They say about the exhibition: Sponsored by Hartford Untitled Studios, in collaboration with Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner, NO WALLS is Hartford’s latest experiential art gallery. The show is on view in the WHEREHouse Studio on November 10th and 11th from 11am-5pm. It is honored to be a part of the CitywIde Open Studios.

Conceptualized and curated by Hartford local Collette Grimes, NO WALLS is an exhibition of various artistic mediums, including photography, installation, and paintings, with an emphasis on making and (re)claiming space for people of color. It’s mission is to challenge the barriers art institutions have traditionally upheld that have made art feel inaccessible.

Art Note: According to groups in the know this fight is far from over. We read this from Art net news: “Our research suggests that, despite recent efforts, work by African American artists continues to be sidelined within American museums. The perception of progress is buoyed by a handful of important exhibitions, a—very gently—increasing number of acquisitions, and a smattering of headline auction prices. These, however, belie the extent to which entrenched systems of power and influence contribute to institutional racism that impedes significant structural change. ” Since 2008, just 2.4 percent of all acquisitions and gifts and 7.6 percent of all exhibitions at 30 prominent American museums have been of work by African American artists, according to a joint investigation by In Other Words and artnet News.”

To all of this we have to continue to say We Must Change The System.

Note: Open Studio Hartford continues this coming weekend, November 10 and 11, a citywide showing of the arts in Hartford area. A large showing is held every year at Art Space Gallery on Asylum Ave. in Hartford where according to the brochure one can see an artwork from all participating artists. Its fun and lively. Visitors can visit artists in their studios or in the hallways through- out the building.