It just doesn’t seem like Thanksgiving was just a week ago…

I worked hard in the studio today. Getting to know what those clayboard surfaced masonite panels are like—I really like them.

Given that I have 15 more surfaces to work on than I planned for I decided that I really had to get going and make three works today. I actually got a really good start on five pieces. I think two are about 95% done and the others are in the 80-85% range, so I’m happy about that. The pieces are done with gray, black and white acrylic, japanese ink and graphite. The clay surface lets me utilize scraping with an X-acto knife and sanding to erase. You can see the pieces here on the wall.

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As you can see, I added one more big table to my work area. These all aluminum (including the work surface) tables are about five by twelve feet and are the most amazing studio tables ever. Unfortunately you can’t buy them. They were made here by two of Bob’s studio assistants, one of whom, Matt, is now the facilities manager here.

The lightness of the aluminum along with the high quality industrial casters make them easily moveable with just one hand (well, you need two hands to steer).

I did take one break by the pool (just outside the studio) to read a chapter of Hadrian (did you know that the ancient Romans collected urine from the public toilets to use as bleach for their clothing?).

While there I watched turkey vultures collect on a snag. Bob purposely left snags for birds to roost on.

For me, Robert Rauschenberg is to the the art of the second half of the 20th century what Pablo Picasso was to the first half.

Hey, I just had to write this…

I had the good fortune to briefly meet Robert Rauschenberg twice. The first time was in 1979 when I was a 30 year old art critic for Willamette Week newspaper in Portland and he was having an exhibition at Portland Center for the Visual Arts. I was there before the opening to interview him and he graciously answered my questions while he signed exhibition posters. As I recall, I don’t remember much of the actual interview (although I do have the tape somewhere and there is the published version), but I do remember something he said to me during the opening reception in response to something else that I asked: “My work is an invitation to look…out the window.”

So that’s stuck with me for 33 years, and of course if one is familiar with Rauschenberg’s work and all of the writing about him, that statement is not at all surprising. His work and his attitude can teach us about how to enjoy the world that we actually inhabit. Here’s something else he said that I like:

I really feel sorry for people who think things like soap dishes or mirrors or Coke bottles are ugly because they’re surrounded by things like that all day long, and it must make them miserable.

And reading about Rauschenberg leads you to the attitudes of his friend and sometime collaborator John Cage:

Beauty is now underfoot wherever we take the trouble to look. 

But a long time ago—a bit over 1800 years ago—Marcus Aurelius anticipated this kind of pleasure in the mundane:

This also thou must observe, that whatsoever it is that naturally doth happen to things natural, hath somewhat in itself that is pleasing and delightful: as a great loaf when it is baked, some parts of it cleave as it were, and part asunder, and make the crust of it rugged and unequal, and yet those parts of it, though in some sort it be against the art and intention of baking itself, that they are thus cleft and parted, which should have been and were first made all even and uniform, they become it well nevertheless, and have a certain peculiar property, to stir the appetite.

 So figs are accounted fairest and ripest then, when they begin to shrink, and wither as it were. So ripe olives, when they are next to putrefaction, then are they in their proper beauty. The hanging down of grapes—the brow of a lion, the froth of a foaming wild boar, and many other like things, though by themselves considered, they are far from any beauty, yet because they happen naturally, they both are comely, and delightful; so that if a man shall with a profound mind and apprehension, consider all things in the world, even among all those things which are but mere accessories and natural appendices as it were, there will scarce appear anything unto him, wherein he will not find matter of pleasure and delight.

 So will he behold with as much pleasure the true rictus of wild beasts, as those which by skillful painters and other artificers are imitated.

 So will he be able to perceive the proper ripeness and beauty of old age, whether in man or woman: and whatsoever else it is that is beautiful and alluring in whatsoever is, with chaste and continent eyes he will soon find out and discern.

 Those and many other things will he discern, not credible unto every one, but unto them only who are truly and familiarly acquainted, both with nature itself, and all natural things.

[From The Project Gutenberg Etext of Meditations, by Marcus Aurelius, my paragraphing]

I enjoy the great philosophers like Rauschenberg, Cage and Marcus Aurelius.

Today I spent more time out at the Fish House, but before that I made a little notebook of collages (yes, I know I’m not telling about them, but I’m not ready to do that yet), and I received a shipment of supplies that had been slightly delayed. Unfortunately—and fortunately—they weren’t exactly what I requested.

Unfortunately the clayboard surface panels were not the 16″ x 20″ panels that I wanted. I received 15, 12″ square panels.

Fortunately the crackerjack studio technician Carrell got on the phone and ordered the 16x20s which should arrive Friday, and also, fortunately,  I need to make 15 more artworks than I thought!

I did test out the boards as I haven’t used them before and I think they’ll work great.

Here’s a shot of my space as I left it today. You can see one of the panels on the wall and a stack of them on the table:

At the Fish House I worked indoors as it was a bit breezy out. Again, read a chapter of Hadrian and worked in a notebook on the beginning of a project I’ve had in mind for a few years—works inspired (don’t know if that’s the right word) by  Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. (BTW, anyone over 50 should read Mediations, it might make you feel better). Right now I’m thinking that those 15, foot square panels might be part of something that comes from Meditations.

I’ll close this post with this pic that I took on the way to the Fish House (yes, a botanical wonderland and it is late fall)…

[Wednesday night] Well, last night after dinner some of stayed late to watch a little documentary about Captiva. That was fun (and it is the excuse for why I didn’t get around to posting last night). Back in the old days before they built  the causeway to Sanibel (the island just south of Captiva) the place was remote. Things had to arrive by ferry and other boats. Teddy Roosevelt and others liked to fish hereabouts.

One of the important folks to the history of Sanibel/Captiva was J.N. “Ding” Darling, a Pulitzer Prize winning cartoonist and very important conservationist. The  J. N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel is named for him. In 1942 he built the Fish House overlooking Pine Island Sound on the east side of Captiva (BTW, in case you didn’t know you can get a big image by clicking on these smaller pix):

The story is that Darling built the place as a wedding present for his wife, but she refused to live there. (See a Darling cartoon about he Fish House: http://ufdc.ufl.edu/SW30000842/00001)

Darling did use the Fish House himself  and is said to have done a lot of his cartoon work there.

So,  the point of all this is that Bob Rauschenberg acquired this property. It is one of the amazing places here. Yesterday I spent a couple hours outside on the east boardwalk (facing Pine Island Sound) reading Anthony Everett’s Hadrian, and doing some drawing in a little notebook over some collage elements.

Earlier in the day I finished my first little work here, a long fold out book of collage:

And to close this post, here is where I sit when I am writing this stuff:

This morning we (the other artists and me) took a walking tour of the overall property. Bob Rauschenberg (everybody calls him “Bob” so I will, too) first aquired a little property on Captiva in 1970 when much of the island was jungle-like. Wanting to keep it that way he continued to acquire property as it became available and thus saved it from the touristy/sunbird development that is generally seen on much of the island. This is an amazing place, and the property is huge. Most of the buildings on the property are original 1940s-ish small houses—very different from the modern coulda-been-anywhere houses that have been recently built. Maybe more on them later.

However, Bob also built the most amazing studio I’ve ever seen.

The picture hardly gives a clue as to how big the place is. Maybe I’ll find actual dimensions later and post them. At the far end in this picture is my workspace.

Just to be very clear, this is a deeply meaningful experience.

Imagine going to Beethoven’s house and playing music on his piano.

I managed to unpack some of my materials and do a little work.

I’m expecting a shipment of materials on Wednesday so I can get to work on the project I have in mind.

We had a welcome dinner for everyone this evening. As I get to know everyone more I’ll post about them…and more about the place…and what I manage to do here.

My wife Susan and I arrived at our little house on the Rauschenberg Residency property this morning.The travel time from Portland, door-to-door was just about 11 hours. Slept for a few hours on the plane overnight.

We met Terri, who is the chef for the Residency and got a quick tour via an really old utility [golf] cart. The property stretches across the island of Captiva  from Pine Island sound to the Gulf of Mexico, and includes several small old-style vacation-style houses like the one we are in. There are large studio buildings as well. Once all the artists are here tomorrow we will get the full walk through tour.

Since we’ve never been to Florida before this is quite the flora wonderland, and bird watching is pretty cool too. Lotsa pelicans and hovering turkey vultures.

Tomorrow evening I’m off to Captiva, Florida to participate in the Rauschenberg Residency program. This will be my first time in Florida and my first experience of a residency program. Pretty much all that I know now is in the press release:

ROBERT RAUSCHENBERG FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES INAUGURAL PILOT YEAR FOR ITS ARTISTS RESIDENCY ON CAPTIVA

July 9th, 2012 (New York, NY)—The Robert Rauschenberg Foundation (RRF) is pleased to announce the inaugural launch of its pilot year for the Rauschenberg Residency in Captiva, Florida.

Robert Rauschenberg’s 26-acre estate on Captiva Island, Florida will be transformed into a creative center that welcomes leaders in the visual arts, music, dance, writing, and a variety of scholarship and disciplines from around the world to live, work, and develop new work in residence on the property. The Rauschenberg Residency on Captiva is inspired by Rauschenberg’s early years at Black Mountain College where an artistic community brought out elements central to his legacy—collaboration and exploration—learning from and working with others to break new ground.

“The Rauschenberg Residency will serve artists, writers, musicians, dancers, and scholars in remarkable ways. By providing these individuals the time and space to explore in the same incredible setting that inspired Robert Rauschenberg for over 40 years we hope to act as a catalyst for new thought and creation.” said Jason Kalajainen, Creative Director of the Rauschenberg Residency.

The pilot program perpetuates Rauschenberg’s ability to inspire and impact the artists who follow in his footsteps, enabling creativity to develop out of community and interaction. Each of the 30-plus gifted artists invited to participate in the pilot brings with them a distinct artistic background and focus. The interplay of their solo and shared experiences during their stay at Captiva mirrors Robert Rauschenberg’s career-long interest in collaborative creativity, and will promote the spirit of innovation and boundary-pushing for the participants. Moreover, the collective nature of an eclectic group made up of individual artists reflects similar themes and methods that intrigued Rauschenberg throughout his life, especially the mix of media, materials and techniques. The experience will be symbolic of his belief that art has the power to bring about change, whether on a global or philanthropic level— and even within the artistic community itself.

The pilot residencies will run from November 2012 through June 2013 in four-week blocks, and there will be follow-up one year later to ascertain how the residency impacted the participants’ work.

Additionally, beginning in the fall of 2013, the Rauschenberg Residency will welcome 60-70 exceptional individuals annually during eight 4-week residency blocks. These resident fellows will come from across the United States and around the world, and will represent a complete range of artistic pursuits, including visual arts, architecture and design, classics, dance, literature, landscape architecture, music, and theater, among others. Having this breadth of disciplines honors Robert Rauschenberg’s myriad interests and endeavors, and will encourage the kind of cross-discipline collaboration and learning he promoted throughout his life.

A nominating committee comprised of leaders in a variety of creative fields from diverse geographies and institutions will be established that will work with Jason Kalajainen, the residency program’s Creative Director, to identify individuals who will be invited to apply. Once nominated, candidates will submit their materials through an online application to be reviewed by the Residency staff.

“Bob assembled the property over the course of 40 years with the intent of preserving the environment and building a place where artists of many disciplines could come together to develop new ideas. The residency program will be true to Bob’s vision,” said RRF Board Member Sidney Felsen, who chairs the Foundation’s Captiva Planning Committee.

About the Rauschenberg Residency:

For over 40 years, Robert Rauschenberg called Captiva “Home.” The 26-acre site boasts nine buildings, including Rauschenberg’s original beach home and studio, as well as his state of the art studio facility and six additional individual homes. This property is now an official part of the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation. The Rauschenberg Residency on Captiva will support RRF’s mission by cultivating the talent of others, support new ideas and artistic exploration, and preserve the natural environment, which Rauschenberg saved parcel by parcel.

About the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation (RRF)

Robert Rauschenberg Foundation was formed by Robert Rauschenberg in 1990 to promote awareness of the causes and groups close to his heart. Since the conversion of Rauschenberg’s Estate into the Foundation, RRF oversees the management of Robert Rauschenberg’s artwork, including its exhibition and scholarship, as well as the growth of philanthropy programs central to Rauschenberg’s concerns during his lifetime. RRF’s operations now include scholarship & curatorial activities at 381 Lafayette, Rauschenberg’s New York home and studio; exploratory projects at RRF’s 19th Street Project Space; philanthropic programs focused on activism; innovation & collaboration; art and education; seed-funding of grass-roots arts organizations; and, finally, the Rauschenberg Artists Residency on Captiva.

For further information please visit: www.rauschenbergfoundation.org

To follow news and developments on the pilot program as well as all Robert Rauschenberg Foundation programs:Facebook Tumblr Pinterest