About the paintings…

These paintings that I made during the Residency are the first “easel paintings” (that’s a category, didn’t use an easel) that I’ve done in 20 years. Given that many folks know my sculpture and installation work (look at the big weird object above!) and not my 2-D work, the question might be, “Why is he doing these old fashioned paintings????”

I’ve been doing work related to the new paintings for over 20 years. Here’s a piece, Constellation of Drawings (Memory), 1990, that’s at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland.

And in the summer of 2011 I did a large wall painting in the Hoffman Gallery at Lewis & Clark College in Portland as part of a group show.

This work was in a leftover space that resulted after a special room was constructed (to the right) for a video installation. When Linda Tesner, the gallery director, initially showed me the space she was very concerned about this odd space, but I thought it would be perfect, a space where I could try something akin to working in a chapel-like space like those I saw in Rome the previous year.

Caravaggio, The Calling of St. Matthew, 1599-1600, in San Luigi dei Francesi, Contarelli Chapel.

I was not interested in the imagery for my work (obviously), just the challenge of the narrow U-shaped space.

While I was working on the mural, I thought it was kinda fun and maybe I should try painting on small panels as I liked the hard wall surface. I had grown tired of working on paper, not the paper itself, but the hassle of matting and framing, and the need for glass (and then you gotta store them and not break the glass). I tried canvas for large drawing/paintings 20 years ago, but stretching canvas is also a hassle and the canvas has no “resistance” (also a hassle to store safely). So, I thought about cutting up some 3/4″ ply and painting on that, and then procrastinated…

UNTIL I got the call inviting me to the Residency. I thought that would be the perfect place to get things going. I also found the panels (which you can get at Blick or Utrecht) and I got a lot more panels that I had planned for (see Wednesday November 29 post), a great thing. So that’s how the little paintings are both new and old and relate to my work.

Maybe I’ll do some more…BTW, I plan to show the color works at Nine Gallery in Portland in April…

So what were we doing there?

Well, were were the first of five test groups who are having the “test run” or shakedown cruise (was that the boat trip?) to help those in charge figure out how this residency program is going to run when it gets going for real.

In the contract it said:

[Artist in Residence]  agrees to provide verbal and written feedback on the residency experience in the areas of facilities (housing, studios, equipment, amenities), overall residency philosophy (mixture of disciplines, emphasis on collaboration/interaction, facilitation of/contribution to artistic process), logistical issues (residency length, meals, amenities) and staff (communication, assistance, support). The assessments will take the form of verbal – personal conversations, informal/formal meetings, and written – immediately following the residency, and one year later. 

I just sent in my 10 page response to the Residency questionnaire yesterday. Gee, I hope the “one year later” is live feedback on site!

So, what is it going to be? Nobody knows yet…and that’s a good thing.

Another PS coming. Maybe tomorrow.

Back in Portland, Oregon

View from the front porch, Xmas afternoon.

Note: Rauschenberg Residency Postscript coming…

A final artwork

On Thursday I completed a new piece outdoors on the property.

In the Shadow of the Palm is an abstraction of the tree shadow made from sea shells. These shells are used here for pathway paving the way we use gravel back home. I must thank Matt Hall for the suggestion that I do a piece like this. He saw the work I made in the South Park Blocks Portland in 1984, In the Shadow of the Elm.

Matt said something like, “We could do something like that here. I’ve got tons of pit shell.” So on Wednesday and Thursday we went out and did it.

Leaving

Saturday at noontime we leave the property, heading to the Ft. Myers airport. This blog will continue, but without the colorful birds, flowers and people I’ll miss from here.

The Gulf of Mexico, from the west side of the property…

Dogs seem to be important here. The first dog we met was Molly, Terri’s assistant.

Then we met Chico, who led the way to everything for Jack.

And Beauty, who hung out with Carrell.

And late in our stay, Matt brought Cassie to visit the studio.

One day I saw this stray dog hanging out by the pool.

Dogs are an essential part of the team here (Terri, Molly [who owns Terri], and Matt).

Got the small pieces all packed and ready for the post office.

Started a new piece that should be finished on Thursday, but I won’t post it ’til Friday.

We all went into Ft. Myers on Wednesday night for dinner at the home of a very nice couple who were friends of Bob’s and the had a lot of his work on the walls. Good conversation, yummy dinner.

Just a week ’til Xmas and 80 degrees—I know, not a big deal for those in the know, but I’m not in the know…

I decided yesterday that both of the sets of paintings are done and I started packing the foot-square ones into “If it fits it ships” USPS boxes that just happen to be exactly a foot square.BTW, the post office is a five minute walk from here, and,  just like at home in Portland,  the Starbucks is about the equivalent of three blocks away. In the three weeks we’ve been here I think I’ve stepped outside the Rauschenberg Residency property about a half dozen times (always with a purpose like get the Sunday Times at SBux). This island of tranquility within the island is well sheltered from the “island life” flavor. The “resort” and strip mall next door just don’t have appeal. 

Every day I see this Rauschenberg piece between the studio steps and the pool.

The more I see it the more I like it. It is a bronze version of his Ancient Incident (Kabal American Zephyr) 1981. Doesn’t at all look like bronze.

First of all I enjoy the absurdity of the meeting of the chairs at the top where is would be impossible to sit face-to-face with no knee room. Then of course you have the “rickety” steps leading to the (mundane) chairs, but to the backs of the chairs, so you couldn’t comfortably take a seat event if there was knee room. It’s an elevated meeting place for the exalted, where it is impossible to meet, built as if Buster Keaton could have done it.

If you liked Cain’s Arcade then watch this (I think that somehow it links up with the ideas of Robert Rauschenberg and art collaboration):

And if you’d like another 11:45 in more depth see:

Next Saturday we all leave. Some have already left. Stephen left on Sunday, but on Saturday he had a little recording session at the pool with Yassi. She had already sung underwater for him awhile back. This time she manipulated a piece of sheet metal and then again did a little singing.

On Sunday I thought all the paintings were done, but I set up a process to be sure. Below you see the setup for how it worked.

Hang a painting. Have some espresso (there’s a Nespresso machine in the studio’s kitchen!). Read. Glance at the painting. Work on the NY Times crossword. Get up and look closely at the painting. Decide it’s OK. Hang new painting. Repeat.

I did find one painting that needed work. I think I fixed it. I’ll decide on Monday morning.

Waldo Cottage at dusk Sunday: