I had tried to go out and meet with the organizer and check out the space about 2 months ago, but had mysteriously woken up with a porkchop face, and so had had to go to the ER instead.
So I stumbled in through the back door, to what turned out to be a very swanky hotel lobby, shouldering a giant jiggling tube of tire, and drainage pipe tied in a knot. I felt like Indiana Jones stumbling in on a jewel laden cavern, and there found MaryEllen Ettiene, the very classy Director of the Reuse Alliance.
I'm glad the organizer MaryEllen, was willing to give us a look. So I drove on out to Raleigh (I hate driving to Raleigh), and brought along some samples. This was to be my chance to 'sell' this sculpture to the organizer, so I brought along a maquette (model), and also a sample section of tireworm, just in case she'd never seen any.
So I stumbled in through the back door, to what turned out to be a very swanky hotel lobby, shouldering a giant jiggling tube of tire, and drainage pipe tied in a knot. I felt like Indiana Jones stumbling in on a jewel laden cavern, and there found MaryEllen Ettiene, the very classy Director of the Reuse Alliance.
There was another Artist there, who turned out to be a real hoot, and who makes awesome belt buckles, and much more, I hear, from found objects. I am very excited to be working with both
of these people.
of these people.
So then a few other Artists came, including Ruth Warren, a friend and Hero of the Scrap Exchange, and we embarked to the convention area, to check our digs...
Here's a veiw from the entrance to this convention wing of the hotel, with the registration desk on the right (MaryEllen, the organizer, was very excited about this desk, which looks a lot more excitement-worthy than this photo shows).
Pretty Shwanky, what do you say?
I have to say, while it is not the cool, polished granite kind of environment that I had pictured for some reason, as far as Hilton Hotel Lobbies go, this one is warm and a little funky! Dig this rug- Knotty Tread!
This is the spot where I am Hoping I can show Tiny Tyrius, Tied:
This would be a sweet spot no doubt, and the organizer seemed to think it would make a good entry way piece, so here's hoping. However, there is an electric socket in the floor down the hall, so if I decide to light him up, I might opt to go down there, as it will be darker also (away from the light of the door).
Lighting the knot up is such a tempting, but forboding option. This piece really is Meant to be lit.
It is meant to Glow. However, lighting it from the inside presents one potent risk.
And that, my friends, is fire...Can you imagine what a disaster it would be if this thing caught on fire?
Mitigating this risk is going to be a major project in itself...If I decide to light it. LED's is a possible solution, but getting my hands enough of these seems unlikely. I could also just unplug the lamps while people are in the conference, allowing them to cool between the 3 viewings per day.
After we all said our goodbyes and left, I decided to double back, and do a more technical survey.
Specifically, I was looking for things to suspend another sculpture from (Atomic Ice Cream). As MaryEllen pointed out though, there is really not much if anything in this environment to use. Just immaculate cielings, with an occasional vent grill....
On the way out, I managed to get a number for the Hotel's engineer, no small task. Would it be nice if I could hang from those vent grills. I am begining to realize that I am maybe a more stubborn person than I knew.
Afterwards, I went to the Scrap Exchange in Durham, for the 1st ever meeting of the brand new NC Chapter of the Reuse Alliance. It was a lively, and intimate group of people, and it was neat to hear what had brought all of us together around this issue, or Reuse. For many of those in my parents' 'Baby Boomer' generation, it was growing up with Their parents, who had lived through the Great Depression. One woman described how her parents' basement had been full of jars, of say nails that her father had pulled from old boards. Many people nodded in recognition. I thought of my own grandparents house, and this did not seem out of line from my own grandpa, from whom I probably enherited some of this thriftiness, through my mother (as my own parents' garage is something like this too). Curious. For them and for her, it was just a way of life, as it probably is for much of the world. Its so easy to forget that in our disposible society, we are the exceptions, not the rule.
Somewhat suprisingly, this was kind of a special meeting. It gave me some fresh perspective on what we are doing here at this conference.
I also had the chance to 'sell' my idea to the Scrap Exchange. They very graciously agreed to let me host a work party there next Tuesday, and to donate the materials to 'encrust' the big guy.
This seemed like a major victory to, and it was nice to get their vote and commitment of support for the project!
This seemed like a major victory to, and it was nice to get their vote and commitment of support for the project!
However, several people, including the organizer, voted that they liked the sculpture as is, 'without the crust'. hmmm. Just a matter of taste, or do they have a point? I am still deciding...as Tuesday approaches rapidly.
You know, sometimes less is more. And something that also comes to mind is something Bob Druhan, a very wise CFS science teacher once told me:
"Its takes two people to paint a picture. One to paint it, and another to shoot the painter before he ruins it." Perhaps I should count myself lucky to have merely gotten an shared opinion... (and I do, this was actually valuable feedback).
Also at stake, is that it will be a giant pain in the ass to encrust this thing, and it will be a giant pain in the ass to handle, and reasemble this thing once it is encrusted, and it will be a giant pain in the ass to care for this thing once it is encrusted. Artistic integrity aside, the sleek simplicity of this naked beast becomes more and more appealing....
