Recently, I made a trip back to dear old Durham, to make a special delivery, of a pretty special sculpture, to a very special person.
enter the treadknot
Welcome
On September 26th, 2006, I launched my tire art/design business, Reptire Designs, with a solo exhibition of my artwork in The Green Gallery at The Scrap Exchange Center for Creative Reuse, in Durham, NC. For many reasons, it was a night that I will always remember, and I am grateful to Laxmi (my girlfriend at the time) and Edie (my mother, still) for dutifully documenting while I shmoozed, so that I may now shmare a taste of the evening with anyone who was not able to attend...
On a cool but lively autumn night-before-Center Fest, a stream of friends and curious strangers trickled (like pebbles through a rain stick) through the forest of odds and ends (that roost at night in The Scrap Exchange), out into the warm light of the back savanna, a scene utterly glopped with bizarre rubbery hybrids. Tentative and curious, the visitors craned their necks, nibbled, pecked, stood back, moved in closer. From the walls, glassy mirror eyes gazed back through black unblinking eyelids, while beneath the visitor's feet, in a steamy drainage cistern, a mortal drama unfolded. Primordial forms, with no eyes at all, sat puckered on stoops. A cascade of glittering steal droplets formed a curtain, to which clung a colony of tiny tire knotlettes.
By the end of the night, hundreds of friends, acquaintances and had-been-strangers had poured in, poured over the work, and partaken in, what was for me and my art, a monumental communal feast. And on top of it all, I got to place many of my preemies in hands that I love and trust, and in several instances, hands that fit them like gloves. What a privilage to be able to connect with people this way. Heading into the turbid seas of small business, I can confidently say that if I drown tomorrow, I am at least blessed today with the memory of (as Vito later put it) one authentically good Durham night.
Thanks to all of you who were there; in body and/or spirit.
On September 26th, 2006, I launched my tire art/design business, Reptire Designs, with a solo exhibition of my artwork in The Green Gallery at The Scrap Exchange Center for Creative Reuse, in Durham, NC. For many reasons, it was a night that I will always remember, and I am grateful to Laxmi (my girlfriend at the time) and Edie (my mother, still) for dutifully documenting while I shmoozed, so that I may now shmare a taste of the evening with anyone who was not able to attend...
On a cool but lively autumn night-before-Center Fest, a stream of friends and curious strangers trickled (like pebbles through a rain stick) through the forest of odds and ends (that roost at night in The Scrap Exchange), out into the warm light of the back savanna, a scene utterly glopped with bizarre rubbery hybrids. Tentative and curious, the visitors craned their necks, nibbled, pecked, stood back, moved in closer. From the walls, glassy mirror eyes gazed back through black unblinking eyelids, while beneath the visitor's feet, in a steamy drainage cistern, a mortal drama unfolded. Primordial forms, with no eyes at all, sat puckered on stoops. A cascade of glittering steal droplets formed a curtain, to which clung a colony of tiny tire knotlettes.
Vito D., a long-time collabator down from the Asheville area, caressed the warming air with his Strange Little Folk music. I bobbed and I flit, and at an increasing clip-someone must have opened the faucet a bit....for soon I was swooning, I just about lost it! As the evening progressed, to my delight and amazement, 'family' from Durham, Chapel Hill, Pittsboro, Hillsboro, Siler City, Asheville, and Fresno all made it! From the Cohn Clan to the Steudel Clan to the CFS Clan; from the WWC Clan to the Duke Ac Pub Clan to the SAF Clan; from the Bike Shop Clan to the Ninth St. Clan to the Scrap Clan... and every one in between, guys, they were all appearing before my stunned, blinking eyes. While I spun and I splayed, Vito now played-CHURNED- up a torrent of gritty ditties; while a staff volunteer (Brandon's a photographer, I swear) whipped up pitchers of Mango Lassies. And The 'Scrap Exchange girls' worked the door, the counter, and the floor, going "cha-CHING!", cha-CHING!","cha-CHING!".!.
By the end of the night, hundreds of friends, acquaintances and had-been-strangers had poured in, poured over the work, and partaken in, what was for me and my art, a monumental communal feast. And on top of it all, I got to place many of my preemies in hands that I love and trust, and in several instances, hands that fit them like gloves. What a privilage to be able to connect with people this way. Heading into the turbid seas of small business, I can confidently say that if I drown tomorrow, I am at least blessed today with the memory of (as Vito later put it) one authentically good Durham night.
Thanks to all of you who were there; in body and/or spirit.
Reclaimed-wood Builder and Reptire Collector Howard Staab enjoying magwi knot at the Scrap Exchange
Sammy and Dannette contemplate
Cascade Colony of Knotlets
Laxmi Resplendent
Mavis In The Mist
Tire Amazement
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Delivery to Li-Lan, of Atomic Tiresphere
Recently, I made a trip back to dear old Durham, to make a special delivery, of a pretty special sculpture, to a very special person.
The sculpture, was an Atomic Tireshphere, and the person was my good friend Li-Lan, whom I know first as musical and life partner to my old friend Alex Weiss, and percussionist in the Afro-Latin Chamber Ensemble, A Different Drum.
However, aside from being married to a special guy, and playing in his special band, I am also getting to know Li-Lan as a very special person in her own right. Li-Lan is a Healer; she has the power to heal people using the ancient arts of Acupuncture, Chinese herbalism, Reiki, and Mayan Abdominal Message. She is also one of the most gentle souls that I know, and I always enjoy her company.
This past summer, Li-Lan paid me and my Reptire 'hut' a visit at the gladey, shadey Festival for the Eno. And there she connected with one of my finer specimines of tirespheres, and decided to make a down payment on it. As she and Alex were planning to do some traveling soon, I agreed to hold it for until she got back.
And quite some traveling they did indeed! They made an epic trek high into the Himalayan mountains!
And when they returned to Durham, they invited their friends to come see an entrancing slide show of their adventure, at Li-Lan's accupuncture clinic.
This seemed like an opportune time to deliver Li-Lan her new sculpture.
I feel extremely happy to have connected this extraordinary person with this sculpture.
Li-Lan is a great gardner also, so I suspect that it will find a good home in a semi-sacred space, and Alex and Li-Lan's very special home!
You may learn about Li-Lan's awesome healing practice, by clicking..
here.
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