Managing the Minor Road Blocks

Okay. Here's the thing. It's not like I can't make "Bottle Cap Bar" without funding but I was Really, Really, Really hoping to get a Burning Man art grant. But I didn't. And I am disappointed.

And I will confess that the main source of my disappointment is not because I will have to pay for this project with my own money but because I lost out on the honor of being an Honorarium Artist for Burning Man 2009. Yeah, that's got nice cred.

It's not like they don't feel that the project has merit - I really believe that they do based on the wording of my rejection email - but it was one of almost 250 proposals and they had to make a lot of "tough decisions". What can I say, I've chosen a profession that is full of rejection. I have to get used to it even though it can be really hard sometimes.

So, I went ahead and let it de-rail me for a few days. But I got back on track. There are so many people now who are excited about this project and are a part of it. I can't let them down. I can't let me down. I know, deep down inside me, that there is a reason why I am doing this. It's important. I just know it.

But being honored with a grant would have given me a very acceptable reason, a purpose, for how I spend my time. Like it or not I was supported by that desire, that hope. It kept me going. And when I found out that it was not to be, well, I kind of fell apart. It hurt me. Ow!

I'm back to work now, as strong as ever. I regained my feeling of Purpose. This is what I am supposed to be doing. Every weekday I get up in the morning and Go To Work. Okay, so my "office" is a room down the hall and my "workshop" is my garage. And I have to be self-directed. And I can slack when I want to. And I don't get a paycheck twice a week. But, still, as far as I am concerned for right now This Is My Job. It's What I Do.

But Man, I sure would have liked that grant money. Oh well. At least this Bar is gonna get made and it's going to Burning Man. So, Ya-Hoo, let's enjoy this crazy ride!

Cool Thing To Do on Treasure Island in March Recommendation of the Day:

Serpent Mother Art Reception.

March 6 and 7.
Art. Fire. Free Party (well, free on Saturday anyway). What's not to Love?

Readymade With Flare

I'd like to tell you about an artistic journey I just took. It all began with me wanting to decorate my bike for Burning Man 2007. I had been working with bottle caps, A Lot, and decided to wrap bottle caps around the spokes of my bike wheels so that they would make a cool effect when I rode my bike around. Turns out, that was a good idea. I got lots of compliments about my bike, not only while at Burning Man but also back here at home when I was riding that bike around town.

That gave inspiration to the sculpture I brought to Burning Man in 2008, Spin 'Em!. I wanted to make a way for people to experience the pleasure of bike wheels with bottle caps spinning in space while standing still. The response to that piece was fantastic. People really enjoyed the simplicity of the spinning motion.

I had done up a couple of extra bike wheels when I was making Spin 'Em! but I ended up not incorporating them into the installation. However, I did want to do something with those wheels. Then, in November of last year I went to New York for a week and while cruising through the Museum of Modern Art I ran across Bicycle Wheel by Marcel Duchamp.

Now, I remember learning about this piece in Art History class. I have always liked it. But what really drew me to the sculpture this time was that right there before me was a perfect example of a simple way for me to display those two other bike wheels. And have a bit of an homage to a famous artist as well.

So, I set in my mind that I was going to basically create the same sculpture except mine would also have Bottle Caps! I didn't think much about Duchamp's concept. My basic understanding was that he took an ordinary object, a stool, and made it non-functioning by putting a wheel upright through the seat. One of his Readymades.

Long story short, today I finally managed to get the two bike wheels mounted onto two wooden stools that I found at Urban Ore back in December. (I'll be posting images of my sculptures later this week). I decided to do a little bit of research on the internet to find out more about Duchamp's sculpture and was surprised to learn this:

The Bicycle Wheel is my first Readymade, so much so that at first it wasn't even called a Readymade. It still had little to do with the idea of the Readymade. Rather it had more to do with the idea of chance. In a way, it was simply letting things go by themselves and having a sort of created atmosphere in a studio, an apartment where you live. Probably, to help your ideas come out of your head. To set the wheel turning was very soothing, very comforting, a sort of opening of avenues on other things than material life of every day. I liked the idea of having a bicycle wheel in my studio. I enjoyed looking at it, just as I enjoyed looking at the flames dancing in a fireplace. It was like having a fireplace in my studio, the movement of the wheel reminded me of the movement of flames.

--Duchamp explaining his personal feelings and motivations behind Bicycle Wheel in an interview with Arturo Schwarz in the 1960s

I felt way more close to this sculpture and Duchamp's reasons for making it then I had before and it seemed totally appropriate that I would take his idea and add my own personal "flare". Anyway, I've got two of these now. And I put one in my office, right next to my work table and I can spin it any time I want to. Just like Duchamp.

That feels pretty cool.

Second Duchamp Quote of the Day:

In 1913 I had the happy idea to fasten a bicycle wheel to a kitchen stool and watch it turn.

- Duchamp, Apropos of Readymades, 1951

I can relate to that.

Blogs Are Really Boring When There Aren't Regular Posts

Yeah, so I haven't been writing much lately. I have been totally absorbed in my art making. And any creative person will tell you that it is extremely important to ride the wave of motivation when it hits, for as long as it lasts, because there will be times when the water is totally flat and work just doesn't happen.

I have been working like crazy on my Bottle Cap Bar. I am happy to say that I have completed construction on the back wall and am now working on materials preparation for the front wall. I hope to have that completed by the first part of next month. But who knows, this takes way more time then I imagined, and I imagined it taking quite a lot of time.

Also, last month I spent time working on my grant proposal. I will know if I get funding next month. I sure hope so. It will really help. Not gonna stop me from completing the project, though.

Wow. What a crazy ride this has been so far. Just this morning I received a 16 pound box of bottle caps. That delivery put my collection efforts since the first part of November at over 30,000! I had no idea that this would happen. Really.

But it's just been so gratifying. My favorite part of this project, actually - all of the people who are now involved and participating. What a cool thing. I am a loner artist at heart. I do my own thing and rarely collaborate or ask for assistance. This is new for me. And I like it. Still, I gotta be in charge so most of the physical work is being done by me alone. Which is why I've been too busy to post lately.

However, I will need help with building the bar out on the playa at Burning Man this year so I am in the process of putting together a team of assistants. I hate needing help but it would be impossible for me to do this alone.

I still wake up at night with anxiety about how on Earth I am going to pull this off. Questioning my ideas, my methods, my plans. But I just have to take it one step at a time. It's fun. All-consuming but fun. And, in my opinion, worth my efforts. With that I will sign off so that I can continue punching holes in bottle caps.

Weather Related Plea of the Day:

Please let it rain.

This unseasonable dry and warm weather here in California has been nice and all. But boy do we need rain. Bring it! I won't complain. Promise.