THE THINKING MAN'S ART

CONCEPTUAL ART

Conceptual art is just that, it is based on a concept or idea. For many years I was not sure how to define myself or my art until I read about conceptual art. I have always been a teacher and a researcher.  I have loved both and often one generates the other.  I love thinking about how to relay an idea or concept to others.  Though much of my art is done intuitively that only happens when I get to the actual act of putting the material together.

Rene Magritte, Surrealist  

 Actually much research and thought goes into my art, as if I were writing a paper to present, or a class to teach.  I love learning and sharing what I have learned.  Being an art teacher for 37 years I do a good bit of both.  I learned early on the more I researched a lesson or a unit to teach students the more excited I was and the more the enthusiasm carried over to the students.  My research and my act of learning excited them and made them want to investigate and create.  

Ai Weiwei   Chinese Conceptual Artist
 from google image for  educational purposes

For all the years I taught I was an artist before and after, it was essential to me to always do art and share what I made. Working with conceptual art let me go back and forth between my world of teaching and my world of being an artist.  So I learned what I was doing was called Conceptual art and the realm I was working in was Surrealism.  These two areas gave me the path to doing intellect based art.  I could never be nor want to be a representational artist.  
Below are pictures form the Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida.  The architectural firm that designed the new Dali museum incorporated his interest in the double helix that is often found in his paintings. But the building design only allowed for one helix though.  

Of the last three conceptual art pieces I have done, one was 2 dimensional and two were  3 dimensional assemblage.  Both were created working from a theme for art membership shows at the Morean art center and one for the Dali Museum for a benefit. The piece for the Dali was done with Dali's complete history of Surrealism and his different periods in mind.  The theme was "Liquid Desires" working off many levels of meaning.  I responded with a piece named "Wet Dreams".  Freud's psychological theories were very prominent in the work of the surrealists. And in the piece I entered I included many symbols that would trigger unconscious meaning in the viewers mind. 

details of  assemblage "Wet Dreams"

The present piece I am working on will be conceptual and have multiple levels of meaning as well.  I am beginning with an African head and headdress base and then moving into universal themes and present day issues.  At least that is where my mind is now.  I am working with a sub theme of aphasia in on a personal level and on a universal level of the challenges of communication. The head itself lends one to think of speaking, communication, and reasoning.  African headdress often convey additional meaning in the details of what is woven or sewn or sculpted into the headdress.    Bits and parts of pieces of everyday life, a bit of a metal tag, a piece of cloth, a watch band, bullet casings, and what ever seems of value or to be honored.  It is a part of the celebration of life in the African culture where art is not a separate entity unto itself.  
I have been very interested in the concept of the brain, its function and how the separate parts of the brain can work independently when damaged.  My Mother had a stroke at 90 and had been having small TIA's for a few years before, my Grandmother also had a stroke and had brain damage.  In both cases I was and am intimately involved.  In addition half my career dealt with teaching special education with multiple handicaps and levels of thinking.  How the human brain functions is of great interest to me and I am in awe of how complex an organ it is.  
The piece I am working on now will at some level respond to all of  these issues.  It is still forming in my mind until it begins to form a shape and gel.  How will I work in all the ideas I have in mind and on all the varying levels at this point is still a mystery to me.  I would would like to incorporate a video loop somehow and/or layers of transparencies of images. The pieces below are the beginning of the collection of items I have collected or bought that I will be working with.

Head for designing hats

Antique Gas Mask

Ship building molds

*all highlighted areas are to click for more information

A NIGHT OF ART, A SUPER NIGHT OF ART!

The Art Walk

The Glass Art of Steven Rolfe Powell

I promised you pictures and here they are.  It was a super bowl night of the arts in St. Petersburg!  Dale Chihuly spoke, Morean Art show of master teachers from the Pinellas Center for the Arts and students was a block buster, Michelle Tuegel's gallery opening, the Train Depot Pottery complex, and Duncan McClellen's huge fancier than ever, studio and ever expanding hot shop!!!  Duncan had two visiting artist that knocked it out of the park with their collections and demonstrations : Steven Rolfe Powell and Joseph Cavalieri. 

Stadium Seats to View Art!!!  That is Big!  

You would think it was a rock star, but no, it is a glass star!!!  Steven Powell is a start in the glass blowing world and here he wows the crowd with his awesome talent.  I am trying to think when I ever saw stadium seats set up for the viewing of art. It is just so impressive there are almost no words.  If you doubt for one minute the power of art, the just look at these pictures. Now imagine what your community might do.  This was once a dream in Duncan Mc Clellen's mind...only a thought, only an idea.  But then with vision and leadership he made it a reality.  It is evidence of what one person can do, when they have passion and persistence.  Of course there are many others supporting and helping, many who have become partners along the way...but first there must be the spark that catches flame.  I am not sure how this community will ever thank Duncan for all he has done.  I hope you have a Duncan in your community or perhaps, with his example, you will become a leader of the arts.

Pack crowds, standing room only left!

The fire is roaring hot, the glass is molten, art is about to
happen!

Steven describes the process of glass blowing

Viewing Joseph Cavelieri's Awesome stained glass art

Stunning Decks at Duncan Mc Clellen's Studio

The night is set for art and the crowds are coming

Duncan has a flare for style with his designs etched on the bar!

Studio living Room and hall gallery

Entering the huge doors of Duncan's expansive studio

New Artist Series

Javier T. Jones

How we make a difference in the arts, Makes a difference din peoples lives. 
Muy Bueno Por Todas El Mundo.

Javier T. Jones  Copper Artist

Javier honors a past copper artist Jack Lebow
Jack worked with my students on a public art project.

Javier is an artist I met recently that impressed me in his life and his art.  He has a studio loft above the Florida Craftsmen Guild in St. Petersburg Florida.  He is originally from Puerto Rico where he taught elementary art.  So, right away we had something in common, both being art educators.  He taught in a very rough area where he had 5th graders who were already prostitutes and boys who were rapists.  He worked hard in the community to make a difference. He did a mural program in the neighborhood to cover up gang graffiti with the kids.  I can not tell you how much I admire people like Javier who work a hard day of teaching art, pushing a cart, begging for art supplies, and trying to survive financially in teaching...but still go out after hours and on weekends to help kids.  The sacrifice is enormous, it takes away from your own kids and family time, it takes your own money and resources, it takes your heart and soul.  
Javier's art work demands duel attention with his work as a Physical therapist and a Father.  He gets up early, goes to the studio, mixes his chemicals to make a patina for his metal, then heads out to work.  He is an amazing person, and has such a positive outlook for his art and art for others.  

Dali Museum/St. Petersburg, Florida/A Must See!

Salvador Dali Museum/St. Petersburg, Florida

There are two museums dedicated to Dali's work, one is in Figures, Spain and the other is in St. Petersburg, Florida. Both are excellent and contain a large collection of his work. Having been to both, I can highly recommend each for different reasons. The museum in Figures, Dali designed himself, so walking through the museum is like walking through a piece of Dali's work. It is unpredictable, dramatic, and highly creative. The new Dali Museum in Florida is stunning. The architecture is creative, dynamic, and awe inspiring. The architects also designed the glass triangular structure that is part of the Louvre.

The new Dali is designed by internationally acclaimed architect Yann Weymouth of Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum, Inc. (HOK). He worked alongside architect I.M. Pei on the renovation of the Louvre in Paris.

The helix designed stairs are a favorite part of the new architecture for me. Originally they wanted a double helix, as in Dali's art work, but structurally it was best to have one.
Dali's work shines in this museum, all of his collection can be shown at once.

In the old museum, only sections of his work could be seen at one time, and the whole collection had to be rotated. There is only one disappointment for me in the new museum, and that is where the large master works hang. In the old museum they had a large venue and viewing area on two levels, outside light poured in from the ceiling making view with natural light possible. Now each is boxed in separate sections and one can not have the distance to view them nor sit and contemplate them for longer periods of time. No matter how many times I see the master works I still see new things in them every time.
I would suggest making it a priority to visit St. Petersburg, Florida and seeing this Dali Museum.

You will not be disappointed and you can also view the only Dale Chihuly Museum besides the original in Seattle, Washington. Not to mention St. Petersburg is a beautiful tropical beach area for a vacation.
Photos by Ann Suggs

Duncan McClellen is a glass artist whose work is absolutely stunning. He is a friendly generous person who promotes other artist and his community. His blown glass vessels are are large, colorful and etched with rich imagery. On a recent art walk in St. Petersburg, Florida I visited his studio. His studio is a work of art itself. He renovated an old sea food packing building into his hot shop, studio, galleries for rotating artist, office and his home. Off two decks are large areas of exotic fruits trees that thrive wonderfully in the middle of sandy Florida soil. He has a magic touch. The dog sculptures are new and I have yet to find who to honor with the creativity.

The photograph below shows some of Duncan's work and that of other artist. The mobile hanging above is made of rolled film negatives. Showing other artist work is a generous and supportive roll an artist can do for their community. Duncan is a wonderful role model.

These are not stellar photo's of Duncan's glass work, but if you go to Duncan's website you will find a wide range of work and better images. http://www.dmglass.com/
Blown glass continues to amaze me. If you have ever watch someone blowing glass with hot molten liquid glass, beyond searing hot, rolling out a blob on a long metal pipe, blowing, turning, blowing, turning, large leather gloves holding tight, sweat dripping..it is an awesome sight. St. Petersburg is also the site of the only Chihuly Glass Museum outside of Washington State.