Dana Schutz

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Critically acclaimed artist Dana Schutz will be Master Artist-in-Residence at the Atlantic Center for the Arts in New Smyrna Beach, Florida from February 17 to March 9, 2014. She talked about her artistic process on February 27th during her visit to the Cornell Fine Arts Museum (1000 Holt Avenue, Winter Park, Fl.) 

Dana’s work suggests tradition while simultaneously presenting innovative compositions. The artist explains, “My paintings are loosely based on meta narratives. The pictures float in and out of pictorial genres. Still life’s become personified, portraits become events, and landscapes become constructions. I embrace the area between which the subject is composed and decomposing, formed and formless, inanimate and alive.” New York-based critic John Yau stated, “This is what Schutz does so well—she asks questions that challenge the answers given by others. More importantly, she asks her questions by folding them into the painting.” 
The appearance of Dana Schutz was made possible by the Atlantic Center for the Arts Master Artist in-Residence Outreach Program and United Arts of Central Florida.

Dana’s work blew me away. The classical paintings on the museum walls seemed shocked and surprised by Dana’s work on the screen. The image I sketched on the screen answered the question, “What would someone look like if they ate their own face?”  Dana works large with all her colors pre-mixed. While in school she painted portraits of the men she imagined would be right for her friends. A bright landscape sprouted body parts which people then devoured. Her imagined world is believable yet abstract with the light and color intensity dialed way up. I wish I could have seen some of her work in person. The paint looks luscious and thickly applied. There is a vibrancy and directness to her work that I admire. I left the talk inspired. What a surprise to discover another artists vision with self effacing humor and warmth.

Running on Local

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Julie Norris invited me to attend a free talk with Carol Hewitt, a Slow Money inspired author of “Financing Our Foodshed“, and Lyle Estill, author of similar books, such as “Small is Possible“. The discussion will focus on all things local: from food to fuel to finance to friendship.The talk and discussion were held at East End Market (3201 Corrine Dr, Orlando, FL) on February 24th.

The primary point of the discussion was that we don’t need large banks to finance small businesses in our community. Individuals who have a little money saved can help their neighbors with small loans with  very low interest rates. When the money is loaned directly to someone you know, it is more likely to be paid back since not doing so would be embarrassing. Carol began loaning money in her community with increasing frequency and there have only been a few defaults. Such grass roots financing has resulted in a stronger sense of community.

Carol is a pioneer in the Slow Money Movement. The American financial system is built on the idea of fast money. Computers trade execute trades at exponentially fast speeds in order to bring in fast returns. These quick trades aren’t intended to help the investor or the business. Instead they skim money from both with no value added. Slow money implies lending money locally so that the community you live in can thrive and grow. Since Carol has been practicing this for years, it seems that removing big banks from the financing equation is a viable option for people with vision and a personal interest in seeing their community grow.

Hall of Fame

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On my third trip out to the Full Sail back lot I found that the outdoor stage had been broken down because of the threat of rain. An awards ceremony was going on inside Full Sail Live and I tried to get in, but security guards refused entrance.

I walked back to a jumbo tron where students were catching all the action. I decided to sit under a huge umbrella and I’m glad I did, because half way into the sketch, it began to pour. The students ran for cover, joining me under the umbrella.

Some of the students must have not realized I was a teacher because they gossiped about how the think teachers don’t give a damn because they are just biding their time until they land a job in the movie industry again.

The founder of Full Sail,  Jon Phelps, got on stage and he loomed large and bright on the Jumbo tron. I’ve never met the man. Staff joked about which color Maserati sports car he might drive to the ceremony. He has done very well for himself, yet teachers at Full Sail struggle to make ends meet. The school focuses it’s resources on State of the art technology and tons of marketing while the instructors in the trenches seem overlooked.

Awards were given to Kim Albert, Tom Boyd,  Demacio Castellon, Leon Hopkins, Larry Katz,  and Juan Peralta. Unlike the Academy Awards there was no cut off cue when an award recipient went on too long. The common thread among the recipients speeches was that persistence and determination do eventually pay off. This is a lesson that is only learned outside the classroom in the everyday struggle to build a career.

Hall of Fame

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On February 2nd, I explored the Full Sail back lot to see what was set up for the Hall of Fame. The idea behind Hall of Fame is that select graduates are honored for their contributions in the fields of music, film or gaming. A stage was set up in front of the Public Market which is modeled after the market in Seattle. Ruth King was the performer. She sang Soulful Acoustic Blues. Between songs she described her life growing up with a white mom and black father which gave her a unique view of racism in America. She was filmed live and the results went up on a jumbo tron. Of course the big screen projection was overkill since fewer than a dozen students stood in the blazing Florida sun to listen. Half of that dozen were working video and audio equipment.

As a Music Festival this was a pitiful turn out. They would have been better off staging this in a small sound studio. The MC kept offering the carrot of a free iPad if people tweeted friends to get out to listen.  No one actually won an iPad while I sketched. I hadn’t succeeded in finding shade so the second I finished my sketch, I packed away the sketchbook and left. I had finished fast enough, so that I only had a minor sun burn.

Weekend Top 6 Picks

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Saturday April 11, 2014

3pm to 8pm Free. Frankie’s BIG FUN Market. APARTMENT E (the Event’s host location, and where you will get the night’s map!) 659 Bryn Mawr, (College park), Orlando , Florida. “BIG FUN” occurs on every second Saturday (only). 3pm-8pm….( debut March) … there are many ways to participate. In the coming months we will be growing into an all out sidewalk party, and we will be stretched and inclusive of any and all businesses that are located up and down beautiful Edgewater drive… participating businesses are encouraged to co partner with creatives, host the entertainment in their location, or present creative entertainment in any way that “fits” with their business. This is the main goal. to “match creatives with the businesses that are already there.. but it is not the only aspect of this MARKET.

4:30pm to 8:30pm Free. Dr. Phillps Charities presents Peter and The Wolf, a FREE outdoor Concert.in Loch Haven Park, Orlando, FL. Pre-concert activities begin at 4:30, with a concert at 7:30 pm with Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, Mr. Richard and the Pound Hounds, and special guests from Orlando Repertory Theatre. Sponsored by Dr. Phillips Charities with additional support from Orlando Family Magazine.

9:15pm to 10:50pm International Shorts Florida Film Festival. Regal Winter Park Village 20, North Orlando Avenue, Winter Park, FL Total running time: 91 minutes

Oh Sheep!

No matter what methods their owners employ to keep them apart, two flocks of sheep are relentless in their effort to mingle on the same piece of property. The result is quite funny albeit a bit messy.

Noodle Fish

 A little fish embarks on a journey to discover the mysterious world that lies above the water. Will he be up to the challenge?

Faces from Places—Japan: Hôjô Jutsu

Step into a watercolor world as this series of mini-documentaries takes you on a trek around the globe. In this installment of the travel diary, a young woman discusses the Japanese practice of rope skills—from traditional martial arts to the naughtier side of things.

What is Dead May Never Die

From the moon landing to movie credits, this hypnotic time capsule of sights and sounds will grab your attention!

White Morning

A twisted and unflinchingly confrontational film about chain-of-command, peer pressure, and the violence of little boys and little men. “If you tell him to do it…he will.”

Sleep Clinic

This psychiatric fantasy musical takes us on a mind-melting, Seussian trip through the desperate delusions and sometimes-hilarious hallucinations of an insomniac.

In the Air is Christopher Gray

Christopher Gray is a suburban boy who just wants to impress Stacey, the love of his life. And no amount of lemonade in the world can quench his desire. Will his friend’s pet-store purchase help him win over the object of his affection?

Tap to Retry

This frenetic series of clever and colorful super-shorts aims to interpret vague and undefined concepts without adding to the disorientation we all inevitably feel while living in a world where “real” and “virtual” are constantly shifting and mixing.

La Ravaudeuse

Told in an eerie world of fabric and wood, this bizarre story of twins who refuse to be kept apart proves that there’s nothing easy about mending a bungled child.

 Faces from Places—Ivory Coast: Wax

On our second global adventure with Bastien Dubois, we discover a vast array of colorful African fabrics and the stories behind their vibrant patterns.

Lonely Bones

The dark and creepy tale of a one-eyed man who makes his escape from a hotel room, only to enter a hellish world where time and space intertwine.

 Bless You

 A man taking the subway gets a jolt when the countdown clock inside his brain hits zero.  Prepare for lift-off!

Subconscious Password

 When Charles forgets an old acquaintance’s name, we are thrust into a mind-bending romp through the inner reaches of his mind. The latest masterwork from the Oscar® -winning director of “Ryan” (FFF 2005 Audience Award for Best International Short).

Sunday April 13, 2014

10am to 6pm Free.  Fashion Square Art Fair. Orlando Fashion Square 3201 E. Colonial Drive, Orlando, Florida. On the 2nd Sunday of every month Gallery Fresh Art Markets and Orlando Fashion Square Mall proudly present our “Fashion Square Art Fair.” This is an indoor event showcasing 30 to 60 artists and fine crafts persons located throughout Fashion Square Mall.

4:30pm to 6:30pm $13. Roller Derby: Arkham Assailants vs Sunnyland Slammers. Semoran Skateway 2670 Cassel Creek Blvd, Casselberry, Florida. first jam is at 5:00. This is an all ages event. Food and BEER will be available at the snack bar. We will have a 50/50 raffle, so bring some cash! Remember to bring your own chairs; chairs with rubber bottoms are allowed on the track, high heels are not. And don’t forget, you can take home a piece of OPCDG with one of our league or team shirts, or even a one of a kind, derby girl made, necklaces, magnets, and more. (CafePress.com/OPCDGmerchandise) After party will be directly after the game at Friendly Confines, Winter Park.

7pm to 9pm. Free. Hard Rock Rising 2014. Hard Rock Cafe Orlando, Orlando, 6050 Universal Blvd, Florida. 7 Bands Enter…1 Band Leaves a Winner!!! Support The Bloody Jug Band.

Ghosts of Brutality

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On February 11th, artist John Hitchcock gave a talk about his artistic process at the Cornell Fine Arts Museum (1000 Holt Avenue, Winter Park, Fl). A whole room in the Cornell is filled with an installation he did called “Ghosts of Brutality“. Cut out screen prints on paper and felt created a complex mosaic on the walls and floor. Military helicopters dropped bombs while tanks roamed the base boards. Severed heads of bison, deer and donkeys floated in space among the bombs. John isn’t strict about the placement of each print in the installation. Students and staff helped with the installation so they were very much a part of the artistic process.

Before John’s talk, a movie clip played of Indians dancing in their full regalia.  John grew up in Western Oklahoma in a Comanche reservation across from a US Military base. As a child he grew up with artillery training always in the background. His first drawings were to help his grandmother prepare intricate bead work. He did a series of circular prints that showed bison with a target symbol. He was very proud that one of these later sported a bullet hole.

John prints a massive amount of work for his installations, often recruiting students to help in the process. On a trip to Venice, he left a print at every historic place he went. The prints left behind were like bread crumbs of his travels. John’s work addresses war, assimilation and imperialism.

A doctor found a large malignant growth that threatened John’s life. At this time, when faced with death, John began to sketch obsessively every day. He would post each days sketch on his Facebook page. I wholeheartedly identify with his obsession. He also began to incorporate more color in his work.  The threat of death caused him to bloom.

Mark your calendar! Ghosts of Brutality is up through April 13th. Admission to the museum is now free, thanks to the Bressemer trust, so you have no excuse not to go.

For No Good Reason

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Johnny Depp produced and Directed the documentary “For No Good Reason” about the artist Ralph Steadman which was screened at the Florida Film Festival. The iconic work of Ralph Steadman is some of the most instantly
recognizable in the world of modern cartooning. In 1969 he was paired on
a magazine assignment with a writer named Hunter S. Thompson to cover
the Kentucky Derby. Nothing could have prepared Steadman, the sober
Brit, for the havoc-stirring Thompson, but their blend of sensibilities
gave birth to what became known as “Gonzo” journalism. The film delves beneath the obvious (albeit incredibly evocative) work
Steadman did with Thompson. While the give and take of their friendship
certainly helped form his style, it was Steadman’s willingness to go
further that truly makes his art stand out. This is most likely what led
him to work so closely with William S. Burroughs towards the end of his
life. A kaleidoscopic journey with Steadman
through the ups and downs of his expansive career, including traveling
with Thompson to Africa for the Rumble in the Jungle, his outrage during
the Richard Nixon years, or going shooting with Burroughs, this crowd-pleasing
documentary is touching, angry, and weird—all in equal measure. Fifteen
years in the making, it’s sure to give insight into a man who has used
his talents to challenge the status quot in ways most illustrators are
never able to touch.

I went into this screening with no idea that the film would be about one of my all time idols. Steadman truly believed that his work could help change the world.  His edgy and evocative images show the darker side of just about every public official while showcasing man’s inhumanity to his fellow man.  Steadman views authority as the mask of violence.He found his voice and used it as a weapon.

The whole idea of Gonzo Journalism was new to me but it has so much appeal. Basically the artist would be sent to an event to document the proceedings. Then the artist and writer would become the story. This is how “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” was developed. Author Hunter Thompson  went to Las Vegas with a lawyer and the trip became a kaleidoscopic binge of drug abuse that warped their perceptions resulting in very twisted imagery and verse. Only Ralph Steadman could illustrate this warped world view. It felt entirely appropriate that I was documenting my joy at discovering this film as I threw down lines and splashes of color.

Florida Film Festival

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I went to a Florida Film Festival press preview for “After Winter, Spring“directed by Judith Lit at the Enzian Theater, (1300 S South Orlando Avenue, Maitland, FL.) This is a love story for the farmers in Perigord,
France, which has been continuously cultivated for over five thousand
years. One hundred years ago, half of the population of France were
farmers. Now less than 3% are. Will the Perigord peasants be the last
generation to employ and sustain the old methods? Will the world lose
their “old peasant wisdom” of prudence, respect, and love of the earth?
Filmed over four years, “After Winter, Spring” is a treasure trove of
great food and farming traditions. With fascinating detail, it captures
the roots of farm-to-table and the tenacity of the people who have taken
one season at a time for generations. The filmmaker, an American ex-pat
and Perigord neighbor, was raised on her own family’s farm in
Pennsylvania. Her bond to the land and the people who love it translates
into an insightful, lyrical tribute to a way of life on the verge of
extinction. 

Judith grew up on a small farm in Pennsylvania. She saw how her parents had to sell off the farm in small parcels until there was no land left to farm. When she traveled to France later in life, she fell in love with the quaint farming life. She packed everything and went to France to rediscover her roots. She interviewed her farming neighbors to learn about their more natural way of living.

The film didn’t only show small farms as a bucolic ideal. Three generations of women ran a goose farm. In a rather graphic scene, one of the women answered questions as she shoved a funnel deep down a gooses neck to force feed it. She massaged the goose’s neck to force it to swallow. The harsher sides of farming were shown, like shaving a slaughtered pig with a machete or breaking a chicken’s neck and then plucking the feathers.

A tobacco farmer bragged about the beauty of his hand harvested crop. “The more beautiful it is, the prouder we are. It (the tobacco) sings on the verge of being brittle.” All the farmers are trying to find a path through change. It is hard to compete against huge industrial farms that have multi-million dollar machines doing all the work. The smaller farming families feel their land helps preserve habitat. Since they are attentive to the land, they become more attentive to themselves and others. As one farmer stated, “I accept what life gives me. I can’t do otherwise.”

The one shred of hope is that people have grown sick of over processed food-like products. A younger generation is returning to the fields to live lives closer to nature.  Farm to table, has become a new battle cry. Perhaps the pendulum can swing back. Perhaps Spring can follow a Winter of industrialized neglect.

Full Sail Back Lot

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For a second day, I returned to the Full Sail back lot to see if the outdoor music festival was generating more interest. It was February 20th and Good Graeff was slated to perform on the outdoor stage. The music festival was part of “Hall of Fame” in which former students, now in the industry were honored. A fake airplane was set up at the base of a water tower. Musicians sold their Cd’s and merchandise on folding tables under the plane’s nose. A mom posed to listen to the music with her child on her hip. Attendance was once again spotty at best.

While doing this sketch, four former students approached me to say hello. They all work for Nickelodeon and were part of an industry panel discussion.  They remembered the 2D Animation class I help teach with affection. They even informed me it was their favorite class. They have started applying the animation principles on the job since they are doing hand drawn animation tests for a Ninja Turtles series they are working on. This was the first time I’ve ever realized that what I’m teaching every day, does make a difference in some students lives.

Florida Opera Theater

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Tonight is your chance to see that Opera is very much alive in Central Florida. I went to a dress rehearsal for “Opera’s Greatest Hits” and “Trouble in Tahiti” at The Venue (511 Virginia Dr, Orlando, FL). The first half of the evening was a recital of incredible music by Rossini, Mozart, Donizetti and Bizet. Robin Stamper, the music director, accompanied every song on piano. I focused in on a performance by Morgan Davis from Carmen. Terry and I used to attend every Opera production when large productions were staged at the Bob Carr. That company went bankrupt but even this small recital brought back all the grandeur of what opera could be. My book light unfortunately died, so I struggled to sketch in the darkness.

There was a short intermission which I used to start painting while the house lights were up. Trouble in Tahiti began with a smiling jazz trio singing about the perfect life in suburbia with its little white houses and perfect loving families. It was an advertiser’s ideal with Crest white cleanliness.  This musical by Leonard Bernstein centers around a couple who are not living the ideal. Every discussion becomes a drawn out argument. Dinah (Rachael Marino) suspects Sam (Gabriel Preisser) of having an affair with his secretary which he denies. They live separate lives yet long for their lost happiness.

Scene six was hilarious. Dinah (Rachael) went to the cinema alone to see “Trouble in Tahiti”. She dismissed it as sentimental drivel but as she recounted the plot, she became caught up in the South Seas romance musical number, “Island Magic.” The Greek jazz trio would back her up with their shining enthusiasm. What made me laugh out loud was the way Rachael recreated the villagers dance. She recreated their music with a nasal whining drone and waved two handkerchiefs to simulate their dance. She was hilarious! The chorus put on sailor’s caps as the saluted during the patriotic finish to the movie. Dinah, is suddenly embarrassed because she realizes she was swept away by the imagined romance. She catches herself and resumes cooking diner for Sam.

The trio sings of evenings of domestic bliss but the couples talk about their relationship once again results in an argument. Sam suggests they go see “Trouble in Tahiti” which is the movie  Dinah just saw and hated. The “bought and paid for magic” of the silver screen is a substitute for love lost. “Before there was ‘Mad Men’ there was… ‘Trouble in Tahiti.”

Mark your calendar! There are two performances TODAY, at 2pm and 5pm at The Venue (511 Virginia Dr, Orlando, FL). Tickets are $30 at the door.