Orlando Folk Festival

Posted on by Thor

On Sunday February 9th, I went to the 12th Annual Orlando Folk Festival at The Mennello Museum of American Art 900 East Princeton Street, Orlando, Fl. The had rained the previous day so everyone was happy for the sunshine. After talking with Tod Caviness and his wife Christin for a moment, I immediately focused on the kids painting a fence Tom Sawyer style. Of course Tom Sawyer only had white paint while these kids had their pick of the rainbow. Some kids would focus on a small area with laser beam attention to fine detail while others used the brush with bold bravado. I believe this fence is re-used every year and the paint is growing as thick as the continental crust. A volunteer would fill plastic cups with paint and put an artist’s smock on each child. Don’t mock the smock. Parents stood guard to be sure that the paint went on the wall rather than on other children.

The two stages for folk singers were behind me, so I got to relax to their gentle harmonies. People set up blankets and lawn chairs in the shade to listen. A family on a blanket near me had a bunch of kids who were getting antsy. I boy threw a stick that hit me in the back. The mom said, “Say your sorry Bobby.” He remained silent. “He really is sorry” she said. The kids started playing tag and I began to feel I was in the middle of a war zone. One little girl tripped over my art bag. They really weren’t looking where they were going. With the sketch done, I retreated to a quieter neutral zone.

I spotted Emily Empel and her friends and I sat to chat with them for the last set. Emily had been a presenter at Pecha Kucha on the same evening I had presented. It was interesting to hear her take about how the evening went. From my perspective Emily’s presentation had been flawless. But she confided that she had been very nervous that night. I think I had been to committed to what I had written and Emily felt the same. Other presenters memorized their talks while others just knew key points that they wanted to cover. Becky Lane, a speech coach at Full Sail had encouraged me to just have key points but I was already too committed to the exact words I had written. Regardless, looking back at the video, the presentation went pretty well. I’m glad I stepped outside my comfort zone. I need to do that more often.

When the band finished playing I headed home. l bumped into Carl Knickerbocker who had his “Art Car” at the festival. He used large magnetic sheets to cover a car with his bold Suburban folk images. He has a short film in this year’s Florida Film Festival titled “The Last Orange Grove in Middle Florida.” I can’t wait to see it.

I Believe in You! Performance, Art and Dance Party

Posted on by Thor

I went to The Space (1206 E Colonial Dr. Orlando FL) on August 24th, right after “The Red Chair Affair” at the Bob Carr Performing Arts Center (401 W Livingston St  Orlando, FL). Jessica Earley had organized a one night only performance driven event with a committed group of experimental artists who love what they do and love you too.

Several artists were invited to perform,
they each then curated another artist to show visual works.

 The Space turned out to be a small apartment right above a pizza shop near Mills Avenue. The front door was locked, so I went out back where a crowd was gathered. Mark Baratelli was just leaving. He reported that the event was packed and very hot. Having never been in the space, I had to go up to get a sketch. Admission was $2. The place was more than hot, it was a furnace. My stiff collared dress shirt became semi transparent with sweat. I whipped my brow with my tie.

There was a performance going on when I entered but there were so many people packed in the room, that I decided a sketch would be impossible. I went into a room filled with art and sat with my back against a closet door to sketch.

 Performing artists included, Jessica Earley,
Jack Fields,
Ashley Inguanta,
Melanie Lister,
Stephanie Lister,
Hannah Miller,
Jorgen Nicholas Trygved, and Christin Caviness. Hannah curated art by Winter Calkins. Winter had a fascinating piece that used cigarette butts as a sort of pointillism to depict someones lips and jaw. I was pleased that Winter knew of my work.

The large piece to my left was by Jack Fields. It had intricate crochet work, a sort of wizards hat and eyes peering out from everywhere. Flip-flops were enshrined on red velvet pillows. In the center of the room, letters were torn and re-assembled behind Plexiglas. The one line I could read said, “I hope you can say sorry.” The room itself was painted to look like the inside of a human body. Ribs and muscles were painted everywhere. The room had been used in a film and the walls were painted to show that the character was going insane. The film is now being submitted to film festivals.

Terry stopped in briefly with Matt McGrath. They couldn’t stand the heat and left to go to a bar. With the sketch done, I walked around and said hello to Becky Lane and Tisse Mallon. Jessica Earley had mascara running down her cheeks. She looked like a battered wife or junkie. The disheveled look must have been for her performance piece.  She had been concerned about how many people would show up. I believe she maxed out the capacity at The Space. I know that Christin performed a dance piece in the hot crowded space. Afterwards she went outside to collapse and catch her breath. Ashley gave her last poetry reading before she moved to NYC.  I thought that I didn’t see a single performance. As it turned out, I had sketched Jorgen Nicholas Trygveddoing an adaptation of “The Artist is Present” in which he Skyped in silence with people in a neighboring room. Now I know why he sat there so long staring at his computer. This was the performance that most intrigued me when I read the invitation, because I had been in NYC on the final day of Marina Abromovic‘s “The Artist is Present“.

I soaked up the ambiance like a wet sweaty sponge.

As I left, the dance party was pulsing in the back room DJ’d by
Jorgen. Terry wanted me to meet Matt and her at a bar, but my fancy leather loafers were giving me blisters. I think I over dressed and I was spent.

The Holy and Obscene

Posted on by Thor

On my drive to The Falcon (819 E. Washington Street, Suite 2, Orlando, Fl), the skies to the north loomed ominous with lightning flashes and low rumbling thunder. I was on my way to see the first solo show of Morgan Wilson. I’ve seen Morgan’s work a number of times around town, and I’ve seen her paint. This show was appropriately titled “The Holy and Obscene“. Morgan paints beautiful women but each piece has a dark and sensual subplot. I admire the chances she takes by focusing on themes far astride of what is often seen in this homogeneous white bread theme park town. Tod Caviness who was at the bar with his wife Christin, bought me a beer, a Spitzen Oktoberfest brew that quickly went to my head. I hope they weren’t insulted by the fact that I immediately wandered off to sketch.

I met Blair Richardson, a dear friend of the artist, who was the model for the center painting in this sketch. She confided that Morgan had asked to take pictures of her. When Blair asked what the photos were for, Morgan explained that it was a surprise. When Blair walked into the exhibition, tears welled up in her eyes when she saw the painting. A crown of  thick nails were driven into the painting.  Morgan was humbled to know that her work could elicit such a strong emotional response. She then joked, that maybe her friend was just vain. I doubt that. Each painting was in an intricate frame that accentuated the sensuality.

As I sketched, the exhibit became increasingly crowded. The Falcon barista, Wendy Claitor let me know that Melissa Schumann, the owner of the Falcon said that my beers were on the house.  Well heck, I’ll have another then! I needed to refill my water brush, so I took out a vile and syringe that I use to get water in the brush handle. I like the fact that it makes me look a bit like a drug addict. I’ve done this a thousand times, but this time, I misjudged and pulled on the syringe plunger too hard. It popped loose sending the pink plastic bottle crashing to the floor and water sprayed everywhere soaking my sketch and pants. Artist Janae Corrado helped me recover the bottle and all the pencils that fell off my lap when I jumped up in surprise. Janae remarked that, “At least the beer didn’t spill!” I really shouldn’t drink and draw. I’m such a lush.

A red dot was placed under the round painting of a woman with a gold tiara that said “Fuck“. Another painting was of one of the Yow Dancers all in blue with golden armor. A huge slug mounted a nude woman on all fours. Morgan posed for photos and discussed her work with patrons. Two guys seated next to me where discussing Morgan’s work. She had decided to work on a sketch at a table outside and one of the men went out to watch her. When he returned, he said you can learn much about an artist by seeing how they work. He was fascinated by Morgan claiming she was more interesting than her paintings. I can’t imagine why anyone would want to separate the two. He felt that many of the paintings resembled the artist. Apparently a painting of a woman with a ruffled collar had to be reworked multiple times because Morgan kept painting the penis too big. The guys joked that she needed to paint many more cocks till she got it right.

Morgan explained, “I tried to avoid being too ‘preachy’ with the theme, but there’s definitely some undertones of religion and royalty! My work is meant to create a meeting place for the elevated and degraded, the holy and obscene. My most recognizable theme, through all mediums, is a pervasive sexuality. At times subtle and sensual, there is always a lurking secret begging to be discovered by my viewers, the incidental voyeurs. Peering into a world meant to mirror every dark velvety desire, even those unrealized or unimagined. I aim to remind the viewer that desire and despair are not deep-buried things: they exist in every detail of who we are. In a way, the things we love and fear are what make us more than simply human.”

Mark your Calendar! Morgan’s work is on display at the Falcon through September 26th. I’m a huge fan of this woman’s work. Don’t miss it.

Auditions

Posted on by Thor

Beth Marshall Presents held auditions for the 2013-2014 season at the Garden Theater in Winter Garden on Saturday June 22nd. Productions she was holding audition for included…

The 2013 Play-in-a-Day 2013 Season kickoff in partnership with Lake Howell High School and Penguin Point Productions September 7th.

Alice Lost in Wonderland (a world premiere) written by Rob Winn Anderson and Beth Marshall, October 18-November 3 at the Garden Theater.

Beatnik, a multi-media art evening of poetry music and dance in collaboration with VarieTEASE. December 3rd at the Venue.

33 Variations by Moises Kaufman, directed by Aradhana Tiwari, March 13-30 at the Garden Theater.

Touring shows include,

Commencement written by Clay McCleod Chapman, directed by Brenna Nicely, Starring Beth Marshall at Fringe, or  The Venue.

The Books, written by Michael Edison Haydon, directed by Beth Marshall for Fringe or The Venue.

Actors gathered in the lobby of the theater and they entered the theater in groups of four or five. Actors read monologues and occasionally sang. I sketched actress Becky Lane since I knew her from some incredible performances in the past. Some actors read beat poetry but it just didn’t have the swaggering flow of 50’s beat angst.

That changed when writer, Tod Caviness and his new bride, dancer, Christin Caviness took to the stage. He recited a poem completely off book with the furious confidence of a generation reaching for a new understanding of what it is to live. Christin danced with sweaty abandon rising and receding with the tide of the poem. Garments were tossed aside as needless encumbrances to the need to move. I was swept along enthralled. I stood and applauded. This could be the corner stone for an amazing evening of Beat madness. What an incredible collaboration, a true marriage of two art forms.

A thunderstorm sent loud rain hammering down on the theater’s metal
roof. Beth considered it good since it would force actors to project. As
one actor was on stage giving a monologue, the lights of the theater
went black. The huge empty theater went silent. In the darkness he muttered, “Well I guess that’s a sign
that I didn’t get the part.”

Once Upon a Wonderland

Posted on by Thor

Terry and I bumped into Tod Caviness outside the Silver Venue in the Rep Theater at Fringe. He was going to see his wife, Christin Caviness, dance in Once Upon a Wonderland by Yow Dance. She performed as Little Red Riding Hood. Yow dance had a similar Fairytale themed show last year. From talking to Christin at an open mic Speakeasy event at Will’s Pub, I learned that some magic had been thrown into the mix.

A large canvas map was propped up on stage right. It resembled a large curtain map that had been used in the traveling Broadway hit “Wicked” at the Bob Carr Performing Arts Center. A golden egg in a nest was fixed in the center of the kingdom. The Queen of Hearts walked down the theater isles towards the stage in drag. She sat down and messed with a few audience members before taking to the stage.

It was hard to decipher any story line that might pull the production together. The dancing was graceful and  it was interesting to see someone sawed in half, but there didn’t seem to be any underlying motivation behind anything that happened. Micro phoned singers sang Wickedesque show tunes with thin watery lyrics. I had hoped this production would build on last year’s “Classically Demented” show but none of the elements seemed to fit together. There was plenty of flash but little heart.

Later speaking with Christin, I made a blunder by thinking  she had performed as Snow White, when she had performed as Little Red Riding Hood. It was sad proof that my attention had wandered.