The masked woman appears

Another series has been wandering around my sketch books...it is a series of masked women, older, naked, dancing with abandon, sometimes they are insecure, sometimes fearless and fierce, sometimes fearfilled. It appears that when you wear a mask, you can do anything. It also appears that they may hide in a series of valises. Stay tuned.

Hirsute again

His Suit, Hirsute, Power Suit continues. This piece might be done. I will know when I return to the Northrup King studio next week and see it with fresh eyes.

Work continues on Hirsute & Fiber

The third in the "landed" part of the series was begun yesterday. It is about halfway done. There was a significant delay in returning to the drawings: much fiber had to be processed for winter sales. Right now, all the fiber is on exhibit at Gallery 406 in the Northrup King Building, 1500 Jackson St. in Northeast Minneapolis. The gallery will be open Saturdays, Dec 6, Dec 13 & Dec 20, noon-5. BUT, Heads-up!, nearly all the fiber will be removed on Dec 13. It will be on sale at the Womens Art Festival, Dec 13, 10-5, in the Midtown YWCA, 2121 E. Lake St., Minneapolis. New colorways in roving and mohair, Brand New Crazy Batts, Shibori Silk Scarves, and, as always, handspun yarn.

3-d suits?

Work this week was slow and perhaps minor. I roled up the most recent phoenix/suit. That took a full hour to unstaple, untape and roll safely. Then I began the experiment of taking a suit jacket, painting on it and stiffening it with Golden GAC 400 so it can hang on the wall. So, you see the beginning. Initially I stapled the sleeves out of the way for convenience. Now I think that forming a daisy chain of rigid suit coats crusted with paint and chalk might be very cool. Stay tuned. I work on these things on Thursdays in the Northrup King Building studio. As it happened, this was First Thursday open studio night and the night of the vice presidential debate. Not too many people attended . They were all at home watching the spectacle. We were watching the spectacle on our imported TV .

STASH

STASH Imagine a mountain, a soft, sensual, colorful mountain, made of wool, silk, mohair, flax, cotton...Imagine diving in. I hope to spin 30,000 yards of yarn to build a mountain that is 8 feet across at the base and around 6 feet tall. I will collect stories of STASH, of desire and possession, perhaps of secrecy, perhaps of joy. A book will ensue. But most importantly, I will lay on and in this lovely mountain, up to my ears in "beautious" stash! Will you join me?

Garage chronicles and Hirsute

The garage looks like a garage again. Today, it gt shingles. Soon it will have doors and, even, electricity. His Suit, Hirsute, Power Suit continues. The second Phoenix is finished.

It's coming down

new drawing in Hirsute project

This is a composite of the progress on the next triptych in the project. The powerful women are emerging from the now grounded suit coats. A phoenix rising? her hair does look rather like smoke.

More Garage

Honest, it used to be pretty square and true! It is being held up by a variety of 2x4 props inside and out while awaiting careful, safe demolition by professionals.

Garage capers

In other business, a driver slammed into my garage today, knocking it off the foundation. Fortunately I do not store gallery art there! It sure did consume the day however. But, I want you to know that not only can you make appointments to see JUST LOOKING, the roster for ALL THINGS ELECTORAL has been chosen. A wonderful group of local and national artists are coming together for this show. The artists chosen are: Janet Culbertson, Patricia Dahlman, Mike Elko, Kari Guter Seymour, Karen Hanmer, Sarah Hauser, Michael Kabbash, James Michael Lawrence, James Leonard, Jeff Lohaus, Carol Morris, Elena Siff, Mary Tasillo, Kate Van Cleve, and Peter Wilson. Of special note is the performance of James Leonard. With the generous support of Minnesota Center for Bookarts, Susan Hensel Gallery and Dam Stuhltrager Gallery, NYC, James will be flying in to present a performance of WARBONDS. You must BE HERE to see this! I have shown James' political work before. The performance will be during the opening of ALL THINGS ELECTORAL, Friday, September 12. The opening runs 5-9pm. The performance will occur around 7:30 pm.

Just Looking in action

I have not received all the photos yet, but you can begin to see the installation in action here. Friday was a delightfully cool night for an opening. A gentle crowd arrived and stayed and played with the interactive video. Mary, in the middle, learned that she could line her own eyes up with various pairs of glasses. Watch the website. I hope to have more visuals and have the audio compressed and on line sometime next week. Pictured with the EYES is the videographer, John Hensel, my son, who came in and worked all week developing programs to film, duplicate and project attendees. The EYES project is one he showed at Oberlin College several years ago. Seemed perfect for the topic at hand.

Sitting Zazen while Just Looking

It would appear that my son is sitting zazen at the computer. After 15 hours sitting on the train, he is sitting here, connecting dots and boxes and I am taking photographs while Just Looking.

artists books for JUST LOOKING

I just completed the first printing of the artists books associated with JUST LOOKING. Their titles are WITNESS ( on the left) and I AM MY OWN WITNESS( on the right). Each book is a 5 folio inkjet print on Johannot paper, with original text by the artists...in otherwords, by me. It is roughly 4.75 " wide by 5.5" tall. I have chosen to keep the editions unlimited in order to keep the cost low. Each book costs $25. But both for $45.

More structures, soon to be filled

JUST LOOKING Nearly all installations have collaborative aspects. Mark Carlson suggested the curve, Pauline Mitchell said,"PVC!" and Dale Kennedy helped me build it. Now to attach more than 600 images! REMEMBER TO COME TO THE OPENING AUGUST 8, 5-9pm.

structure?

Just Looking progresses

While I was on vacation, I completed the soundtrack for JUST LOOKING. Before taking off for points north, I recorded the voices of Alison Morse, Mark Carlson, Sandy Beach and Tom Cassiday. I spent a couple of days in my little rented cabin, hunched over the computer, mixing and blending the sounds. And, if all goes as planned, my son, John Hensel, will travel back to Minneapolis and work on the interactive video component of this installation using Isadora software.Meanwhile, Dale Kennedy is building a structure for the upcoming show JUST LOOKING. So stay tuned!

progess on JUST LOOKING

Progress is being made on JUST LOOKING, conceptually, physically, aesthetically. I will record the fourth and final voice today for the soundtrack and spend the coming vacation week editing and crafting the enveloping soundscape. Meanwhile, up at the Northrup King studio, the Hirsute work, the current Hirsute piece, with Lisa emerging from the "flying suit" that has landed, has declared itself to be complete. The co-op group, Gallery 406, comprised last night of Gwen Schagrin, Mike Elko, Dale Kennedy and Mark Carlson, critiqued and shared new work. Good "looking" by all.

Still Looking

How on earth does one sort through this many drawings? Three years, more than 600 drawings! They are the centerpiece, the surface, the projection screen of the next installation in the Susan Hensel Gallery. The title of the piece is Just Looking. It will be true multimedia, with audio and real-time video. But meanwhile, I wonder, HOW ON EARTH AM I GOING TO ORGANIZE THIS? The show opens Friday August 8. Come between 5 and 9pm and be part of the art!

more work, almost done with this one

Back to work.

I have gotten back to work on His Suit, Hirsute, Powersuit. The last flying suit was completed three weeks ago. Now the suits have landed and a powerful woman is emerging. She is not yet complete. Stay tuned.

Art-a-Whirl has whirled away

Gallery 406 had its first Art-a-Whirl, May 16-18, with good attendance and fun...although, by the end of the weekend, our members were dropping like flies! 3 of the 7 were sick by Sunday and a 4th by Monday! Too much togetherness? The first Thursday looms June 5...will we all be well by then? Stay tuned!

Grand Opening Party for Gallery 406 coming soon! Thursday May 1, 5-9pm
Party Down at Gallery 406
Northrup King Building, 1500 Jackson ST. NE, Mpls

A one night stand

The Hirsute drawing completed at Ragdale were up for one night at the Northrup King Building, in our new cooperative gallery space, Gallery 406. We received the keys to the space on February 29 and taped up the work March 1, after spending the day with Karen Hanmer et al at the Susan Hensel Gallery. ( go to susanhenselgallery.blogspot.com). Participators in the space are ME, Gwen Schagrin, Dale Kennedy, Pauline Mitchell and Mike Elko. Pictured with the wine is our dear friend Mark Edwin Carlson, a wonderful artist, who we all hope will join us in our venture. He is also, my own particular mentor as I am for him. The space will be emptied and painted white next week as we begin planning how we actually will use it.