THE CRYPTIC EVENT

<<<<<<< The concept >>>>>>>

The Cryptic Event is a concept pop-up Art Show with a slight twist. It has already happened, and I invited no one. The show exists in the photography, artwork and artifacts that were made for it; designed for everyone and no one at the same time. This is one of the biggest personal projects I’ve taken on, a challenge I wanted to rise to, and I’m thrilled with how it turned out.

Ever so often I get the drive to do something big (more like an obsession) - a need to get lost in a project and follow an idea as far as I can take it. That is exactly what this project became for me, although it didn't start out that way. The concept grew slowly in my mind, and took me from making a few small pieces, to putting together an atmospheric secret show in an industrial building, knowing I’d only be sharing it with people after it was already long over.

Something about an ephemeral event really appeals to me, and my artistic sensibilities. Untraditional Art Shows are also something I enjoy very much. My appreciation for them stems from my years as a musician playing in warehouses, garages, punk houses, and all kinds of DIY show venues (many of which were art spaces as well). Galleries can be great, but limiting in atmosphere, availability, and character. So I sought out the right space for the show and the feel I was going for, over making it an Art Show for guests. Concept over practicality seems to be my way of thinking on many things.

As for the the conceptual part of the “concept,” the idea came from imagining a place where my work might exist outside of myself, more like something I discovered or stumbled upon just sitting there, trying to make sense of it. A empty space filled with artwork comprised of images stripped of their original context, but retaining their familiarity. They are the artifacts left behind in an abandoned liminal space. Here one moment, and gone the next.

A great deal of my art plays with distorting the past, merging imagery, and manipulating memory. I like to give my work a history and backstory, and create a slight other worldly feeling to it. I do this without thinking too hard about it most of the time. These thoughts seem to float into my head subconsciously while I’m in the flow of working, and it’s part of the creative process . For me, the story enhances what I’m doing and helps make my art uniquely mine. It’s a “hard to describe” feeling I get within myself while creating; something I trust and want to explore more in my work. My overall objective for this show was to capture a little of that feeling and make it tangible.

(((((((((((( the event ))))))))))))

As for the event itself, it lasted under five hours from set up to tear down. Only the few people assisting me saw it all together in person. I was able to stand in the space by myself for about 20 minutes looking it all over, taking photographs and contemplating if I have achieved what I had set out to do. My conclusion was mixed.

Did I recreate exactly what was in my head? No. Like trying to write down a vivid dream, you never seem to capture all of the details and other worldliness of the experience. But you can preserve enough to not lose the memory of it existing. And I think I managed to achieve that. A small bit of the feeling I was chasing was made real though putting the effort in, and seeing it through to the end. From endless possibilities to a fixed reality, bumping into limitations of time and energy, and not letting perfectionism get in the way of seeing it to a conclusion.

I look, and feel relief, a satisfaction that I made it happen. For a brief moment I stood in a place somewhere in between my thoughts and reality. I took a short pause to take it all in, and then I took it all down, leaving no trace that it was ever there in the first place. The event is over. All that remains are the artifacts that inhabited it briefly, and my words that try to explain why it was a thing at all.

— Plywood cutouts —

Cutouts have become a big part of the work I do. I like the substantialness of them as an object. I’ve made cutouts for years, but just recently started incorporating more color and texture into them, like my paintings. I wanted to find a fitting color palette for the worn, stained, and aged look of this show. Subtle color, a good amount of staining, and ink washes to make them fit right in with the rest of the work. For this project, I also made my largest plywood cutouts to date with two 4’ x 3.5’ winged anatomy angels. 17 cutouts in total were produced for this show to anchor the whole thing and give it all more impact as a body of work.

— PANEL, paper, and resin —

As the idea of this show was forming, I was starting to experiment more with using a resin varnish on collages mounted to wood panels. The results really excited me and drove me to do a variety of sizes and designs to fit into the Show. I had already designed a great deal of fliers and patterns; incorporating them in the backgrounds really helped make them a cohesive series. I especially enjoyed making the mini pieces. Showcasing small, simple, collaged imagery, designed to work individually or as a group complemented the larger work. These pieces make up a majority of the show - a total of 42 - even if they took up the least amount space.

— paper work —

A massive amount of work on paper was produced for the show. They are all individually stained and aged for variation in color, and wear and tear. The majority of the fliers, posters and cutouts produced were incorporated into a large paper mural - a 5’ X5’ collaged piece. Suspended 14 feet up from the rafters and a center piece for the show. All of the remaining fliers and cutouts were used to line the windows, and bulletin board, with a few scattered on the ground as well. The project all started with these paper items, and they are an important part of the show and atmosphere I was aiming for. A great deal of time and energy when into this aspect of the project, more than any other part in fact. They best captured the overall feel I was going for in this collection.

Want to learn more about the making of the show, check out the behind the scenes page.