moving, grooving, shaking

Moving is hard work and we all deserve a little unwinding even if our work isn't yet done. Tonight's unwinding: Lee "Scratch" Perry live at the Majestic Theater in Madison, WI. Accompanied by my girl friend extraordinare, Jamie Zander, I plan to get down and gig out to some masterful dub and smooth stylings.

F L A G S : a walk of good intention

More photos can be viewed on Flickr here.

F L A G S, a project of quiet intention offering goodwill and care to others as we pass, was initiated last Saturday 8.16.08 with a team of prayerflag wearing walkers. Twenty-seven volunteers, myself and my partner, Christian Butler, walked from Georgia O'keefe Middle school on Madison, WI's near East side to the Capitol to continue around the Capitol square and nearby areas of note, State St. and Monona Terrace. This walk symbolized an offering of goodwill and care for the city of Madison and everyone in our midst. F L A G S moves a step beyond the Tibetan prayer-flags, a strand of flags, 5 colors with the Lungta/Windhorse graphic affixed over a doorway or through a garden, in that it is mobile versus fixed and can be offered publicly versus privately.
A slightly larger version of this slideshow can be viewed via YouTube here.

The BLINK Temporary Public Art program organized by Madison's Art Commission, is an opportunity for experimental, ad-hoc, temporary works of art to sprout up throughout the community and vanish leaving residents and visitors eager to see what is next. Madison neighborhoods and urban areas are open canvases. The possibilities for creations on open spaces, construction sites, and public parks will provide a glimpse of how the world looks through an artist’s eyes.

This program was appropriate for F L A G S as the project reflects Madison's institutions, communities, programs, initiatives and aesthetics I see as offering similar blessings - goodwill, care, and other welcoming intentions. I have been very lucky to move to this city and find myself in a community full of support. This project also spoke directly to BLINK's aim for glimpses of art through the city. Furthermore, this project involved volunteers from the community and was injected directly into Madison's crowded Saturday Farmers Market around the capitol building. Henceforth, F L A G S sought to honor all those who produce and buy food locally, honor the festival-like celebration of community that blooms every summer weekend, and honor the capitol itself and its legal and municipal proceedings.

worker

hi folks,
this is what I look like when I'm hard at work.
208 Merry studio disassembles August 30th for moving...
relocated studio: location TBA.

8.16.2008 : F L A G S

Dear friends and visitors,
Please come and see us, a mobilized chain of prayer flags, tomorrow as we walk the center of Madison, Wisconsin. This is a project of quiet intention, a mobile symbol of goodwill, care and peace offered throughout the places where we walk. Volunteers will be wearing the shirts you see in this post's images and walking with me. We hope you will see us if you are at the Farmer's Market or just around the capitol mid day on Saturday. Please consider yourself invited to attend the informal reception and picnic at James Madison Park where we'll be finishing our walk at 2pm.

Here is a schedule and our expected locations:

10:45a - shift 1 volunteers meet and organize at Georgia O'keefe Middle School.
11a - shift 1 begins walking up Williamson St. toward the Capitol square via King St. We should arrive at the top of King St. by approximately 11:30 and will continue to loop the capitol square until the end of the hour.
12p - shift 2 meets, organizes and begins walking the capitol square with branches to Monona Terrace and down State Street.
1p - shift 3 meets, organizes and begins walking the capitol square with branches down State Street and to James Madison Park for the finish.
2p - All participants, friends, guests, citizens of Madison and interested onlookers are invited to attend the informal reception and picnic at James Madison Park. This is a time to meet the artist and participants, gain perspective or information into the themes of F L A G S and to celebrate this peaceful offering.

art for food

Christian and I just had an unexpected cullinary experience... worth your checking out if you're on I-80 just west of Des Moines. Exit 117, heading North, takes you to L.T. Organic Farm, CSA and Restaurant. Dr. Bhramdat and Mrs. Bhramdat are retired medical professionals (Cardio-Pulmonary Dr. and RN) who refocused on organic farming, now VERY successful in my opinion, because they realized the real need to eat and live according to the rules of the earth, according to the natural need our bodies have for natural foods. All philosophies and opinions aside, you should know this was a beautiful place in the middle of Iowa where we ate the most delicious, enchanting Indian food we've ever had. All the vegetables, meat, and fruit were from their gorgeous garden. More can be said about this place and our time spent there, but I'll leave it at this.

going on

F L A G S, my second large project for the summer, is approaching faster than I can blink.... speaking of BLINK, this is a Madison Arts Commission's BLINK Temporary Art Project, sponsored in part by the city of Madison. The T-shirts for this project are all ready to rock thanks to Mr. C. Cal my good friend and good supporter. I had so much fun screen printing the 60 Ts that I blew out my abs and strained my triceps. Actually, it was a lot more fun than that. Craig Grabhorn and Nina Bednarski, the arts duo of Madison are lovely to be around and all of us were found in various parts of the house on Saturday, making art. All this despite the driveway being ripped up beside the house by a kamikaze dozer. Nothing can stop us now.

Other news of note: I just finished making this dress to wear to my friends, Amanda and Brady's wedding. It's styled after my favorite dress of the year bought last spring in Chicago. Perfect dresses don't last forever, so it's always good to have a second one handy.


Finally: this year produced the best garden ever.