Paintings, Puppets, and Rock & Roll
Color explodes into view after a cobalt blue and black predecessor re-enters the atmosphere of a new world. Small figures, boats, and beasts can be seen exploring the mountains and oceans. Square black frames are replaced with red, gold, birchwood, and white of various shapes, sizes, and designs. A voice in one of the listening stations cries out, "Why won't I let this, my ship, run aground? When all along all I wanted was to be found...?"
8 years after Grey Planet, Vikings and Sea Monsters displayed and performed at the Lemp Neighborhood Arts Center. While the former took 48 hours to express, the gestation period of V&SM was much longer. One of the inspirations for this show came from a month long trip around Europe in 2006 experiencing European art culture up close and personal.
A total of 10 songs and 10 paintings showed in front of an audience with the assistance of a keyboard artist (Phil Strangman) and 2 puppets. A listening station was available near each painting with a CD player and headphones containing only 1 song each. Attendees sat on couches looking at paintings while listening to a song by "Silent Skies." Song times ranged from just under 2 minutes to over 11 minutes in length. While engaged visualy and audibly in a crowded gallery, the reception was invited into a different space of vision and sound distant and safe from their neighbors.
The entire Vikings and Sea Monsters show is contained in a small "Gallery in a Box" which can be purchased in the shop.