fairview liquor bottle art installation

I read about the installation in ADN a few weeks ago and went over tonight to have a closer look.

I have mixed feelings about the politics underlying its creation — the owner of Grubstake Auction, the storage yard fence of which serves to display the work was a vocal objector to the nearby Karluk Manor, a first of its kind for Anchorage ‘housing first’ facility for homeless alcoholics that opened this year.  Parts of the installation reference Karluk Manor [protest signs reading, ‘No Red Nose Inn in Fairview’ — Karluk Manor was formerly a Red Roof Inn motel; and a stop sign modified to read, ‘Please STOP ENABLING’].

I happen to believe that Karluk Manor and its operator RuralCAP have a good program and deserve a chance to succeed.  But its detractors have legitimate objections, as I previously noted.

While I was photographing the installation, a guy in a Grubstake Auction truck [I assume it was Ron Alleva?] paused to ask, “How do you like it?”. “Love it!!”  “Yeah?  Well, we created that!”  He seemed keenly proud.

And I do love it.  Most of my artist friends will probably not agree, but for me this project functions on multiple levels, and really makes the viewer think long and hard about the subjects undertaken.  All of the impact of successful visual art.

Most of the many local spring cleanup efforts are considered successful when they get rid of trash, not put it on display.  Some of it’s buried, some recycled — but it’s taken away, out of sight and mind.  Putting up the bottles on the fence is a metaphor of how alcoholism is dealt with, both by its sufferers and by society.  So many municipal commissions in the past have focused on how to get rid of the homeless, by moving them someplace where no one can see them.  [Astoundingly unsuccessfully, since the problem has reached an epidemic in recent years and today there are people with cardboard signs asking for money at every single midtown intersection.]

The piece is expertly placed for maximum exposure, both to the general public and to the homeless alcoholics it directly addresses.  The 6 ft tall chain link fence runs right along a sidewalk next to a road that’s used to bypass part of E. 5th Ave. on the way out of town to Eagle River and points north.  In the surrounding blocks are shelters, soup kitchens, gas stations, strip bars, sleazy motels… and garages, a paint store and storage lots with electrical transformers, lumber, trailer parts, cars and trucks.  It is a strange, forlorn part of Anchorage, except there is also a wonderful creek with a salmon run, and an excellent urban nature trail.  And a mill, feed and garden store, and a taco wagon or two.

‘<—JAIL?’, asks a fence section, spelled out in bottles and pointing toward the Anchorage Jail, a few hundred feet away on the adjoining property.  Other parts depict a skull, a cartoon heart, a liquor bottle marked with XXX, and a slogan, ‘NO TO BOOZE’.  The message is quick and recognizable, and cutting instead of cute.

One is struck by how many bottles — 1,500 or more according to the ADN story, which also says they picked them up in just a few days without having to range very far in their search.  The bottles hang from the fencing, shine in the sunset light showing ironic brand names [Rich and Rare, Monarch, Southern Comfort].

Harry Mezak deserves recognition for this effort.  I hope to see more from him in the future.  He is following in a great tradition of activist visual art, whether he knows it or not.

rod gonzales, 1948-2012

Just heard week or so ago that Rod was seriously ill and in the hospital.  Hoped he’d recover, but he didn’t and passed away Friday.

Recent photo of Gonzales, courtesy Gonzales family.

I was introduced to him in 2010 and vaguely aware of him before then.  He was a prolific sketcher, painter and sculpture artist; a hockey fan; a devotee of Shannyn Moore and left-wing politics.  Most of his work I saw was poster-like, stream of consciousness type renderings that might look a little crude at offhand glance, but there’s a lot of depth in them, even as he’s unapologetic and tackles subjects head-on.   His written comments, some more coherent and linear; others a frenetic, choppy mixture of rapid-fire fragments were poetic themselves.

He had a family and they have lived for several years in Mt. View.  His hometown is Point Richmond, CA.

Rod’s son is an artist who has exhibited silkscreens and graffiti murals at the now-defunct MTS Gallery.  His son’s screen prints use high contrast, multi-colored separations and are a sophisticated approach for a young artist.  He will evolve into someone noteworthy, I predict.

Rod’s own art deserved a lot wider exposure than it received.  Since all I know about the man is what’s written above, I’m not sure if he desired to be published and exhibited or not.  He should have been doing covers for the Anchorage Press, had a solo gallery exhibition; or enjoyed half of Duke Russell’s acclaim and commissions by now.  Maybe this can be partially corrected posthumously, depending on his family’s wishes.

I’ll try to update this post later, as I learn more about him from people who knew him better.

Keep telling them the score, Rod, wherever you are now!

Congressman Don Young gets the treatment.

Former AK Gov. Palin enjoys her New Money.

Cover of graphic novel of the Oilpocalypse.

‘scholastic art and writing’ at MTS

Here are a few images from the excellent primary/secondary student show, at MTS Gallery this month.

This will be one of the last shows at this location of MTS.  The building at 3142 Mt. View Dr., a former trailer manufacturing and parts sales facility has been used as a gallery, artist studios and the offices of the Anchorage Community Land Trust since 2006 but is scheduled to be torn down this spring.  Hopefully MTS will reappear soon at a different Mt. View location.  More on that story as it develops…

'Metro' by Deanna Strait

'Sole Searching' by Dorian Granger

'Ares' by Brooke Morgan

'Self Portrait' by Jessie Marman

'Family Freaks' by Christian Teston

'Brick In the Wall' by Devin Ball

‘pop 11’ closes at MTS Gallery

A few people came by for the final day of Pop 11 at MTS.  The exhibition of Alaskan pop art was a part of the Pop 11 citywide mult-venue exhibit about Andy Warhol and the ’60s pop art revolution.

Multimedia installation by Nemo.

Mural on west wall by [l–r] Nemo, Esker, Alamander and Bisco, painted directly on the gallery wall.

Installation by Gariett Burtner.

Multiple works by Ferald and Kel explore homelessness.

Short film by Michael Walsh.

new sculpture installations appear

The framing of Mt. View as an arts immersion district — as unlikely a scenario as that is to some — got a jump start a week ago as two of four new sculpture installations were launched.

’52 Faces of Mt. View’ is a project of artists Erin Pollock and Steph Kese.  Following their successful ‘367 lbs. of Wax’ exhibit at MTS Gallery in Summer 2009 — where they displayed wax faces — the pair proposed an installation of permanent face casts to be made from the faces of Mt. View residents.

Their process was a year-long odyssey of frustration, learning, experimentation and eventual triumph.  Seeing the finished product, and hearing bits and pieces about the project as it developed, I wondered what the future holds for them.  Will they be willing to take on something similar, ever again?

The piece is fantastic at doing what it’s supposed to do.  It is an interesting focal point from a distance, especially at twilight, and it beckons for close inspection and then doesn’t disappoint.  May it become a well-loved community institution and shine brightly forever.

A small crowd begins to gather for the unveiling — Dec. 4th at the corner of Mt. View Dr., Commercial Dr. and Taylor St.

The installation is effectively set at the back of a large circular low concrete wall, providing a nice place to stand and contemplate the faces.

Artists Pollock and Kese arrive at the ceremony and are greeted by Bruce Farnsworth.

Bruce [the founder of the Trailer Art Center and coordinator of the Mt View street art project] gives a short, lively talk about ’52 Faces’.  He begins by thanking advocates and neighborhood boosters.  Here he is pointing down the street to the MTS Gallery.  “In case you’re not aware, one of the best art galleries in Anchorage is right here in Mt. View.”

Before the unveiling, some of the people whose faces are part of the piece begin to gather in the circle.  The girl in the pink jacket looks behind the curtains for a sneak preview.

The curtains are peeled off one by one.  The crowd reacts intensely.

Fully uncovered, a couple minutes are given for the piece to be feted by the people and its impact to sink in, and then…

…the faces are illuminated, and the crowd kind of goes crazy, shouting and whistling and cheering.

For the next few minutes, people move in for a closer look, entering and exiting the viewing circle and furiously shooting photos and videos with cameras and cell phones.  People whose faces appear in the work are photographed near their faces.

The detail on the faces is incredible… so much character and presence… amazing!

Leaving the site, I could instantly understand what a powerful statement was made and how integral this piece is to Mt. View, placed at a prominent corner and entrance to the main part of the neighborhood.

The audience hung around for awhile looking at the faces, then moved over to the Boys and Girls Club/Community Center a couple blocks away for a celebratory dinner.  I left to celebrate elsewhere.

The next day, with much less fanfare, the second of the four installations appeared.  This is an about 18 ft. tall metal sculpture that is a flower, with the petals made of bicycles.  Cindy Shake is the artist.  It is in the plaza outside Credit Union 1 at the northeast corner of Mt. View Dr. and Bragaw St.

I really like this sculpture for its whimsy and pluck-ishness, and because Mt. View is a bicycle oriented neighborhood as much as any other place in Anchorage.  Timely and joyous.

‘the iconagones’ and ‘girls girls girls’ at MTS

Stephen Gray and Lisa Gray explore innocence, adolescent anxiety and the fate of pop culture sirens in this exhibit of painterly digital work.  Now through Sept. 11th at MTS Gallery, 3142 Mt. View Dr., Sat. and Sun. noon to 4; Wed. and Thurs. 5 to 8 pm.

"Miss 100% Pure", by Lisa Gray. Jayne Mansfield, polishing her super-clean image.

"Amelia Earhart", by Lisa Gray.

"Moonshine Mary", by Stephen Gray.

MTS Gallery is in its fifth season bringing fine art, performance and special events and its parent organization, Trailer Art Center is a key part of the revitalization and arts/cultural initiatives of the Mt. View neighborhood.

dance party

Video of breakdance exhibition, set up by Mt. View activist Mao Tosi, part of a recent event at new Midtown Kaladi coffee shop.

credit union 1, ASCA open

CU1 opened their new Mt. View branch as scheduled on June 7th.  When I went by on the way home there were people in the lobby, workers at desks and teller windows and cars in the drive thru lanes.  In a way it looked like it had been there for a long time; in another way I thought, wow!… I never expected to see this here!

A short ways down the block, in the old Sadler Bldg. at Mt. View Dr. and Klevin St. the Alaska State Council on the Arts opened their new office.

It is really great to have both CU1 and ASCA in the neighborhood.

street fair june 26th!

Last year’s Street Fair [Aug. 8, 2009] was an overwhelming success, thanks to a great volunteer planning committee and help from sponsors.  This year, a larger venue and an earlier summer date.  Quite a task to plan and execute an event this large — should pay off in great experiences for all participants.

‘backyard, alaska’ at MTS

Scenes from a multimedia installation by Michael Walsh.  Featuring Alaskan vernacular artifacts; films with historic and environmental images; and soundscapes.  Visit MTS Gallery Sat. and Sun. noon to 4:00; Wed. and Thurs. 5:00 to 8:00 pm — through June 11th.  3142 Mt.View Dr.