Again, we are showing at the farm and anyone is invited. Friday, Saturday, Sunday Oct 17-19 12-6. I have held back some paintings for the show and am in the process of making a few new ones. These will be there.
Sorry but I have to get this out of the way. It is difficult for me to be in a place that has as much character as Old Louisville and then come back to Wisconsin on a dreary day and sift through factory farms in search of something beautiful. I feel like we are living in the age of ugly after spending time around the glorious shotgun shacks in the Germantown neighborhood, or the prestigious Victorian homes near St James Court. It is like we stopped caring about aesthetics. The old farms cared, I seek them out. The new architecture doesn't care. It is ugly. And so too often are the cars, where are food comes from, the way we dress, our politics, our communities, our art, ourselves. Too many of us are ugly. We are living in the age of ugly and I am sick of it. I wonder about the kind of people that live in the older neighborhoods compared to the new ones. What are their values? Does it effect how we live? Is it really that different. Over and over again people tell me my art is peaceful calming and beautiful. A younger version of me would not think this very rebellious, but in reality it is rebellious to be handsome and dignified in our culture of anger and dumbed down efficiency. When I am in Louisville, I always fantasize about living in an old house and making paintings of the neighborhood. I am supported by the people of Louisville, or at least the ones that come to the show. I love its dive bars and character. Its feel and texture.
Anyways, St James Court Art Festival, doesn't attract as many higher end artists. It is large and sprawling but I love it more than many of the top shows in the country. All weekend long I talk with people young and old and just have a good time as I bask in the glory of the Conrad House. I hope everyone else has as much fun as I do. I hope my rant against ugly is not too negative, but from having talked with so many people, I know I am not alone in this.
My travelogue of art shows has concluded. Thank you to everyone who helped me get through this tough year. Thank you to the beautiful and interesting people that float by my booth. Thank you to the people who spend their money on me. Thank you for the privilege of bringing something I made into your homes, I can honestly say it came from my heart, I still have a hard time believing this is all possible. Thank you for those of you who show me photos of paintings they bought that are now in their homes. Thank you for those who share a beer with me. To those who just are encouraging. To those you make me laugh and smile. To those that are amusing. Thank you for the feeling of togetherness in a sometimes isolating world. Thank you for the shared time and experience. I don't understand it but many times this is where I feel most myself.
