Interfacing

Since Nigel has moved in we have gone on two, count ‘em two, outings. This is highly unusual for me. Being out in public, being around people. I think this issue is related to me not being able to register at a new school. I have my comfort zone that I can handle at school and it took a lot to feel OK there and I’m just a little too tired right now to do it again.

But anyway, I got off the bus at North campus and went to two different art shows. One was “Aging With Attitude”. All the artists were elderly or looking to their elderly future. There was some very cool stuff. This was sponsored by the “Blueprint On Aging” agency I was working for until last Thursday.

Then I went over to the “Inmate Art” opening. I saw some people I knew both on the walls and at the show. My old friends Randy and Kim for example. I can use their real names because he does all the framing every year and his name is all over everything. They and their myriad small people were hanging out. I had never even seen these small people before. It’s been a long, long time. I saw Buzz Alexander for the first time since probably 1986. I used to hang out with his kid. I saw a lot of familiar faces that I see around but don’t know personally.

The art was amazing. I only liked about a third of it, but even the stuff I didn’t care for was like getting constantly punched in the stomach. One of the most poorly executed was one of the most intense. Simple coloured pencil. A hooker in fishnets, working the purse, with 666 tattooed on her forehead. Standing next to a 6 eyed, 6 horned devil pimp working a phone and a fax machine. Various minions in the background. titled “Sealed For Life”. My girl can’t really draw but she knew exactly what she wanted to say.
Then there were several pieces by a guy named Frankie Davis. Way out of my price range or I would have bought one on the spot. There is a name for the style but I can’t recall it. Everything is done in coloured pencil. Everything is flat, no depth. No shading. Very stylized. I guess it’s considered some kind of primitive. One was the gardens of Iraq. Another was called “Opening Day” and was a cornfield. The corn is in rows going up, there’s no perspective. Very Incan and Egyptian. Then there were word banners where the crows were discussing the hunting. I can’t describe it, dancing about architecture and all that.
I looked him up on MDOC today. That makes it all the stranger.