grain arts magazine - issue iii

DUBUQUE AREAARTS COLLECTIVE Arts / Issue III

Ivonne SimondsCreative DirectorLayout Designer

Bob Bucko JrBoard President / RuixEditor / Feature writer

Michelle BechenBoard Member Feature writer

Rick Eagle Board Member Ruix / Music Series

Angela Ventris Board Member Master Level Idea Generator

Amanda Reynolds Board Member

Jessica Weis Vice PresidentFeature writer

Mallory Heims DAAC Member

Matt HohmannBoard Member Sound Engineer

OTHER CONTRIBUTORS & VOLUNTEERS:

Andrea N. BeckerFeature writer

Andrea BeckerCreative Writer, DAAC Member

Paul KurutsidesVideo Producer & Feature writer

Nick BrimeyerDAAC Member

Laura KlavitterDAAC Volunteer

Crescentia (Volz) MelloDAAC Volunteer

Tiger TorresDAAC Volunteer

Jon EagleBoard Member / RuixBlogger, podcast Host

Drew BissellBoard Member Ruix / Music Series

Dominic VelandoDAAC Member Editor / Feature writer

BECOME A MEMBER / VOLUNTEER!

- Plan Events & Programming- Curate / Hang Exhibits- Write Articles- Design Layout- Pitch-in Ideas- Do gallery hours- Meet awesome people AND MORE!

CREATIVE TEAM

Becoming a DAAC member & volunteer is easy. Email us at [email protected], and tell us a little (or a lot) about you and what you do. Attend our monthly meetings, and join the fun!

ABOUT US

We kicked off the summer accepting submissions for the eARTh exhibit, which focused on work addressing environmental issues and/or made from recycled materials. We received hundreds of amazing submissions from Galena, IL to NYC to Africa. The final selections contributed to what we’ve been told was our strongest show yet.

WHAT’S GOING ON AT THE DUBUQUE AREA ARTS COLLECTIVE?

FOR MORE MORE INFO, CONTACT US AT:

902 Main StreetDubuque IA - 52001OPEN SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS FROM 12 TO 4PM)

DAartscollective.com [email protected]

VISUAL ARTS & COMMUNITY OUTREACH

In July, we worked with the Washington Community Garden to help create garden signage and plan other creative projects for next growing season. We also hosted an online photo contest, in which participants highlighted the beauty of the Washington Neighborhood and downtown Dubuque. We produced a short film documenting our successful “What Makes You Happy?” art project from Dubuquefest 2014, and continued to support and feature developing and established artists and musicians through our exhibits and events.

EARTH EXHIBIT:

This exhibit showcases unique and contemporary perspectives on environmental topics as well as unexpected and sophisticated use of recycled and found materials.

DAAC MUSIC SERIES, RUIX ZINE AND PODCAST:

The new issue of Ruix Zine introduced a focus on local and regional music, in support of our Music Series, in which the DAAC hosts semi-regular shows in the DIY spirit. These shows are being documented through audio and video recording, and we are also conducting interviews with select artists for our archives, as well as for broadcast on regional cable television. Keep your eyes peeled and ears open this fall for more concerts featuring excellent touring and local bands of all genres.

In addition to our quarterly zine, there is also a weekly blog and monthly pod cast, where you can find information on upcoming events, alongside observations on the state of local music and art. We also we sit down with our favorite area musicians and artists and chew the fat. You can find Ruix Podcast on iTunes.

IN THIS ISSUE:

We showcase work from the Earth Exhibit, including Jave Gakumei Yoshimoto’s multi-colored screen prints that won “best of show.” In the spirit of the eARTh show, we continue our exploration of the show’s themes by taking a closer look at some of the work from eARTh. We also introduce you to new artists like painter Tony Cavallo, who will never be accused of actively trying to reduce his carbon footprint, and yet truly recycles and reuses as a way of life, not as an activist but as part of his monk-like pursuit of perfecting his craft. Also, Dubuque’s own Jessica Weis, whose work was featured in the eARTH exhibit, details how to create impressively high quality ink from thing you can find in your backyard.

Last but not least, we choose the winners of our Instagram photo contest: Nature and Architecture in Downtown Dubuque. One Dubuquer might not expect to define a cell phone pic as “moving,” but just see for yourself what one Dubuque and an iPhone can do.

On Behalf of the Team,

Dominic Velando

CONTENTS

1. DIY:ORGANIC HUESHow To Make Natural PaintsBy Jessica Weis,

3.VISITING STUDIO:TONY CAVALLOBy Dominic Velando

7-10INSTAGRAM PHOTO CONTEST:NATURE AND ARCHITECTURE IN DOWNTOWN DUBUQUE

11.COMMUNITY ART PROJECT:ROTTO GROTTO

13-22EARTH EXHIBIT: FEATURED ARTISTSJave Gakumei YoshimotoThomas AgranCarole SpelicJeremy Rudd

23. ART AND DESIGN:SLOW PRINTLetter press CooperativeBy Peter Fraterdeus

25. UPCYCLE CENTER:MAKE IT YOURSBig Upcycling in Small Town IowaBy Dominic Velando

27.CULTURE:THE MEDICINE BAND ROCK OPERA: Stories of Native Americans in the HeartlandBy Michelle Bechen

29.MUSIC:FREEDOM FROM FUELAn International Music Tour By BicycleBy Bob Bucko JR

31.VIDEO PRODUCTION: LOW BUDGET FILMMAKINGBy Paul Kurutsides

DIY:Organic Hues

A rtists have been

making there own pigments for thousands of years. To put it in perspective, chemically derived paints have only been available for the past 100 years. All of our past masterpieces, from the ancient drawings that adorn the walls of France’s Chauvet Cave to Monet’s Water lilies, were made using naturally derived pigments. If it were not for our ancestor’s creative ingenuity, and intimate knowledge of the natural world, we would not have such great masterpieces to enjoy and learn from.

“We have so many conveniences at our disposal where we have lost control on how things are made or where they come from.”

It has come to a point, though, where our culture has taken what our ancestors learned for granted or as old fashioned. We have so many conveniences at our disposal where we have lost control on how things are made or where they come from. As a whole our society has become out of touch with our natural world, and it is up to us to reconnect. Making our own materials gives us back control and unbelievable satisfaction on an instinctual level.

“In this article I will show you how to make a simple ink pigment. These can be used for pens or as a watercolor paint medium.”

In this article I will show you how to make a simple ink pigment. These can be used for pens or as a watercolor paint medium. If dried, you can mix with egg whites to make tempura paint or with linseed oil to make oil paints. But let’s begin with the pigment. Pigments can be derived from a plethora of organic material. A good general rule of thumb is if it stains your clothes it can be made into a pigment. In this article we will be focusing on four inks. I will show you four different plants that will each give us a different color to give you a good pallet to start from.

HOW TO MAKE NATURAL PAINTS

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

- Organic material (Fruits, leafs, or anything you can think of)- Salt- Vinegar- Cookie sheet- Mortar and pestle (or a blunt edge to crush berries)- Glass measuring cup- Strainer- Cheesecloth- A jar to store your ink in (baby food jars, small mason jars, bouillon cube jars, etc.)

Simple inks are just that, simple to make. They can be made easily with a few ingredients. For the above inks, all you need is the organic material, then vinegar and salt as a preservative (so they will not go rancid). So let’s get started.

BLUE:Blueberry

RED/PINK:Cranberry

PURPLE:Mulberry

GREEN:Spinach(or green leafs):

COLORS:

1 GRAIN Issue 3 daartscollective.com

If you have a mortar and pestle that would work great, if not, put them in a bowl and grind them with a blunt edge. Once you have all the juice extracted, filter the juice through your cheesecloth. Once strained, pour it into your ink jar of choice. Baby food jars work well or whatever you have around the house. Once the juice is in the jar add 1 teaspoon vinegar and 1 teaspoon of salt and stir or shake vigorously.

“Take a hike, go to a park, or a wooded area you are familiar with. Become comfortable with your environment. Do not be afraid of the species around and don’t be afraid to study and explore the plants.”

To make the green leaf ink is just as simple, but will require a more lengthy process. Once you have your leaves picked, put them into a slow cooker and fill with just enough water to cover the leaves. Let this cook on slow all day, about 12 hours. You want to extract every bit of green pigment you can. Once done, strain the liquid through a cheesecloth lined strainer, add your salt and vinegar and done!

Voila! You have ink! You now have endless hours of watercoloring fun and the satisfaction of creating it naturally! Enjoy!

F irst you will want to forage

your materials. Take a hike, go to a park, or a wooded area you are familiar with. Become comfortable with your environment. Do not be afraid of the species around and don’t be afraid to study and explore the plants. Wild berries are quit common in our area. From wild raspberry, blueberry, poke, elderberry, buckthorn, blackberry, and wild grape, plus many more. With each berry yielding a different color. You would be surprised that wild blueberry gives you a blue-green pigment, or that wild high bush cranberry will give you orange. Pick many different varieties and experiment. See what colors you get, that is part of the fun in it.

“All of our past masterpieces, from the ancient drawings that adorn the walls of France’s Chauvet Cave to Monet’s Water lilies, were made using naturally derived pigments”

Once you have your berries you want to work with. Wash them and lay them flat on a cookie sheet and freeze them for 5-6 hours or until frozen. Once frozen put them in a glass measuring cup with a pour spout and let them thaw. Once thawed pour off the juice into a separate container. With the rest of the pulp you will want to crush and squeeze the rest of the juice from the berry.

TIP:If the color is not dark enough for you, leave the jar sit a day or two with the lid off. Let some of the water evaporate from the pigment, in turn reducing it down and concentrating those pigments.

Images and Content By Jessica Weis

DUBUQUE AREA ARTS COLLECTIVE 2

TONY CAVALLO

VISITING STUDIO Buffalo, Iowa

3 GRAIN Issue 3

TONY CAVALLO

While the small town of Buffalo, Iowa sleeps, a highly-caffeinated Tony Cavallo pours paint recovered from the local landfill onto meticulously angled old paint brushes, baby food jars and a pastel-colored cross that says “Jesus loves me” (which he asserts was chosen for its shape and not any religious connotations), then stands back to watch it dry. He’s studying the science of how the pools of paint interact with each other as they flow, merge and push like cloud formations. The intensity of his stare comes from real hunger, as his art serves as a currency to trade for food and the basic resources he needs to survive.

For someone like Cavallo, basic resources don’t just include food, clothing and shelter. Sometimes artwork pays for a chance to peruse a friend’s garage for unwanted cans of latex or spray paint, household products, tools, scraps of wood; it all comes back to the work. Cavallo hasn’t worked a 9 to 5 in years, but he works hard just the same, drawing portraits of bar patrons for $20 a pop, dumpster diving, taking advantage of the recycling program at the landfill that gives away free paint and household products, self-promoting around town and on Facebook. Regardless, his efforts all lead up to these moments: focused, uninterrupted painting sessions.

It’s a strange existence to the general public, especially in corn and football country. Most people run from isolation and work to support their hobbies. Even if your whole life does revolve around making things by yourself in a basement, you could get a job so that you can get your supplies at the store and avoid all the garbage sifting and bartering. What works for Cavallo is quite the opposite. “If I bought this stuff new, it would constantly be produced and then thrown in the garbage with all the other stuff,” he explains. “So, I’m just going back through all the garbage and finding all the stuff I need that someone else threw away and not buying it. It’s more efficient. It just makes sense that way.”

“It’s weird to them,” he comments, regarding his finely-honed skill for finding what he needs where others might not suspect. “They think it’s my secret, but it’s not my anything.

It’s just something I’m doing because I had to figure it out through the survival of needing the stuff and not having the money.”Looking around his studio, whatever he’s doing to support his artistic endeavors, it’s working. Most of the catacomb-like expanse of concrete is enshrouded in darkness and dotted with pools of dirty water, but the actual work space is poised and ready. Various well-lit work surfaces, cans of every shape and size, mirrors and cabinets. Hand tools range from screwdrivers to melon ballers. There are kitschy wreaths and life-sized rubber rats with orange-painted eyes under a glass serving dome. A length of human spine and a noose hang on the wall, looking as utilitarian as an extension cord.

“Swaths of pale yellow, red and pink branch out with hair-thin tendrils forming at the edges, and as the whole mess organizes itself, the result is organic enough to resemble a clean cut of fresh, red meat.”

Now in position at the first work station, he dives in, drizzling gloppy house paint right onto a cabinet door/canvas. Paint spills from several different messy, gallon-sized cans into a white coffee cup. A deliberate turning and angling of the cup creates a swirl. There’s no blending, just tree rings and spiraled stripes of pure color.

Now, the paints get deposited back onto the canvas, retaining the swirls and


patterns, but they morph as the paint spreads. “It’s getting comfortable in its new home,” he explains. Swaths of pale yellow, as the paint spreads. “It’s getting comfortable in its new home,” he explains. Swaths of pale yellow, red and pink branchout with hair-thin tendrils forming at the edges, and as the whole mess organizes itself, the result is organic enough to resemble a clean cut of fresh, red meat.

“Cavallo closes the distance and pours deliberately, and as it streams down, he watches hungrily, wary not to miss a single moment.”

What I don’t realize is that I’m witnessing a warm up for the next station and my first in-depth look at the techniques Cavallo has been developing for a couple years now. It all started as he labored on a commissioned painting that took countless hours. Working on this painting consumed almost a year of his life, and in that time, he broke up the monotony by experimenting on his palette. “Studies in wasted paint,” he calls them, which if translated into some French idiom, could probably really catch on. “This abstract, heavy-paint-pouring process is not like sitting down with a brush and trying to make an image,” he asserts. “That’s an illusion. This is not an illusion.“

Cavallo takes one last puff on his cigarette. The scene that awaits on the main stage resembles a skate park, or even an American Gladiator event. Blocks line the arena, barricading in whatever is about to happen. Cavallo doesn’t approach center stage directly, but circles and glares. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen this at a bar moments before someone gets sucker-punched, or maybe in some David Attenborough-narrated scene in which a big cat digs into and hangs from the meaty haunches of a wildebeest.

While the artist paces and makes the final preparations, I take a moment to fiddle with my camera. When I look again, milky white paint pours down onto the cross. The smooth new liquid skin melts away the hard edges and it’s as satisfying to watch as it is dramatic. Cavallo fades back as the ripples coast outward.

More tai chi with the coffee cup of paint now to get the right pattern of black, red and white. My eye recognizes the physical

movements as well-practiced and delivered to from the brain to the body from a space of mental clarity. Cavallo closes the distance and pours deliberately, and as it streams down, he watches hungrily, wary not to miss a single moment. Medium flows down a paintbrush ramp and spreads out onto the field. From a different angle enters a new mix of uniquely spun colors. Now it’s a party.

The energy in the room waxes and wanes. With every pour, I swoop in and hover as close to the action as possible. It slows to a trickle, and the artist fades back again to meditate on the work. Fatigue sets in. We’re approaching the dead of night. Yet, every new pour washes over any awareness of time. The room takes in a deep breath. The experience is hypnotizing, enlivening, strange.

I can tell we’re getting close. There’s a boldly colored octopus stretched out across the canvas now, flat as glass, definitely moving, but too slow to observe. It catches a pure white


glare at the right angle. I’m admiring it when the artist reaches in and rests his chunky blue rubber fingers on one of the jars. After about two breaths, he carefully gives it a half turn and pulls it free. It leaves a wormhole, and there’s a moment of suspense as it takes just a second longer than I expect for it to be swallowed it up forever. Cavallo lifts the other objects one by one, leaving no trace that they were ever there.

Something stirs in me and I ask, “Are you gonna leave the cross?”

So he leaves the cross, but he’s not done. For the grand finale, the blocks come away and the octopus escapes the canvas out onto what Cavallo reveals is another canvas underneath. The next painting will contain some of this one’s DNA.

He pulls at his gloves and breaks out a cigarette. Even the way this guy smokes, he’s steadily working. We pace around, commenting on details that stand out.

Content and images by Dominic Velando


GRAIN SPONSOR:

Cavallo points out a couple spots he wished had occurred differently, but he also feels that there are more important things at stake. “I just have to trust the style I’ve come up with,” he says. “I’m not better than the style. I’m not better than what gonna happen in nature. Any attempts to go back in here and refine something will only look like I tried to refine something.”

I can relate. During the conceptualizing phase of this article, the plan was to shine a light on some Captain Planet Picasso activist whose story ties in beautifully with this issue’s theme of environmental topics. That’s not what I got with Cavallo, and he could never be pigeonholed into that. He doesn’t rock a mullet or a brush. And you sure as hell won’t hear him utter words “upcycle” or “sustainability.”

“I can tell we’re getting close. There’s a boldly colored octopus stretched out across the canvas now, flat as glass, definitely moving, but too slow to observe. “

There’s certainly merit to middle-America’s newfound interest in these concepts, but Pinterest really has nothing on a man who repurposes for survival. This is not to disparage those who like to eat regularly, keep their bills paid and treat art as a luxury. It’s just that when you’re describing a daily practice, an imperative reaction to starvation of the body, let alone the spirit, the buzzwords don’t fit the same. This is a man who addresses these issues by wielding the practices of reusing and repurposing like a rifle and a canteen. All creative people access this instinct to varying degrees. They transform warehouses into studios, human skulls into fine art, and of course, turn household objects into cuter household objects and post the results on the Internet.

“I’m in a perfectly fine pit,” Cavallo says. “[I] partially put myself there, partially need to be there.” He goes on to explain that the studies he’s executed in the last couple of years were expendable, but he’s reached a point in this long journey where he’s ready to put a price on them. He assures me that pricing his work doesn’t isn’t based on what he actually thinks it’s worth. All proceeds go to food, gas and better quality paint. Perhaps he’s had enough of the pit. Living there certainly

“This abstract, heavy-paint-pouring process is not like sitting down with a brush and trying to make an image,” he asserts. “That’s an illusion. This is not an illusion.“

comes with its own price. For now, he’s willing to pay it, one painting at a time. “It’s so draining and it takes so long,” he admits. “Each piece isn’t really worth maybe what you got out of it, or what I got out of it by making it, but each one gets better. As long as each one gets better, I’m not gonna stop.”

7

@insidedecorrental

@saracamilleheffernen

@mejess22

GRAIN Issue 3 daartscollective.com

INSTAGRAMPHOTO CONTESTWinner photographs

CATEGORIES: Abstract, Nature, Hidden Beauty, Architecture, and Pollution.

Dubuque Area Arts Collective hosted an Instagram photo contest, along with the Washington Neighborhood Community Garden, to highlight the

unique blend of nature and architecture in Dubuque’s downtown and Washington Neighborhood. Community members of all ages were encouraged to capture creative images with mobile devices. Photos where submitted through Instagram with the hashtag #daacphotocontest.


@mejess22

9 GRAIN Issue 3

@yooneak1

@saracamilleheffernen@carolynscherf

@gabriela_rose36 @floatingcave

@sjalbertsen

@sjalbertsen

INSTAGRAMPHOTO CONTESTWinner photographs


@squigglyboop

COMMUNITY ART PROJECTDubuque, IA

T he midwest is home to the largest concentration of grottos in the world, including the world’s largest, the Grotto of the Redemption, in West Bend, Iowa. Not only that, but one of the most popular grotto-making materials, geodes, is found more abundantly in our Iowan soil than anywhere else on the planet. Rotto Grotto is a project that aims to bring attention to this rich and fascinating tradition, and to provide the city of Dubuque with a modern take on the ancient art form.

Over the course of a year I will be creating 5 bathtub grottos (a spin-off of the traditional Bathtub Madonnas found planted in yards throughout the midwest), which will be installed in various publicly accessible locations in Dubuque in the Spring of 2016. The bathtubs will be collaged with traditional grotto materials such as shells, geodes and broken pottery, but will also include vintage midwest

Get in touch if you have anything to share - your support and input will help this project succeed!

[email protected] follow along at:

facebook.com/rottogrotto

“I believe the city of Dubuque is ripe for new public folk art, and I’m excited to update a traditional art form for a contemporary audience while helping Dubuquers connect to their local history. “

ephemera and modern “waste” items such as plastic bottles, cell phones, toys, hair brushes, etc. I will also be making a short film about midwestern grottos including interviews with other grotto makers and owners.

I believe the city of Dubuque is ripe for new public folk art, and I’m excited to update a traditional art form for a contemporary audience while helping Dubuquers connect to their local history. I need your support with materials and monetary donations, securing publicly accessible grotto sites, and insight into local grotto folklore.

11 GRAIN Issue 3

A COMMUNITY PROJECTIN DUBUQUE, IA

# Lear n ab o ut Lo cal g rottosI N D U B U QU E AN D TH E m i dwest#SHAR E A G ROTTO

D I D YO U MAKE O N E O R KN OW SO M ETH I N GSPECIAL AB O UT O N E?

#Co ntr i b ute to a n ew g rottoD O NATE MATER IALS TO B E USED FO R N EWBATHTU B G ROTTOS TO B E I NSTALLED I N D U B U QU E I N SPR I N G 201 6

TO LEAR N M O R E VISIT FACEB O O K.CO M/ROTTO G ROTTOO R EMAI L B.KACAN DA@G MAI L.CO M

th is proj ect is su ppo rted, i n part, by th e i owa arts co u n ci l, a d ivisi o n o f th e i owa d epartm ent o f cu ltu ral affai rs, an d th e nati o nal en d owm ent fo r th e arts


# Lea r n a b o ut Lo ca l g rottosI N D U B U QU E AN D TH E m i dwest#SHAR E A G ROTTO



TO LEA R N M O R E VISIT FACEB O O K.CO M/ROTTO G ROTTOO R EMA I L B.KACAN DA@G MAI L.CO M

th is proj ect is su ppo rted, i n part, by th e i owa arts co u n ci l, a d ivisi o n o f th e i owa d epartm ent o f cu ltu ral affai rs, an d th e nati o nal en d owm ent fo r th e arts






th is proj ect is su ppo rted, i n part, by th e i owa arts co u n ci l, a d ivisi o n o f th e i owa d epartm ent o f cu ltu ral affai rs, an d th e nati o nal en d owm ent fo r th e a rts






th is proj ect is su ppo rted, i n part, by th e i owa arts co u n ci l, a d ivisi o n o f th e i owa d epartm ent o f cu ltu ral affai rs, an d th e nati o nal en d owm ent fo r th e a rts

Content and Art by Becca Kacanda

13 GRAIN Issue 3

EARTH EXHIBITFEATURING BEST IN SHOW AND HONORABLE MENTIONS.PAGES 13 TO 22

Exhibit showcases unique and contemporary perspectives on environmental topics as well as unexpected and sophisticated use of recycled and found materials.

Interviews by Andrea N. Becker

EARTH EXHIBIT BEST IN SHOW“Venus” Cover ImageOmaha, Nebraska

JAVE GAKUMEI YOSHIMOTO

javeyoshimoto.com


1. Explain your media choice and how it is relevant to your work and process. I identify myself as mainly a painter, who uses gouache as the main medium to paint flat color block fields to create my compositions. I began to create serigraphy in the past year because some of my art colleagues felt my work would translate well in screen-printing. I began to experiment and broke down my painting backwards to figure out how to print one color at a time. It was a very different type of a thought process than painting. I initially started out with solid black contour lines, hand coloring in these black prints to create a hybrid painting/print but once I figured out a system that worked for myself, I moved on to full fledged multi-colored hand pulled screen prints.

2. How do you think the media flooding us with information affects the way we respond to disasters? We live in a fast digital information world, and we have access to an abundance of information that comes very easily in our pockets at our convenience. Problem is, with the oversaturation of such information, and this information being stacked one on top of another, it loses the impact- the power and the importance- of the news we view. It is very similar to shopping at a warehouse grocery store and just having too many options to look at. It’s very easy for us to disregard the thing that does not interest our minds right away, even if it is something we should be paying attention to.

3. Your work juxtaposes natural disaster and digital events (maybe disasters, too). How do these concepts work together for you? Natural disasters are something I observed digitally through the computer, cell phone, television news, etc., so it made sense for me to translate these images found digitally through my works. I’ve had training in graphic design for a short period of time, so my style is somewhat influenced by the aesthetics of vector drawing applications.

4. You mention that art should be made accessible to viewers -- do you think that art can make us more sensitive to the human struggle, even when it takes place somewhere very distant? How?

I have an academic training in my background and one thing that I noticed often was how highly “academic work” and “high art world” works can be alienating to the general public. While a good work should be a riddle that cannot be resolved easily (or perhaps never), I think some works can be more effective with a more direct, literal message. The general public isn’t necessarily aware of art and art history, and they don’t want a history lesson. What I think the people want to see is a story that they can relate to on a very human and personal level. Art is a visual language that can cross many countries and barriers, and so can empathy. I would like to think that deep down, we, as humans, are creatures who care about the larger community and look out for one another. I am hoping that my works can bridge that cultural gap, regardless of wherever people are struggling in the world.

JAVE GAKUMEI YOSHIMOTO“Venus” Omaha, Nebraska

EARTH EXHIBIT HONORABLE MENTION“Postcards from Iowa”Iowa City, Iowa

THOMAS AGRAN

17 GRAIN Issue 3

1. Explain your media choice and how it is relevant to your work and process.

The two pieces in this show take alternate tacks in visualizing my distress with the Midwestern industrialized agricultural landscape. Most of my work consists of mixed media paintings. I have been using desaturation, aggressive handling, ripping, tearing, scratching, scraping, and so on, in an attempt to illustrate the industrialized landscape using similar processes in how it is created. Farming in this state has an elegant brutality that goes unnoticed, disguised in nostalgia, and so using these processes help shed light on the landscape I see when I put the fuzzy feelings in check. The postcards were made using a serial process which felt like a natural fit with the uniformity and predictability of our landscape of corn and soy.

2. You mention the similarities between commercial agriculture and the wonder of a botanical garden. Explain how, in your opinion, these differ and how they might affect each other.

The seed demonstration plots are summaries of our current landscape. So long as our state values this kind of absurd monoculture, the natural polycultures of our state will continue to diminish. Corn and soy may be plants in the ground - innocent enough - but they, and the practices that surround them, are in direct conflict with the natural landscape. True botanical gardens feature the diversity, and thus resiliency, of the natural landscape. Anyone driving a country road in this state can sense the unnerving absence of resiliency.

3. You allow your viewers to modify your art and manipulate your intended message for their own purposes. How does this feel as an artist? Is there a certain message that, in conjunction with viewers, you hope to send to the second wave of viewers (the recipients)?

It feels great as an artist! I mostly paint pieces that end up hanging statically on a wall. These paintings bring me great joy, don’t get me wrong, but I like the idea of letting the dog off the leash now and then. I hope that some viewers are receptive to the statement that surrounds the postcards, and choose to share that message, but if all they do is send an unrelated note to a friend, that brings me pleasure as well. Nothing better than real mail.

thomasagran.com

1. Explain your media choice and how it is relevant to your work and process.

One of the things I very much enjoy about being an artist in the post-modern era is the complete freedom we have in selecting materials to use in our work. I’ve been reusing materials in my artwork for as long as I can remember. In grad school I created large drawings on pasted-together computer print-outs – remember the rolls with the perforated edges? I spent many years creating sculptures with paper maché made from junk mail and shredded office paper. This summer I’m making weavings with rug yarn samples I discovered being thrown out on the street in New York City. Found materials are inspirational - what do they want to become? – and of course there are economic advantages to not purchasing traditional art supplies!

2 The tzompantli is a cultural item. How has its cultural context influenced and affected your work?

Tzompantli were originally a way for a ruler to display the skulls of his slain opponents (or the losing team of a ceremonial ball game). It seems gruesome, but there was an element of respect in this tradition, as the skull was seen as the essence of the person, and as long as the skull continued to be seen, the individual would not be forgotten. Today, the skull is having a hot moment in popular culture. Is there a bridge between the Mesoamerican pre-Columbian culture and the Hello Kitty Skull? What does she stand for? Knowing more about various cultures invites a deeper contemplation of contemporary artifact… and that’s fun!

EARTH EXHIBIT HONORABLE MENTION“Shopping Bag Tzompantli”Platteville, Wisconsin

CAROLE SPELIC

3. Recycling grocery bags, items that contribute to both life and death on earth, are an interesting artistic device here, as the skulls also represent both life and death. Plastic bags are also becoming more and more of an issue in society today (Do we stop using them, recycle them, or do our actions even make a difference?) -- what is your take on the issue of plastic and how it affects the quality of life on earth?

Plastic is certainly a double-edged sword.I’m thinking of the computer I’m typing this on and how amazing it is to communicate and share information anywhere, anytime – but much of the computer is plastic. Does that make it bad? Bad enough to not own a laptop? We definitely have a responsibility to be aware of our consumption of plastic and maximize our reuse, whether it’s by rinsing our zip-top sacks and sending them around again, or including plastic elements in our artwork. Our actions DO make a difference.

4. Your work also evokes the sense of a global community. What messages do you hope to convey through art that are relevant to humans as a whole?

We luckily live in a world where awareness of the multiplicity of civilizations is accessible to so many of us. Not just people in different places today, but across time. Cultures come and go. Languages, rituals, and symbols develop, are shared, and forgotten. Be curious about all of it! Absorb the elements that resonate for you deeply and respectfully. Enjoy the exploration!


EARTH EXHIBIT HONORABLE MENTION“Take and Give”Dyersville, iowa

JEREMY RUDD

21 GRAIN Issue 3

1. Explain your media choice and how it is relevant to your work and process. Wood exemplifies a meeting of the natural and manmade world. A tree grows and adapts to the environment and conditions where it is. The record of that life is evident in the material itself through the grain patterns, knots, limbs, and coloration. A tree can easily be felled, squared, planed, and made straight to conform to my needs as a maker. However, I must always be aware of the material’s living qualities, its need to move and its ability to flex, as well as be rigid. For me the process of creating with this material is challenging and forces you to think about and balance your needs and your material’s needs. In this piece specifically, wood is both the organic and manmade element, as well as the structure for the case.

2. Your work is very light in appearance but addresses a topic with heavy implications: please tell us more about this stylistic choice! I would say this piece is built delicately. The display case is part of the piece as well and lends to the idea that the object is fragile and precious. The thin legs are precarious and I think this reflects my own sense of the topic. I think of this piece like a terrarium, an isolated example of an ecological phenomenon. The overall design also mimics an hourglass - self-contained and finite time.

The goal of any artwork is to create a personal experience. The scale of this piece is intimate and personal. While the topic is large with dire implications, the subject is one that should be close to the viewer, inviting them to scrutinize and examine.

3. The transfer and restructuring of resources is coming to light as a very real issue for more and more people every day. What, in your opinion, are some of the most disturbing uses of resources today? The scariest? Why? This work is one of several inspired by the use and misuse of fresh water resources. This is by far the biggest concern I have living in an agricultural community. Many resources that are being consumed can be replenished fairly quickly on ecological timescales or can be done without if need be, but fresh clean water is not one of them. The drain on our aquifers in the last 50 years or so is now having real effects as municipal wells are starting to show signs of stress and the timeline for replenishment is far beyond our sight, let alone our plans to grow and expand. California is a prime example of a system built on non-sustainable water usage that was propped up by one of the wettest centuries on record. Now the land is returning to its own balance and man continues to try and grow crops out of their zones. All over the world the land forms of irrigation agriculture are drawing water up to increase land productivity, displacing both natural habitat and depleting the most important natural resource humans need.

jruddartanddesign.com

22DUBUQUE AREA ARTS COLLECTIVE

Dear friends

of SlowPrint

ART AND DESIGN:Letter press CooperativeDubuque, Iowa

If this doesn’t work, and very quickly, it will be the end of the line for this shop, which started in 1978-79 in my dad’s garage in Evanston Illinois. Our work at SlowPrint has been recognized as some of the finest letterpress printing in the business. We continue to get regular repeat business from an appreciative clientele, but with increased competition in the past couple of years, we just cannot feasibly do it alone. Cooperation and asset sharing is our best shot at providing services which will keep SlowPrint alive.

“ Our shop is well equipped to take on just about any substantial type of project one might want to do, and with our combined expertise and decades of experience, we are able to produce more than any of us could separately! ”The vision is to find printers and designers who would join us in a cooperative venture which would provide its members access to SlowPrint’s two “Original” Heidelberg 10x15 Windmills, Vandercook 219 (19”x26” bed), Miehle V36 Vertical cylinder (13”x19” bed), C&P 10x15, 33” Challenge Guillotine, 19” Challenge hydraulic trimmer, substantial collection of both foundry and woodtype, two iron standing presses, and our Interflex A4 photopolymer platemaker. Our shop is well equipped to take on just about any substantial type of project one might want to do, and with our combined expertise and decades of experience, we are able to produce more than any of us could separately!

The goal is to create a cooperatively owned facility–perhaps it would be called SlowPrint Letterpress & Design Cooperative. As a member-designer, the co-op would become your ‘in-house’ letterpress and production house. You’d be welcome to come in person for press-checks, (and even learn to print in periodic workshops), or to engage a printer-member to produce your job under our master printer’s guidance. SlowPrint’s renowned for our world-class letterpress quality. As a cooperative member-printer, you’d be able to take on projects which

exceed the capacity of your own presses, or come and experiment with our wood type, dampen paper, make your polymer plates, and schedule press time at our facility in Dubuque, Iowa (90 minutes from Madison or Iowa City, etc), where one could come and produce the work, or arrange with another member to do the printing. We’d work with local members to find couch-surfs or beds for visiting printers. Members would also be able to teach classes, as well as attend workshops. Members would be able to market the work produced under their own names. Projects would be priced according to cooperative principles, ie time, materials, overhead and a small profit margin for sustainability.

“ As a member-designer, the co-op would become your ‘in-house’ letterpress and production house. You’d be welcome to come in person for press-checks, (and even learn to print in periodic workshops), or to engage a printer-member to produce your job under our master printer’s guidance. ” If you, or someone you know, shares the cooperative vision, and can take the time to help see it become a reality, please jump in now! If this campaign fails, the shop will be sold privately, or dispersed on the auction block.

Peter FraterdeusFounder, SlowPrint Letterpress Studio

Slowprint.comfraterdeus.com

THINGS ARE CHANGING AT

SLOW PRINT LETTERPRESS

STUDIO IN DUBUQUE...

We are exploring ways to preserve our facility as a common good, and

community cultural and technical asset. We’re at a

crossroads, and can only continue with the support

and commitment of our larger letterpress and

design community.

23 GRAIN Issue 3

GRAIN SPONSORS:

UPCYCLE CENTER:Welton Iowa


MAKE IT YOURS

“I really think it’s necessary and I

think that people need to learn that we don’t have to

buy something new every time we want

it. We don’t have to be a disposable

society.”

BIG UPCYCLING IN SMALL TOWN IOWA

Images and Content By Dominic Velando


Traveling at 70 mph on Highway 61, it takes less than a minute to blow right past Welton, IA. There’s one gas station, one antique shop and one bar, which is also their one restaurant. And they used to have one ice cream parlor, but that was years ago. Well, now Welton can claim one of something quite rare anywhere in the world: a creative reuse center.

Owner Ann Lenth has big plans for the Make It Yours Upcycle Center. Her last business venture, the successful Annie M’s collectible shop, which specialized in Wizard of Oz fare, attracted mail order business from as far as New York. And if her annual “TotoFest” is any indication (a weekend long annual event featuring original munchkins as special guests), Lenth tends to take her hobbies to the next level.

Over the years, collecting led to crafting, which is one of her newer interests. “I, until eight years ago, thought I was incapable of anything artistic,” she confesses. Once she discovered that she was indeed quite capable, she attended crafting retreats, seminars and has even taught her own workshops.

Along her journey, Ann discovered creative reuse centers. “Typically not for profit, these business accept donations of particular interest to artists, crafters and collectors, and then sells the goods by the pound. Reusable Usables in LeClaire, IA is a fine example that also features a classroom and holds workshops. Shopping these centers creates an experience somewhere between thrifting, antiquing and browsing a craft store, often with at least a hint of environmental activism warm fuzzies”.

After traveling to reuse centers throughout the country and lots of research and planning, her very own reuse center has become a reality. It’s modest housed in a newly built shed about twenty feet long from front to back but the pieces have fallen into place. She’s partnered with a non profit in Maquoketa, and the donations are plentiful. “Everybody from every walk of life wants to donate, and that’s because everybody has stuff,” Lenth comments as we tour the future classroom. It was once her crafting studio, but it’s currently serving as overflow space for donations, which are piled high. She laughs as she admits, “This used to be so pretty,” and then states more confidently, “It will be again someday. It’s a nice facility when I get it all done. This will be the classroom eventually.”

Most of what has been sorted into the retail store is standard crafting material buttons, rubber stamps, craft paint. But there are definitely glimpses of some magic happening, particularly the supplies donated from local schools. She calls the

program “Locker Leftovers.” Her intent is to give back by offering a monthly sale where teachers can bring their ID and a reusable bag and fill the bag once for free. This was inspired when she learned just how much teachers often spend out of their own pockets for school supplies.

And It’s those kind of discoveries that inspired the center. Lenth expresses honesty and humility when it comes to the reality that crafting and collecting go hand in hand with massive amounts of waste. Traveling to urban areas, discussions with local waste commissions and hours of research further affirmed her desire to make a difference. “The whole thing has really been an eye opener for me. And I thought I was aware of things...I really feel that I have been called, that I have been led to this. Maybe my love of crafting, maybe being a little bit of a hoarder...it made me dig deeper.

“I really think it’s necessary and i think that people need to learn that we don’t have to buy something new every time we want it. We don’t have to be a disposable society.”

Creative reuse centers like Lenth’s provide opportunities to make different choices, think in terms of reusability, support local educators and develop a greater appreciation for the arts. In this way, Make It Yours connects a little corner of society off the highway to something much bigger.

If you are a fan of local music, you are probably familiar with Dean Wellman. Dean has been involved with many bands over the years, including The Pojamas, The Truman Factor, and Sun Green. His most recent production with The Medicine Band is a rock opera that tells the stories of Native Americans in the Heartland. In the past 15 years, he has used painting and drawing, film, music, and sound and TV production to convey different messages. Recently, we sat around and spoke about his continuing journey with art.

1. How does art impact the world?

I think art is an interpretation of the world surrounding the artist. Many ideas and concepts can be expressed in a wide variety of ways. From cave drawings to other unconventional art, an artist will notice the finer details in the world and bring them to life through color, brush stroke, music, or story. We often overlook the art we see every day, like masonry, landscaping, and typography. Art tells a story and can often be interpreted in very different ways by people, thus impacting different people on different levels.

2. How did this production by The Medicine Band come about?

While working on Greendale (a Neil Young rock opera), I decided I wanted to spend time and energy on an original musical experience. With my background in art, I am able to create an original set design. I’ve always enjoyed the study of Native American cultures, their reverence for nature and how that related to a tribal society. I wanted to explore how that reverence relates to people today. Telling a story through songs allows a lot of freedom in the production. While maintaining historical accuracy, we create the songs and the set to make this an experience.

3. How does sustainability fit with this production?

It is the main theme. They regarded nature and the land they lived on with utmost respect. The last two songs of the play tell stories of humanity in general and what we have in common should be taking care of our planet and on passing a better world onto our children with respect and kindness for one another. Current environmental issues like climate change, fossil fuels, fracking, overpopulation, GMO’s and water shortages are a problem. I’m always questioning my art and its worth to others. I have moments where I realize it’s about how art makes me feel while creating it. This rock opera has taken me places I’ve never expected.

Funding is an issue with a production this large. We received a grant through Mediacom and Loras College which has allowed us more freedom with design and musicians. We have Andy Steil, Tim Connolly, Tim Knautz, Mike Steckling, Maureen Kilgore, Terri Lawson, and Mike Ironside rounding out the Medicine Band, and I couldn’t ask for a more supportive and great bunch of people to work with.

PERFORMING:“It was a Beautiful Country” @ EB Lyons Interpretive Center September 11 and 12.

CULTURE:The Medicine Band

ROCK OPERA: Stories of Native Americans in the Heartland

Interviewed by

Michelle BechenIllustrations by Dean Wellman

27 GRAIN Issue 3

28 GRAIN SPONSORS:

Paul Doffing is a folk musician from Ames, Iowa, whose delicate fingerpicking and introspective songwriting have gained him a regional and national following. Doffing has also put a unique spin on the rigors of the touring musician, having spent the past four years traveling from town to town by bicycle.

Doffing has biked 8,000 miles during this time, en route to over 100 shows in 16 states. To put this in perspective, Doffing says, “imagine biking from Washington, D.C. to San Francisco, then turning around and going back to D.C., and then bike from there to Iowa. That’s about how far I’ve biked in the past four years.”

“Doffing has biked 8,000 miles during this time, en route to over 100 shows in 16 states.”

MUSIC &SUSTAINABILITYAmes, Iowa

Doffing explains his interest in music and environmental issues “come from very much the same place.” He speaks of feeling out of place in a world he found was “a very complicated place that I didn’t fit into or couldn’t understand, even though I really wanted to understand. I had a very negative feeling about the way the world was going, specifically the course we are taking as a race on issues like energy and food production, and the issues they beget, including air and water pollution, deforestation, top-soil loss, and climate change.”

Faced with deciding how to act on these feelings, Doffing was at a crossroads, and chose direct action. “I quit college”, he says. “I didn’t fit into that picture. I didn’t know what I could do to help, and I didn’t know how to fight. The pending calamity was too pervasive to allow me to live in the hollow denial that I’d lived in throughout my youth. There was something on my heart, and I felt the most important thing I could do was try to say it.”

Doffing combats a socio-economic system based on fossil fuels through his bicycling tours. He not only avoids adding to the toxic emissions our energy consumption contributes to by biking, he also uses it as a platform to educate others: “Our food system, our transportation system, and our energy system have been built under the notion that fossil fuels, a scarce resource,

are unlimited. What we depend on will one day run out, and those who profit by selling it would like to sell as much of it as fast as possible. Fossil fuel demand is created by each of us individually when we choose to purchase fossil fuels. So, I’ve decided not to use gas myself. I can get around on a bike.”

“Doffing combats a socio-economic system based on fossil fuels through his bicycling tours. He not only avoids adding to the toxic emissions our energy consumption contributes to by biking, he also uses it as a platform to educate others “

Fighting with his guitar and bicycle against a world “where bigotry has gained synonymy to religion, where governing has become organized pillaging of both the public and the personal, and where wealth has become divine”, Doffing spreads a hopeful message that, despite these overwhelming conditions, “we’re fortunate because we don’t buy it. We don’t fit into this picture and we know it. At some point I decided not to throw myself away because I didn’t fit it. I decided to pick up a brush and paint a new picture. I know we can change our world because we’re the ones who get to make our choices.

29 GRAIN ssue 3 daartscollective.com

FREEDOM FROM FUEL

AN INTERNATIONALMUSIC TOUR BY BICYCLE

MORE INFO:You can find his music, tour dates, and more at

www.pauldoffing.com


by Bob Bucko JR

PK’S FILMMAKER’S GUIDE TO THE DIRECTOR’S CHAIR Video Production Advice for Budding Filmmakers

VIDEO PRODUCTION: LOW BUDGET FILMMAKING

“PRODUCTION VALUE!” Two famous words yelled by Charles Kaznyk (Riley Griffiths), the young director from J.J. Abrams’ film, Super 8, as a train can be heard in the distance. It’s the use of lighting, camera movement, and props to increase an audience’s interest in the work.

It’s an element many low budget filmmakers strive to achieve. But what does it actually mean, and how can this be done with little to no budget? These are questions that rest on the minds of countless young filmmakers. Remember that everything is going to cost time and/or money. Whether your plan is to create a piece of work for a film festival or just to hone your skills, it will require a camera, props, and possibly lights.

“ There are local businesses that rent cameras, lenses, and light equipment which can be used for both your photography and video needs. ”

We all would like to have big movie cameras and really expensive-looking props, but the reality is most new filmmakers don’t have those resources. When looking for

a good camera, there is the possibility of renting high-grade equipment for a small fee. There are local businesses that rent cameras, lenses, and light equipment which can be used for both your photography and video needs. Thanks to the advances in camera technology, digital single-lens reflex cameras (DSLRs), traditionally used for photography, are now used by videographers and filmmakers alike.

“ I usually use things from around the house, make a trip to Goodwill, poke around in my parents garage, or even dumpster dive. ”

“We’re seeing more and more people renting stuff for video,” says Sean McDonald, owner of Everything Photography. “People are using Youtube more and doing more small films. There is so much stuff that they can do with a small production.”

Now that you have figured out how to get the equipment you need, let’s discuss props. Props fill the world you want your audience to see. Characters drive the plot, but props help create atmosphere. Have a character that is sad about something in their past? A clever, subtle way of conveying what they are upset about is showing an object that represents their sadness, such as an old photo of a past love.

Props can be found anywhere, including everyday items found in your home or items that can be bought at antique or retail stores. If you see something you really want for your video, but it’s quite

pricey, you can always get creative and build it yourself. If you don’t have time or the skills to make props, there are people out there that can help out.

Troy Potter has created props for local films. “When I’m making something, I first think about what it’s being used for. Much of the stuff I’ve made in the last few years had to be durable because it was going to be used for filming action scenes, so it had to be able to take a beating. My wife, Chelsea, took sculpture classes in college, so she has been an invaluable resource with helping me find the correct materials for a piece. I usually use things from around the house, make a trip to Goodwill, poke around in my parents garage, or even dumpster dive. That last suggestion, use with caution.” Troy adds, “It’s fun to take on challenges to make something that you have no idea how to make, and come out even surprising yourself.”

That’s the beauty of low budget filmmaking.

The increasing affordability and availability of high-definition equipment and informative tutorials on the internet allows for higher quality filming at a smaller budget. With the way that technology is advancing, the gap between backyard filming and Hollywood blockbusters gets ever smaller.


By Paul Kurutsides

CD’S 4 CHANGEWE BUY CD’S DVD’S & VINYL RECORDS

3305 Asbury Road #2Dubuque, Iowa 52001563-583-9757

GRAIN SPONSORS:


copyworks

The place to go

for work you’ll show.

806 Wacker Plaza, Ste. 136Dubuque, Iowa 52002Phone: 563.557.2679

[email protected]

Like us on facebookfacebook.com/dubuque.copyworks

Canvas

Oversize ColorNow

Printing E

�

copyworks

The place to go

for work you’ll show.

806 Wacker Plaza, Ste. 136Dubuque, Iowa 52002Phone: 563.557.2679

[email protected]

Like us on facebookfacebook.com/dubuque.copyworks

Canvas

Oversize ColorNow

Printing E

�

620 SOUTH GRANDVIEW AVENUE (in the old Milk House).

Open Monday-Friday 7am-5pmSaturday 7am-3pm

Cafe hours: 7am-2pm each day, closed Sundays.

[email protected]

eastmillbakeshop.comBaking orders and catering questions can

be answered over phone or by email at any time, but feel free to browse our website

for any information.

East Mill hosts a Monday Night Market 3:30-6:30 in our back parking lot, rain or shine.

COFFEE SHOP / BARLIVE MUSIC / ART GALLERY 100 + BEER SELECTION

373 Bluff St, Dubuque, Iowa 52001

(563) 585-0919Mon-Sun: 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m.

GRAIN SPONSORS:

ga i l@chavene l l e s tud io . com

chavenellestudio.com

33 GRAIN Issue 3

THANK YOU

TO OUR SPONSORS, DAAC MEMBERS AND VOLUNTEERS. Your donations and time keep Grain and the Dubuque Area Arts Collective alive.

Earth exhibit, photo contest and 3rd issue of Grain were made possible by the City of Dubuque’s Special Project Grant, and by the effort of all DAAC members and volunteers.

902 Main St / Dubuque [email protected]

902 Main St / Dubuque [email protected]

grain arts magazine - issue iii

Documents