Thoughts.com

As a design director in automotive I was always frustrated with the lack of foresight on the part of the big three. We pitched them concepts for ulterior platform manufacturing for 20 years and they were only interested in the big profits in their SUV’s because they had lobbied away the CAFÉ standards classifying these as trucks. And America bought it, proudly driving these huge trucks around our cities believing them to be safer and more versatile.

Ah, Rome burns while the emperor fiddles. There are more people in India with a masters degree in engineering than the entire population of the United States. A million millionaires in China lead a growing upper and middle class. All of these people want to drive like we have, and the competition for fuel and resources is going off the charts. Looking down this road what has America done? Promote large vehicles and stick our head in the sand. The impact of this inaction is on us now but just the tip of this Iceberg is showing. The next two decades will be tumultuous. And our transportation scenarios will be shifting radically

We all have been Impacted by the events of the last 6 months but just wait!

Pictured- Impacted Man- 2009
Foam, concrete, granite fines,
Figure from the installation “Car Chase” in Grand Rapids, MI ArtPrize competition September 2009. currently on exhibit at the Muskegan Museum of Art, Michigan

Thanks,
Tj
SculptureByTj.com

ArtPrize!
I’ve been away from my blogging for a month as I’ve been totally absorbed in the prospect of an installation for the ArtPrize competition in Grand Rapids. Rich DeVos has put up some serious money for an art competition, $500,000. For me it is the perfect opportunity for what I do. But what a challenge! Here is an image for one of the proposals I have done.
It now occurs to me that the time spent blogging has to be reconsidered. What would people really like to hear about? The process of creating this wacky stuff might be interesting, I’ve started to document what I do in the studio in photographs and have a book written on sculpting with foam. This week I’m making a rubber mold on a large piece that is one of the figures in the attached picture, and building the rigging for the bugs in the swarm. All the angst about getting a venue and the struggles to finance a project of this size could be good fodder for writing, but why? Do I expect an audience? Will anyone actually read this stuff? Is it cathartic documentation for my heirs who will have to deal with the mass of weird stuff I’ve created when I’m gone? All of the above I suppose. Well I’m going to list the directions for this blog on my dry erase wall and select a method for doing this over the next week or so. They have to be brief though, because I’ve a ton to do to produce the big installation for the competition. Vic rehabbed the web site and it is looking great, check it out at:
WWW. SculptureByTj.com
Cheers
Tj

 

I stumbled on a couple of regional competitions so I went ahead and entered some pieces recently. I was Juried into both shows, and you can see works any time this summer. First was the Muskegan Art Museum West Mi show. My piece “Impacted Male” is now there along with a lot of great work. The folks in Muskegan have a great “salon” that is an open event to the public on Thursdays each month. This corresponded with the drop off date for show entries , so I went. What a great party, and lots of work of all sorts to look at. My hat is off to this organization they really do a great job in the visual arts.
The festival group in Grand Rapids does a competition at the old museum that the GRAM moved out of, as well as a tent full of booths. I did a booth last year to raise awareness in the region. This year four of my works will be shown in the Museum show. The “Impacted Female” model and “Harbinger” are life sized studies from my “Major Impact” installation. A new piece, which I’m personally pleased with, “Portrait of Sarah”: is in as well. This is a super casting in polymer modified cement that has very nice color, all in the cement and not on it. The 4th piece is the Road Rocket bronze casting. It is nice to have the local representation At this writing I have almost all my pieces on display in 5 shows in 4 cities in 3 states. Just a little hectic! But the big news is the ArtPrize competition in Grand Rapids. More about this whopping opportunity next time.
For all the news check my web site SculpyureByTj.com
Thanks
Tj<<br />

The art of installing art in public is a challenge. There are all the potential dangers of abuse, vandalism, injury and of course accompanying law suits. I was recently invited to show works in the city of Troy, Ohio. Some truly unabashed American doers in that town with a down to earth, get it done attitude. My trip to Troy Ohio to put three pieces on their streets was refreshing. I left in the we hours of Saturday morning and arrived before ten. The city crew  and I labored to mount my works on big concrete blocks and slabs that they had prepared. Then we transported these to the city square where other works were waiting for an evening reception.

The Mayor spoke, and recognition was paid and a good time was had by all. But then came the surprise activity that I was amazed at.

Their plan was to distribute the 30 pieces around town on Saturday Night so they would all be ready for viewing Sunday morning for the church goers. The town has a round about at the center with a fountain and lots of traffic going through the intersection. The crew started at dark picking up each sculpture with a HiLow and cruising through the Saturday night traffic to the installation locations! A great big bug bouncing down the road with headlights flashing all around is a thing to behold!   And riding a HiLow to do this is even better!

The guys did a great job and by morning all the works were out there, complete with stanchion chains, in front of many businesses.
Hats off to the City of Troy- Supporters of sculpture and get it done people!
(More at Sculpturebytj.com)

 

When we screw up:
These three, they slowly float by each other circumspect and leering. Just as our minds migrate from one of these to another in our states of distress.  They come with us often. We bring them separately and we bring them all together when we have done badly.  They can be intertwined because they are the most common of our interactions with others and with our spirit.  They can crowd out real communication.

“Don’t Let the sun set on your anger”  - Not easy.
  
“There ‘s no condemnation in Christ Jesus” -But we are still embarrassed for our gaffs. 

 “Oh woe is me, I’m such a…..    (fill in the blank)” 

Now we introspect hoping God will notice, but then what?  Self pity is, at least, not focused on others but it is still in the way of a communication with God.

         What’s in Your Worship?