So, I would like to have left the veil of mystery on a little longer but...
& someone posting a link to the online photos in the article's comment section...
I guess a detailed explanation of the Pole Party Art Installation in The People's Republic of Bucyrus is warranted. Here's the full story - from the artist...
It was time for an art installation. Since I moved to The People's Republic a little over a year ago, I felt that my new hometown would be the perfect place.
PLAN 1:
My original idea was to wrap poles in the city from downtown - the usual location of the Brat Fest- to the fairground venue it called home this year. There was a lot of negative chatter around town about the move & I wanted to make that physical connection between the two places - show that even with a change of scenery, & a different 'feel' to it, it was still the Bratwurst Festival. Unfortunately, the idea came to me too late to actually execute it in time.
PLAN 2:
Since I got a the donation of a bolt of bright orange fabric, I thought the black/orange color scheme would work well around Halloween. Thus, the Pole Part Performance was born.
EXECUTION:
I measured a few poles to get the average circumference, created 3 pretty time-intensive stencils & cut the fabric. Then, I began spraying the pieces with a little help from some friends. Then, on 10/24, I got together some of my creative folk - artists, musicians, poets, a tattooist, vocalists & our kids, etc for dinner & a public art project.
We split the city into thirds. Next, 3 drivers volunteered to chauffeur. We drew names to form the teams & set out w/ 60 pieces/banners/posters/panels/images. Armed with hoodies, masks & staple guns we swam out to distribute free art around the community.
Pole selection within each area was left up to the individual team. We set the goal of balancing residential & commercial areas. Some locations were planned ahead while others were just randomly placed as the creativity led. We fanned out & made it happen, taking a few photos along the way. Afterwards, we returned to the mother ship & laughed & shared & celebrated as we viewed a slide show of the night.
INTENT:
First of all, 'malicious' is not my thing. More of a lover than a fighter... Contrary to many popular theories heard around town [as far as I know...] there were no aliens, occult members, a specific band, heroin users, al Qaida, gang ruffians or stupid kids involved in the process. It was simply an art project intended to peak curiosity, cause people to pause & take note & [hopefully] regain a sense of youthful wonder for a moment in time. [??Mission accomplished??]
MEANING:
Images: I chose tentacled sea life for a reason. [I love that some people interpreted one of the creatures as a rooster, though!] I wanted to pop a question in the minds of the discoverers. Why sea life? Why a squid/octopus/nautilus? After all, we're quite a bit inland & sea life doesn't really belong here...
Arrows: The arrows were added as an extra bonus! These made the project participative & interactive. One could follow the arrows and see where they led. There was no intentional rhyme or reason in the placement, so the randomness would take a follower wherever the arrows happened to direct. [Thanks to all those that took a chance & followed the arrows! You got the point! And wasn't there 'life' in the process?]
DEEPER PURPOSE:
So why even do it at all? I wanted to get community members to think for a moment. I have always wondered if 'Lower Lifeforms' truly have the ability to think, calculate, wonder, have true consciousness. Do they know what they're doing or do they simply respond to natural stimuli?
- "Oh, light - swim over there."
- "Cold - must move."
- "Touched something - eat it."
Often, I believe we humans fall into the same cycle - the same invertebrate mindset. We swim along reacting to external stimuli without really feeling, living, thriving...
What if - for an instant - I could help the inhabitants of The People's Republic of Bucyrus to cross into consciousness? What if, through 30 hours of work & $10 worth of supplies, I could entice them to see, ask questions & breathe fresher air for a time?
THOUGHTS:
Although I'm new to town, I am aware of the plant closings in the area. I have friends & family who have experienced layoffs from local businesses. We can respond to that stimuli as
- "Makes sense. Automotive industry struggling."
- "Sucks. Move on."
- "Hungry. Where food?"
- "Bills. Need help"
But what if - instead - we asked deeper questions? What could we do to turn this area around economically? How can we approach this problem creatively & affect change upon it?
- "What if we created industry that would set little Bucyrus apart in the Midwest as the leader in a new capacity? A breakout industry"
- "What if we tapped into the coming demand for clean energy & started manufacturing windmill blades or rechargeable batteries or the infrastructure needed to power electric cars?"
- "What if we reinvented the mobile home & began manufacturing 2-story models, round ones, 2-story/3-story round ones?"
- [Insert your own living, breathing, creative idea here]
Hopefully you get the gist. The old paradigms have changed. This part of the country has experience in manufacturing. If we're gonna stick with that - then let's set the example. Let's think creatively on what that would look like in the new economy w/ the changing culture of the world. How do we get in on the ground floor of what's coming next?
Back to the tentacles...
Each of the 3 images selected have 'arms/hands' of a sort. I could have used sponges or sea urchins or coral or slugs... I chose animals with the capacity to grab, to hold, to manipulate, to work with their 'hands'. We can dream & hope but we must also put our hands to work to make things happen.
CONCLUSION:
So, the Pole Party Performance Project was/is:
- A free public art installation
- A distraction from the mundane
- An opportunity to wonder again
- An opportunity to wander again :)
- A challenge to revamp who we are as a community
Perhaps we're floating downstream with the current. Perhaps it's time to fight against the tide. Perhaps it's time to recognize the stimuli & not just react to it, but affect change upon it.
Thanks for participating! The conversation has started...
~GYPSYLUC
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Matters of the Art - Bucyrus
Mansfield Art Center - Mansfield
Kenosis Gallery - Mansfield [Solo Show opening Thursday 11/12 - Details Upon Request]
