Jona8than Green Art and Other Things

To do a large scale three dimensional rubbing of a shed, which is then reconstructed through the hanging of the sheets of paper. The reconstruction is lit from the inside; illuminating the paper and creating an object that has a spectral quality about it. This project is in response to death and mourning, and the

This work is inspired by the art of Do-Ho Suh, and Rachel Whiteread. Though I also feel it comes out of the work I have pursued the previous year as well as my printmaking knowledge.

Detailed description:

The idea is to capture the nuances and details of a shed on my family property. The shed was built by my grandfather, all by his own hand. I would use large sheets of thin asian paper and do a rubbing of each side of the shed, including the roof. This would done all by my hand, using graphite sticks. The measurements would be :
By doing a rubbing of the surface of the shed, I would be creating a negative or inverse image of the shed. This would be related to the memories associated with the shed [ unsure of this]. The sheets would be hung, reconstructing the spatial area of the shed. The sheets would hang loosely from the top support through cable/string[?], giving a wavering quality to the work according to the environment conditions i.e: people walking past.
The structure would be lit from the inside by a LED light, the light would illuminate the the negative spaces created through the rubbing process. This would contrast against the dark grey of the graphite.

This is the first draft of this, so please comment and give me any criticism or advice.

I wish I was feelin like a pimp, but over wiped my plate tonight. Not too happy about that Should of done it in good light, instead of acting a fool in the dark. Just haven't been thinking straight. End up wasting a piece of paper. It always comes down to the economics. Got to keep my mind sharp, can't be looking a chump to people.

Keep feeling like i got to reinvigorate myself, change some habits; learning and thinking a lot this summer, new perspective on a lot of things. Especially the art scene. Least here.

This caught my eye recently, The World's Smallest Art Fair. It's a neat idea, a simple concept but wors.

A update of my whereabouts lately:

Been workin at Easter Edge Gallery, trying to get the 24H.A.M up and on the roll.

Printing when I can get off my lazy arse at St. Michael's Printshop. Currently in the process of editioning an etching, one of my rocket images. Not sure what the edition number will be, 13 or 15 seems a good number, currently on number 5.
I've had a lithograph hanging round as well, needing to be printed. Got to get that it printed soon, so I can get on to another one. Have a few ideas churning. The edition number will that will probably be the same as above.
Been currently debating the idea of editioning as well. Not sure if I like the justification of it. Editioning is for primarily economic concerns really, all goes back to it, ensuring its limited and rare, can ask for more money. So really unsure if I agree with it, goes againest some marxist tendacies of mine.

Drawing as well, some rockets and a new project. The new project deals with using the history and imagery of the North Pole Explorers. Manliplating history, maps, imagery, text, etc to reflect my own personal exploration. Inspired by Jane Urqharts book "The Underpainter", a quote found in it.

Besides that, I have another project in mind, which I will be writing a NLAC proposal for. Hopefully I get it, would be really swell. Probably will be hammering out the idea a bit on here. Send it to my homies, get their opinion on it.

Also reading Terry Eagleton's "After Theory", which is a realy interesting read. That will be followed by some Zizek.

Outside of that, I do waste a lot of time napping like a fiend in the heat, watching Seinfeld, surfing the internet way too long. Like now. Identified that I have a addiction to caffine, particularly coke. Got headaches from now having it all day.

Anyway, that's it.

So I got the job at Eastern Edge Gallery as 24 Hour Art Marathon Coordinator. I started the 15th of May with Amanda, who is also from Grenfell. I have been working there for two weeks now and as been a great job so far. I worked 10 - 5pm, Monday to Friday. Our job is to basically organize the 24 Hour Art Marathon, Eastern Edge Gallery's premier funding event and one of the bigger art events in the city. It happens on August 16th, at noon and continues for 24 hours to noon the next day. Artists and other creators create art for 24 hours, after which the art is auctioned off in a silent auction, with half of which return to the artist. There is also performers, musician, bands, buskers, etc at the event as well. There is a lot to organize for this event, a lot of people to contact, get donations and sponsors, just a lot to do. Bit of weight on the shoulders to make it a great event. Do have th reputation of having fire fighters come to a party in Grenfell, amongst other things.

Since starting my job at Easter Edge I have also been spending my time at St. Michael's Printshop trying to make prints. I received the Don Wight Memorial Scholarship from St. Michael's this year, which consists of a year residency at the printshop, as well as materials and a honorarium. Aso get to sit in on the visiting artist' workshops for free as well, and there are some great visiting artist this summer. So far I have been working on a drypoint, as well as print some etchings and I just did a roll up on a lithograph have been working on. Trying to take advantage of the printshop as much as possible, conceiving of it as my "studio" for the next year. The more work I can make there the better.

That has been the past two weeks really for me, haven't been going out that much, though will say I am not a shut in either. I recently saw the Nan Loves Jerry play at th LSPU Hall with my brother and Rory, and the recent Rooms show of Don Wight. That was an awesome show, one of the best shows I have seen in a while.

I'll try to update this more, hoping to have a lot to fill it with.

"And sometime around 2 AM you end up taking advantage of yourself. Ain't no way around that. Making a scene with a magazine."

Tom Waits, Nighthawks at the Diner 1975

And sometimes around 2 weeks you end up taking advantage of yourself and others. Ain't no way around that. making a scene with an art magazine

It's 2am, I'll probably be up for another two hours, if not more. Been reading Ralph Steadman's The Joke's Over, a book about him and his relationship as artist to Hunter S. Thompson, and Nietzsche's Beyond Good and Evil. Two madman perhaps. Also been reading the latest Border Crossing, a Canadian art magazine, fuck, been reading all the copies I have of Border Crossing. Looking for something, finding tons of things, I have everything really; some talent and skill, a decent enough mind, paper, supplies, even some ideas and sketches for Goya's sake, no distractions of girls or drinkin' distractions [though I'd love a little bit of both...], and the only things against that are few. Lack of space and no courage.
And I do have a lack of space, I don't have the grandiose space of the fourth year space in school. I got a wall in the bedroom for drawing and a small space out in the shed for painting or wood. The weather affects the shed, and it has been miserable. The room wall works though.

I just don't have the courage to draw or make art here. I have before, the summer past, but for some reason I don't want to do stuff in front of the folks. Have always been private around them, but as my art gets more introspective at times, I don't want to explain it to them. Shit, I don't want to explain anything. Isn't that lame? The being inside all day does not help either, this cabin fever. And without that courage to explain, or least lie, I can't draw. Can't draw without courage, won't be art, be demoralizing to use Nietzsche even. Would bring about the downturn or further downturn of humanity. It's an unfortunate excuse, but it the excuse.
Have all this talk about changing my ways in the previous post, but am I? I don't sleep at night because when I lie down, with nothing distracting, all the baggage enters, all the questions and worries.
Listening to Kanye helps, but not enough.

"despite any odds"...

Been letting the odds stack against me, and can't say I have done anything to stop them. Just complain about it really, let it keep me lazing round the house all day. I know it has only been two weeks since I left Corner Brook, but just as well be a month or three, it feels like that. No one has been really doing much else, but that hardly consoles me. I complain about the lack of space here, because I don't have a studio, I don't have a room of ones own; a place I can close the door and keep it close so no one looks in. I am having a problem even getting something to draw, a lack of inspiration that many artists would scoff at. Inspiration? The rest of come in here and work from 9-5 everyday, to paraphrase Chuck Close. And he's almost a quadriplegic.

In one sense, I think I put a few bodies of work out this past year in school. They're not done, but maybe done for now. Not sure what to do next. I have said I think I need to "live" a little, need something to make art about. But "live" how? Go on an adventure? Maybe it's me, but adventure seem to need least a little cash. Maybe thats an excuse from the non-adventuring type. I don't know. Really, I have no idea what I meant by "live". A cliche I grabbed really. I would say Bukowski "lived", but all he did was drink, hang with whores and freaks, etc. Cohen did the same, in his own sense, really very few of the writers and artists I admire have really done anything besides their normal living. They just used it better.

A change of pace is good in one sense, and I am moving to St. Johns, but is that much a change? Lived there last summer, went to school, interned at St. M's, but really didn't do a whole lot different than what I'm doing now. Never made any good art. Not really sure when I'll get a real external change, I'll apply for some things and see what happens there. Got to get some things in order for that.
There is internal change, and I have always thought that is a way to things. The problem is of course what to change, perhaps the outlook, think outside the box, or take a knife to the box and cut it to pieces.

Got change something here, get a solution to something, I don't enjoy my idleness as much as I should.

1: Make lots of prints at St.Michaels' this summer

2: Make a piece of furniture [preferably] or something under the brand "Team Shake N' Bake" with brudder

3: Drink a Booster Juice once a week

4: four drawings once a week, despite any odds

5: Through communication with others, engage in art work producing through the mail with bon amis

6: Get an ordinateur- preferably a Mac

7: Do some video work

8: Write a short story or perhaps some poetry, and try not make it flakey

9: Was going to try to get to Berlin, but maybe somewhere closer would be better, or maybe find a way to make a collapsible shed

10: Go on a living spree, party like a skeet skeet muthafucker