Well having prided myself in driving over 900 miles around Texas in the past 3 days and not hurting myself or the car, today someone damaged the side mirror while I was parked. Wonder what Budget will say!!!
Yesterday and today saw me complete the drive from Dallas to Austin and another 7 interviews taking the total to 11 in 3 days. Each interview lasts much longer than I expected around 2-3 hours, the artists are so keen to talk about all aspects of life, their history, their art, their challenges. Added to this was the driving. I have to say Texans are mad. The further south you go the more sedate they get, but the drivers in Dallas are something else and so are the spaghetti freeways. I did have more than one ground hog day experience and the navman thinks I have no spatial orientation skills and is starting to become exasperated with the need to RECALCULATE each time I miss an exit??? I can hear the attitude developing in its tone...LOL.
But the artists of Texas are amazing, talented and warm. Most of these artists have websites so you can see their work if you google them.
Randy Souder is the painter who believes his spinal cord injury at 18 years stopped his chasing the distractions of youth and therefore kept him focussed on his art. Would he be where he is today if he had been distracted? Randy's paintings, particularly those of buildings have an amazing 3 dimensional quality and the detail astounding. Randy intellectualises art as much as he creates it...listening to Randy is like listening to philosophy.
Joe Cole is a 67 year old retired photo journalist, who was a rodeo rider (and chick magnet..e wont mind me saying that) before crashing his corvette in his twenties and losing a leg, draws using only graphite (lead pencil) on paper with such detail and in a way that makes you contemplate what the subjects of his portraits might be thinking. While Joe has drawn in graphite on paper for years, he is now taking art classes in an attempt to become more free in his art by taking lessons in using pastels.
Naomi, the daughter of holocaust surviving Jewish parents has spent years searching in the USA and Israel for home and identity through the veil of mental illness. Naomi's art has a real developmental feel and shows her journey from drawing, to pottery, to portraits to a new geometrical phase of oils on canvas. Naomi has moved from a period of black and white clean and minimalist line drawings to her current work reflecting colour and movement. Naomi and her husband experience the difficulties of limited income and the impact on this in being able to purchase art supplied to create work, to be able to afford health and dental care and being unwell impacts on the time and resources to be creative. Naomi so elloquently stated that art allows her to hang onto her last remaining marble. As a group the artists also talked about expense involved in shipping works of art to gallerys and art shows. Apparently, art shows and competitions are essential to gaining exposure in the wider community, developing a reputation and getting your art out where people might purchase it.
Joney lives with Aspergers just outside of Austin and is limited in her interactions with the arts community and potential buyers of her work due to anxiety around being with crowds and driving. Joney has consistently found peace and inspiration from her environment and her oil pencil drawings and photographs of the cloud formations in the skies around her property reflect this. Joney's drawings are patterns of colour and patterns moving in and out. They reproduce well as posters, bookmarks and magnets. But having the energy, skills and motivation to market her work is difficult given her challenges with driving.
Kemi broke her neck in a car accident yet managed to complete her bachelors program in arts at college by shifting focus from metal sculpture to oils. Kemi would like to return to sculpture but that would mean finding a support person who could follow instruction and not undermine Kemi's creative control. Kemi has some arm and hand movement due to beg an imcomplete quadraplegic but does not have the strength and power at this time to beat and shape metal. Art is still very initimate and personal for Kemi. Unlike some other artists who talk about paintings not belonging to them once the process of creating them is over, Kemi is not ready to take the risk of someone assisting her with the creative process yet. Kemi acknowledges this is part of her future journey. At 24 years of Kemi does not see her art as her profession at this point in her life. However, she is no less driven than others and art is a crucial aspect of her identity and ability to cope with life. Like the other artists I met, Kemi is driven to paint and draw and was very happy when post her accident she realised having lost so much, she had not lost the ability to be an artist (Randy also talked about how he felt after his accident when he realised he could still draw and paint). This realisation occured when one of her art teachers from college brought crayons and paper into the hospital during early phases of her rehabilitation.
Cindy, produces very spiritual art, reflecting her christian faith. Cindy has an acquired brain injury as a result of hitting a telephone pole swhile driving in her car several years ago. Like the other artists, Cindy finds marketing her work a major challenge but is interested in developing skills in this area. This is a different perpsective from some of the other artists who feel the need to market, enter endless numbers of art shows and take a business approach to selling their works a burden that takes their creative energy away from creating. Each of the artists talked about the need to focus on creating regularly, that they are driven and that it is as essential to them as breathing.
Joesph lhas 8 siblings and lives with autism. Supported by his mother Theresa, Joe expressed loving art and spends many hours per day creating cartoon like drawings and stories on his computer. Joes now attends a formal art program once a week for 4 hours and in this time is opening up to pictures and drawing of trains and soldiers. Theresa and those close to Joe have find that Joe communicates his inner thoughts and understanding about the world through his drawing and creations. Joe finds expressing these thoughts verbally a challenge, but often uses characters such as Mr Toad from Wind in the Willows to represent his frustration at some of the limitations he experiences. Such as, Mr Toad getting told off and not being allowed to drive. Joe would like to drive a white car and can talk about white cars extensively. Joe also talks often about going to Austin Community College like his brother now that he has graduate from high school, but currently has no pathway to do this. Joe finds it difficult to understand why his life path is different to his siblings and what he sees are the experiences of other young people when they graduate from high school. Joe's art and communicates his views on the world and his relationships far beyond that he can express verbally. Without art as a medium to comunicate complex perspectives, it could be assumed Joe does not understand or have feelings and thoughts about many aspects of life. Joe's prolific production of art leaves those who see it and know him with no doubt he comprehends many complex aspects of the social world. In chatting with Joe and his mum, his facial expressions were animated when discussions reflected how he feels and he gives eye contact when discussing how art and painting makes him feel. Despite his communication difficulties he had no problem telling me art made him happy and is fun. Joe did me an improv drawing in my note book and his big personlity has considerable potential for him to explore other creative outlets such as drama and theatre. But there are few opportunities post school for Joe other than traditional employment options. There is no Up the Hill or Tutti Arts Program in Texas and with 9 children ranging from 20's - 18 months, Joes parents have limited personal and financial resources to continually search and support Joes participation in a disperate set of opportunities. Joe might live with Autism, but he and I developed a rapport in the hour we spent together - he is awesome. Joes extensive collection of art sits unsold in his mothers wardrobe - how to sell and market it when you have 8 other children to support.
Tomorrow I am travelling to New Orleans and catching my breath ...back to driving and interviews on Thursday with a trip to Layafette, 2 hours north of New Orleans...lets see if I can keep the next rental car in one piece and that the Budget people wont be too horrible when I get to the airport.
Catch you later
Caroline
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