March 8, 2024
Two years since my last post, and approximately one wish has come true: Machina has its own room (224) in a show: Artomatic 2024 opens tonight and runs for the next seven weeks.
The list of what I would have done with more time is long: made the silver pillar in the room into a bunny high-rise, complete with silhouettes in the windows (per the second image); constructed a bunny mover across the ceiling; printed pictures of His metamorphosis in an iron scrap book; played the music I was listening to at the time of inspiration; created a pedestal and brought in the actual constructed tin bunny Himself.
But time is in very short supply these days. I am thrilled with how the canvas prints came out (thank you, Old Town Editions, for your expertise and care), and I’m very grateful to have had the opportunity to bring these images to life, after so many years.
June 11, 2022
A decade has passed since my last update. I guess I did get lost.
The four images that make up Machina (still a draft title) are ready for public viewing. I had wanted a more immersive experience for them – ideally their own room in a multimedia exhibit somewhere, with huge metallic prints, music, actual tin bunnies – but I’m not sure that will ever happen. I’ll keep working on the web experience, hopefully figuring out more zooming and interactivity.
The initial inspiration for this series was The Dream of Perpetual Motion, by Dexter Palmer, and in particular the passage below. The strange thing, though, is how personally relevant these images became. The project feels eerily premonitory, like I was working to process a future that had not yet happened, but now has.
“Son. What’s happened to your voice? I hear something new in it when you read the papers. There used to be music in it; now there’s metal in its place. Not something strong and forged, like steel – something cheap that breaks when you bend it. Tin, or the gilding on a cheap thing that makes it look like gold. Yes – there’s metal in your voice now.”
Allan’s gaze drifts, and he looks confused.
“I don’t know what he’s talking about,” Harold thinks. But he does.
“To tell the truth, it wasn’t sudden,” Allan said. “For years I’ve heard it creeping in, more and more, a cheap tin noise coming from something cheap and made of tin. Wait – that’s too harsh. I’m sorry. I’m sorry I said that. If I said it it’s because I’m sitting here in these empty rooms and turning to tin as well. Just like everyone else.
“But your voice had music in it when you were a child! I remember when you were so excited about that silly roller coaster. Spinning yourself dizzy. Tornadoooo! I’d never hear high notes like that out of you now; haven’t for years. You haven’t felt like that in a long time, have you? All the high notes have left your voice. Mine too.”
Harold says nothing and looks at the floor.
“I can’t blame you,” says Allan.
“Soft hearts provide poor harbor; tin hearts can better stand against time and bad weather, thin and hollow as they are.
So you pray to change from flesh to metal, and the dying Author of the world hears your plea and performs his final miracle. He lays His hand on you and then He vanishes.
And what mortal man can undo that? What human on this earth has the power to change a tin man back to flesh?”
June 24, 2012
Artomatic is a wrap! It was fun, but I’m also glad it’s over. Time to go back to the drawing board (or tablet, in my case), and get lost in the process of creating.
Below is a picture of my installation. We didn’t have 100% control over our spaces. Lots of restrictions on lighting, and the weird box attached to the wall on my space, meant for suboptimal conditions (and unavoidable glare on some images). Still, I learned a lot for whatever may come next.
May 17, 2012
Opening night for Artomatic is tomorrow! My bunnies are located on the 9th floor, in the same room as the winners of the Washington Post’s “Peeps” diorama contest (technically, space 09-208). This time around, the bunnies are bigger, and bluer. Hence, the display is entitled “Bunny Noir Bunny Blue.” Here is a picture of the banner:
I’ll post pictures of my wall soon. The show runs through June 23. For more information about how to plan a visit (hours, parking, etc.), click here.
October 2, 2011
Exciting news! “Be Where How?” is now on display at Unity Woods Yoga Center studios in Washington DC, Bethesda, MD, and Ballston, VA. This wonderful opportunity allowed me to experiment with making larger prints. The images are 23″ x 36,” making it much easier to see the details. I’m thrilled that my bunnies (and cats and foxes) found a home at Unity Woods – especially since the yoga studio in the image bears more than a passing resemblance to the Unity Woods studio in Washington DC….although the students do not! Unity Woods is phenomenal, offering first-rate yoga instruction and a high-quality experience. Very highly recommended.
March 14, 2011
It’s been quite some time since I’ve added anything to this web site, but that doesn’t mean that I’ve stopped playing with my bunnies. One of my images (a larger print of “Last Train”) is included a show at National Airport, in the original airport lobby, by the walkway to Terminal A. The show, “Artomatic Takes Flight,” is a diverse collection of painting, photography, sculpture, and mixed media. It will run through June 25, 2011.
Also, I have five new additions to Bunny Noir. I am creating a “Works in Progress” section of my website to display them. I’m hopeful that the images will be up in the next few weeks.
July 28, 2009
Artomatic wrapped up a few weeks ago. My bunnies and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I just finished a new image, “Heavy Weight,” which can be viewed in the Images and Slideshow pages. I hope to finish at least one more image before the summer is officially over. As usual, ideas are more plentiful than time.
Artomatic Opening – May 30
Last night was the bunnies’ big debut at Artomatic. Opening night was quite fun: fantastic art, awesome energy, and tasty food and drink.
Overall the night was great. Below is a picture of my wall and some of the visitors.
