Pilchuck Madness #3

Pictures of the studio in the Flat Shop where my class works (showing Katie, Jane, and Micah, respectively). As you can see, the wine and beer can be important ingredients for some. There was a wild costume party on Friday night that was really fun. I wore a weird curly wig and silver pleather jacket that was way too small for me. I felt like Howard Stern, but people told me the effect was more like the guitarist from Slash.

Didn't stay for the jell-o shots, but some folks had a REALLY good time! There were tales of people passing out and curling up for the night in the metal shop, library, etc.

I can't believe I've spent five nights here already. It feels like I just arrived. Got to do sand-casting and enamel painting yesterday, and today I slept in late and worked on drawing and photoshopping images for our project.

Weather has been great too, which helps a lot. Of course it does have some unintended side effects. Like the surprise when one of the gaffers stripped down to nothing and was spread out on a picnic table right outside our studio. It certainly feels like art camp...

Pilchuck Madness #2

Above is the view looking west from the top floor of the lodge. It's good stuff!

Spent the morning in the print shop playing around making monotypes. It was totally like art therapy. I loved it and will be signing up again and again and again while I'm here. This afternoon I was (surprisingly) motivated and productive. I managed to Photoshop some images for my public art proposal and start on drawing some chipmunks for our t-shirt contest. Almost everyone else spent the day watching a master glassblower who was on campus. I probably should have investigated it, but I know NOTHING about glass.

For that matter, I know nothing about fabrication in general. All of the people I'm surrounded by in class have created all sorts of amazing things and know how to build stuff. Glass, neon, metal, jewelry, painting, etc. So I'm going to try and catch up a little! Did the printing today and will be sandcasting hopefully tomorrow. And on Monday I had an offer to learn how to weld that I think I'm going to take up.

My iPod made it onto the stereo dock this afternoon when it was the only one nearby that was available. I was a little embarassed because I haven't listened to it in months and months. Probably since last summer. And I had no idea what was on it. The only really bad thing was that there was more Janet Jackson than I would have preferred.

Pilchuck Madness #1

Well, I'm out in the wilderness. We had chipmunks running around in our studio today, across the floor, under tables, on tables, in and out of open backpacks. I've noticed a few ants in my dorm room and I'm at the point where I don't care. They don't seem to be interested in biting me, so I'll let them wander around freely as long as they stay off of my bed. If they want to crawl on my blankets, they will do so at their own peril. Luckily, they are pretty tiny and only appear occasionally.

Today we got to trudge around in the rain between buildings. I know that June is usually not quite as great as I always seem to expect, but I can definitely tell it is colder than usual. My class is going to be more focused on the process of successfully submitting for public art proposals, so I don't know that I'll get a chance to work with glass. I probably could seek it out, but don't know if I'm going to or not. I will, however, be playing in the print studio for sure! Making monotypes looks fun, and there are is a slew of ink colors to play with!

The artist-in-residence that I was excited to meet and see working isn't here after all. Instead, he was replaced (for reasons unknown to me) with Marcus Amerman, another Native artist that I am familiar with. Both Amerman and the other artist (Rick Bartow) were included in my curatorial proposal I made as my final for my "Contemporary Art History" class, so I'm not really too disappointed. Just talked to Marcus at dinner too, and he seems really cool. He'll be showing slides of his work tonight after dinner, which ends in about 15 minutes.

Speaking of dinner, they do feed us really well here! Although I hear that the food is way better this year than in the past.

Starbucks Luxe

Before I shut down my laptop to pack it up I'll throw up one last post. Saw a brief thing on Slate

in Kausfiles (Mickey Kaus' weblog):

Venti Snooty Latte: A new threat to social equality--the frequent-customer snob. The NYT's Ron Lieber doesn't just want freebies for his repeat Starbucks patronage. He wants something more:

Rewards are nice, but recognition is better. So if I'm one of Starbucks's best customers, I want to have elite status, as I do on American Airlines. I want shorter lines, better freebies, special seating (Aeron chairs, preferably) and electrical outlets reserved just for me and my laptop. [E.A.]

A creep, no? It's one thing for Starbucks to give Lieber free wi-fi and discounts. It's another to reward him by undermining the essentially egalitarian experience that's part of the appeal of a good American "third place." ...

Gross. I already find Starbucks annoying enough that I generally avoid it. Which luckily, I am easily able to do since I live in Seattle. There is a veritable plethora of coffee alternatives in this city that serve espresso that is MUCH better than Starbucks, such as Vivace, Cafe Ladro, Top Pot, Herkimer, and Bellino to name a few. Several of those places are also within walking distance of my apartment (lucky me!) and NONE of them has a velvet rope or VIP section. I'm really not feeling this sense of exclusive individual entitlement that seems to be permeating society today. Is everybody turning into Paris Hilton or something? Do people really believe that driving a luxury vehicle makes them a more worthy person?

I certainly enjoy nice things and tailored services as much as the next person, but I don't think these things are necessary. Nor do I expect them from such regular things as getting coffee in the morning. Or afternoon, or evening. I'm not against Capitalism, but I do have a problem with Consumerism. Blech!

Heading out...

Today I'm leaving for two-and-a-half weeks for a session at Pilchuck Glass School. I'll be stuck up in the forest in Stanwood, WA the whole time. Forced to do nothing but work on art. I'm still a little unsure about what the class I'm taking is about exactly. The instructor's letter did little to clear things up for me, but I do know that it has to do with the public art process in one way or another.

I'm always struck by how I seek out things like this and then dread them when the time comes. Not that I think it will be bad, I'm sure this will be a great experience for me. Yet, I strongly dislike being thrust into a new and unknown environment all by myself. It's like starting a new job or the first day of school. I find it amusing because it isn't as if I'm resistant to change at all, in fact, I thrive on change! Probably it has to do with my worrying nature. Who will my dorm roommates be? What if I snore and keep them awake and they hate me? Will my art be good enough? Are the other students going to look down on me because I'm studying design? Too many worrisome questions that I need to just let go of.

And of course, I leave later today but I still haven't packed everything. Terrible, I know. I should get to it. Bryn got me a flashlight last night, so there's one thing to check off the list! I will get to meet Rick Bartow though, he's an artist in residence during this session and I truly admire his work. I'm sure I'll look back on this post at the end of the month and laugh at my nervousness.

Rush "Savages" Limbaugh

I don't know whether Rush Limbaugh is still particularly relevant anymore, but I ran across an article on Media Matters entitled Limbaugh Called Brazillian Indigenous Tribe "Savages" that caught my interest. The article itself was brief, and seemed to bristle by his use of the word in our current politically-correct climate. Knowing that I was going to be entering a war zone, I decided to take a look at the "comments" section. There was a lot more going on in there, with people arguing that the terms "savage" and "primitive" are correct. And then there were people offended by Rush's use of the term. Bitter diatribes ensued.

Although I accept that "savage" and "primitive" are still used in academic circles, I do think there is a difference between a researcher using the term to describe a culture (whether dead or alive) and Rush using it to support his arguments for colonialist beliefs. Still, I have less of an issue with Limbaugh using the word "savage" than I do with the content of pretty much anything he has to say. He just seems like the original version of Ann Coulter.

I hadn't thought about it in ages, but I remember reading a haiku written about Rush Limbaugh back when I was in high school. (10-15 years ago!!??!!) I really wish I remembered who wrote it and where I read it. For some reason though, I can recall the haiku in its entirety:

Fat-fingered Nazi.
Limbaugh, Limbaugh, Limbaugh, Rush!
Lay off the donuts.

They Only Love You When You're 17, When You're 21 You're No Fun

I will admit that I've never been to an actual strip club. Sure, I've seen a topless spectacular, spectacular in Las Vegas, but that isn't the same thing. I've never really had a strong opinion one way or another. I've always figured that it seems like the dancers can make a lot of money, and if they don't mind, why should I? My only direct (known) experience with a stripper was someone I knew (dated, actually) in high school who went on to become an exotic dancer. She would fly down to Las Vegas regularly also, and ended up pregnant at 20 by a 17 year-old guy who had told her he was 22. (They got married and I lost track of them after that. There's an unsurprising rumor that they are divorced floating around.)

So I've read a few articles lately about the Colacurcio's strip club empire locally and how they are under investigation. Although I'm not trying to be the morality police, and I don't think all strip clubs are evil, I doubt that most of them are very positive places to work in or that most women would actually be cut out for such work emotionally and intellectually. Nicole Brodeur wrote an article yesterday for the Seattle Times (Stripping Can Be Easy Money--For Club) that gave an example of a dancer who walked away from a 6 hour shift with $57 after having paid $120 to the house. Somehow it doesn't seem so glamorous OR well-paying for her. This girl started dancing at 20, is now 27, and says, "Dancing is all I know." Doesn't sound to me like she's being empowered. More like exploited.

The other article I ran across this morning was in The Stranger's food review section. Discomfort Inn tells of Lindy West's visit to a Deja Vu lunch buffet. And I think she sums it up when she says, "Taken separately, I am in support of the existence of strip clubs, buffets, buttholes, orange chicken, and sunny Tuesday afternoons. But even if I were into ladies—here's where my PhD in Grandma rears its head—there was nothing sexy or empowering about this commodified, artificial intimacy. Was there? It just made me feel lonely." I think the lunch buffet at Deja Vu is one set of snacks that I will pass on. The article was funny, but the reality of her experience is depressing.