Straight Up Ben Gould

Composite Self Structure (Occupied), 2011, plywood and ink on cotton, 4'x4'x7' 

I generally dedicate this blog to personal projects and any news that is happening in my own practice, but today I want to share some student work.  Having recently finished my first year of teaching in the School of the Foundations Year at the Kansas City Art Institute, I've started reviewing images, modifying my curriculum and admiring multiple works.  Today I'm anxious to share images of a recent work by one of Ben Gould who is originally from California, plays the cello, and is majoring in painting at KCAI.  In my Collage/Assemblage workshop, Ben created Composite Self for a project that asked students to build sustainable living structures.  Using the motifs from his previous works, Ben created this rib cage-like form that envelopes his body and includes a handmade mattress.

View of the mattress from above.  The images on the mattress were created with a monoprint process that used woodcut plates and relief prints of the artist's own hair.

Detail of mattress

To make this work, Ben advanced his understanding of woodworking equipment and the new CNC router.  The precision of this tool contributed to his mathematical understanding of shifting forms that were necessary to build this expanding/contracting structure.  As a final requirement for this project, each student slept at least one night in their "living quarters" to exist within their ideas, to live an experience, and influence subsequent works.  Ben's form gently rocks him to sleep....to me, its a simple, charming additon to a beautiful work.

For more examples of my student's work, visit my recent post on the PLUG Projects blog here.  

Abstract.Kansas City at Nerman MoCA

My painting "Tuck and Roll" (back wall, oil and acrylic on canvas, 60"x53") is included in the exhibition Abstract.Kansas City at the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art in Overland Park, KS.  

Works in Progress

These are some new "Covered" paintings in progress in my studio.  I am excited about their immediacy, and will evaluate where I want to take them tomorrow morning.   As these paintings continue to develop, I am becoming more drawn to the unplanned spaces that are created.  I continue thinking about "subtle shifts" in form and want to explore this idea in these works. 

detail, acrylic on canvas (so far), 16"x20" each

KU Medical Center Commission pt. II

The new White Paintings for KU Medical Center have been installed and are view to the public.  If you are interested, they can be viewed on the fourth floor of the new addition at 39th and Rainbow Boulevard in Kansas City. Other great works by Kent Michael Smith and Willem Volkersz were recently acquired for their collection.  

Recently installed, recently built

I recently helped install a Nick Cave Soundsuit in a private residence in Kansas City.  Getting to handle this work was a privilege and gave me a moment to admire their materials, surface, and structure.  As their name implies, the suits truly come to life through motion, swaying with each movement and putting off sounds created by the various materials.  My buddy/co-worker Rhys and I dressed the suits onto mannequins then snapped some pics.

In this image you can see the surface is completely covered with hand-sewn buttons that clink and clank as the suit moves.  The head/face is carefully constructed of thousands of steal wires....Cave's other suits are often made from human hair, steel flowers, and sequins.

Back in the shop, we spent the last week building a large crate for the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City.  This crate will house their Waterlilies painting by Claude Monet.  Its total size was 103"hx185"lx24"w, and had to be pushing a half-ton in weight.  All Nelson crates are painted yellow to distinguish their crates from others in museum storage rooms.  I enjoy documenting the large roller marks and the transition of the crates from start to finish.  Kyle Combs, crate painter and mustache grower, is laying down the first coat of Safety Yellow.

And here it is all done up...enjoy the crate Monet. 

Review of the Charlotte Street Fellows Exhibition

Following the installation of Gesture Knot (Out of Reach), 2010, latex on

cut aluminum, 89"x79"x2". Right after this shot, I took a deep breath.

I have shied away from posting recently to keep my activities under wrap until the opening of the Charlotte Street Fellows Exhibition at Grand Arts (my drawing is on the homepage). The exhibition opened on September 3rd, to huge crowds, perfect weather, and great KC energy. Local friends and family came out, great friends from Iowa rolled in; it couldn't have been better. But best of all, my parents were super proud. My mother probably cried a bit. Glad I brought someone to tears.

The 3rd was the night of many openings across the city, and our exhibition at Grand Arts did not disappoint. Ari Fish, Sonia Ruffin and I had been cranking to turn out our most ambitious work for the opening and it was met with great reviews and supportive feedback. The generosity of the Charlotte Street Foundation and the staff at Grand Arts have been incredibly supportive during the preparation for this exhibition. It's such a nice feeling to produce a new body of work....it gets the juices flowing and builds drive for the next time I head to the studio.

The exhibition was reviewed by Alice Thorson of the Kansas City Star with half-page photos and some good critical meat. Check it out. I dig the photo, but I've received a load of shit for it. I debuted my first (of many, hopefully) Gesture Knots, along with a series of new works on paper. Installations shots of the exhibition are on the way, along with a new website, new work, a new truck (theft #2), my new duds at the opening, new acquaintances, new opinions, new directions, new everything. The next post will have images of the making of Gesture Knot (Out of Reach)...

Snowflake

I wanted to post a few installation images from my show at Snowflake with Clint Baclawski. The exhibition was well received and our work showed well together. Getting to spend some time in St. Louis was great and I look forward to returning. St. Louis has a rich history and the city is full of cultural neighborhoods, beautiful museums, and great food. I didn't eat any toasted ravioli on this trip, but an ad in the newspaper convinced me to buy a Gooey Louie butter cake that was as delicious/fattening as it sounds. The smells from their bakery on Chippewa Street could give you a diabetic seizure. Good stuff. So I ate, drank beer (not Budweiser, sorry St. Louis), met some great people, and ate. Between bites, I took a couple pictures.

Snowflake was an intimate space on Cherokee Street that was bustling

by the time of the opening. The show was well attended and the

Santo Foundation was extremely accommodating. My works

Untitled (left) and Taffy Push/Pull (right) are in the background.

Clint's light boxes from his Hype/White series were displayed on the

floor with my works on paper in the background. The boxes depicted

crowds that congregate around advertisements and would pulsate. Each

box is plywood with automotive paint and archival inkjet backlit prints,

42"x52"x12".

Installation view; Recent Work: Caleb Taylor and Clint Baclawski at

Snowflake/Citystock.

Cut and Folded

Untitled, 2010, acrylic, collage and found paper on manila folder, 9"x11"

This recent collage is from a series of small works that strictly investigates abstraction from a Modernist standpoint. I have been using collage for the past five years as a way of exploring new territories and building on my existing vocabulary of color, form, and space. These works are a departure from my usual conceptual direction, and give me a break from my norm to remain playful in my studio. It feels great to make quick, intuitive decisions that involve folded paper, delicate stencils, and built-up surfaces.

Clint Baclawski/Caleb Taylor: Recent Work

White Window - Glow II, 2010, acrylic, gouache, pencil on paper, 15"x17"

Snowflake is located at 3156 Cherokee Street, St. Louis, MO 63118.

Clint Baclawski/Caleb Taylor: Recent Work opens this Saturday at Snowflake/Citystock in St. Louis. This exhibition is curated by Ashley Kopp and generously supported by the Santo Foundation. I am exhibiting eleven new drawings alongside Clint's photographic installation - together we will own this intimate venue very well. I am excited to travel to St. Louis and to check out the St. Louis art scene. Opening reception: Saturday, May 8, 2010 from 7 to 10 pm. Exhibition runs until June 6th. Stop in and check it out.

New Blog, New Studio, New Work

Welcome to my blog; the place where I will share my studio progress, openings, and include you in conversations. Enjoy the posts.

my new Urban Culture Project studio

works in progress