up in the pipe organ

Tonight we had an amazing opportunity to go up into the pipe organ area in a Long Beach area church. We were doing some ground work for a commission and needed to see the space that we will be working with and were surprised by this incredible find, a beautiful mid-century German pipe organ. Each one of the pipes could be lifted and mouth blown, it was amazing! It was also pretty great that we accessed it through a bathroom stale. 

Opening this weekend (Jan. 24)

Ragamuffin Gospel

Did you ever have one of those books that for years everyone references? You just have it in your consciousness to the point you begin to believe you've actually read it. For me that would be the Ragamuffin Gospel, by Brennan Manning. Well, I have to admit, I've never did read it and now I am. I understand.

Here is a prayer of rabbi, Joshua Abraham Heschel:

"Dear Lord, grant me the grace of wonder. Surprise me, amaze me, awe me in every crevice of Your universe. Delight me to see how Your Christ plays in ten thousand places, lovely in limbs, and lovely in eyes not His, to the Father through the features of people's faces. Each day enrapture me with Your marvelous things without number. I do not ask to see the reason for it all; I ask only to share the wonder of it all."

Idyllwild

Snow in Idyllwild. Apparently the snowplow guy didn't see my cabin. My driveway is right behind that pile. Lots of snow so far this winter, 4' and counting. 

Shift

"untitled" acrylic, wax on paper

24"x32", 2008

I was asked to post some of the statements I made about my current work: the work that is represented in the Shift exhibition.

Shift

v.

To move to a different position, or be moved to a different position.

n.

A change in the position of a spectral line representing a change in frequency. 

This work is intended to invite and/or provoke a visual shift. The shift can be phenomenal, metaphoric, and/or allegoric. These works are to be joyous objects of contemplation: a bit clumsy, a bit gosh, but unapologetically optic.

I have been considering:

Biological systems

String theory

Profundity

Incarnational theology 

Fractals 

Semaphore signaling

Joy 

Shift - new work in Portland area

I'm just finishing up the last of the works for this show. It is at George Fox University in Newberg, Oregon (just outside Portland.) It opens Nov. 25th. Strange works, clumsy works but unapologetically optic works. I'll explain more later (I'm teaching a studio class right now and no one wants to be disturbed so I had to do something productive.) If your in the Portland area please stop on by, I'll be there the night of the opening. 

Robert Rauschenberg erased DeKooning