By: Kristine Lambert
Lowertown and downtown Saint Paul seemed a bit sleepy when I arrived, but the insides of the nearly 25 buildings included in the St. Paul Art Crawl were buzzing with people passing through over 200 artists’ studios and galleries. I found the atmosphere to be unpretentious and high-energy, with an exceptional variety of media. My goal was to try to hit as many spots as I could, pick out the artists that struck me, and focus on them. I would, though, recommend any art lover to attend this bi-annual event—the next one will be April 20-22, 2007. One thing that’s certain is that there is something for everyone. I saw families, hipsters, hippies and preppies like myself all enjoying the fine fall weather and the vast array of creativity that thrives in this corner of our Twin Cities.
I was first drawn to Dandy Propaganda. Soon after meeting at the Tilsner Artists Cooperative, Dan Wieken and Andy Kiehafer became Dandy Propaganda—posters, design and illustration. Wieken had been in several local bands and currently plays in Black Death Blood Wolf, while Kiehafer studied screenprinting during study abroad in Hildesheim, Germany. They got to talking and decided to put together a gig poster operation. Zebulon Pike, Birthday Suits, Vampire Hands, We Are Wolves, and Maiden Korea are among a list of over 33 bands that have had original screenprints created by Dandy Propaganda. They are especially stoked about the Shellac poster (pictured) they are working on for their gig on November 18 at First Avenue.
Wieken and Kiehafer collaborate on the imagery, often with the band if possible. Wieken illustrates the image; the two hash out the design on the computer; they create a black and white print-out and screen-print it. Wieken and Kiehafer agree that “[i]t’s not lucrative, but worth the blood and sweat.” They feel that poster art, running for three to five dollars a pop, is the last original and collectable art available to the common person.
Jill Van Sickle’s painting, fused glass and fiber arts can also be found in the Tilsner Artist Co-op. Van Sickle makes jewelry with fused glass, while her painting incorporates natural colors, organic lines, layered texture and subdued color schemes. Her work Landscape which is 2.5’x 3.25’ would be a great centerpiece for a living room-type gathering place. Her talent for working with fiber arts was also clearly demonstrated with her coffee filter dress.
I had to laugh out loud at Matt Schufman’s comical illustrations that tell a story in one picture (see The Sea and the Panic and Untitled). How can a work tell a complete story with a name like Untitled? Check it out here, and this one cracked me up too.
In cahoots with Schufman is designer Jimmy Eagle. The two are in the band Harbor together and have an upcoming gig on Saturday, November 4 at the Nomad World Pub. Harbor will be sharing the bill with Jeremy Messersmith and the Dale Hush Hush. Fresh out of St. Thomas with a background in journalism and studio photography, Eagle’s design sense really comes through in the cover art for Harbor’s EP High Tide: Layered, with multi-media elements and a captivating color scheme. Their EP cover art can be viewed here.
I really enjoyed the vibe in Richard Abrahamson’s Northern Warehouse studio. I was led into the studio by subdued floor lights and greeted by solo guitar music. Having studied Flemish painting techniques, Abrahamson creates poignant and traditional scenes. He seems to have a fascination with the characters of longevity and fortitude, which is clear in his work Decline depicting an old-time two-door one-car garage within the shadows of a fresh green Midwestern summer. The shadows of the leaves and electrical wires carry the eye to the center of the composition.
As I chatted with the artist I was accompanied by the guitar playing of Squirt, who wielded a Hello Kitty guitar. Described as “improvised solo guitar soundtracks,” Dave Esmond jammed away subtly as I talked. As I left the studio, I gave Esmond the rock-out hand signal of approval, and he replied “Thank you” without interruption.
Artist Teresa Cox has the goal of capturing “the embodiment of feeling alive.” While her work is unique and original, I couldn’t help but see that she is well-studied in both painting and art history. Her work could border on abstract expressionism with influences such as Cezanne’s table setting along with Kahlo’s color schemes. I even sensed a Starry Night moon in Night Map, which can be viewed here. Cox will be showing at an exhibit entitled “Subjective Mapping: An Exploration of Spirit and Place” at Augsburg College from November 3-December 17, 2006.
A must-stop at any of the Saint Paul Art Crawl is Northern Warehouse #258. This space is occupied by Michael Bahl (pictured) and an installation-type exhibit entitled Proud to be a Mammal: Paleo-ostological Restoration Etc. The first piece that greets the art crawler is, according to Bahl’s story, the burial mask of a Viking warrior from the tenth century. The form is based mostly on the pelvis of a bull, representing strength and virility; the spine and ribs of a young wolf, meant to protect the warrior’s eyes; and rams horns, to deter demons who might attack the Viking on his journey after death. If that didn’t protect the warrior on his journey through the afterlife, well, nothing would have.
The next portion of the exhibit was a three-piece family grouping of “mammoths” including a calf, mother, and a father who reached 8’ tall and would be 12’ long with the tail extended. Reminding me that I was on an art crawl and not a science crawl, Bahl explained that “my animals’ skeletons, as works of art, are very graceful and beautiful to look at… [t]he beauty of the skeleton is what I try to capture in imaginary ways.” Bahl believes that if his art were to provoke a response, then he has communicated on a level beyond written or spoken words. Bahl enjoys observing people as they meander through his studio, participating in the exhibit. After speaking with him, I couldn’t help but wonder if, perhaps, we were there for his amusement.
Photo by Brooks Peterson.
Artist Info: Harbor
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