The way I can think of explaining this is to first think about conceptual art. Conceptual art is about the idea (concept) and manifesting that idea through whatever medium by whatever means. Through a hierarchy, based on educational merit, nepotism, a portfolio and other things, an artist gets to have assistants to help carry out his or her concept.
In history, artists’ assistants were responsible for all the little things like keeping the studio clean, or mixing the artist’s paint, and sometimes, when they were lucky, assistants were even allowed to paint some of the background, however without historical credit. The artist’s assistants do everything they can to help an artist create his or her vision. Even art professors at the good ol’ university have worked as assistants to higher up artists and may have risen up in the food chain because of it. Several professors I know worked on Chris Burden’s Metropolis II, currently showing at the Los Angeles Community Museum of Art.
Chris Burden, Metropolis II
One professor explained artist assisting as working for someone a few days a week, then having time to make your own art the rest of the week. That is sort of what happened on this project. I worked on this project, and went to class full time, then went home every night and painted; but this blog is far less about me. This winter I helped Mary Weatherford with her project for the Todd Madigan Gallery of Cal State Bakersfield.
[Note: Because I am not accustomed to taking a camera everywhere with me and claiming to be a photographer, I have drawings I made in my sketchbook of Mary and other people who worked on this project.]
Mary Weatherford was the visiting artist at CSUB this year. She is from Southern California. Mary’s education includes Princeton for her BA in Art History/Visual Arts; the Whitney Independent Study Program; and earned her MFA at Bard College. Then she had tons of exhibitions, both collaborative (group) and solo. Her most recent exhibits have been “Vines,” Sister and Cottage Home 2008, and “Cave at Pismo,” Brennan & Griffin Gallery 2011. She rented an apartment a month before winter quarter began to get acclimated to Bakersfield, where she would be working for five weeks.
First of all, I only joined the project by chance. I was in screen printing class, which is taught by the Gallery Director of CSUB, Joey Kotting, and he told me to checkout this class. So I went. That day Mary told the class, which was about six of us, of how she had been exploring Bakersfield and all the different things she was interested in. She had such enthusiasm in her words as she told us of her first experience with art, which was her father taking her to museums and holding her up hovering before large paintings. Mary also made it very clear that she kept her day job as an accountant, even though she is what one would consider a successful artist. This information and because she was a painter, was why I decided to join the project.
Mary painted some studies the first weekend of the project, alone. Through these small studies she was able to revise and refine her concept; but also concluded that small scale paintings would look different than the scale of painting we would build for the show.
To make the canvases we had to assemble the custom made stretchers. These were aluminum with a wood plate for staples. That way, the whole thing is able to be broken down, with the rolled up canvas, and mailed off to be re-assembled by the owner. It was tricky work because every piece had a specific place and I don’t remember seeing any pictures of the plans; this puzzle was delicately directed by Mary.
Mary on the frame puzzle
The canvas we used was linen from Venice, which is mush thicker than ordinary canvas I am used to. We cut pieces specifically for each of our newly assembled stretcher frames. This linen canvas would be stretched two times, which seemed crazy, but compared to another artist Mary mentioned who stretches his canvas ten times, this was okay. The gesso was a mixture of Mary's own recipe, which is different every time. To preserve what may be a trade secret, I am only going to say there was readymade Golden brand gesso and water, leaving out what other ingredients that were added. Once she showed me her recipe, I mixed a few gallons more to use on the remaining canvases. We gesso'd the eight large canvases three coats per canvas.
Important Brushes
Brushes to spread the gesso were important as well. For the technique she showed us, which was a vigorous scrubbing method, she favored a wide brush with fairly short hairs. This process was extra tiring because the heater was on full blast to counteract the cold from the outside. I, preferring the heat, didn’t mind.
We collaborated with the people of Center Neon, a local neon maker and distributor who is responsible for making much of the neon signs seen around town. Center Neon renovated the sign for the Fox Theater. We discussed the different types of neon that would be available and when it could be made by. The people of Center Neon were excited to work with us because they had never been able to try artistic things in their business.
Center Neon
The plan was to make what were considered “giant beer signs,” a term to describe the circuitry the artwork would use to fit safety standards for private viewing. Mary chose the “colors” of neon, which are made up from different gasses combined with different types of glass. Each piece of neon had to be planned out for Center Neon to fabricate for this project.
Neon Stencils
A stencil was made for each piece out of masking tape on paper. Each line represents either an acrobatic form a gymnast can make or the impossibility of drawing a straight line by hand.
Dan and Assistant
Our tech guy for the Art Department, Dan Slayton, constructed a wood support system to hold the neon. This had to be attached to each frame on the back and screwed through the linen canvas with minimal visibility from the front.
A week before the show, we were informed that Mary’s long time mentor and employer, Mike Kelley, died at 59. Mary thought it was important to have a word of mouth memory of his legacy. Mike’s style of art had more influence over her show than she originally planned. Mike’s painting is more about imagery and pop culture; color washes in the center of an empty space. Mary's work has become similar, but her work is color which represents negative space. This can be seen in her previous series of cave paintings where she painted only the light in the cave.
Mary remembering Mike Kelly
Mike was a doer and he got things done; there was all this extra work he did as a famous artist. Mary said that Mike was super creative and smart and she found it odd that he didn't want to live anymore. My stomach churned. This is not what a young artist wants to hear: A rich and successful artist who ends his own life. I had heard of many artists dyeing young, even some taking their own lives, but this is definitely not what I want to hear. I figured the only thing we could do right now was let her tell us about Mike and try to get what work we could get done that day to keep her mind off things.
Historical Significance of Artists to Mary
In terms of this project, Mary told us how Mike Kelley never let anyone into his studio while he was actually making his work, only before and after to assist in things like stretching or what have you. Helping, in Mike's book, is a lot of sitting around time but being there when it is important. Mary explained the historical significance other artists’ like Mike Kelley had on her work. “The Uncanny,” a book by Mike, was recommended.
After her first painting session, the assistants were tasked with raising and stapling each canvas on to the wall so she could see how they were coming along and analyze what, if anything, to add in paint. Normally in her personal studio she would either do this task herself or with one paid assistant, but this was a big project in such a short amount of time, so the more assistants the better. Mary said, "It’s like having twelve hands.”
Linen stapled to walls, more to paint
I tried to help staple to the wall. I was ready to help, staple-gun in hand. I wasn’t tall enough to reach the top of the canvass, even on a step stool, and was therefore dismissed from this task. Instead I swept the floor, and later wiped down the plastic that covered the floor for the canvas to lay.
At the same time we wrote a press release and made posters to advertise the show. We had to have the Gallery's Facebook page up and running. Posters then had to be distributed around campus. An after party was even planned by Mary. Her sister’s band from San Diego, The Shantyannes, would play at Trout’s right after the reception at the Todd Madigan Gallery.
At this point she already named each of them and knew what kind of neon would be on them. With the now three times gesso’d and one time painted canvasses on the walls, the show appeared as if it may be already finished. There was still plenty to do. Mary added more layers of color to each painting. The team stretched the canvasses again on the frames and added the neon structures. The team also cleaned up the gallery that had been used as a studio for weeks and make it look like a gallery once more. Walls had to be painted. I partnered up with someone to scrub the floors.
The day of opening Mary's show was mentioned in the Bakersfield Californian Newspaper. The night of the opening was a great success. The gallery was filled with people from the beginning of the lecture explaining the exhibit and Mary’s process to the end when the last of the cookies were gone.
Mary Weatherford's Lecture next to Truxtun
The show, 'Mary Weatherford: The Bakersfield Project,' will be on display until March 9th, 2012, in Todd Madigan Gallery, 9001 Stockdale Hwy, Bakersfield. Gallery hours are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 1-6pm, and Saturday 1-5pm. (closed Sunday, Monday, Friday). We students are taking turns sitting the Gallery for this time.
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