AM _Workshop Sept. ’09

Artists Meeting members gathered at the country home/studio barn of G.H. Hovagimyan and Joyce Castleberry in Galilee, PA for an intensive three-day workshop combined with end of summer R&R. The Artists Meeting – Art Machine installation is slated for the Pulse Art Fair in Miami in December 3-6, in conjunction with Art Basel Miami Beach. Greg Beck, Joyce Castleberry, G.H. Hovagimyan, Thomas Hutchison, Mayuko Nakatsuka, Olga Lysenko, Joao Salema, and Lee Wells (in alphabetical order) participated in the weekend of discussion, planning, process, execution, and documentation.

The barn studio has two rooms that were used for the workshop. One room, the "clean studio" was configured with three long tables to hold a continuous roll of white, neutral ph balance butcher's paper destined for the Artists Meeting - Art Machine artwork dispenser. Lee Wells brought silk-screen materials he had been storing in his studio waiting for this moment. Mayuko brought what was missing from his kit. All of the Artists Meeting regulars brought drawing and painting materials and were ready to go. Lee and Joao immediately set the pace by putting individual canvases up on the wall allowing artworks to be created in that space. For the group event, acetate sheets for use as silk screens templates were put in the hands of Olga and Mayuko. The idea was to create artwork on the continuous roll of butcher paper in various ways; by working directly on the paper for some lengths, and by silk-screening images on others. The artwork could then be rolled up again, ready to be torn off as the roll is fed through a mechanical dispenser. Other items for different parts of the Art Machine, using silk screen and numerous other techniques and media will supply other dispensers. Individual paintings will be used as enticement for special customers.
The second room was the "rough studio" where the prototype of the wall for the Art Machine had been pre-built by G.H. and was ready to serve as a design armature. Starting with Olga’s CAD design drawings, design contributions from Mike Clemow and the group, GH began to layout the face of the Art Machine to include various devices for dispensing art. The automatic paper towel dispenser, originally designed for 8 inch paper rolls, was modified to accept the 12 inch butcher's paper. Thomas cleverly took apart the twelve inch roller mechanism for the drawing dispenser module and he and G.H. used that to create the drop-down dispensing apparatus to accomodate individual objects. A truly inspired mod! Meal times were special. Joyce planned meals that were culinary delights. Breakfast is traditionally G.H.'s domain in this household and there were farmer's market eggs, fresh bread and abundant coffee to start the day. Dinners were the main events and included grilled sushi grade tuna in a traditional salad Nicoise; paella cooked on the outdoor grill followed by homemade plum crumble the evening of Lee and Joao's 7th anniversary; grilled chicken breast with fresh corn and other veggies; and a Labor Day feast of hamburgers and buffalo hot dogs. Lunches were only a bit lighter--lamb sausage, salad and veggies; GH's grilled Armenian meat pizzas (lahmajun); and a Mediteranean meal of Armenian lamb raviolis in yoghurt mint sauce. Meals were eaten outdoors under the pergola thanks to sparkling weather the whole weekend. Everyone took part in the table service and light dish-washing chores. To stave off hunger and thirst between meals, there was a cooler of long necks and a huge assortment of Polish and Pepperidge Farm cookies. Thomas generously supplemented these munchie delights. Lee and Jaoa, Thomas and Mayuko brought cameras and used them all weekend with delightful results. Greg, who knows Joyce from University days in Arkansas and was visiting from his home in Hamburg, Germany, joined in the fun with great spirit and used his new camera to document events throughout the weekend as well as preparing several delicious dishes for the group. Results? By the end of the workshop the group had produced a 100 foot long collaborative drawing, the drawing dispenser was tested and functions, and the art machine modules were ready to be motorized. On another note, Lee says he gained weight. And,Tuesday following the workshop, the group received all the forms from the Pulse Art Fair for the final step in confirmation. Pulse Art Fair will be held in Miami and supplements the Art Basel Miami Beach. It will be held in Miami (proper) this December 3-6. Another workshop is being scheduled. http://picasaweb.google.com/leewells.re/AMAMWorkshopGalileeSept09#

Here's some of the products being developed for the Art Machine.
AM_DIY_kit: this includes a fluorescent safety vest, a roll of NOT PUBLIC barrier tape and an Artist's Meeting 'zine from Conflux '08.

Gumbo@Dumbo_DVD: original video montage that we projected on the side of the Manhattan Bridge for DUMBO festival in '07

Panties with Artists Meeting logo design by Bethany Fancher