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Scarecrows (Man Deluge) - Art Installation by Sculptor/Painter Jason Graham Takes a Hard Look at Over-Population and Consumption by Marc Beaudin Scarecrows (Man Deluge) by Jason Graham Click on Pic for a larger view! New York poet and essayist William Heyen, in urging poets to be a force for change in a world that is plummeting toward destruction, writes in his book Pig Notes and Dumb Music, "Let us try, directly, practically, by way of our poetry, to save the world for future generations of our children, or let us shut up and get to work in other ways." The same charge could be made for all artists. Far too many writers, painters, musicians, etc. are concerned only (merely) with expressing themselves - in telling their own stories without regard for the world beyond their heads and egos; or, as many will tell you one way or another, they "are in it for the money" (which for writers anyway, is delusional at best). Yet a few are hearing Heyen's cry, or rather making it themselves. A few are taking art back to being the revolutionary, eye opening force that it needs to be. Jason Graham is one of these few. Scarecrows (Man Deluge) is Graham's installation of sculpture, painting, and sound that depicts the end result of our culture's path of ever-increasing dependency on artificial and exploitative technologies as a result of over-population and over-consumption. The exhibit will be on the stage of Delta College's Lecture Theater (G-160) from November 28 through December 1, 2001; 9:00 am to 9:00 pm daily. A distribution table with information on related issues will be included, and various educators and activists will make presentations on November 29, beginning at 5:00 pm. Also, a closing reception will be held at CAGE (Collective Artists' Gallery and Exchange), 211 N. Hamilton in Old Town Saginaw, on December 1, beginning at 8:00 pm. There is no admission charge for the exhibit, the presentations, or the reception. A native of Saginaw, Graham received some formal artistic training at Oakland Community College, although he maintains that the best art class he ever had was a course in industrial welding. Indeed, he often works in this field as much to pay the bills as to have access to a supply of scrap metal that he brings back to his studio: an unheated garage on Saginaw's east side, where it is transformed, through heat and hammer, into works of art. In June of 2000, he presented the CAGE exhibit Hominid, which included two of the scarecrows, as well as other sculptures and paintings. He later took first place honors at CAGE's 2001: An Art Odyssey juried exhibit, this past January. Graham explains that the seed for this project came because of a Sundance Film Festival contest. "They were having a contest for short films on over-population, and I had an idea for the opening of such a film that would have a camera panning across a woodland, that would eventually give way to farm fields. As the camera continued to pan, it would pass a scarecrow, then another, then five, then a dozen, until finally, there are no more trees, no more farms -- just scarecrows. The earth would be completely infested and dominated by humanity. Well, I never made the film, but the idea evolved into this installation." This metaphor of using scarecrows to represent humans is more than the obvious similarity of form. When we consider that the function of the scarecrow is to drive away the natural, the wild, from that piece of nature that is now considered ours, and that the area taken from nature and made ours is growing exponentially as we continue to ravage the planet, the image becomes far more sinister. The scarecrow's purpose is to scare away competitors; and it works - it is fearsome - solely because it looks like a human. But the exhibit is more than a comment on man's treatment of the natural world. It is a prophetic and nightmarish glimpse at the future that our current patterns of growth and consumption are speeding us to. A future where all resources have been plundered and every acre has been filled to capacity with humans and the artificial systems that are now completely necessary to feed, water, and oxygenate them. But even if such an existence were sustainable, Graham asks, "Is this what people want? Do people really want to give up all autonomy and be subjugated by the structure that becomes necessary as resources are depleted?" That question seems to have an obvious answer until we consider how much this is happening right now with very little protest or even discussion. Our food is becoming dependent on vast corporate manipulation ranging from chemical biocides to genetic engineering to irradiation. Our water is laced with chemicals that supposedly protect us from other chemicals. Our ideas and beliefs and culture are more and more being implanted through commercial television, radio, and the film industry; all of which are controlled by a handful of corporations. Is this what people want? And if not, what can we do about it? Some people who have some suggestions have been brought into this event to offer their views that relate directly to the issues raised by this exhibit. Beginning at 5:00 pm on November 29, they will take the stage along with the scarecrows. Graham will explain in detail the metaphors and symbolism of his installation, as well as discuss current and historical trends in population growth and consumption habits and effects. Sharon Davis, coordinator of BioRage, a local anti-genetic engineering activist group, will address genetic engineering and the false promises of modern agriculture. Dave Witbrodt, an educator at Delta College, will present a talk titled, Capitalism and the Modern Convolution of Survival. And Terry Miller, Chair of the Lone Tree Council, will discuss, Eco-Devastation: The Footprint of Our Modern Culture. When asked how hopeful he is that the scenario depicted in Scarecrows can be avoided, Graham answers, "I'm really, really hopeful it can, but I'm pretty skeptical that it will. It depends a lot on who's in charge of running and influencing our culture." Let's hope, for the sake of humanity, that some of these who are influencing our culture will be people, like Jason Graham, who are trying by way of their art to save the world (or at least alerting the rest of us to its dire need for saving). For more information of the exhibit or related events, email CAGE at: cage211@hotmail.com, or visit their website: www.cagearts.org. This exhibit was originally presented by CAGE and Pit & Balcony Theatre in June. Note: William Heyen's book, Pig Notes & Dumb Music: Prose on Poetry, is available from BOA Editions, Ltd., 260 East Ave., Rochester, NY 14604. Marc Beaudin can be contacted at crowvoice@hotmail.com.
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