Sunday Southern Art Revival:Cook

Sunday is the day we meet.The email was simple and said lets meet about 2 o clock and talk about new projects.Im thinking we working on Basel ideas or stuff for biennials and various other shows.We talked about art for all of ten minutes.This is what I love about SSAR.Sometime arts not important.

George was like "Im going to start a fire." Me too George I said as I followed in my Pyro happiness. We walk to the pit and started a fire. I got corn George said. Let's cook it. John and I look on as the blaze roar and I add more paper just to watch it burn, A whole Sunday paper starting with the art section to be exact.We laughed about it. George was like I got Okra too. We chopped it and was like hell, now we got to to fry it.George was like I got Collard Greens too.Cool.Jessie and his family came,plus Charlie and his young one. John left in sadness. The meat came from somewhere and few hours later it was a full on SSAR BBQ celebrating Mario and George.

Just as random and unplanned as our collaborative works are the collabortive meals are even more sucessful.Mario cleaned chickens I said "Fried Gizzards"George kept the gizzards.It's like we still were working in the studio and having fun ,but just in the kitchen. We were adding spices and guessing spices of each others dishes.Some spieces that pull out flavors that could have been missed.We all enjoy cooking and sharing family cooking secrets.I think that is why food plays an important part to our mission and gospel. There is talk of a cookbook and a SSAR Art Feast, we will collab in the kitchen for your taste buds.

Iron Belly Menu

George on Okra and Gourmet Gizzards

Michi on Collards (candy collards)

Scott "the Vegitarian" on ribs and Salmon

Mario on Yardbirds and plantain

Jessie on Grits and sausage

Charlie on Corn and grill foreman

John absent on Cooking day

BacktoNYC

So I just got back from NYC.Limo at the airport."Michi!!!"Usually Jose comes to get me.His phone was off and they sent another guy.Went directly to the Fashion/Garment distric.14 floors up did the meeting.We agreed.Shannon a friend from home bama has blonde hair now.We take a cab to Soho.We laugh.Finally did I said,all that trash talking we did in college, finally,Artsy and creative in NYC.The loft is huge.It over looked Kid Robot.Huge loft white furniture like a loft from a book.Someone really lives like this.Smokes on the fire escape,but I quit.I have one.We laugh.Walk for pizza and Jack D/coke.People come over.They dont do whiskey we laugh and call the soft as the thump hits us.Dosa comes over.He's in cut and paste.Taxi to alphabet city. more ATL folk show up. Before long the south dominates this one corner.Random.Walk to bars.Loaded and they dont dance no more but the A was on that bump and grind.Jordo eastvillage thats my dude.Sleep.Breakfast.Luis Bravo,I found Animal Chin. Lunch China Town.But went to the little Italy Street Festival.Pizzas,Scunguli's,and eeey!!! Italian stuff.Walk to House ton,but I say HOUSTON,like texas.Cut and paste.On the list.Dosa is hyped to do battle.I look up the A is in the place.SouF MouF.Dosa wins first two rounds.Looses final on purpose I think.The other guy was no comp.We celebrate the intentional loss.Walk.Go to Home Sweet Home.Its tiny,I laugh and leave.Taxi.EastV.Jordo.We hit MaxFish.More South.We tip whiskey and walk home.Sandwich at the corner deli.Turkey and cheese on a roll.Next morning China Town.I shop.Dumplings for breakfast.Call the Limo.Strange starting to like NYC.Airport.Flight,I sleep.ATL.Good to be Home.

Underground and Fine

Here at TindelMichi Studios we straddle a fine line in this ATL art world. Are we Fine art or Underground? Maybe we some new folk art that people can’t classify it. Are we still emerging? When do we stop emerging? Who decides this and validates careers in ATL. I feel like we have played all the underground spots big and small and done the right events. We have played some more notable galleries and gained the attention of the finer side and I still feel like something is missing. I have gotten into arguments with people who say going the gallery route you can’t do this or that. Well, I need some intellectual art buyers to understand the dilemma of daily creation. Try to understand two dudes who make.


TindelMichi is prolific. We make paint, draw, create things every day; we are not waiting for some great idea to get us out of the funk. We paint through the funk. Is it well thought out? Some of it is and some just skim the ideas.Ideas come and go.I used to keep an idea box. Are we wrong for this? It’s like do you need art to breathe and our answer is, YES!!!!Do you paint? YES!!!We don’t pretend and makes no excuses of why we can’t create. Either you are a creator or not. We don’t play art; we are it.TindelMichi tries to one up each other daily. It’s how we create our dialog and symbols. Healthy completion to push each other this how we learn from each other. So naturally we would push our work onto other things sculpture, installations, we paint live and far as I am concerned that is our performance art.
I get so confused by the Atlanta's art scene and its ideas. What are we trying to do really, push our scene or local talent? Well ,here at TM studios we are pushing a whole region. The idea of this enchanting place where long hot heat is the norm. We are not like NYC or L.A. We are not tofu and pizza. We are sweet tea and bbq.If NYC is an ant hill then we are fireflys.So in saying this I am pushing for us (Atlanta) to come into our own.

I got off subject.

Banksy, Shepard, David Choe a few others have gone their routes and landed work in major collections in museums international. They are a few doing what all artists want to do. Don’t then you are a liar to yourself. Make art and make money, so that you can make art and have the time and joy to make that art. To produce daily and not worry about I got to go to work and stop your real mission. We all start off to be sucessful.You don’t start things to fail.

So who is to say I'm wrong if I do this or that with my work. Some say this doesnt validate you and no one will take your work seriously.Well until the intellectual buyers catch up with the jones my bills still rocking.My urge to make work is still there.No museum is knocking down my door just yet. So,I have to do what it takes to get that free time to make what I have to make. The time for my spirit to get free making things. I’m going both ways on this one....Underground and Fine.

Saint St.Augustine

So the SSAR has been traveling around spreading the word.Recently, we went down to St.Augustine Florida the nations oldest city. We installed our "Revival" and I think we may have converted a few more souls for the cause. I like St.Aug. It’s small and charming, close to the beach and across the street from the river it’s totally surrounded by water.


I arrived two days before the opening. The rest of the ministers were there installing the gospel. I called John and he said they were at the beach. George had a kayak in the ocean riding waves. I followed my map quest direction to the gallery, The Gallery at Screen Arts. I liked this side of town, It was like cabbage town meets the west end and everyone was nice and on a bike. I saw the why did the chicken cross the road joke play out before my eyes.The answer is to get to the other side. Rob the gallery owner came out and we got introduced around and he is the nicest gallery owner dude ever.


In back of the gallery is a sign shop, John and I were about ready to loose our minds at all the possibilities of the machines. My faves was a die cutting machine that started up like an engine. It was old school technology I called it the Willy Wonka.

Thrown before me was a huge pile of vinyl symbols that I recognize and new what was up, a site specific vinyl installation. We did two and they were FRESH!!!One was at least 20'x15' or bigger the other in that range too. After a couple of hot afternoons and one late night of hanging, we decide to go out.

First dinner at A1A, Im not a fan of this place even though the food was good. To put it simple they ran out of grits for my shrimp and grits. Thing is the server waited until the other food was up to say "We are out of grits". After dinner we walked the historic beach town looking for trouble. We found nothing. After a couple stops at what seemed to be a town full of piano bars we decided to go back the first bar we saw that night. Matanza ,which means "blood river" was playing. This bar was a real hickish redneck bar full of lively beach types and seemed to be the local jam. Scott hated it and we made the best of the social scene. I liked it because soon as we hit the door and get a drink, the familiar sound of home graced my ears. John knocked over a beer bottle and on the crashing queue the band tore into Skynards Sweet Home Alabama. A huge smile on my face and I danced the jig with the locals.

The next day was the opening and the show was received well. The gallery owner always buys Rap Snacks for the show and we learned that Master P snack was going to be harder to get because of distrubution.We bought all the store had and that was funny. A Honda Mini van full. Like Atlanta there are lots of biking white negros or "hipsters" according to wikapedia.They came to the opening and showed some love. It was all good and I could feel the spirit and the souls being saved.There was talk of an after party. We got directions and headed over the bridge to the "Pool House" so we heard, but it was the "Poo House" and there was a few kids sitting around looking stupid. I quickly cracked a joke and mad a true "I'm too old for this and this aint even a party" and we left off to Denny’s for breakfast,mean while some puke breathed hipster chick was trying to go with us but we superman'd on that oooooooooooooooo!!!!!

I was under the strange hold of the THUMP and almost got us into a fight with a local band that thought we were a band trying to play on there turf. "who is the lead singer he kept saying,as if to say I challenge you.We laughed and insulted the sucky band (Oneday Better)and ate our food. Rob said you should be One day at a time.I don’t remember much but we woke up in hotel rooms, we couldn’t drive I guess. Thanks for driving Rob.

The next day we go to a movie and Rob the gallery owner takes us out on his boat. We cruise around the water scene looking for dolphins and manatee. Wind whipping my dreadlocks, I finally felt relaxed for once. I love the water. We stay out until dark and get dinner and drinks on the lake. It was super nice. Starring at a L.A. style pop surreal KrK Ryden piece, Mark Rydens brother, I drift off thinking of our Southern Revival and how cool it would be to do an install in L.A. and Miami at Basel.

Conceptual

So every once and awhile i get a drawing back from a kid that is genius.

I don't really understand adult conceptual ideas,cause mainly,I don't believe adults.We have lost the ability to be direct and honest in our work.He offered me no long bio or statement to prove his theory.He was to the point.I'm sure i will do an installation or something conceptual in my career and I will explain it as a matter of fact as my student King did.

He folded his 11x17 paper into six squares and got to it.

When asked about his work and what does it mean to him.

He explained "Its Technology that I don't even know about.I dont understand it,but I see it in my head.Lasers and imaginary time,time that's invisible and maps."

King Barnes Age 6

For some reason I believe Him.

Sunday Southern Review.

VISUAL ARTS & ARCHITECTURE:

A playful synergy enlivens this collaborationBy Debra WolfFor the JournalConstitutionPublished on: 08/19/2007

REVIEW
Sunday Southern Art Revival: Jessie Cregar, George Long, Scott Pethia, Mario Schambon, Tindel-Michi


Through Sept. 1. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesdays-Saturdays. $100-$3,000. Whitespace, 814 Edgemont Ave., Atlanta. 404-688-1892, www.whitespace814.com.
Bottom line: Good old-fashioned fun.


Put six Southern gentlemen together on Sunday afternoons. Add a passion for making art and a significant dose of humor. What do you get? A self-described religious experience, an ongoing visual conversation and a unique collaboration among six creative spirits: Jessie Cregar, George Long, Scott Pethia, Mario Schambon and Tindel-Michi.
Each of these artists pursues work on his own: Cregar is a classical painter. Long and Pethia work in varied mediums including ink and metal. Schambon paints and sculpts, while Tindel-Michi (two individuals) work in tandem on a regular basis under an appended name, frequently using acrylic, stencils, markers and spray paint.
But on Sundays, generally, these six are part of an experimental process where the rules are simple —- mutual respect and having fun —- as they paint collaboratively and simultaneously on a number of images.
How do they actually manage this?
George Long points to one painting and smiles, telling how its background was the beneficiary of tennis balls dipped in acrylic and thrown, followed by boxing gloves used to pummel the surface. Yet no one would guess how these marks and splatters were formed, particularly when the end result is many-layered and well-executed.
In addition to these less-than-staid methods, more orthodox tools and processes are used, traditional brushwork, drawing and stenciling among them.
"Dairy Queen Don Quixote" is a vibrant example of these collaborative efforts. It is a composition with luscious, warm tones, floral stencils and a scratchy representation of the Spanish literary hero on horseback. While the painting's meaning is not self-evident, the work itself displays the surprisingly synergistic style of the six, partly figural and with notable graffiti elements.
"Fade to Black" is a different sort of image; dark and sophisticated, it is one of several interrelated and moody abstractions, while "Pink Pigs R the Way" is an utterly charming and humorous depiction of flying wheelbarrows and the occasional pig.
With an exuberance and spontaneity that enhance the unusual nature of their activity, these art-making mavericks work right up until an exhibition opens (even creating on-site) and continue to paint unsold pieces after the show comes down. This yields pleasing and playful results in the ultimate illustration that for some, no creative endeavor is ever quite finished.

Souls Saved

TM and the other evangelist recently installed the second edition to The Sunday Southern Art Revival. The show will be up until September first. Stop in and see the glorious work that the spirit has lead us to create and share with those in need of a blessing. The Revival is a traveling installment much like the old fashion tent revivals of the rural south. Our next meeting is in St.Augustine on Sept.7th. We gone win some souls for the spirit and those souls aint ready.

During this entire revival that was started for fun, and nothing more, I think we have ourselves, as artist been born again. AMEN!! I guess during this collective collar project, we were all trying to save our own holy art souls from burning in the rut of complacency and boredom that Atlanta has the potential to have. When I think about it, I too have threatened to run to NYC to avoid the rut. I aint scared. It’s just that catfish like fresh water, if you know what I mean. Although there are salt water catfish, I'd much rather cruise a fresh-water lake and not become a pale worm in a big grey apple. My faith is our skills and those ruts are under monster truck tires, so we just gone jump'em anyways.BIG WHEELS KEEP TURNING!! AMEN!!!!

Back to our souls. I am so pleased at the outcome of this whole revival I want to go tell it on a mountain. Our creative spirit is up so high right now we just may be able to part the Chattahoochee, like Moses did the Red Sea. If that happens, there will be a fish fry in the back forty. I aint one to tell lies right outta church, but I feel we could do it. God knows we have put a lot sweat equity into what we are doing and have done ups and down, grants lost, not always working smart , sometimes doing too much ,and hell, at times not doing enough. I guess what I’m trying to say is I think the Revival has saved TindelMichi more than we wanted it to save a community of artist. AMEN!!!

Go down to the mourner’s bench and receive your blessing @ 814 Edgewood @ The Whitespace.