type: 1-minute interactive portraits. Live painting.
CONNECTIONS
It only takes a moment to make or miss a connection. Within a blink of an eye you could meet your soul mate or miss your train. This subtle but spontaneous act of Being forces you to be anxious. to be observant. to be present…
Imagine how many *missed-connections there are these days with the lack of attention to the world that surrounds us.
We must re-connect to reality to re-establish a presence.
We must connect to exist.
RENO IS ARTOWN
Each year in the hot month of July, Reno Nevada becomes a bustling creative town full of life, music, art, and celebration. Artown is a month long art festival that captivates the city and highlights what is ART in Reno. From live band stand shows in the park to dance performances scaling building walls the events throughout the month offer a unique showcase of any and all kinds of artistic creation.
As a Kick-off Event for Artown 2019, Alley Art left superstitions behind and hosted project #13 in The Reno-Tahoe Airport Terminal… welcoming arrives’ and waving goodbye to those flying on.
There was no bad luck passing through these creative gates as attentive airport-goers got free portraits and earned a roll in the making of a collaborative painting lead by artist, J.Charboneau.
THE TASK.
GET YOUR PORTRAIT DRAWN ON THE COLLABORATIVE CANVAS & DRAW A CONNECTION LINE TO THE NEXT PERSON’S PORTRAIT.
One-minute portrait’s done by artist, J.Charboneau
FLY ON YOU CREATIVE SOULS… FLY ON.
No passports were required for this creative journey. AND REMEMBER… Staying Connected = Staying Conscious.
contributors: Reno-Tahoe Airport passengers on July 1.2019. Reno Community.
A quiet airport for the start of it.Charcoal sketches.Airport Views.Laying in the color.Final touches.Alley Art Project #13. Thats a wrap!Live music during Artown 2019.Artown Pride art show @ Sierra Arts Gallery. 2019Reno Artist Killbuck representing his works during Artown/Nada Dada. 2018.A Dance Group performing on the side of Reno City Hall. Artown 2018.Burning Man block party. Artown 2017.Alley Art collaboration mural. Artown 2017.
The biggest little city holds secrets and hidden treasures around every corner. Take a walk around the streets. Pay attention to the walls, the sidewalks, the signs, the people. Pay attention. You just might find something worth looking at.
THE HUNT.
It was the month of hot July. Art was on the minds of everyone. Sidewalks and parks became the hip scene. Melodies and wet paint heightened senses on every corner. As I watched the creativity unfold I realized an artist could blend in with this crowd. I did just that.
The people. The creators. Would not have to search far to collaborate… but they would have to search smart. I was here. I was there. ready for the urban art hunters to get their hands dirty.
THE TASK.
GRAB A SHARPIE AND MAP OUT HOW YOU GOT HERE. USE BASIC SYMBOLS AND LINES. YOU MAY CROSS OVER OTHER’S ROUTES.
LAYING DOWN TRACKS.
The project finished with 4+ Alley Art spottings and creatings. Sharpie’s ran dry and the board was a chaotic mess of direction. But under closer inspection I do believe you can begin to see tracks. Tracks telling stories. Tracks guiding. Tracks following. Look close. You will see the beginning of something.
What? Well, we will have to lay down some more tracks for that answer.
where it should always begin… in an alley.Birds eye spy view.happy hunters.a not so secret waiting spot.caught red handed!artists always find each other in a crowd.Admiring her masterpiece.Caught. A moment worth remembering.Alley Art #11 detail.Alley Art #11 detail.Alley Art #11 detail.
Humans have celebrated life and land for ages. Ceremonies of dance lit by raging fires. Mystical Gods marked in ancient black night skies. And meditative thoughts by mountainside trees. Let’s not forget about this history before the 1970’s conscious revolution. Let’s not forget that preserving the earth and our natural surroundings is an idea as old as man. Earth Day is a collective reminder to cherish that which gives us life.
EARTH. AIR. FIRE. WATER.
The wooden grid of squares and lines began black and white. But as the people of Reno blocked in the ‘elements’ the complexity of color and life took shape. A mosaic of earth. air. fire. water. A tribute to the day. Another community creation for the Alley Art books.
THOUGHTS FOR TOMORROW.
The festival brought out families and friends to celebrate a day of clean water, fresh air, and appreciation for the natural environment we live within. This idea and practice of awareness and preservation should exist everyday.
Everyday.
We can collectively create a masterpiece… but only if each individual takes the time to add their own positive mark.
First elements being added.black and white beginnings.attention to the detailsa conscious communitythe human element.mid-day progress after rain showers.creative thinking.in the rain.
a group effort to fill in the blanks.a final brushstroke.a mosaic of elements.
type: collaborative painting. 4th Street Block Party
A STREET OF HISTORY VICTORY.
At its earliest of days the street breathed character as thick as the streetcar exhaust that raced its ways. East. West. It stretched wings across the great America.
Victory Way had no mercy for the soft soul. Street lights flickered while the neon motels lit paths for transcontinental passengers. Nothing promised more satisfaction than to witness the honesty of the street. The rough and dirty outer shell just proves how long it’s been around. The inner core is where the stories wait to be told. It’s the stories and the honesty in their words that keep the character alive on 4th.
AND THEN CAME THE RENAISSANCE.
Rebuilding walls of brick and mortar doesn’t bring the beauty back. Actually, it was always there. It’s been there and will be there beyond your and my days.
4th Street leaks its secrets of beauty through the people walking it’s cold grey pavement day in and day out. Those wise enough. Creative enough. Open minded enough to listen to these secrets are those who keep Victory Way as beautiful and true as it began. The Renaissance of Reno is in motion. And Victory Way stands as a playground for those Renaissance Men & Renaissance Women brave, crazy, and inspired enough to honor the truth beneath the gravel and behind the walls.
A PARADE.
A Community gathered in celebration is stronger and more impactful than one gathered in protest and anger. Victory Way was a perfect setting to demonstrate this. It began with a rolling Viking Ship and costumed creatives. The road served as their runway as they waved and smiled towards crowds of morning watchers. The celebration of “Victory” rang out before it even began.
SEEN ON FOURTH.
4th street is mostly familiar to me as one glowing a midnight yellow from street lights and stars. Biking by tracks, buses, and empty alleys I keep a keen eye out for the next 4th Street story to lend itself to me. Victory Way is crawling with characters and the wild untamed jungles have nothing on this street. And, Behind all those heavy warehouse doors…
Bars. Breweries.Pinball junkies.Two-wheel mechanics. And thrifting gems. The road draws me back to wander it’s sidewalks time and time again. There is too much story to be told there, and you have to see it to believe it.
MAKER MADNESS.
Alley Art was designed for a street like 4th. The recycled and worn wooden canvas rested much too comfortably along the blank concrete wall. The paints were scattered, and the action was just as spontaneous. Rules stopped after directions of color palettes, and the Reno community took full advantage of the open-ended creative process. Splatters. Drips. Words. And shapes began to suggest connections to the place. 4th street stories were emerging through the untamed layers of community creativity. Later, a few outlines from the artist, J.Charboneau would complete the madness.
PAVE YOUR PATH.
The creative dusts finally settled with the sun fading behind western mountain walls. The street stood as it was before the attention began, but a new glint of inspiration now lingered.
4th Street. Victory Way. It’s just a road… but roads give direction. They lead. They divide. They withstand more time than we.
They are paved by man, and the man who paves his own path is an innovator. A dreamer. And a creative victor.
Victory Way will be there for you to walk its course, it will offer you it’s stories, it will guide you through doors you may never have opened. Take what it gives you and make Victory Way a path of your own. It may not ‘just’ be a road after all.
Pinball junkies found here.A Victory parade.Is the man who is tall happy?as seen here. reno. 4th street.renaissance mana print.color palettesapply details here.little “abcs” in the makingtagging.behind warehouse door #1…tribute to prince.as seen here. street busker. painter. character.renaissance women.behind warehouse door #2…history. stories. characters. as seen hereit all began with a viking ship.and the dust starts to settle.and finally… behind warehouse door #3…project #8. piece #1.project #8. piece #2
type: collaborative painting. Potentialist Road Show event.
A RENAISSANCE & A ROADSHOW:
It didn’t take long for Alley Art and it’s fearless creative ambassador to find the promised land on the big move out west. As history gave us gold and silver and rough wrangling cowboys, present day gives us an unorthodox artistic renaissance in the biggest little city, Reno.
After a quick settling in among the renaissance pioneers I was informed to load up and hit the road again. My westward trip would continue on to the edge of the earth. To the great big vast expanse of blue. To the big city. The one filled with golden gates and robot dreams. San Francisco.
So just like that Alley Art hit the road again. Heading toward the setting sun. Joining Reno Potentialists on a mission to spread a new sort of wealth to the people and pioneers of the west.
THE POTENTIALISTS:
A poem is read to the beat of paint on canvas. A group of musicians flow lyrics and thoughts in costumes of monsters and gold. A painting is completed not by a signature but by a final piano note. All these things happen at the Potentialist Workshop.
The Workshop is a studio-gallery-theatre dedicated to Potentialism. An idea which melds artistic boundaries. An idea where the artist embodies a true creative release. This is what the artists of The Workshop stand for. This is what The Roadshow is all about.
THE MERCHANTS:
It was only fitting for The Potentialists to join forces with The Merchants once in San Francisco. The exchange was not of goods, but of creative ideas. Two nights were set for showcasing and sharing. Trading secrets, passions, ideas, and creative vibes. The Merchant’s space was a time warp to the beginning of things. When rooms and storefronts were filled with that which mattered. Filled with well crafted things and stories behind them. The Potentialists and The Merchants found brotherhood in creative intention. A lasting exchange more valuable than the gold which was sought after so many years before.
THE SAME URBAN JUNGLE:
San Francisco. Streets of paved gold cement and bright flashing lights billboards. A new era has come for a city built on discovery and wealth. Yet it’s still the same.
Same hills lined with narrow homes and alleys. Same blues music charming the midnight fog. Same city slickers out for a quick buck. It’s still as chaotic as before. Creatures of night prey, sweet birds of day sing. The rain still falls heavy. And the last tokes off the cherry still burn as red as the brick. San Francisco is a city. A jungle. An evolving system where the unique, creative, and collaborative survive.
BUILDING BLOCKS:
The community controls the elements of a city. They are the building blocks of creation. Through all the differences. The chaos. The growth. The change… It is the collaborative community that creates a dynamic place to live.
ELEMENTS:
And so began a two night, rain or shineart event. The stages and rooms were set for collaboration and community involvement. Alley Art rolled out canvas and asked for elements to be built. Color. Line. Shape. Text. Build from the basics. Build together. Control the elements of creation.
AS SEEN HERE:
The rain still fell. The streets still said something. It was all there for the taking. Just stop. Look. Listen. and be inspired. The streets of San Francisco hold all the creative life one needs. Subjects and words of inspiration poured out… joining the elements. Art was in the making.
A FINAL DAWN:
Just as dawn’s sun finally peeked it’s head through skyscrapers and glass windows Alley Art and The Roadshow packed up and headed home. A weekend of creation and collaboration gave a fresh glisten to the eyes of the San Fran “building blocks.” Waking with paint still on their hands the dream seemed all too real.
Found art in the urban jungle.A look of creative genius.Found art on walls. Biscuits & Blues.Street art of San Fran keeping eyes busy.Found. Words to make you think.Found. Ink blots on walls.Stairs to creation.Birth of creations.Alley Art set-up & awaiting paint.Find a place in the urban jungle.Tickets. Tickets. Get your tickets.Catching a moment of bliss.Street art of San Fran. Somewhere in the jungle.Bazooka Zac tuning and jamming.Beginning of something. Or nothing.Apply paint here.Last artist standing. Day one.
A beautiful chaotic mess.Music man sculpture.FOMO Booth. He wants to join the party.Collaboration at it’s best.Pan the art fortune teller. Have a seat…End in sight. Day 2.Weapons of Mass Creation. Tuning.The Joy of Painting. A star is present.The scene.Day 2. Our work is done.Blues. Piano. Xylophone. Detail.Records & Guitars. Detail.Urban lines. Detail.Urban Jungle.
location: Minneapolis @ NE streets, sidewalks, and alleyways
date: May – Sept, 2015
type: collaborative board paintings (3 part series)
ROOTS.
Even the wildest and most untamed souls have roots. Roots that ground and stabilize. Roots that flourish from familiar soil. Roots that remind us that as much as we grow and reach outward we also continue to grow and learn from our beginnings. It was time to wander back to my roots.
WET HOT MINNEAPOLIS SUMMER.
Summer in the land of 10,000 lakes comes short and sweet. If you are not quick enough it blows by with the brisk autumn air before you even step out the door. Catch those blissful sunny days of summer and count on endless entertainment. Artwalks. Artfairs. Sidewalk Tours. Festivals. Neighborhood street parties. Parades on bikes, blades, boats and feet. Music by lakes, by rivers, on rooftops and open alley stages. This is wet hot Minneapolis summer.
MINNEAPOLIS BOARD MEETINGS.
Not your average board meeting. Not even close. 3 meetings over the course of 5 months. 7 Boards. And an estimated 200+ meeting members. Topics of discussion action… interactive art and collaboration.
BY DEFINITION.
Interactive art “is a form of art that involves the spectator in a way that allows the art to achieve its purpose.”
Collaboration is “working with others to do a task and to achieve shared goals.”
THE TASK COMES IN THREES.
May to September boards of 4′ X 6′ were primed, placed, and painted on the streets of NE Minneapolis. Three local artists did the instigating and the fine-tuning while the community of Minneapolis did the coloring and creating. The first “meeting” was held in conjunction with Art-A-Whirl. The second, joined forces with Open Streets NE. And the third held it’s own… leaving crayons for the street wandering crowds of Labor Day weekend.
A CREATIVE BATTLEFIELD. LEAVE IT IN THE STREETS.
Each “meeting” (as they became known) gave the paint soaked swords to the people. No blood was to be shed… these swords were meant to strike to the heart of creation. To give power and potential to the many hands of the city. With no shields to hide behind the creative community of Minneapolis left their paints, crayons, and imaginations out on the battlefield… The streets. Their creative victory to be witnessed by all.
artists: J.Charboneau . Jay Churchill . Justin Patrick
Minneapolis on the Mississippi.Father Hennepin Bridge.Lights of fire. The train rolls in.First set of community boards. May.Layers. Drips. Messy inspiration.Hold on to your balloons and brushes.team work.Bikes at the board meeting.Final community hands to lay down final paint lines.Artist J.Churchill topping off a community piece.Real artists work in the dark.3 Boards. Meeting II.Drips. Detail.A city girl. Detail.Deer. Detail.A reverse start. Artist’s marks first.Fairstate Brewery. Board meeting III location.Barber Sharp Alley.Community crayon coloring.Final boards. Meeting adjourned.
type: tour / collaborative paintings / music / live art / artist showcases / poetry slams
COAST TO COAST
An idea built up from dream state suddenly carved deep within the creative veins that consume the artist self in me. An idea seemingly too big too soon was to be tested and executed across America. The map lay there and the cities began calling out from the page as if the people, the communities, were begging for a creative chance. Dots and lines were drawn, and all of a sudden 13 unrelated places had a connection to each other. The Coast to Coast road trip tour was underway.
THE CITIES.
Minneapolis. Creative gems hide along a majestic river bed. Musicians making waves. Art-district streets flowing with inspired locals. Bike-ways, green grasses, and cool blue fresh waters.
Chicago. Train and subway lines showcasing street art genius. Historic architecture keeping eyes up and necks cricked. Poets, park artists, and creative city type stamping this Midwest city as the center of it all.
Saint Louis. The gateway to a new type of creative. Sculptural playgrounds. Mouth watering markets. Collective art spaces. All likes of the city highlight the talents of the people. The unique people… building new bridges to connect us all.
Denver. A mountain casting shadows from afar. The shadows dance, sing, create, eat, and live anyway. A cross-way of the country drawing inspiration from all corners. Bright, colorful, flavorful inspiration.
Santa Fe. A place like no other. The streets, the homes, the cafes, the people… like no other. A small charm creating in big, expressive, impressive, like no other, ways.
Moab. One may visit and never leave. Stay for the natural red-orange, dusty beauty. Stay for the sunrises and the sunsets. Stay for the community that is constantly creating, exploring, and growing together.
Las Vegas. Bright lights beam on even brighter stars. A sleepless city. Downtown. Arttown. Paristown. Moneytown. It’s a city of all cities. Of all flavors. Of all creative stars.
Long Beach. A lighthouse leads to coastal creatives. Local shops. Local foods. Local attitudes. It’s all happening here. Work hard. Create more. Inspire all.
San Francisco. Steep city hills keep creative juices rolling. New age innovations. Old school community creations. Mixing up the traditional. Creating new forms of art, media, food, and community.
Portland. A fresh, new, weird that keeps your spirit young and pure. Trucks of food. Bikes of color. Life is anything but ordinary. Creativity thrives. Let your inner child roam free.
Miami. Look beyond the beaches and the palms. Walls become canvas as the outdoor gallery rounds every corner. Flavor and style give this hot stirring city a creative punch.
Philadelphia. History and art go hand in hand. Comics keep things light. Musicians keep things true. Artists keep things interesting. An old community still thrives.
Boston. Harbour and lake views stun the senses. A city re-invented with music, art, and love. Old highways hold as much character as the old red bricks built below them.
New York City. A tangled dirty beautiful mess of art, music, and madness. Night and day the city beats its creative drums. The crowds, the fashions, the foods, the neighborhoods, they all blend uniquely together. One big city. One big dream.
ONLY ONE DAY.
From city to city. This tour had us on the run. Drive all night. Explore all day. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. The minutes couldn’t get any faster, but when event days came time stood still. The street side set-up stopped everyone in their tracks. Suddenly, there was enough time to listen to a sidewalk band. Enough time to watch an artist paint a portrait. To hear a poet speak and a friend sing. To laugh, learn, communicate and create. Each city event was only one day. But sometimes only one moment is all we really needed anyway.
THE END OF THE ROAD.
And in the end they hung on white walls side by side. People from each corner of the country. People from different cities, different backgrounds, different jobs, environments, and personalities. In a room fit for 50… over 700 were there. This was the end of the road, and they all showed up.
Co-tour comrad, Bernard McNearney, biking NE Minneapolis streets.Bikes along the Mississippi River Park Path. MinneapolisMusician Elizabeth Ghandour playing a set at the Minneapolis event.
Minneapolis community paintings.
Framing the iconic Bean Sculpture. Downtown Chicago.Doorway. Art. Chicago.Train lines of creativity. Chicago.Chicago community member painting the Alley Art canvas.
Chicago community paintings.
A Saint Louis market filled with bright, savory, colorful foods.Cake sculpture. Pogo jumper. Saint LouisA local DJ mixing at the creatives hot spot, Blank Space.A father and son bond while painting on the Saint Louis A.A. canvas.
Saint Louis community paintings.
Hidden in the shadows. Art on walls. Denver.Denver musician on Santa Fe St. First friday art madness.Bikes. Walls. Denver.
A.A. Denver event rocking out the patio at Backstage Coffee.
Denver community paintings.
Santa Fe Railyard. Visual displays at the Currents Festival. currentsnewmedia.orgArtists collaborating with spray at an outdoor arts event. Santa Fe.Locals making first marks on the Santa Fe community paintings.
Santa Fe community paintings.
Natural rock sculpture. Moab.An awe inspiring sunset over the Moab landscape.Local musicians Scott Ibex and Dhyana Green collaborate at the A.A. Moab event.
Moab community paintings.
Bright lights shine throughout the night. Las Vegas.Interesting art fills downtown Vegas galleries.Artist Jef Logan working live at the A.A. Vegas event.Artist Alexander Huerta poses for a portrait.
Las Vegas community paintings.
The iconic Long Beach Lighthouse.Families working hard on a larger A.A. Long Beach painting outside of ARTX. www.artexchangelb.orgA board collaboration from the A.A. Long Beach event.
Long Beach community paintings.
San Francisco. Interesting architecture. Interesting murals.A birds eye of the community collaborating at the A.A. San Francisco event.Musicians playing their weekly Sunday tunes. San Francisco.Local artists sketching at 111 Minna’s “Sketch Tuesdays”
San Francisco community paintings.
Portland. Bikes sculpture.Framing weirdness in Portland.The Alley Art table of paints. Portland.
Portland community paintings.
Wynwood murals lit up after hours. Miami.Miami walls dripping with creativity.A.A. Miami event underway in the Wynwood Brewing Co.
Miami community paintings.
Philadelphia locals getting creative for their portrait shot.Black Brick owning the stage at the A.A. Philadelphia event.A canvas full of hands. Philadelphia.
Philadelphia community paintings.
An alley of art, just what we like. Boston.Boston musicians lighting the stage at a SOFAR Sounds gig.Young aspiring artists making bold moves on the Boston A.A. canvas’.
Boston community paintings.
New York City Park.Fashion. Frames. And fully colored walls. The living Gallery, Brooklyn.The Living Gallery owner and artist, Nyssa Frank getting involved with the interactive Alley Art installation. Brooklyn.Artists creating at the final event from the tour. NYC.
location: Fremantle, aka Freo @ The Fremantle Fibonacci Centre (the fib)
date: 30th March, 2014
type: collaborative painting / music / live art making
THE END OF THE BLUE LINE.
Embracing Change took place a short train ride south of Perth in the eclectic harbour town known as Freo. The ocean scented streets guide travelers drifters and locals to the soul of it all. To mouth-watering fish & chips. To Little Creatures taps ever flowing with hops and barley. To an old daunting prison howling out stories and mysteries. To bustling markets. To street musicians. Artists. Poets. Dwellers. Cafe connoisseurs. Sailors. To endless boats. boxes. and beaches. To seagulls. To sea smells. The soul of this little town is all there, at the end of the blue line. Ride it to the end. To Fremantle Station.
ART FOUND HERE.
It’s here that John Butler went from busking on street corners to finding his Trio. It’s here that small rooms filled with music lovers saw the likes of Bon Iver and Courtney Barnett before the rest of the world did. And here that street artists and performers outnumber suits & ties. Art is found here. I know because I found it. The first hot sweaty day I wandered the streets lost and bewildered I found art here.
EMBRACING CHANGE.
As the old harbour town and my drifting self have changed over the years I thought it no better way to introduce Alley Art to the community than to focus on embracing those changes. A short month of chaotic prep and promo lay out the project’s tracks. Then just like that, we were in motion. A one day art event would fill our senses. And “change” would fill our minds.
THE PULSE OF CREATION.
A 2 x 1 meter canvas was stretched and stapled to an old wooden panel. The blank white space lay there. Inviting hands and time to create it’s painted completion. Scattered around the room were tables filled with ambitious local artists. Brushes got dirty. Art was created, discovered, and sold. Musicians set the pulse of the room with buzzing harmonies and bass beats. mmmm. Tat. mmmm. Tat. People filed in and out. In and out. It was a flowing pulse of creation.
HOURS & NUMBERS.
After over 10 hours of art, music, food, coffee, beers, and conversations a hand full of us remained. We were weary. Exhausted. And maybe a bit delusional. There was not an ounce of creativity left. We had exerted it all. Before the night’s end the last of us sprawled out around the completed community piece to capture still moments of silliness and happiness. Over 60 people had contributed to the painting over those hours. It’s finality showed layers, colors, shapes, words, and patterns. It showed change. and that is all we could have hoped for.
musicians: Melissa North . John Ralph . David Pensa . Michael D. Lane
contributors:Fremantle Fibonacci Centre . Blinco Street Cafe & Gallery . Nude Fude . 60+ community members
Fremantle Prison under bright neon lights.The port. Endless boats and boxes.
Outside Mojo’s. The best spot in Freo to catch live music.Bon Iver live in Freo.John Butler. A Freo Native.Courtney Barnett. Rocking out in Freo.Strange sculpture sits on the windows edge. A Fremantle Gallery.Local Fremantle artists creating at the Alley Art event in the Fib Centre.The community canvas in creation stage.Embracing Change. The final touches.
Community painting detail.Community painting detail.Community painting detail
Silly selfies after 10 hours of creating.The finished community painting. Created by 60+ people.
type: collaborative painting / co-event with RAW: Natural Born Artists
A LONE CITY THRIVES.
The most isolated city in the world sits on a coastline of sandy white beaches. Follow the great Swan River from the bay to the city lights. To the park for Kings. To the winding streets hiding savory foods and alleyway cafe’s. Sit in squares with poetry readers, accordian players, and street cart venders. Gaze at murals in cityscape windows and train line stations. This lone city thrives with inspiration put there by it’s people. People who have come, people who have never left.
RAW.
The first few steps into the venue space leaves you numb. Your senses become overwhelmed with creativity. Art. Jewerly. Make-up. Models. Films. Photos. Fashion. Music Beats and Bright lights. Dedication. Soul. and Passion. The stage is set everywhere. Your city. My city. East. West. North. South. It’s as RAW as art should be.
BLACK & WHITE.
The RAW: Perth showcase began as the hot sun fell behind the shipping container walls. I was an invited artist, and I was ambitious to introduce Alley Art to the buzzing and creative Perth community. The task for them was to reflect on “Today”. To write. draw. express. and create. RAW patrons and artists passed by. The canvas lay there for the creating. It was a task plain as day. Nothing more than a reflection of personal experience. It was all very black and white.
HIGHLIGHTING AN ALL SHADES CITY.
That “today” came and went. As all do. But a quick look back at what a community can create by working together brought final brushstrokes that highlighted a thriving, all shades of grey, city. It’s never just black and white…
artists:j.charboneau (community canvas featured artist)
A giant Indian Ocean. A giant goon sculpture by Norton Flavel. www.sculpturebythesea.com“Embrace” Sculpture by Ayad AlqaragholliA Boab watching over Perth City.Perth street art.Perth street art fills laneways. Coffee bean aromas linger.Sofar Sounds hidden house gig. www.sofarsounds.com
The Bakery. Packed with Dozens of Raw-goers. Photo cred. Jason Matz Photography INSTA: @jasonmatzphotographyJ.Charboneau art on display. Photo cred. Jason Matz Photography INSTA: @jasonmatzphotographyStyling hats in Perth for “Today” only.Perth. A view for Kings.Alley Art Perth community collaboration. The finished piece: “Today”
It was a project that began on the road. Two artists, Kate Jane and J.Charboneau drove. slept. ate. and painted. Their inspirations came from endless horizon lines. From sleeping under the stars. From good conversations over bad coffee. They painted by moonlight while drinking whiskey from the bottle. They wandered towns and cities with no aim but to experience them. They sat on dirt paths and busy sidewalks sketching and busking the hot summer days away. This was where it all started. Alley Art began as a chaotic idea from a couple of chaotic artistic nomads.
A TREE FELL IN THE FOREST.
As difficult it seems to show work in a gallery, it proves even more so difficult to catch the attention of the uninterested viewer. An artist’s survival depends on being noticed. Whether their work is noticed in good or bad taste, it is the interaction of another fresh eye that brings whatever idea or subject the artist is portraying to life. If it remains unseen it could very well be just as true as the tree that fell in the forest that nobody heard.
QUESTIONS.
The uninterested, dis-involved viewer rang focus in the coffee shop conversations of the two artistic nomads. They schemed and plotted. Questions rolled off their over-caffeinated tongues. How does one unintrusively grab the attention of the non-viewer? How does one bring the non-gallery goer to the forefront of the arts scene? How does one give art and creativity back to the people? How does one get the people to start looking?
ANSWERS.
The answers came with an invitation. Invite the non-viewer to participate rather than speculate. Grab them from their comforts and, even if for just one moment, make them the creator. Create art that is not only for the people… but that is also by the people.
CREATION FOR ALL.
Give them visual reigns on their turf. In their cafe’s. On their walls. In their *Alleyways. In the places they can’t avoid. So when it’s there in front of them, they look. For what man would avoid attention to that which they created.
A BEAUTIFUL MESS IN DENVER.
The first “Alley Art” project -as every series needs a name- began simple. A short invitation for a small community in Denver to stop by a house. The invitation: come paint. come drink. come see local art. There was no cover at the door. No white walls with art and titles to ponder over. Music blared from a house speaker. And when it rained the wooden board with stretched stapled canvas was moved to the small garage beside the house. It was 6 or 7 of them. Painting. Dancing. Drinking. Every once in a while they would step away to giddily gaze over what they were creating. Paint and chalk were layered and erased as the day turned to night. Hours went. But no one noticed until the storm finally struck fierce and took the power. They finished. Closed the paint jars. Critiqued by candlelight. The spontaneity of the many hands that approached the canvas’ left a mess of colors and lines. But what a beautiful mess.
BEGINNINGS.
The beginning of Alley Art. A chaotic beautiful mess that made the non-viewer not only look… but also help create that which they are looking at.
Kate Jane. On can. On the road.J.Charboneau sketching Arches.J.Charboneau rock sketch.Kate Jane sketching Big Sur.Big Sur. Kate Jane.artistic nomads. whiskey breathe.visual inspiration.J.Charboneau street busking.art to look at.art to look at.the creative space.a beautiful mess.working or gazing.work in progress.critiquing.dancing by candlelight.community painting #1.community painting #2community painting #3community painting #4
