Sculpture Space is hosting a works in progress reception this Monday, July 26, 2010 from 5:30 – 7:30 PM. Work in the studios of the four resident artists will be on view as well as an informal tour of the soon to be new residence for the artists at 508 Wiley Street from 4:00 – 5:00 PM. I will inflate my new inflatable suit that is as big as a house for a performance during the event. The Love Bike will also be giving out free rides to all guests.

Come enjoy food, drinks and lots good conversation.

Artists:

Loren Erdrich / Brooklyn, NY
Jimmy Kuehnle / San Antonio, TX
Maria Michails / Bayside, NY
Joe Winter / Long Island City, NY

Location:

Sculpture Space
12 Gates Street
Utica NY, 13502
www.sculpturespace.org

Behind the inflatable suit that I am wearing is the studio at Sculpture Space in Utica, New York. This new piece is called Make it Look Rich and currently in a testing phase. After some adjustments and repairs, this suit will be heading out into the world. I wanted to make an inflatable suit that overpowered me and it looks like this is going down the right track.

Access to a welder along with surplus bicycle parts usually leads to one thing, a new “frankenbike”. I took a break form sewing after acquiring some old bicycles and whipped up this new four seat bicycle. It started as a typical tadpole trike, but quickly evolved into a multiple passenger “Love Cycle.”

Two folding chairs make up the passenger section and a self pivoting bicycle frames adds extra pedal power in the rear. I welding two pieces of metal tubing together to make a large heart that is now wrapped in 12-volt lights. Dual-pull brake handles allow me to stop all four wheels from the driver’s seat during fast downhill descents. I plan to take daily tours around Utica and offer free rides. It should break up my time in the studio well.

My sewing machine is tearing through some new nylon during the construction of a core for a new inflatable suit at Sculpture Space. Now that I have the inner foundation, which includes four tubes for blower motors, I can tackle the fun part of the outer structure. I see a lot of red and yellow nylon in my future and some new Organ sewing needles.

This week I settled into my studio at Sculpture Space in Utica, New York. This June and July I will be a resident artist here. Since there is a welding shop here I plan to fabricate a bicycle in addition to a new inflatable suit. Usually there are four resident artists at Sculpture Space but temporarily there will be five.

For more information:

www.sculpturespace.org

The Office of Communications at Albion College contacted me in October about wanting to get a photo of one of my inflatable suits. We scheduled a photo shoot and You Wear What I Wear ended up on the back of Io Triumphe! the alumni magazine. It came with the caption “A 21st-Centruy Pied Piper.” David Trumpie took the photo.

Text blurb:

Wherever artist Jimmy Kuehnle goes, the curious are sure to follow. Currently the Philip C. Curtis Visiting Artist at Albion, Kuehnle most enjoys the reactions he gets to his inflatable creations, like this one entitled “You Wear What I Wear,’ that he dons for public performances. He recently told a reporter, “If I’m in something brightly colored, I look behind me, and I’ll see all these children. Eventually, you’ll see some adults running and realizing their children are following a balloon down the street.” Kuehnle participated in this fall’s Grand Rapids ArtPrize competition with this same work.

The I Don’t Like Cold Weather inflatable performance tour in Michigan kicked off today in Albion. At noon I took You Wear What I Wear out of the gallery and drug it out through the double doors. After hearing the clock tower bells ring, I connected the battery to the 12v blower motors inside the suit. Soon the suit puffed up and I began my trek.

The journey took me down Michigan Avenue to Superior street. Along the way elementary school children payed more attention to opening classroom windows than to what their teacher was saying. I turned right on Superior towards Austin, while many car horns either signaled approval or disapproval. One can never tell with car horns.

The new suit will have arrows of different sizes. Here are two little red arrows still with the wrong sides of the fabric out. The seam allowances are visible.

Albion has an annual three day festival called the Festival of the Forks. I heard that the festival had a parade on Saturday morning and decided to take Big Red down to check everything out. After inflating the suit, it did not take long for me to crash my way into the parade. I slipped in between a theater group and a bunch of belly dancers.

The announcer at the judges stand did not know what to say as I approached. “Is there someone inside?” came over the loudspeakers. The crowd yelled back “Yes!” with smiles on their faces.

The new suit will sport big yellow letters as well as some large arrows.

Tomorrow I trek to Grand Rapids to install work at the Old Federal Building as part of the upcoming ArtPrize competition. There is also a preview event from 5:00 to 8:00 at the same location.

As the PR says:

Be the first to experience ArtPrize in UICA’s exclusive PreView! Engage with artists as
they install their work and get a sneak peak at UICA’s ArtPrize exhibitions before they are
completely installed. Learn about ArtPrize voting procedures, UICA’s ArtPrize audio guide,
and how to evaluate contemporary art. Also, don’t miss the opportunity to pre–register and
purchase ArtPrize merchandise. Reception includes hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar.

Should be a hoot.