The Hipp Deck is a pop-up experiment that will transform the upper level of the 740 Euclid parking garage into an open-air live performance venue and public green space for one unforgettable night. The parking garage is on the site of the former Hippodrome Theater, a nationally renowned venue, demolished in 1981. The event will include live music performances, engaging art installations and a book release party for Cleveland Stories: true until proven otherwise.

The event will be:
Saturday, Oct. 8, 2011
6:30-9:30 PM
740 Euclid Avenue
*Free Admission

The large inflatable suit, Make it Look Rich, will be install on the top of the parking garage. There will be plenty of opportunity for small inflatable suit appearances as well.

Hipp Deck Flyer

Setting up Stuffed Full on Governors Island for the Governors Ball in the rain. Tomorrow this inflatable sculpture will be on display during the music festival. During the window for installation the clouds opened up with a wet downpour. With a little work all set up nicely. I will also be storming around in two inflatable suits, You Wear What I Wear and Hello. Bye.

Hope to see you there and have a blast.

It has been two and a half years since I visited Japan and just as long since I spent time with my old friend Kjell Hahn. He has a new studio set up in Onishi, a little town that is now part of Fujioka in Gunma-ken. The studio is an old two story building that has a wood-shop and ceramics area on the first floor and a painting area along with a clean room on the second floor. Kjell let me use the studio to work on a project for a group show this January at Westchester Community College, Wish You Were Here, curated by Joe Winter who I met as Sculpture Space this summer.

Since I do not see Kjell often, I made a piece with him reflecting on the title of the show while referencing our previous collaborations. We found a pile of stuffed animals at a local flea market and selected those that would be true river warriors. With old wood from his house I began to construct a boat that would carry the furry friends safely down the river. Then we secured some foam to the inside of the boat and tied the characters to the ship with a sheep in the lead.

This ship will be sent down the river and we will attempt to retrieve it after it has gone through a bit of rough water and before it goes past the point of no return down river.

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 final stop of the Texas inflatable suit performance tour began outside Akard Station in Dallas. This is a shot of the suit in its bag with the portable battery pack next to it. Most people do not notice these two objects sitting on the street until the combination of the two results in a huge inflatable sculpture. Rain and strong winds did not stop the performance nor the public. Before suiting up, cameramen from CBS 11 and CW 33 interviewed me about my plans for the Dallas performance. A photographer from the Dallas Observer and Pegasusnews.com braved the wet and windy weather as well.

The Texas performance tour did not have any hiccups. After spending an extended period in Texas during graduate school, it will always fell like one of the places that I can call home. I look forward to the next time I return to Texas with new work. Thank you to all the patrons of the arts in Texas.