As the mounting pressure of two upcoming events (Open Studios and Artomatic) eases, I thought I’d offer up an example of a work-in-progress. Inspired by daily world events, this picture is presently called “Loud Signatures.” Remember, I rarely begin a painting with a specific concept in mind, but by a limited series of choices paint what is set before me as refracted against a congealing consciousness compelling me to represent the competing forces of my symbolic vocabulary. The internal logic of a finished picture, if any, is influenced by those random choices and the whimsy of each competitive brush stroke itself.

Okay, I’ve taken down the work in progress, replacing it with these fine people standing in front of some wickedly jolly painting at the Artomatic ‘07 event.

It’s finally happening! Artomatic 2007 has been announced. I will be there next Saturday as one of the first registrants to pick prime real estate in this, my first Artomatic show. Two floors (the 6th and 8th floor) in the Old Patent Office Building in Crystal City—each floor is 45,000 sq. ft. and one has around 130 offices still walled in while the other one has been gutted. I hear it’s a nifty location and quite easy to navigate to either by car, bus, subway or even Virginia rail.

There are some spectacular views of the city from all the outer walls. The other cool thing about this location is that thousands and thousands of people both work and live right around this area.

Artomatic is a month-long multimedia arts event that draws together visual artists, musicians and performers and brings their work to the community without charge. Originally conceived as a way to break down the geographical and social segmentation of the Washington arts scene, to bring art directly to the public and to build cohesion among artists, the city’s ongoing development in recent years has diffused the arts community by breaking up pockets of artist studios. Unfortunately, local artists are frequently overshadowed by national blockbuster shows and federal landmarks, thus Artomatic provides a forum for all of our area’s artists to convene, perform and exhibit, strengthening the visibility, cohesion, and marketplace of Washington’s arts community.

Artomatic began in 1999 in the historic Manhattan Laundry building. A dozen or so artists originally toured the empty building and within a month, three hundred and fifty artists had cleaned, lit, painted and colonized the 100,000 square feet. Over 20,000 visitors attended the first Artomatic over 6 weeks. From there, it grew organically, as buildings were made available to Artomatic by community developers. Music and performance of all kinds were added.

In 2000, 665 artists exhibited and 200 performed at the old Hechinger’s building; more than 1000 artists and performers took part in 2002 at the Southwest Waterfront and even more in 2004 at the old Capitol Children’s Museum in Northeast. The number of visitors has also more than doubled to over 40,000.

Stay tuned…

This past weekend I was back at the Wheeling Wailing Wall, not with brush and acrylics this time, but for a post-wedding reception party for my young friends—Justin and Laura—who were bethrothed that St. Patrick’s Day afternoon in a traditional Catholic ceremony at the St. James Chapel in McMechen. It had snowed rather briskly the afternoon prior, as we barrelled forth from DC in the new Liberty Renegade, from Hagerstown beyond Frostsburg, but to my chagrin, all points westward toward Wheeling had only been dusted. Still, a somewhat edgy but safe trip.

As I stared down the cruel wall past the folks gathered to crank on the snarling four metal band celebrations, I realized I still carried a strong desire to finish this seminal work on the Wailing Wall, someday soon perhaps, should adequate funds ever materialize, but those young Turks—Chuck & Raj—will definitely have to step up to the plate if the future is to change. Measuring some 80′ x 11′ the mural wall is about 90% completed, a massive piece as she stands, but abruptly unfinished nevertheless.

Just over a month away, and I’m still frozen to the past in terms of what I have available to show at the Open Studios scheduled for the weekend of April 14-15. Hoping to catch a wave out of this HTML desert soon. A couple more tasks to finish on the O Street website, and then WATCH OUT PEOPLE!

In a flash of good luck, I found my current home at 52 O Street on the gritty heels of a rather short and aborted adventure in Wheeling, WV, where the only project I managed to complete (well, nearly) was an earnest locally-inspired 11′ x 80′ mural along the 2nd floor corridor wall of a rock and roll club called Yesterday’s Draughthouse & Stage.

I look forward to returning to Wheeling next weekend for the wedding of two young friends, and convening another sweet stare at the Wheeling Wailing Wall. Then there’s a hint of some secret aim to negotiate my return to finish it, and tackle a few other pending projects on the ore rusted bank of the once mighty Ohio River that are still calling my name. The haggard old city is begging my photographic eye.

Stevens Jay Carter was here today to interview the ruffian for his newsletter. As usual, I was wordy. Emotional. Characteristically trapped in oscillation between a strident confidence and that unflattering corrosive excitability I exhibit when shown the least amount of attention. It’s times like this when I feel that the caricaturing aloofness that certain historical artists have postured might serve me better, or suffice in certain awkward situations, ah, a touch of the Steppenwolf…

After all, I liken myself to an open wound, but nature, being its own cruel taskmaster, demands obedience even from its inquisitive slaves, as Jackson Pollack observed in his statement that he himself was nature, so you would pay huge odds on the bet that aloofness in my mouth would ever sustain itself.

My burden is the burden of connectivity. Scattered shards of reflective glass that were once cohesive members of a magnificent window pane are products of a disconnect. Torn asunder violently, clumps of dried blood and rotting flesh that once promoted a promising creature’s thoughtful passion stress our senses, again, absorbing the ultimate disconnect.

Augured by my driving need to connect, to gather, rather than to divide, even when a particular division may be in my own best interests, my own eager nature refuses to allow me to participate in a calculated aloofness beyond an initial shyness a new situation may temporarily impose.

Contrary impulses of course always inject themselves and inform this nature. Hence, the battle. The conflict. The anxiety. The curdling of the milk, and the long scream. But the interview seemed to go rather well, a success, despite any number of competing considerations.

As always, Mr. Carter was charming and professional. It should be interesting to see how he hammers the passionate if sometimes pedantic GT blather into presentable form.

Welcome to Gabriel’s Idiotsheet. This is where I shall post updates to my 52 O Street Studios calendar. Perhaps I’ll even wax poetic on some “dead to rights” topic which may or may not interest those of you prowling for art stuffs on the halfshell. Doesn’t matter. It’s just a blog. So relax, kick off your shoes, and take a stroll through the ragged imagination of one of 52 O Street’s more notorious blogs—the Idiotsheet.

Oh yes, props to John Woo for the photo. We’re standing in the Ratner Museum at 10001 Old Georgetown Road in Bethesda, MD. Moving left to right, that’s my lovely wife Sue Hedrick in red, the old ruffian himself protruding beyond his gears, and finally, the truly cultured and honorable Stevens Jay Carter. Enjoying the opening reception for Le Duet, the two man show featuring Stevens and Solomon Asfaw, we appear fist deep in red wine and the exquisite promise of another fine hour in the smarts of the Washington art scene.

The show runs through March 27, 2007.