Having a Green Thumb

Sunny and seventy degrees, this has been a great start to spring. Yes, I know that it hailed last week, the temperature dipped into the forty’s and the furnace kicked on but my garden is thriving. I have seen so many birds in flight and nibbling in my yard. Everyone is happy even the neighbor kids screaming at the top of their lungs as they whiz by on their bikes.

Not only has the temperature risen but the festivals are in full swing. This weekend alone there is the Hessler Street Fair and The Asian Festival going on. Next weekend, I have to mention the Greek Festival in Tremont that never disappoints - Gyro and Souvlaki stand outdoors with the pastries and baked food indoors (Mousakka, being my favorite).

Plus, Memorial Day Weekend barbecues will be going strong with ribs, chicken, and hamburgers. It smells fantastic but I am not particularly fond of all that meat. In that respect, I don’t have those American traditional tendencies. Just give me my fresh tomatoes, string beans and peppers and I’m good.

With all the festivals and outdoor activities, what I mostly do in the spring is plant my vegetable garden. To many, it poses as too much work when so many people have lawn services to cut the grass. I love getting my hands dirty by mowing my own lawn to trimming my bushes the old-fashion way without electricity. Therefore, I build up my muscles and work my garden at the same time. Not to toot my own horn, but I have the best looking yard in my neighborhood.

I recently told my neighbor that when I moved in, the yard looked barren and overgrown. I had four bushes in the front yard that covered my floor to ceiling windows along with a tree that reached my second floor. I grabbed my sister and we trimmed these giant bushes (some electric tools were needed) that took the entire day. In fact, my tree lawn was covered with endless piles of branches.

Next, I used my chain saw skills and took down that ugly tree that was never maintained. As an environmentalist, I hated to destroy that tree but it was overtaking my front yard. Back then I didn’t think about the ramifications of destroying our natural resources. Now, I try to maintain my trees in pruning and putting the leaves back into the soil instead of throwing them into the landfill. None of my neighbors think about that.

Every year, I add more perennials to my landscape. Last year, I separated my day lilies and added more bushes to my backyard. This year I just planted a black berry bush and  planted tomato and hot peppers - I hope this summer won’t be as dry as the last. I also plan to create a rain garden so I can save money on my sewer bill with more plants. My backyard has clover and weeds so any additional plants will enhance its appearance.

Along with the day lilies, my fragrant lilac bush just began flowering. I told my neighbor that it was a tiny, plant when I bought it. Now years later, it’s huge. I told her the trick is pruning in the fall and early spring so it won’t over take your yard. The concept for maintaining a thriving yard is keeping up with the maintenance. Daily or weekly, I go out to see if there are any weeds or if the plants need watering. It’s keeping tabs on what’s going on – if not, you will have a yard that is overgrown and you don’t know where to begin to redesign it. Everyone looks for the easy route – get that weed-wacker and I’m done. Far from it, you need to dig in your garden with a shovel to rid yourself of the weed roots, add dirt and mulch every season. For whatever reason, I don’t have many weeds. But then again, I enjoy being out in the yard.

Start off slow – buy a few plants and bushes and see which plants thrive and how the sun affects them. I try to explain nicely to my neighbor to dig out the overgrown weeds – I continually hear the weed-wacker as I drive off. No one said gardening was easy. It is all in the prep and love of being in the outdoors.

As I post this post during Memorial Day weekend, we are experiencing frost.

Memorial Day Weekend Greek Festival
http://www.tremontgreekfest.com

Biking Downtown - ‘Bout Time

graphic from www.bikecleveland.org

It’s May 17, and I finally pulled out my old mountain bike to check the tires and lube the chain. Today is bike to work day; I plan to ride downtown and looking at the progress of the East Bank of the Flats. There are so many changes going on in the city that I’m looking forward to seeing it at 15 miles-per-hour. Sixty-eight degrees and sunny is the perfect time to start pedaling.

I realize that we’ve already had numerous warm weather days for me to venture out on my bike but the late schedule of the Cleveland International Film Festival, Orthodox Easter and cleaning up my yard, the days and weeks have just gone by. I really can’t complain about the above normal, sunny days in Cleveland, Ohio. My yard is in full bloom with this giant fragrant lilac bush. It just puts a smile on my face.

As a freeze baby, I wore a few layers to combat the wind as I rode down along Lakeshore Boulevard, against the wind. That is ideal; however, on the way back when I’m fatigued, I will have the wind in my face practically pedaling backwards.

The ride was wonderful as I rode along the congested Euclid Avenue bike lane. On a positive note, there is a dedicated bike lane but drivers are still annoyed that they need to share the road. More times than not, a truck or car speeds right on my left pedal driving like a bat-out-of-hell determined to get to their destination. My heart is pounding as I nervously compose myself as I defensively ride in my lane, hugging the curb. Driver’s should just look around and make sure they are not getting in the way. “Please share the road!”

I am not a novice as far as cycling goes but now I’m more aware of my surroundings. I don’t do what most people do, which is listening to an iPod, oblivious to their surroundings. My hearing is in tune to the ambient sounds so if a car gets too close or doesn’t follow the “rules of the road” then I have plenty of time to get out of the way. It really shouldn’t come to that. One time I was riding my light weight rode bike and out of nowhere, a car cuts me off by making a left turn right in front of my front wheel. If I didn’t have quick reflexes, then I would have been sprawled on the road. Hence, you need to drive or cycle defensively regardless.

I commend anyone who cycles through downtown on a regular basis. There is so much traffic on all the streets that I needed to zigzag to find a street without much traffic. It’s not that I’m nervous to ride, but as I stated above I don’t trust people in cars. They seem like they’re always in a hurry and not really paying attention. Besides, I’m not enclosed by plastic and steel.

What was interesting as I rode through the Warehouse District, the movie crew were already filling up the parking lot with white trucks and vans? At first I was confused why so many trucks where parked there – then it hit me. The Captain America crew will be shutting down the Shoreway and some downtown streets. I want to go downtown and see them shoot; I missed it when The Avengers crew were in town.

Pretty cool, I must say.

The other area that I thought was cool was The Flats. Admittedly, I was annoyed that they bulldozed Old River Road except for a few buildings. I can’t help it; it reminded me of the heyday when the Flats was in full swing: Fagan’s, The Beach Club, D’Poos, River’s Edge just to name a few. The city was alive with so many Clevelanders – it was the place to be on the weekends. Now, it is beginning to take some shape.

The tall, Ernst & Young building and the Aloft boutique hotel will be fantastic when it finally opens – it has been leveled since 2006-2007. The contractors began laying bricks underneath the “blue bridge.” And yes, I made my way up that steep hill on my mountain bike, huffing and puffing as I reached the top. West Sixth and Ninth streets are also going through road construction as I made my way through the “orange barrels.”

It was crazy trying to maneuver my bike through all the construction, but I’m enthusiastic how beautiful the city will look once all these projects are done. It will give more people a reason to venture downtown away from their suburban Mecca. What will bring people downtown is giving them something different that they can’t get in the burbs – We are definitely on our way?

To learn more about downtown, Take a Hike - Tuesday, Wednesday (New), Thursday, Saturday & Sunday. www.clevelandgatewaydistrict.com

Flats East Bank
http://www.flatseast.com/

Creating Photography the Old-Fashioned Way

My Photogram

Field trip to the newest gallery on Superior Avenue, Cleveland Print Room, where I will be creating a “photogram.” I didn’t know what it was either until I did a Google search. It’s placing objects on photo sensitive paper and letting the light hit it – creating a photograph without a camera. Individuals who have never used a film camera might not exactly know what “photo sensitive paper” is. Before digital cameras, photography was done using negatives, a developer, and photo paper. A technology that I kind of miss.

I gathered a few objects from home, not exactly sure what I was doing to create this “photogram.” I put a graphic, see-through ruler, glass coaster, tall glass bottle and feathered mask into a bag. I will learn soon enough what creative piece I will make.

As I walked through the Print Room gallery, I saw old-fashioned Polaroids and other SLR film cameras displayed on a high shelf – unassuming, oblivious to some what they are. It brought me back into a world where producing photography was a trial-and-error process. Moreover, I remember shooting an entire roll of film (36 exposures) and maybe there was one or two great shots worth enlarging. Spending hour after hour in a darkroom printing black and white photos. Because of the experimentation and creative freedom you have, this was one of my favorite artistic class.

Presently, you digitally produce photos that are edited as you go. You press the shutter button, see it on a screen then either keep it or delete it. Don’t get me wrong; I love technology where digital images has saved countless hours of scanning, producing proof sheets and editing photos. All you have to do is upload them to your computer or directly post them to facebook via iPhone or any other smart phone. It’s that simple.

What I do miss is the creativity you get as you shoot and edit in the darkroom. There are times when I see vibrant photos at local galleries and wonder if it’s been “photoshopped” or not. One of my pet peeves.

In the Print Room, you enter a red, revolving cylinder that takes you into the darkroom. There are at least 8 developers on stands that directs light onto your photo paper. I was in heaven as I placed my see-through ruler, glass coaster and Mardi Gras Beads onto the shiny paper. Hence, my goal was creating an interesting composition with my items.

Turn on the developer for 30 seconds; place the paper into the first chemical bath for 2 minutes and agitate; Remove, place it in the second chemical bath for 1 minute; the third chemical bath for 3 minutes then wash the paper with clear water for at least 5 minutes. Whoa, that is so much time invested to create a photograph. It might be but it’s similar to getting your hands dirty when you pick up a paint brush or pencil and illustrate an object without an iPad. It can actually be liberating.

The darkroom was active with so many hands dropping objects onto a 8 x 10 sheet of paper. Soon, an image will emerge. It works best if you have an item that’s translucent where light can shine through. I was impressed how many people did more than one photogram; there were many cool, creative solutions. 

What I learned is that some old-fashioned technologies do return just like vinyl records or letterpress where you can see the letters indented onto the paper. Nothing like it. Get out of your confined digital world and create art the old fashioned way. No iPads please.



Check out Cleveland Print Room
The ArtCraft Building
2550 Superior Avenue
http://clevelandprintroom.com

Art, Books, Films and Conversations - The Urban Landscape

Art

As I walked into The Sculpture Center that displayed a giant cardboard and metal installation titled, “Universe” by artist, Mark Schatz. I couldn’t help thinking what cities mean to me. First, this installation used corrugated cardboard from boxes that held things - Girl Scout Cookies or Shout fabric softener; the artist created miniature cities on top and underneath. There were skyscrapers close together while low rise buildings were scattered further away. Underneath however, there were small wooden models of the same structure duplicated.

I asked the artist if the bottom represented “urban sprawl?” He didn’t exactly answer the question but told me this is his view from an airplane window. It doesn’t matter what development you fly over from an airplane window, the terrain looks the same. How astute I thought - a very interesting concept, indeed. I was taken aback; I never thought of it like that. That’s what art does, explores ideas into infinite possibilities.

Conversations

I went to a talk at the Cleveland Public Library and Dave Hill, a comedian, said something that stuck with me. Why can’t we all live close from one another? Why do people feel compelled to live so far away? I cannot agree more. He prefaced this statement by talking with his father who wasn’t at all disturbed that a deer frequented his yard daily. “Dad, don’t you think this is unnatural?” I think deer wandering around city developments is definitely unnatural. We are taking land away from animals that need natural resources to survive.

Films

I finally watched a documentary, titled “You’ve Been Trumped” where Donald Trump wanted to build the most amazing golf course in the world. The trouble with that concept is that he destroyed a natural sand dune, unlike anything in the world to achieve his goal. I was so upset by watching a beautiful country side decimated so a billionaire can invite his rich friends to play a round of golf. When will developers get it in their heads that clearing out land that should be preserved is just not cool? Do they realize they are displacing animals that need that land to survive?


A recent documentary at the Cleveland International Film Festival, titled “Musicwood” told a story where rare wood is used to make acoustic guitars. Harvesting the Sitka Spruce trees in the Tongass National Forest is using a logging practice called clearcutting - this wood will ultimately be sold to guitar manufacturers. The manufacturers had no idea how this wood was harvested and shipped until they visited the Alaskan forest. They were outraged and now they are working with Greenpeace to preserve this land. Moreover, it’s the Native American’s who own the land, and they are adamant about changing their ways. Until people see how our land is being destroyed, will they understand the importance of preserving it.

Last week’s story about the Canadian Keystone pipeline is badly needed so American’s can get our oil fix; we have to drive our SUV’s. Please! I recommend everyone read, “Run to Failure” that describes in great detail how the BP oil spill happened. I am empathic to growing jobs but we have to rid ourselves from our dependence of oil. We should spend our R & D funds to develop better sustainable ways to create jobs. This status quo will not sustain us into the future.

Cleveland has lost many residents and so many homes are in foreclosure, I agree with the Dan Hill’s statement, we should live close together. We need to share our resources locally and stop trying to destroy our cities so a limited few want to live as far away as possible. I think walking around in a heavily dense community is how it should be. Until that happens, we will need more oil and gas to sustain our cars; increase our energy levels to red alert so we can have air conditioners and furnaces going in our massive homes. Now that family’s are having less kids, do they really need a 4 or 5 bedroom home?

Book

I read a while ago, “Green Metropolis,” and the author describes that New York City is the most sustainable city because per block, there are more people sharing resources than urban towns. After I read that book, I think more about how cities can be better equipped to share resources. Until we are all on the same page on shrinking cities and the depletion of our natural resources will we be able to make an impact. Until then, I will continue to recycle, reuse and conserve. 

The Sculpture Center
http://www.sculpturecenter.org/show_details/2013_W2S_Momeni_Schatz.html#Schatz

Land-Studio - What it means to be a Clevelander!
http://www.land-studio.org/events/2013/05/tell-us-what-it-means-to-be-a-clevelander-now--may-24th

You’ve Been Trumped
http://www.youvebeentrumped.com/youvebeentrumped.com/THE_MOVIE.html

Musicwood
http://musicwoodthefilm.com/take-action/

Springing into Green Landscapes

 Photo of Wine Bar on St. Clair

It’s spring but you wouldn’t know it as I piled on my winter running apparel this morning. After volunteering at the Cleveland International Film Festival, I was ready to hit the streets and breathe in that crisp, fresh morning air. In just two weeks, I was tired and out of shape. But, I was determined to stick it out and run my usual route - Euclid Beach Park. 

It seems to me it has been a long winter season. Not too long ago, I was running along the pier and was faced with giant, frozen sculptures that were once waves. Hurricane Sandy, and blizzard conditions where I ran in place trying to make my way forward.  Everyone was in hibernation; Not a sole in the streets where I would run past. My only friend was the howling wind and snow gusts saying Hello.

Now, the waves cautiously glide along the littered, rocky beach. I was curious so I ran to the water’s edge; to my surprise, the lake was not too cold. Soon, families will pull out their blankets and sit and watch those waves move rhythmically along the beach. A smile will appear on every child’s face as the blistering sun warms their skin as they walk out of the water.

What I love about spring is the lush green lawns that have appeared out of nowhere; the daffodils already in full bloom and the tulips not far behind; the cherry blossom trees so heavy with flowers that you just stare in awe. The birds chirping and geese swimming along the lake as though winter never occurred. The earth awakens in breathtaking color.

It’s those small things that fills me with joy. The winter helps me appreciate the spring thaw when nature wakes up - turning our landscape from brown to green to yellow to pink. Everyone is in the yard raking up dead leaves and filling the lawnmower with gas for that first cut - I love the smell of freshly cut grass. Images of growth and revival that nature provides us; life cycles over and over again.

Not thinking that Cleveland’s weather changes daily. I enthusiastically planted seeds in my tiny garden - string beans and peas. A few days later, snow flurries appeared. That is the way it goes but it’s April and it won’t last. The warmth will cycle again as it always does.  

Why I adore the warm weather - everyone is out and about. Neighbors walking around and exchanging ideas. The lawnmower sounds fill the air. Everyone is in a good mood; parties and festivals are all over town. And, it doesn’t get dark until 9PM, where your energy level is over the top. There is something to do every single day; if you can’t find something to do you can always walk to your neighborhood eatery and sit outside.

The warm weather is a precursor of being friendly even if you don’t feel like it. You walk or ride your bike, and you just feel alive breathing in those new smells. Make a new friend, and/or go to a new place you haven’t been. Spring and summer is a time to get out there and explore. If you can’t find anything to do, you haven’t tried hard enough.

What I’m looking forward to the this year: Wade Oval Wednesdays; GardenWalk; Waterloo Arts Festival; North Collinwood neighborhood lake concerts; Beach Blast; The Cleveland Museum of Art Solstice Party; - that is a very small sampling of the cool things coming up.

I can’t wait.

Wade Oval Wednesday June 12
http://www.universitycircle.org/events/2012/06/wow-wade-oval-wednesdays

Garden Walk June 22 & 23
http://www.gardenwalkcleveland.org/

The Cleveland Museum of Art Solstice Party - June 22
http://www.clevelandart.org/events/special-events/solstice/solstice-2013

11th Annual Waterloo Arts Festival - June 29
http://artscollinwood.org/waf-2013/

Beach Blast - August 3rd - Euclid Beach - Like the facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/euclidbeachblast

37th Cleveland International Film Festival

April 13, 1977 was the first day the Cleveland International Festival began its run at the Cedar Lee Theater. Now thirty-seven years later, it has become one of the must do events in Cleveland: 180 feature films and 165 short subjects. Moreover, Tower City is literally busting at the seams with the thousands of people walking up and down the concourse. If you haven’t experienced it yet, it really is something you need to experience for yourself.

What I enjoy most about this festival year after year is the enthusiasm everyone has as they grab a ballot and find their seat. This is the time where like-minded people (film buffs) “buzz” about their favorites or stinkers. It can be a “crap shoot” when you read the brief synopsis in the film guide and try to discern what “grabs you” in picking something fantastic that you can’t stop thinking about. As a friend of mine has eloquently stated to me many times, “If you haven’t seen something you didn’t like, then you haven’t stretch yourself.” Touché !

Volunteering is another thing I enjoy doing at the festival. I like hearing the positive comments about the films so I can markup my program guide that’s already littered with notes. Sometimes, however, when you hear the positive “buzz” it might be too late to get your ticket. But, there are so many films to choose from that you can’t get too upset by the ones that you’ve missed.

I met this older gentleman, an Army Colonel, who saw between 5 to 6 films a day. Pretty darn good for a retiree. He bought a “Directors” pass so he can see as many films and any film he feels like on any given day.  When I met him on my volunteer shift, he already watched 40 films and that was the beginning of the week.

This year, however, I have given more “fair” ballots than I have in the past. I’m not sure why but many of the films just “didn’t do it” for me one way or the other. I am a tough film critic because I see a fair number of films; plus as a book reader, I can appreciate if a film has a creative, unique story or something that hasn’t been done over and over. If it doesn’t, then it will be an average film by my standards. I can’t help it.

If I begin to nod off, most likely it didn’t grab my attention hence it’s going into the “average” rating pile. There is also a slim chance that I might just be tired on that day. More often than not, it simply was a generic, okay film. This only happened to me twice. One story just was not compelling enough - “The Coin Bearer” and I nodded off for several minutes. I did however get the basis of the story. As I walked out, I wished that I picked a different film. That is the beauty of the film festival, you can broaden your horizons into new genres.

If you love film, please check out the Cleveland International Film Festival next year, in March 2014. You will meet wonderful like-minded film people. I’ve enjoyed standing in line and conversing with everyone and anyone. In fact, I met a husband and wife who just moved to Cleveland. I couldn’t wait to tell them all the wonderful things going on in Cleveland. This is my favorite event of the year.

Here are a list of the films I saw ranked from Best to Worst

1. Laurence Anyways (a multi-layered story where a man becomes a woman and the struggle he faces in trying to let go of a woman s/he has lived with for years)

2. Pieta (a disturbing film but kept me on the edge my seat the entire time because the story was brilliant along with strong film editing that added to the drama.)

3. Three Worlds (a wonderful story where an accident affects three lives.)

4. Beauty (beautiful cinematography; quiet film how a teenage girl works for another family and the struggles she faces.)

5. The Last Ocean (documentary on the toothfish that is being harvested and slowly becoming extinct; hence this is changing the ecosystem.)

6. Call Me Kuchu (documentary how the Urgandan LGBT community is being jailed for coming out.)

7. Pulzel (narrative how two individuals try to get out of their comfort zones.)

8. The Orheim Company (Narrative how a family struggles with alcoholism.)

9. When Day Breaks (a professor finds a metal box that contains his real parents belongings such as a musical score.)

10. Omamamia (enjoyable, non-thinking film when a grandma travels to Rome hoping to meet the Pope.)

11. Casting By (documentary how Marion Dougherty found talented actors that helped to make  films great; the push/pull that “casting” should be nominated for an Academy Award.)

12. Musicwood (documentary on the future of wood for acoustic guitars and preserving the Alaska Forrest against clear cutting.)

13. Halima’s Path (two lives are intertwined when Halima can’t have children ends up raising her niece’s child during Bosnian wartime.)

14. The Deep (a fishing boat capsizes and one man survives in the bone chilling water; how did he survive?)

15. Out in the Dark (Isreali vs. Palestinian - two men trying to stay together where one guy loses his student visa in conflict; they can’t depend on their families for help.)

16. Red, White and Blueprints ( documentary on how rust belt cities are reinventing themselves.)

17. Kuma (a young girl marries an older gentleman while his first spouse struggles with cancer.)

18. Running From Crazy (Mariel Hemmingway’s honest account of the many suicides in her family and her outreach to bring this issue to the forefront.)

19. La Demora (narrative where a mother is struggling to make ends meet and is faced with  her father’s dementia)

20. I Do (a gay man loses his visa and he marries a Lesbian in order to say in the US. This brings up the issue of what is marriage?

21. My Beautiful Country ( a fictional story about a Serban woman and an Albanian soldier who have to find a way to be together during the Kosovo war - I nodded of but I thought it was a good story.)

22. Salma (documentary on a woman who defies her Indian culture and writes poetry. She is imprisoned for 25-years where men believe woman shouldn’t be educated; disappointed it wasn't as dramatic and I envisioned.)

23. Uprising (documentary on when Egyptians demand Mubarak to step down that erupted into a revolution, fighting for their democratic rights, and how facebook ignited thousands to participate.)

24. A Fighting Heart (interesting to learn how Johnny Kilbane became a champion boxer in Cleveland.

25. Chaos (a twisted thriller where a farmhouse is central to destruction, deceit and intrigue when a boy breaks up a marriage and tries to escape his past. Too many twists and it took too long to get to the point.)

26. Sugar Wars (mafia Godfather Lonardo in Cleveland.)

27. The Almost Man (an immature 35-year old who pulls childless pranks because he just doesn’t want to grow up.)

28. Bad Seeds ( two school kids kidnap a teacher; as time goes on they don’t know what to do with her. This had potential where it could of gone further to become edge-of-your-seat).

29. Piazza Fontana (a complicated Italian story when a bombing occurs killing 17 people and the investigation behind who is responsible. It was long, dry and confusing.)

30. Detroit Unleaded ( two characters fall in love in a gas station that falls short with too many stereotypes and not enough character development or strong dialogue.)

31. The Coin Bearer ( a story of two brothers who make money on casino-style gambling during wakes only; gambling is illegal in the Philippines so this is the only time to do it.)

32. Little World (Documentary on a boy who travels the world on a wheelchair; I was empathetic but a continuous close up on his face should have focused more on the terrain; instead I was bored and annoyed. It needed tighter editing.)

33. The Great Flood (old black and white footage on the 1927 Mississippi flood; no spoken words but interwoven with jazz music that I thought detracted from the imagery; I was bored. It would of been better as still photos.)

34. Up There (why I disliked this film is that I could not follow what it’s really about; a man needs to help a dead person find his way into heaven. Zombies?)

Cleveland International Film Festival

www.clevelandfilm.org

Flying Carpet by Beat Zoderer

 Flying Carpet - photo by Anna Chanakas (I appear on far right)

Colorful orange and green aluminum strips were suspended from the ceiling in a woven tapestry at the Reinberger Gallery. This sculptural installation titled, “Flying Carpet” was the Cleveland Institute of Art’s first ever commissioned piece by Swiss-born artist, Beat Zoderer. Zoderer’s piece perfectly commands the space of the gallery in an “Aha” moment as your eyes gaze upon the brilliant, colorful hues. At least that is how I felt when I saw this sculptural masterpiece. It was something I have never seen before that held my attention for more than a few minutes.

I anxiously asked the artist, if his “Flying Carpet” met his expectations. Zoderer enthusiastically replied that it superseded his expectations. I can tell he was very happy with the result.

Before the “Flying carpet” was installed, there were many unforeseen challenges. For one, the colorful paint on each aluminum strip began to flake off. In fact on many of the strips, the paint was worn off on all the edges. This could of been a tremendous set back but the gallery’s curator and the artist decided to work with the material as delivered.

The aluminum strips were cut and painted by Cleveland companies, and it would set the project back if they went back and reordered the material. Through discussions with the artist, Zoderer gave the fabricators exact color specifications and sizes of the aluminum strips. They are different lengths and widths. As a novice painter myself, it looks as though the aluminum was not prepped correctly to allow the paint to adhere to the material. It didn’t seem like the artist was too concerned about this set back.

Regardless of the paint sloughing off, the piece is down-right beautiful. It floats brilliantly off the ground with light streaming through its loosely woven aluminum sheets onto the ground. This light creates another art form where you almost want to lay on the ground. The bright colors keeps your eyes moving up and down and across - left and right. To add more interest to the piece, Zoderer bent the aluminum so it has a feeling of movement even though it is suspended from the ceiling.

Prior to the opening of the show, I attended the artist talk, and Zoderer spoke how he was working with Starbuck’s wooden coffee stirrers to get an idea developed. I have taken a few sculptural classes and the basis of an idea/concept comes to you in many, unconditional ways. You may sketch something out or you may be sculpting something out of clay to get the “creative, juices flowing.”

Moreover, Zoderer shows preliminary small scale ideas in the show that should be looked at as well. For example, he glued tiny rubber bands (I assume those annoying rubber bands you get when you buy produce) on a card, scraps from a sheet of stamps, and the coffee stirrers arranged sculpturally. It was interesting how he took cast-away items and created art or sculptural studies that might be a large scale piece; who knows. Nevertheless, I liked seeing his creative process.

I also spoke to one of the guys who helped install the piece. It did take ten days with Zoderer meticulously laying out each piece on the ground by color before the hard work began - assembling them with a rivet gun. Like any artistic piece, it is the process that you learn from, which turned out differently than Zoderer initially thought.

It’s those “mistakes” or the unintended installation procedures that turn out better than your brain calculated in the first place. I’ve done that many times when I did a design or drawing and my vision changed - throughout the process that turned out even better. I think of the so called, “mistake” as the learning process.  There is no way to perfectly manufacture the piece in your head without some learning taking place - it’s a trial and error. That is the beauty of art.

I would highly recommend seeing the “flying carpet” for yourself at the Cleveland Institute of Art, Reinberger Gallery now until May 4th.

Cleveland Institute of Art

http://www.cia.edu/events/2013/03/beat-zoderer-flying-carpet