Robert John Cook's radio show

I attended the other day a lecture on an artist whose work I have found absolutely incredible for a long time. Al Kochka, the Curator and Director of the Geissbuhler Project at the Cape Cod Museum of Art gave the lecture. Al’s talk was amazing, filled with detail and passion. The artist’s name is Arnold Geissbuhler. He was born in my beloved Switzerland in 1897. Just after World War I, then in his early twenties, Arnold Geissbuhler followed his art and moved from Switzerland to Paris. Paris at the time was the center for everything art, especially sculpture, following Rodin no less!
Rodin had an assistant by the name of Bourdelle, and Bourdelle’s assistant was Arnold Geissbuhler. A young woman working in Rodin’s library at the time, translating Rodin’s catalogs would later become Arnold Geissbuhler’s wife. And they would eventually leave Paris for her home on Cape Cod. I mention Arnold Geissbuhler this week because his work ethnic is nothing short of miraculous. And you have to have ask yourself why? Why is it that an artist is driven to produce, some artist being driven far beyond anything one might call normal.
Many have heard me talk about the influence Harry Holl has had on my art, and how I developed by voice as an artist from Harry. Harry Holl is the son-in-law of Arnold Geissbuhler. So it was an genuine interest that I absorbed everything Al Kochka said about Geissbuhler. The one theme I could see that ran concurrent between Geissbuhler and Holl was that they both shared a strong work ethic. The amount of art each of them generated is astounding. I mention this because there are times when I find myself withdrawn from my work, perhaps I’m distracted by other efforts that need my attention, or perhaps my creativity needs time to be thought though. I don’t understand the reason for my stagnation, but it’s there. I feel at times I’m letting myself down, and wonder if Geissbuhler or Holl ever had times when they weren’t working like mad men. Or, did they work like mad men because they knew the other was watching? Geissbuhler and Holl lived within a distance of measurable yards for the bulk of their life. Their studios were on the same property, they saw each other every day, saw what the other was working on, I can only assume they measured their productivity by comparing their efforts to the others.
I don’t share a studio with anyone, and I don’t have a mutual reference point like Geissbuhler or Holl had. So how do I know I’m being productive enough? And is the quantity of productivity related to the quality of my art. I think it is. Artists that produce art that can stand the measure of time have been able to do so because they are prolific at their dedication. They produced mass quantities of work, from which select pieces carried on their name into the history books. Artists such as them are constantly drawing, sketching, designing a new painting or sculpture. Their craft as an artist is continuously being exercised. Their dedication as an artist then becomes directly proportionate to their recognition.
So why is it Geissbuhler would spend day in day out slaving away in his studio? It’s on record that he was always working. The number of pieces he produced is testimony to his efforts. The shear quantity of his work, let alone the incredible quality, is astounding. His drive as an artist makes my drive as an artist feel tiny and weak in comparison. Should I be concerned?
Yes, if we don’t measure ourselves by some standard we drift. I look at Holl and Geissbuhler as the productive artists I strive to someday be. To build a catalog of work several pieces may someday be chosen from I have to work hard. This motivates me, and to think if I work hard perhaps someday I might be able to produce a piece equal to a Geissbuhler, or Holl, is the carrot at the end of a long stick I have passion to chase. So, it’s with the thought of these two incredibly driven artists that my own mind is consumed with ideas and thoughts. The joy of art is the rush when you apply a touch of paint, or sculpt with that one stroke that makes the piece important. The feeling of ‘wow, I made that’ doesn’t come with every piece of course, but when it does happen the rush is euphoric.
If you’ve ever run through the woods you will have experienced that as you’re running you’re constantly looking three or four steps ahead to see where your foot is going to land. The experience of seemingly floating as you run three or four steps ahead of yourself is no different from the rush of running through ideas for art. There are times when ideas come to me at three or four steps ahead of me, they come quickly and I capture them and play with them in that euphoric moment of rush.
I’ve been getting that euphoric feeling of rush lately. It’s winter time here on Cape Cod now. It’s nineteen degrees outside as I write this, yesterday snow blew in off the water and covered the desolate beaches. All the tourists are gone and the Cape has returned to being Mayberry. Like creatures that come out only when it’s safe to do so, I’ve been meeting my friends once at various gatherings. There are gatherings for art, some for writing, and many for music. The Cape is alive with these gatherings of friends, which is why the Cape during the winter comes to life for me. I love the winter on the Cape, it’s a time for productivity. It’s time to get to work and share your winter projects with your friends. It’s time to meet that at the gatherings and describe your latest ventures. And by the end of gathering, as I’m driving home through the cold or snow, or freezing rain I am enjoying that euphoric rush that hard work delivers. I then feel equal to Geissbuhler or Holl. My work ethic and productivity are in high gear.
So, what winter projects have me so excited? I’ve been hard at work contemplating the design for my new studio. I’m going to build my new studio out of Found Objects. By itself the studio will be a work of my art, a giant sculpture I can stand up in and paint.
And, as typical for the winter, the room outside of the desk I use to write on is home to a fireplace that burns for most of the winter. I’ll sit at my desk and finish the novel I’ve started about one winter on Cape Cod. The book will conclude on the day the one thing Cape Codders like myself dread; going over the bridge and driving ‘Off Cape" to attend the inauguration January 20. My book is a novel, most of it complete, that will end on January 20.
And, music, the most important part of winter on Cape Cod. My friends Jeff and Janni are busy organizing their House Concerts. Everybody seems to be putting their shows together, at the Open Mic, or some coffee shop or gathering here or there. And everywhere I go I see my friends, these artists, whether it’s the visual arts, writing, or music, running three or four steps ahead of themselves. Each of them caught up in their own euphoric rush. The musician never has more than arms reach away their musical instrument. No matter how cold it is, nor no matter where they travel to, their violin, guitar, or mandolin is right by their side. And my writer friends, they are never without their pen and notebook. And the painters and sculptors, I run into them at the museum or galleries, or see them at gatherings. Their new projects are underway and they are smiling. This winter is going to deliver their best work, you can just see it on their faces. The artists, writers, and musicians, all my friends are filled with productive work. I can gaze into the beautiful flames of the fireplace and wonder if it’s winter on cape Cod that Geissbuhler and Holl used as their motivation to be productive. The answer is gone by way of history, but I think they did, which motivates me to shift my gaze from the fireplace back to the computer so I can work on my new novel and discover what it’s like to run three or four steps ahead of myself.
Within one of those euphoric moments of rush last week I briefly described the idea for a reception with a bit of a twist. The art show would being titled "The Salon des Refusés", which is French for "exhibition of rejects". It stems from an 1863 exhibition of works that were rejected by the jury of the official Paris Salon. The Salon des Refusés of 1863 exhibited the works the Paris Salon had rejected. Some of these jury-rejects went on to become very famous paintings, such as Édouard Manet's Luncheon on the Grass, and James McNeill Whistler's Girl in White.
An amazing set of circumstances and coincidences, matched with running three or four steps ahead of my own thinking, has lead the suggestion for this show to a place at the Cape Cod Museum of Art. My friend Elaine Cohen and I discussed it with the museum this past week. The Salon des Refusés of Cape Cod is scheduled for 5:30 - 7:30 on Thursday, April 2, 2009. I've set up a quick website -- needs work, but it will get us started. Here's the link:
http://thesalondesrefuses.wordpress.com/
The first annual The Salon des Refusés exhibit promises to be a flamboyant and colorful reception that is unique and dramatic — the type of reception the press will find interesting and innovate — something to put the artists of The Salon des Refusés on the map, something the public will stand up and notice. As was the case in 1863, the audience for our reception are gallery owners. From across Cape Cod, the intention of the exhibit is to introduce gallery owners to local artists and our art. Instead of the artists of The Salon des Refusés bringing their portfolio to the gallery owners, we’ll be bringing the gallery owners to our portfolio.
The exhibit of the Salon des Refusés will be intriguing and intelligent. Only it won’t be the usual stuff an artist might throw in the trunk of their car to show a gallery owner, instead it’s the real art the artists have produced that they consider truly representative of their talent — sometimes the art being unpredictable! The purpose of the Salon des Refusés is to let the gallery owners see the real side of our art and not the stuff we’re trying to use to impress them with for gallery admission.
The grand entrance of the show will be beautiful art models flamboyantly decorated and joyfully parading across the expansive museum floor. They will be parading as if on the streets of Paris in the early morning after a wonderful late night of incredible reveling.
I’ve received feedback from several artists regarding who will be the artists of the Salon des Refusés. The original 1863 Salon des Refusés was to showcase new art. The intent was to generate interest amongst the gallery owners. Our purpose is the same. Because our audience will be prominent gallery owners the Cape Cod museum has criteria for artists being entered into our show: 1) We are limited to ten artists with two pieces of new art each, 2) The artist must have a professional portfolio suitable for immediate gallery owner review, 3) A strong desire to show their new art work to a gallery owner during the show, 4) Each artist must have their portfolio and new art work reviewed by Elaine Cohen and myself for show entrance.
Plugs:
You guys know I’m a big fan of my friends with the band Tripping Lily. This Friday, December 12 Monica Rizzio and Friends are hosting a musical event at Buckie’s Coffee House on Route 28 in Dennis that sounds too good to miss. If you’re not familiar with how to get to Buckies there number is (508) 398-9700. Buckie’s is a small place with limited seating, I suggest you get there early, maybe 6:30 or so that night, the show starts at 7:00.
Also, on the same night Monica’s show is The Sarah Burrill Band at Joe's Bar and Grill up in Wellfleet on Friday December 12th at 10:00. I had the pleasure of hearing Sarah play at a private gathering last week. Wow, what incredible talent!
This may not fall under the heading of being as plug, but I very much believe what you give out comes back to you. I mention this because I received a beautiful gift from Bil Lane that I want to share with you. Bil is Jackson Browne’s Recording Engineer which many of you have heard me talk about many times. Bil’s generosity and continuously reaching out to shore up our friendship speaks for the type of wonderful person Bil is. I say this, because if you ever look at a CD and see the studio name of Groovemasters, or Bil Lane Recording Engineer by it. Bil has sent me CD’s that he has been the engineer on, and each of them is incredible.
I end each show with a wish from me to each one of regarding Peace and Love. After last week’s controversial show the response back was wonderful regarding the building of new studio. The ideas, suggestions, well wishes are wonderful. You guys are way too kind. It’s no wonder I truly do love all of you. Your are the coolest of the cool.