MOTHER ROAD
JESSICA HARVEY • OCTOBER 3 - NOVEMBER 23, 2014
MOTHER ROAD
JESSICA HARVEY • OCTOBER 3 - NOVEMBER 23, 2014
Presented by
MICHAEL WALLIS INTRODUCTION
Jessica Harvey’s multi-media Route 66 exhibition is an important contribution to the growing body of material from all genres of art that have helped rejuvenate and revive the spirit and vitality of the Mother Road. The visual and audio components of the exhibition combined with the artful placement of both historic and contemporary objects and ephemera showcase Jessica’s talent and her understanding of the linear village that remains the most famous highway in the world. Michael Wallis Noted author, Route 66 Historian, Co-Founder of the Route 66 Alliance
KATHY MCRUIZ
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT The beauty of the AHHA Artist in Residence program is that there are always surprises. These come from the artists themselves and the community as individuals interact with and respond to the project and artist. Jessica Harvey’s Mother Road was no exception and the project was full of delightful AHHA moments. Whether it was a father telling a story of a farewell motorcycle journey with his daughter before she left for college, or a young man with a suitcase full of personal artifacts recounting the time he first learned to drive on the Mother Road, each individual had a unique connection to this old highway. Jessica brought a rich and smart project to AHHA. The artist herself is a joy to be around. Absent from this project was any sense of hesitancy - and that is no small thing for an undertaking of this size and complexity. Jessica showed us that art can be fun, collective, and thought-provoking all at the same time. So, thank you Jessica for being in and celebrating our community. Thank you for helping us to take a look at ourselves and our place along the Mother Road. Safe journey as you travel back to your home in Chicago where the road begins. Here’s hoping wanderlust will, from time to time, lure you back to Tulsa! Kathy McRuiz, Hardesty Arts Center Director
JESSICA HARVEY ARTIST STATEMENT
Mother Road is a project derived from the history and myths that come from traveling Route 66, which illustrates journeys - both personal and shared - through road trips, driving and discovery. For the first part of this project, I embarked on a solo road trip along Route 66 from Chicago to Santa Monica. Although I dedicated a month for this journey, I feel as though I only was able to get the smallest taste of what the road had to offer. While many people have a nostalgic, often whitewashed view of the highway, it is important to remember that this is not the only view of The Road. Many of those that still live along it can speak to the frequent hardships faced by travelers throughout the Mother Road’s era. Life slows down as you travel The Great Diagonal Way since the road often breaks up and can no longer be traveled in one continuous length. This slowing down made me more aware of the country’s history, the American landscape, and how car travel has changed since its inception in 1926. During my residency and exhibition at the Hardesty Arts Center, I displayed artifacts, photographs, and videos from my own Route 66 odyssey and invited the public to explore my studio in the gallery. There, they were able to offer their own personal objects and stories for inclusion in the exhibition. This shared project aims to challenge the idea of a collected memory. The personal experiences of each individual shapes the way they feel about the road and the culture of the great American road trip. Even though the final stretch of Route 66 was decommissioned in 1985, The Road is still seen as a vital lifeline in America’s cultural history to those around the world. Jessica Harvey, Fall 2014 Artist in Residence
IMAGE INDEX Black Mountain Memorial A r c h i v a l P i g m e n t Pr i n t 20”x30”
Second Amendment Cowboy A r c h i v a l P i g m e n t Pr i n t 20”x30”
This Must Be The Place A r c h i v a l P i g m e n t Pr i n t 20”x30”
Graze (searching for ghost lights) A r c h i v a l P i g m e n t Pr i n t 20”x30”
The Ambassador (Seligman, AZ) A r c h i v a l P i g m e n t Pr i n t 20”x30”
S n a k e Fa r m A r c h i v a l P i g m e n t Pr i n t 20”x30”
R a l l y D a y ( Fe r g u s o n , M O ) A r c h i v a l P i g m e n t Pr i n t 20”x30”
R o a d t o Te a r s ( m o n u m e n t ) A r c h i v a l P i g m e n t Pr i n t 20”x30”
T h e M o s t D a n g e r o u s Wo m a n i n A m e r i c a A r c h i v a l P i g m e n t Pr i n t 20”x30”
Mrs. Miniver (for Greer) A r c h i v a l P i g m e n t Pr i n t 20”x30” Wa i t i n g f o r G e o r g i a A r c h i v a l P i g m e n t Pr i n t 20”x30” One Heart Climbs Out (tossing lightning bolts and mud) A r c h i v a l P i g m e n t Pr i n t 20”x30” Lucky (Springfield, IL) A r c h i v a l P i g m e n t Pr i n t 16”x20” At Last to End A r c h i v a l P i g m e n t Pr i n t 20”x20”
Installation Views Photographs Cyanotypes Newsprint takeaways Map of Route 66 Booklets 1 0 0 S o n g s t o C r y To v i d e o Audio and vitrines with personal stories and artifacts contributed by the artist and guests. WIN N e w s p r i n t Ta k e a w a y 17”x22” infinite run Artifact Courtesy of Don Ellington
L u c k y ( S a n d i a Pe a k , N M ) A r c h i v a l P i g m e n t Pr i n t 20”x30”
MOTHER ROAD
JESSICA HARVEY • OCTOBER 3 - NOVEMBER 23, 2014 Mother Road Premier Sponsor:
Hardesty Family Foundation 2014 AHHA Exhibition Sponsors:
Barnett Family Foundation The Sanford & Irene Burnstein Foundation The Sharna and Irvin Frank Foundation
Special Thanks: Michael Wallis
Jake Cornwell Angel Delgadillo Don Ellington Jim Farber Beth Freeman The Harvey Family Donna Kerr Kathy King Deana McCloud
Woody Guthrie Center Barbra & Tom Pool Rick Prelinger Dan Rice Ed Taylor Tulsa Community College Broadcast Journalism Students Tulsa Historical Society Suzanne Wallis
Individuals along The Road and from the community who contributed their stories and objects to the exhibition.
101 East Archer Street Tulsa, Oklahoma 74103 918.584.3333 www.AHHATulsa.org