jongoldmanprojects j@goldmanarts.com 978.505.5796
THE PROPOSAL:
- Documenting a Village
“I am interested in acts of community-building through a creative process that embraces a new public Art,” says media artist Jon Goldman. Since 2012, Goldman has embarked on a project to digitally paint portraits of as many of the people from the village that he lives in. Woods Hole, Massachusetts in the Southwestern most corner of Cape Cod, long been known throughout the world as a major center for marine science. But the people who live and work in this small former fishing village make up a glimpse into small town America. Goldman who has is both a fine art painter and an artist who works with technology. “I have been drawing with computers since I bought my first Macintosh in 1984 to write my thesis at MIT.”says Goldman from his studio. -Intentto The intent of the artwork is to vividly portray a vibrant community both virtually and physically. As an interactive public artwork The Village Portrait Project (VPP), will serve as an accessible collection and a creative profile of that place by depicting the people who live there. -Format Approximately 780 digitally painted images will be printed onto small aluminum panels Eventually each painting will be paired with audio clips each profiling an individual living or working in Woods Hole.
Goldman digitally paints in his Studio.
The digital paintings will exist both in an output format for display and as a web-based interactive form accessible via a digital interface such as a computer or a mobile device. The Woods Hole Library currently, through its subsidiary The Woods Hole Historical Museum, houses the Oral History elements, which are in the process of being converted for digital use and will be integrated into the online “portraits”. On the following pages is the first round of portraits. Rob “Rooster” Fricke is a former acoustical engineer now runs Nobska Farms specializing in peppers
Alison Kline Development Officer, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Brian Switzer Teacher, Stage director, Sailor.
Glennway Fripp Musician, Composer
Thomas Renshaw Builder/Preservationsit, Commmunity Historian, Musician
Elias Lieberman Rabbi, Musician
Doug Rugh Landscape Painter, Portraitist, Musician
Jenny Junker Artist, Painter, Teacher, Horticulturalist
Stephan Junker Broadcaster, Author, Musician, Community Organizer, Builder
John Kanwisher Physiologist, Teacher, Inventor, Author
Mary Grauerholz Writer, Publisher
Tessa Lineaweaver Potter, Artist, Illustrator
Nicole Goldman Designer, Entrepreneur
Jake Fricke Engineer, Scalloper
Peter Fielding Rowell BMW Mechanic, builder
Mark Chester Photographer, Author.
Doug Shepro Master Crafstmen, Horticulturalist/Farmer, Musician
Flannery Rogers Anthropologist
Rob “Rooster” Fricke Acoustical engineer, Pepper Farmer
Don Parkinson Photographer
Rachel Switzer Fabric Artisan, Potter
Roger Day Producer, Arts Patron, Cultural Organizer
Sven Atema Artist, Sculptor, Animator
Jack Dacy Dock builder
Simon Miner Sailor, Musician,Teacher, Scientist
Wendy Kindersley Event Producer, Woods Hole Research Center
Stephania Murphy Associate Director of Communications, Woods Hole Oceanographic Instritution
Toby Lineaweaver Psychologist specializing in At Risk Youth
Timothy Lineaweaver Psychologist
Tom Chase Roofer, former biochemist.
Ed Brakeman Managing Director, Bain Capital, Entrepreneurial Mentor
Redwood Wright Hydrographer, Author
Daniel Cojanu Cinematographer, Filmmaker, Photographer
Ruben Davis Flight Systems Engineer , Entrepreneur, Farmer
Pamela Brunelle Woods Hole Post Office
Doug Woodcock Woods Hole Market
Alexander Hartford Woods Hole Market
John Vose Caretaker, Diver, Mooring Engineer
Sam Densmore Knife maker, Bicycle Manufacturer, Artist
Ann Densmore Caretaker, Horticulturalist, Animal husbandry
Ann Farr Nurse, Psychotherapist
Norm Farr Engineer, Physical Oceanographer, Woods Hole Oceanographic Instittution, Sailor
Emelia Deforce Microbiologist, Research Associate, Woods Hole Oceanographic Instittution
Judy Laster Environmental Lawyer, Founder, Woods Hole Film Festival
J.C. Bouvier Managing Editor for International Fund for Animal Welfare, filmmaker
Peter Ochs Master Builder, Luthier, Musician, Sailor
Beth Josephson Data Management, Pelagic mammal counter, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration
Chip Schultz Engineer, Dock Builder
Ben Zuck Crane Operator, Dock builder
George Cadwalader Founder Penikese Island School, Author, Lobsterman
Claude Franginoul Oceanographer, Professor, Tennis Player, Art Collector
Susan Shup Artist, Performance Artist, Video Artist, Designer
Jon Goldman has been called a “digital renaissance man” by the Boston Globe primarily because as a media artist, his work encompasses many forms with a unique ability to accomplish all well.
For Al Jazeera He produced “WILMAʼS WARNING” about the Katrina/RITA storm surge and its role in high toxicity in the gulf region.
Trained as a theatrical director, a designer, a painter and a sculptor both in the U.S. and in the U.K. he worked off- Broadway as an associate producer at the South Street Theatre helping produce the Stravinsky ballet “Pulchinella Suite” for puppets , O’Neill’s one act “Hughie” and Tennessee William’s “Portrait of a Madonna”.
“I want to be working with modern tools to help shed light on the visual meaning of ‘community,’”says the artist.
Moving from New York to Philadelphia, Goldman attended the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Following that he earned his Masters at MITʼs Center For Advanced Visual Studies in the 1980’s studying under the German artist, Otto Piene and specializing in sculpture that performed. In the mid 1980’s together with his wife, Nicole Goldman, as an artist-in-residence at the Boston Center for the Arts Jon started an art and design company, GoldmanArts. For twenty years they built large-scale inflatable sculptures, costumes, and branded products for the museum, the entertainment industry and the mass market. His work is in the permanent collection of The Smithsonian’s Cooper Hewitt National Museum of Design and other major collections and has been exhibited throughout the U.S., Japan, Korea and Hong Kong. Since licensing off much of GoldmanArts at the turn of the millennium, Jon has returned to his roots in directing and has produced documentaries and short form animations for organization such as Al Jazeera International, WGBHLAB BOSTON, and the Discovery Channel.
THE VILLAGE PORTRAIT PROJECT (VPP) is a continuation of Goldman’s digital painting that he began when it was first possible at MIT.
His event-based short film OCCUPY SANTA, Goldman designed a community-building event distributing his mass marketed inflatable Santa Claus costumes. The joyous event brought young and old, strangers and friends to don the inflatable suits for a community gathering in the middle of winter raising serious questions both by the sixty participants and the Artist about the symbology of the seasonal icon. Called “transformative”, “provocative”, “joyous” and “hilarious” by the participants Goldman saw an exicting new direction. “I began to ask: ‘what does a “Village” look like beyond what appears on the street? ’” This has led to the ambitious Village Portrait Project where Goldman paints the people of Woods Hole, Massachusetts beginning with those captured in this book. “As an artist I believe in honesty. Not just in the faithfulness to subject, media and context but to time as well. The Technology /Art nexus has always existed, but only when we are listening or watching for it does it allow us an opportunity to humanize the technology; whether in the caves at Lascaux, DaVinci’s studio or today on the internet. I have always believed in creating a kind of alchemy where magic can be a part of real life.” OCCUPY SANTA & recent film work: https://vimeo.com/thoughtballloonmedia
jongoldmanprojects | 12sidneystreet | woodsholema 02543 | j@goldmanarts.com | 978.505.5796
jongoldmanprojects | 12sidneystreet | woodsholema 02543 | j@goldmanarts.com | 978.505.5796
jongoldmanprojects j@goldmanarts.com 978.505.5796