Highway 2

2017 ORIGINAL VERSION 2018 VERSION

ESTABLISHED 1926

BOB DYLAN 1965 NEWPORT JAZZ FESTIVAL VIDEO

IN NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND, DURING THE YEAR 1950 A MAJOR LEAGUE JAZZ FESTIVAL WAS ESTABLISHED. FROM ITS INCEPTION THE MUSICIANS AND AUDIENCE ESCHEWED ELECTRIC INSTRUMENTS.

IN THE SUMMER OF 1965, WITHOUT ANY ADVANCED KNOWLEDGE BOB DYLAN AND BAND SET UP HEAVY EQUIPMENT AND STARTED TO PLAY “MAGGIES FARM,” THEN WENT ON TO PLAY THE NOW ICONIC SONG, “LIKE A ROLLING STONE.” THE AUDIENCE WAS APPALED AND BOOED INCESSANTLY. TODAY, THESE ARE CONSIDERED WORLD CHANGING.

I USE THIS STORY TO HELP EXPLAIN WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE WITH MY PLEIN-AIR PAINTING, OLD FLORESTA. THE FIRST THING TO UNDERSTAND IS THAT PLEIN-AIR MEANS PAINTING WHAT YOU SEE OUTSIDE.

PLEIN-AIR PAINTING AT THE COMPETITION LEVEL HAS STRINGENT RULES LIKE THE NEWPORT JAZZ FESTIVAL. HERE IS ONE OF THE RULES I FOUND FROM A PLEIN-AIR COMPETITION: YOU MUST COMPLETE YOUR WORK 100% OUTSIDE FROM WHAT YOU SEE DURING THE WEEK, WITHIN THE ALLOWABLE BOUNDARIES. NO PAINTINGS FROM PHOTOGRAPHS AND NO ENTRIES PRODUCED USING MANIPULATED PHOTOGRAPHIC PROCESSES, COMPUTER-ENHANCED IMAGERY, OR OTHER NON-PLEIN-AIR MEANS WILL BE ALLOWED.

JUST LIKE BOB DYLAN, I REJECT THIS RULE AS

FOOLISHNESS. LET THE ARTIST DECIDE HOW FAR TO TAKE THEIR WORK, AS LONG AS THE WORK STARTS OUTSIDE OR INCORPORATES OUTDOOR PAINTING THEN IT SHOULD BE ALL IN GOOD SPIRITS OF DOING THE BEST YOU CAN DO. WE SHOULD ENCOURGE THE USE OF THE NEWEST TECHNIQUES AND METHODS.

IN MY CASE, I MADE A SMALL PAINTING 12”X12” WITH A BESPOKEN FRAME AND THEN WENT HOME AND REFINED IT INTO THE FEELING OF A CIRCUIT BOARD. THE PLEIN-AIR PIECE LEFT ME FEELING LIKE IT IS RAW AND UNFINISHED, THE NEW VERSION HAS ALL THE MARKS OF MY STYLE. A YEAR LATER I WENT FURTHER WITH THIS CONCEPT AND USED VECTORS TO MAKE THE IDEALIZED VERSION. VECTORS CREATE PERFECT GRADIENTS AND LINES WITH EASE.

ASK YOURSELF THIS, IF THERE WERE NO RULES WHICH PAINTING IS THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF CREATIVITY AND IMAGINATION? WHICH ONE DO YOU LIKE THE BEST?