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Unconventional: The Legacy of Joseph Beuys

2021

Photos: E.G. Schempf

INFO

Seemingly Unconnected Events: The Writing is on the Wall/Heat, Drought & Fire Gallery, 2017, The Land Institute, Salina, Kansas. Charred newspaper and cast plaster organic forms with charred consumer goods casts, cracked earth, ash, charred newspaper fragments rammed into bookshelf. Wall texts with Kansas mud: writings of Wendell Berry, Wes Jackson and poet/sculptor Arna Radovich, collaborative blackboard for viewer/participants, gallery 15 x 11’.

Installation detail with wood burning stove, charred newspaper fragments rammed into bookshelf, and cast plaster organic forms with charred consumer goods casts, cracked earth and ash. Wall texts drawn in Kansas mud, Wendell Berry.

Installation detail of cracked earth and ash bounded by cracks in gallery floor.

Installation detail of grass seeds sprouting from cracked earth.

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Installation detail of charred newspaper fragments rammed into bookshelf, ash and charred plaster consumer goods casts.

Installation detail of charred organic forms shedding their skins as they “climb” through a window into the adjacent gallery, cracked earth and participatory blackboard wall

Installation detail of charred organic forms shedding their skins as they “climb” through window.

Installation detail of charred organic forms “climbing” through window, cracked earth and participatory blackboard wall with text by Wes Jackson.

Installation detail of writing implements for participation

Installation detail of plaster dust for handprints.

Installation view of wall after participation.

Installation detail from wall after participation.

Installation detail of Arna Radovich poem written in Kansas mud.

Installation overview, plaster organic forms and consumer goods casts, “waterline”, wall texts drawn in Kansas mud featuring writings of Natalie Angier, Willa Cather, Wendell Berry, Stan Cox and Paul Cox, Wes Jackson, Elizabeth Kolbert, Karen McCoy, Naderev “Yeb” Saño and Vandana Shiva, 15 x 14’5”

Installation detail of consumer goods casts “washed up” against the walls with text.

Installation view of consumer goods casts “washed up” against the bookcase with text by Elizabeth Kolbert.

Installation detail of sea worm forms taking the place of books (some trying to exhibit vertical spines) with text by Arna Radovitch (L) and Wes Jackson (center and R).

Installation view.

Installation detail of bookcase surface, text from Wes Jackson stenciled in powdered plaster “Consult the genius of the place . . . nature as measure”

Installation detail of bookcase surface, text from Wes Jackson stenciled in powdered plaster “Consult the genius of the place . . . nature as measure”.

Installation detail of Wendell Berry’s approved paraphrase with window connecting galleries.

Seemingly Unconnected Events:
The Wedge
2007- 2015

Hundreds of plaster casts of organic forms interwoven and interconnected with consumer goods casts*, 90 x 30 x 45”.

Installation at H&R Block Artspace,
Kansas City, MO, Fall 2015.   

Photo: E.G. Schempf

Seemingly Unconnected Events
Cubed (V5)
2007- 2014 (ongoing)

Hundreds of plaster casts of organic forms interwoven and interconnected with consumer goods casts, 4 x 4 x 40” highest point

Installation at Epsten Gallery, Village Shalom, metropolitan Kansas City, MO, 2014   

Photo: E.G. Schempf

Seemingly Unconnected Events
Cubed (V3)
2007- 2014 (ongoing)

DETAIL, Hundreds of plaster casts of organic forms interwoven and interconnected with consumer goods casts, 4 x 4 x 40” highest point

Installation at Epsten Gallery, Village Shalom, metropolitan Kansas City, MO, 2014   

Photo: E.G. Schempf

Seemingly Unconnected Events
V4
2007- 2014 (ongoing)

Hundreds of plaster casts of organic forms stacked and interlaced with consumer goods casts, 15 x 7 x 2.5’

Installation for Re Imagine, Three Person Exhibition, Epsten Gallery, Village Shalom, metropolitan Kansas City, 2014   

Photo: E.G. Schempf

Seemingly Unconnected Events
V4
2007- 2014 (ongoing)

DETAIL.Hundreds of plaster casts of organic forms stacked and interlaced with consumer goods casts, 15 x 7 x 2.5’

Installation for Re Imagine, Three Person Exhibition, Epsten Gallery, Village Shalom, metropolitan Kansas City, 2014   

Photo: E.G. Schempf

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Wentworth-Coolidge State Historic Mansion
Pre-Revolutionary War Royal Governor’s home
Portsmouth, NH

Seemingly Unconnected Events was installed in five selected sites in the home, along with other artists in a group exhibition, Art Encounters Preservation, 2011, The main room of the installation of Seemingly Unconnected Events is seen on the far right, the Coolidge Room overlooking Little Harbor, a bay off of the Atlantic Ocean.

Photo: Ellen Edersheim.

Seemingly Unconnected Events:
Card
2011
Wentworth-Coolidge State Historic Mansion
Portsmouth, NH

Stacks of cards and take-away buttons were found throughout the installation at the Wentworth-Coolidge House. The front of the card contained this quote from Gaston Bachelard’s, The Poetics of Space.

"For our house is our corner of the world. As has often been said it is our first universe, a real cosmos in every sense of the word.” read: “For our house is our corner of the world. As has often been said it is our first universe, a real cosmos in every sense of the word." Gaston Bachelard, The Poetics of Space

This image is of the back of the card.

Seemingly Unconnected Events:
Warming
2011
Wentworth-Coolidge State Historic Mansion
Portsmouth, NH

Installation in warming niches off the sunken brick kitchen near visitors entrance.

Plaster casts of organic forms with casts into consumer goods packaging, “Seaworms” 2-3” diameter x 17” shortest and 37” longest; consumer goods life sized.

Seemingly Unconnected Events:
Trap Door
2011
Wentworth-Coolidge State Historic Mansion
Portsmouth, NH

Installation in small, stone walled chamber with dirt floor, plaster casts coated with luminescent paint, hand crank flashlights, ¾ “ thick bullet-proof glass replacement in trap door.

Seemingly Unconnected Events:
Storage
2011
Wentworth-Coolidge State Historic Mansion
Portsmouth, NH

Installation in closet with consumer goods casts separated from “seaworm” habitat casings casts.

Plaster casts of organic forms with casts into consumer goods packaging, “seaworms” 2-3” diameter x 17” shortest and 37” longest; consumer goods life sized.

Seemingly Unconnected Events:
New Sea Level
2011
Wentworth-Coolidge State Historic Mansion
Portsmouth, NH

Projection into hallway from closet window

Seemingly Unconnected Events:
Ascending/Descending
2011
Wentworth-Coolidge State Historic Mansion
Portsmouth, NH

Installation in stairway leading from Coolidge Room to lower level, plaster casts of organic forms with casts into consumer goods packaging, seaworm habitat tubes 2-3” diameter x 17” shortest and 37” longest; consumer goods life sized, with sound of waves lapping the shore overlaid with traffic sounds from an expressway, sound component: Robert Carl, composer

Seemingly Unconnected Events
2011
Wentworth-Coolidge State Historic Mansion
Portsmouth, NH

Main installation in Coolidge Room

Plaster casts of fabricated, larger-than-life seaworm habitat tubes (Hydroides Dianthus) and consumer goods. sound: Robert Carl, ship models, relief sculpture, paintings and needlework: John Templeman Coolidge, Abigail Parsons Coolidge and J.T. Coolidge Jr., available space, seaworms 2-3” diameter x 17 shortest L and 37” longest, consumer goods life-sized.

Seemingly Unconnected Events
2011
Wentworth-Coolidge State Historic Mansion
Portsmouth, NH

Main installation in Coolidge Room, DETAIL with source shell and ship model in vitrines, crewl-needlework chair upholstery and plaster casts.

Plaster casts of fabricated, larger-than-life seaworm habitat tubes (Hydroides Dianthus) and consumer goods. sound: Robert Carl, ship models, relief sculpture, paintings and needlework: John Templeman Coolidge, Abigail Parsons Coolidge and J.T. Coolidge Jr., available space, seaworms 2-3” diameter x 17 shortest L and 37” longest, consumer goods life-sized.

Seemingly Unconnected Events
2011
Wentworth-Coolidge State Historic Mansion
Portsmouth, NH

Main installation in Coolidge Room

DETAIL of plaster casts of fabricated, larger-than-life seaworm habitat tubes (Hydroides Dianthus) and consumer goods; seaworms 2-3” diameter x 17 shortest L and 37” longest; consumer goods life-sized.

Seemingly Unconnected Events
2007- present (ongoing)

Source material for series, the habitat tubes of the sea worm Hydroides Dianthes, shown here colonizing a clam shell.  

Seemingly Unconnected Events

2007-2017

Plaster, cast into coiled newspaper molds and plastic non-recyclable consumer goods packaging. The newspaper molds are burned, in some cases removed from the organic plaster casts leaving residue of text, color and singe marks on their complex surfaces.

Shown installed in two site specific locations and in several stacked and intertwined variations. Sized variable.

INFO

Installation Detail, Consuming Questions, 2017-18

Overview, Consuming Questions, 2017-18, an avalanche of consumer goods encased in Missouri red subsoil (clay) stabilized with PVA, wooden armature in 6 sections + floor sections.

Installation Detail, Consuming Questions, 2017-18

Installation Detail with Karen McCoy during installation, Consuming Questions, 2017-18

Photo: Hannah Fine

Overview, Consuming Questions, 2016-17

Overview showing sculpture crowded by consumer goods in showroom

Installation detail, Consuming Questions, 2016-17

Intervention in computer and electronics showroom, Consuming Questions, 2016-17

Intervention on office furniture showroom floor, Consuming Questions, 2016-17

Consuming Questions
2016

contemporary consumer goods encased in red Missouri mud stabilized by PVA

26’l x 5’ average height x 40” d.

Photos: E.G. Schempf

Consuming Questions
2016

contemporary consumer goods encased in red Missouri mud stabilized by PVA

26’l x 5’ average height x 40” d. DETAIL

Photos: E.G. Schempf

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Consuming Questions
2016

Missouri mud encased textile "marker" in the Steamboat Arabia's cases connecting contemporary goods in the Consuming Questions sculpture with similar goods in the Museum's collection.

Photos: E.G. Schempf

Consuming Questions
2016, DETAIL

Missouri mud encased textile "marker" in the Steamboat Arabia's cases connecting contemporary goods in the Consuming Questions sculpture with similar goods in the Museum's collection.

Photos: E.G. Schempf

Consuming Questions

2016

contemporary consumer goods encased in red Missouri mud stabilized with PVA, variations for three sites shown
40-26’l x 5.5’ average height x 48” d.

Photos: E.G. Schempf

INFO

Detail: Detail of Missouri River, silt stabilized with sorghum syrup enclosing sand, 100’L x 3” H and 14” average width

Installation Detail: Missouri and Kansas Rivers, Missouri River, sand and silt stabilized by local sorghum syrup, 100’L x 3” H and 14” average width

Detail: View of confluence of Missouri and Kansas Rivers, silt stabilized with sorghum syrup enclosing sand, 100’L x 3” H and 14” average width

Detail: Debris on the Kaw, silt stabilized with sorghum syrup enclosing sand, HO scale train model objects, 100’L x 3” H and 14” average width

Detail: Tire debris, silt stabilized with sorghum syrup enclosing sand, HO scale train model objects, 100’L x 3” H and 14” average width

Detail: Volkswagon and debris, silt stabilized with sorghum syrup enclosing sand, HO scale train model objects, 100’L x 3” H and 14” average width

Homage: Incidents on the Missouri River

2017

Installation for Tributary at Healthy River’s Partnership, West Bottoms, Kansas City, Missouri, Missouri River sand and silt stabilized by local sorghum syrup, HO scale train model objects, 100’L x 3” H and 14” average width.

INFO

DETAIL

DETAIL WITH VIEWER

DETAIL shadows cast by consumer goods

DETAIL charred paper

Oblivion Screen

(Seemingly Unconnected
Events 2)

installation at H&R Block Artspace, Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, MO
2011

sound and video projection, plastic packaging from personal consumption 2007-11, newspaper- twisted and charred, 8 x 15 x 9, ’(available space)

INFO

Installation and action with worktable, posidonie (eroded seaweed roots collected in southern France), sewing the seaweed into a textile; video projection which alternates between footage shot in France where the posidonie was collected and in Kansas City where it was prepared and sewing was begun, available space.

Detail of posidonie being sewn.

Detail from video loop, Video sequences: Searching for posidonie on La Plage de l’Arene: sewing posidonie in Kansas City;* pebbles on shore at La Plage de l’Arene; two doves making love in Kansas City; blue sea water on the Cote d’Azur; trees, sky and birds in KC; sunset from the Cap Canaille; trembling leaves at dusk in KC; and full moon over the Mediterranean. *All Kansas City video shot in my backyard in Coleman Highlands.

Field guide and samples of posidonie on shelf, Martin, Phillippe. La Nature Méditerranéenne en France, Les melieux, la flore, la faune. Les Écologistes de l’Euzière, 1997, pgs. 188-9.

English translation of entry on page 189: Posidonie (say po si do ne) are the eroded roots of a Mediterranean seaweed. “ La Posidonia Oceanica (16 – 47 inches) and compact fragments of hairs of its root. The veritable prairies that they form, have a depth of 97 feet from the surface, serving as a refuge and food reservoir for an incalculable number of animal species. The biological diversity which is dear to us depends upon the density of these grasses”.

Field guide illustration detail, Martin, Phillippe. La Nature Méditerranéenne en France, Les melieux, la flore, la faune. Les Écologistes de l’Euzière, 1997, pgs. 188-9.

Sewing the Sea Blanket and Strange Simultaneity

An installation and action with video projection at H&R Block Artspace, Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, MO.

2002

INFO

View of outside of downtown storefront location of installation in old Woolworth’s building, installation and video projection (CONVERSATIONS ABOUT DEKALB). walls stained with local pigments and lettered with text, earth furrows and rammed earth solids, 2,000 square feet.

Night view of outside of downtown storefront location of installation in old Woolworth’s building, installation and video projection (CONVERSATIONS ABOUT DEKALB). walls stained with local pigments and lettered with text, earth furrows and rammed earth solids, 2,000 square feet.

View of walls stained with local pigments and lettered with text (see attached ), earth furrows and rammed earth solids, 2,000 square feet.

View of walls stained with local pigments and lettered with text from Aldo Leopold.

View of walls stained with local pigments and lettered with text from Gary Wells interview.

Detail of rammed earth cube and furrows of local topsoil. cube 18 x 22 x 18”.

View of walls stained with local pigments and lettered with text from Fatal Harvest, into Doug Tompkins.

View of walls stained with local pigments and lettered with text from Marty Strange, Center for Rural Affairs.

View of walls stained with local pigments and lettered with text from Janine Benyrus, Biomimicry.

Night view of outside of downtown storefront location of installation in old Woolworth’s building, installation and video projection (CONVERSATIONS ABOUT DEKALB). walls stained with local pigments and lettered with text, Research Wall in collaboration with Mike Konen, Northern Illinois University Soil Scientist seen at front left, earth furrows and rammed earth solids, 2,000 square feet.

Detail, Research Wall in collaboration with Mike Konen, Northern Illinois University Soil Scientist, colors of DeKalb County topsoil and subsoil held in solution.

Night view of outside of downtown storefront location of installation in old Woolworth’s building, installation and video projection (CONVERSATIONS ABOUT DEKALB). Detail, Research Wall in collaboration with Mike Konen, Northern Illinois University Soil Scientist, an experiment with rich prairie soil and depleted farm soil.

Detail of double video projection

Detail of video projector resting on wheelbarrow of earth clods.

Dekalb Farmland Project: and You Must Always Begin From the Ground and Conversations About Deklab

2001-2002

INFO

Castor bean plants grown from seed, June-October 1997, 17’ x17” x 65’.

Castor bean plants grown from seed, June-October 1997, 17’ x17” x 65’, detail of castor bean leaves.

Installation overview October 1997, The Chair Building, Kansas City, MO, uprooted and inverted castor plants, steel hooks, drawings, light-Derek Porter Studio, 12,000 sq feet of darkness with plants in lighted area, 70’ x12’ x 7’, drawings 11’ x 30’.

Installation at Chair Building, Kansas City, MO, DETAIL-castor bean plants at opening October 1997.

Installation overview November 1997, wilted plants, The Chair Building, Kansas City, MO, uprooted and inverted castor plants, steel hooks, drawings, light-Derek Porter Studio, 12,000 sq feet of darkness with plants in lighted area, 70’ x12’ x 7’, drawings seen at far left, 11’ x 30’.

Installation at Chair Building, Kansas City, MO, wilted castor bean plants, November 1997.

Installation at Chair Building, Kansas City, MO, Detail, wilted castor bean plants, November 1997.

Installation at Chair Building, Kansas City, MO DETAIL of drawings, 11’x 30”.

Installation at Chair Building, Kansas City, MO, DETAIL drawing #1, Introduction.

Installation at Chair Building, Kansas City, MO, DETAIL drawing #2, DAZE DAYS AND STRANGE ROLLER COASTER RIDE.

Installation at Chair Building, Kansas City, MO, diagram of plant growth June-October 1997

Installation at Chair Building, Kansas City, MO, diagram of psychological state June-October 1997 as transcribed from journals.

Light and Shade Summer

Installation overview October 1997, The Chair Building, Kansas City, MO

uprooted and inverted castor plants, steel hooks, drawings, light-Derek Porter Studio, 12,000 sq feet of darkness with plants in lighted area, 70’ x12’ x 7’, drawings 11’ x 30’.

INFO

Detail of wall-map drawing and water samples in jars.

Detail of inverted plants.

Detail of dried corn plants.

Revering Substances: A Garden Not Intended to Grow

University Minnesota, Morris, MN.

1991

Corn kernels and earth in alternating rows 18’ square, inverted indigenous plants.

INFO