Tag: ART

S_V_H Wichita Lineman first image

Published on by Scott Von Holzen
Wichita Lineman 40 inches main canvas.

I could be wrong, but I doubt many people under 30 years ever heard of this song or Glen Campbell. Of course I knew of it and have liked this song to this day. Although my first contacts with music was country (think Hank Williams) my first genuine connection to music was folk music. As a pre-teen I was more into pop songs I liked (Speedy Gonzales by Pat Boone). Even in college, my music tastes remained on the conservative side. I remember then ( as I still am now) being all in on The Beatles, but turned away from Led Zeppelin. I believe in my last year or so of college, in Madison, I finally began appreciating the rock music of Jimi Hendrix, Cream (I bought the album Wheels of Fire), and The Who, for examples. Of course in my later college years I also began developing a feeling for classical and a passion for the Blues.

Wikipedia chart (1968-1969) for Wichita Lineman

Here are two videos of Glen Campbell singing live Wichita Lineman. I chose my base colors (Red Oxide, Silver, and Cobalt Blue) used in this music box from these two videos.

This live performance was from The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour
Here is a 2008 live later version by Glen Campbell.

When I looked for Wichita Lineman on YouTube, I came across an opinion video by Rick Beato, who currently has over 4 million subscribers, including myself. That video confirmed my choice to use this music for another mini artwork.

Later I found this interview of Jim Web who wrote Wichita Lineman
James Taylor cover of Wichita Lineman. I dated this video around 2021
Rolling Stone500 greatest songs of all time (actually from the 1940s to the two-thousands)

Jolene, by Dolly Parton at number 63 is the only song that I thought for sure was country music, that ranked higher. I believe these two should change places on Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Songs.

As a note to myself, this is the fifth in the series of mini artworks. They are all, for convenience’s sake, based on the same basic model. Well, I am getting bored with this repeating process. I am going to stay small, but I need a fresh approach to creating/building these small works (within the reasoning and parameters I set for these mini works).

Scott Von Holzen

S_V_H Fast Car final image

Published on by Scott Von Holzen
Fast Car ≈L48.5″xH33.25″xD6.25″

I decided to, once again, create small works, but this time as a series. My plan was to use up my large supply of 15×30 inch canvases. I then had an unusual idea to hang them, with coated hanging wire, from another smaller rectangle canvas that then mounted the artwork to the wall. Although a little awkward to carry and hang, I completed my first new look mini artwork. The next three projects each improved on the previous mini, showing improvements in style and physical structure. I believe with Fast Car I now have a template that will allow me to produce future mini artworks within a two-week time span.

I needed, and now have completed the four mini artworks that will be a part of a plan to show this art outside the area. Of the minis, the first work, A Day in the Life, I lengthen to 44 inches to look more similar with the other three. These four works plus two others I will use to submit to individual showings.

I would mention that in the past, all my small artwork attempts found no more interest than my larger works. What differs with today’s new mini works is my reasoning. In the past I thought smaller artworks would sell easier. They did not. Today’s mini is not about pricing but about conserving my limited storage capacity and allowing me to submit to individual show proposals. After my awful trip to a duo art show in Wausau, Wisconsin, using a U-Haul truck, I decide never again.

My travel thinking is to pack up our Jeep Grand Cherokee with four minor works stacked on top of two major works. The two exemplar examples of this art I have chosen are Metamorphosis 2 (2022), music by Philip Glass, length 10 feet, and Closer (2023) at 9 feet, music by Coldplay. These artworks can be disassemble for transportation. That does not sound like enough works, but these artworks art different. That is because they play music.

A Day In the Life
Cheap Thrills
Dance Monkey
Fast Car

The total together play time of these six artworks would take a visitor 6 minutes to listen to. Considering that most art view time is less than 30 seconds, that six minutes of music would equal, at less, twelve artworks on display. These six music boxes have a combine length of 35 feet with no spacing. Because they each play music, it would be smart for the viewer ears that each artwork would be six feet or more apart. Therefore, this group, when hung in a gallery, could use up 70 feet plus of display walls.

I have decided not to post any Reals (videos) on Instagram. This art is more (much more) than 1 minute snippets. From now on, I may post information or an image, for whatever stupid reason. I am no longer in the mood to entertain strangers that have not the slightest understanding of what this art is and what this art is trying to accomplish. I will continue to post videos, as I have always done, on YouTube.

Scott Von Holzen

S_V_H Fast Car 1st image

Published on by Scott Von Holzen
Fast Car following the mini templates of the two previous works

Completed in the first image of Fast Car is the notation with the lyrics, “I had a feeling that I belong.” The small wooden painted pieces scattered about are the notation’s beams and slurs, also completed and waiting to be glued down.

I do not consider the song Fast Car a must paint song. I do like the music enough that I consider it a good fit as a mini project for several reasons. The lyrics tell a detailed story. The verses are nice and flowing, but, for me, they seem to drag on. What makes this song great is the chorus where the words and melody super charges the music, confirming a connection I needed. That this song was first released in 1988 and then became popular again with the Luke Combs cover in 2023 gave me the feeling that this music has legs. When I am deciding on a song to paint and I find a favorite from years ago, I always look to see if other artists have done covers of the music. The more current the cover, the better. This artwork can then be a reminder for future musicians to take another look at this music.

This is Tacy Capmans’ official video of Fast Car.
This is the 2024 Grammy’s performance of Fast Car with Trach Chapman and Luke Combs

Here is the rough draft of my cover music for Fast Car. Start date was April 22nd.

Base foundation of the cover music for Fast Car

I have some thoughts on these images I received from Ray, one of our group members that was checking out the spring members show at the Hopkins Art Center in the area Minneapolis.

In 2019, I exhibited and attended the reception at the Hopkins International exhibition. The show was impressive, showing a higher level of quality with some interesting art on display. And although I dislike stacking, they put on an excellent show. The images above are from their current members show which is local talent. Ray sent the group over twenty images. My take, which I felt scrolling from one image to the next, was I have seen this art so many times before. I see this members show, as small, local boring art. I am also a follower on YouTube watching a lot of different major art exhibitions and gallery shows. This art is no longer local or small, but that is the only difference from the local boring art. What I mean by boring is not that the art is, insert any negative verb. Oh no, most of the contemporary art, both local and especially not from here, is highly polished and skillfully produced and decorative in style. The art that isn’t decorative feels strained to its limits trying to act, look, or be different. The results with all this effort are sales and happy customers for a few spot on artists, and the rest of the art and the artists quickly fade to storage. And yet, galleries absolutely need this art in abundance to fill empty walls from the last take down of pervious filler art. I am thinking as a group we should become members of the Hopkins? And really do I want to hang on top or below next year’s spring members’ show, which is pay to play? No one said this was going to be easy.

Scott Von Holzen