Mr.Plato At the Radical Craft Show

It took Nancy and I almost 7 hours to put the Radical Craft show together for the Yellow Springs Art's Council and while I bemoaned the lack of entries, and the disappointment of no shows I think I was a little bit glad. So, it's modest show that I hope people will enjoy. I am happy that we could showcase Tom's work and dedicate the show to him. Trying to pull together disparate elements into a whole isn't as easy as some imagine. I have a great deal of respect for curators of group exhibits (phew!!!!!!!) Much thanks to those artists who contributed work to the exhibit, it is much appreciated and a real pleasure to showcase.
Tom Blake, Tom Hawley, Florence Wang, Sue Rudolph, Bette Kelley,Karen Russell, Laura Carlson, and works by the Jafagirls, Nancy Mellon, and little old moi.

I feel somewhat ambiguous about mr.plato aesthetically as a whole (although I love how it's done). Nancy and I became enamored of the process, which took months, but I'm not sure about it. I don't think I like seeing him in a gallery setting. We had envisioned using mr.plato as street art, and I think our instincts were right about that.

Reception for the Radical Craft exhibit is tomorrow, more info on the ys arts blog

Comments

Nice link to Tom Blake. I am looking forward to seeing some installed shots of the exhibit. I am perplexed because I thought bowties were making a comeback but Mr. Plato's attire makes me wonder if I need wider ties instead ;)
jafabrit said…
He would have looked rather dapper in a bow tie, didn't think of that.

thanks for dropping by Bill.
Lady P said…
i love the story about Tom and i like that the show is to honor and showcase some of his work. mr plato should be nude, i mean, really, i wanna see ALL of his colorful parts
that's just me
maybe no one else wants to see it all
but i sure do
jafabrit said…
We thought about that Lady P, but his jointed parts can't be covered and they are so darned ugly. Might think about the upper torso though.
Lady P said…
if he were a stripper and did not want to expose his joints, what would he do? maybe he should be a pole dancer
shana goetsch said…
what is the form underneath the felt? plaster? this is awesome, either way. i wish i had some fun friends who would collaborate with me...it looks like a blast.
jafabrit said…
Hiay shana, the figure is actually a resuscitation doll made of molded plastic, vinyl with metal joints. He is a heavy so and so. I picked him up at a garage sale. We have had fun doing this project and after the exhibit Mr.Plato will be hanging around town in various places.
Lana Gramlich said…
I love Mr. Plato!
I can sympathize with the show thing. I was recently shoved into organizing a show for a local art group. I swear I will NEVER do this again (although the experience will certainly be beneficial, should I ever decide to pursue such possibilities for JUST me.)
Peter said…
Hi! I thoroughly enjoyed your recent posts. The artwork is both beautiful and unique.

As for Mr Plato he would make a hit here, especially in the streets of Darlinghurst Sydney, where colourful creatures are quite often seen.

Not having visited an art exhibition for sometime, it was a joy to come here and take in the views from the comfort of my own home.

Take Care,
Peter
deb said…
you totally rock!!
San said…
Oh, how I would love to encounter Mr. Plato on the street somewhere. And encounter those who'd just encountered Mr. Plato. The double-take quotient would be heightened considerably outside a gallery context.

He nonetheless is most likely a magnet in the exhibition.

My word verification is SAUGHLS. An anagram of LAUGHS, plus an extra S for good measure. Why does that seem so appropriate for Mr. Plato?
Klinger Studios said…
Corrine-
I didn't know about the craft show. If I had - I would have entered it. Oh well. Is there a way to sign up to receive YSAC info.? I thought I got it, but not this one.
Christine
jafabrit said…
christine, sorry you missed it. Unfortunately I don't think YSAC sends out info for upcoming shows except through the papers. I did put a call out for artists in the paper and on the blog and then info about the show on the ysarts blog, ys news, chamber of commerce, go magazine, and on facebook.
Are you on facebook?
Fiona Leonard said…
Would be funny to see him on a bus or an airline!

He definitely looks like he needs to be out on the streets.
Poetic Artist said…
I just found your blog thru another blogger friend.. I really enjoy your blog.

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