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FUNDING FOR OFF 90 IS PROVIDED IN PART BY
THE MINNESOTA ARTS AND CULTURAL HERITAGE FUND
AND THE CITIZENS OF MINNESOTA.
CRUISING YOUR WAY ON THIS EPISODE OF OFF 90,
WE'LL SHARE SOME UNFORGETTABLE STORIES FROM THE FORMER OWATONNA ORPHANAGE,
WHICH HOUSED MORE THAN 10,000 CHILDREN IN ITS 59 YEAR HISTORY.
DELIGHTFULLY SIMPLE, YET ALL TOGETHER UNIQUE,
LINDSAY THIBAULT'S PAPER COLLAGE WORK OFFERS A CREATIVE TAKE ON LANDSCAPES.
AND ROCHESTER ARTIST PHILIP TAYLOR THRIVES ON THE ABSTRACT.
IT'S ALL JUST AHEAD: OFF 90.
♪ MUSIC ♪
HI, I'M BARBARA KEITH.
THANKS FOR JOINING ME ON THIS EPISODE OF OFF 90.
THE MINNESOTA STATE PUBLIC SCHOOL
FOR DEPENDANT AND NEGLECTED CHILDREN
OPERATED IN OWATONNA FROM 1886 UNTIL 1945.
DURING THAT TIME IT HOUSED MORE THAN 10,000 CHILDREN
WHO WERE ORPHANED, ABUSED, OR WHO'S PARENTS WERE UNABLE TO CARE FOR THEM.
WHILE SOME CHILDREN FOUND THEIR EXPERIENCE
AT THE STATE SCHOOL AWFUL,
OTHERS DESCRIBE IT AS A SAFE HAVEN.
THE SCHOOL GROUNDS HAVE SINCE BEEN CONVERTED INTO A MUSEUM
AND SEVERAL COMMUNITY BUILDINGS.
BUT THE MEMORIES REMAIN.
I'M HARVEY RONGLIEN AND I CAME HERE IN 1932 AND STAYED UNTIL 1943.
I WAS FIVE WHEN I CAME AND 16 WHEN I LEFT.
WE WERE WARDS OF THE STATE.
I WAS HERE FOR ELEVEN YEARS, SOME WERE HERE FOR 18 YEARS,
AND SOME WERE HERE FOR PROBABLY JUST A WEEK.
KIDS WOULD COME AND GO ALMOST EVERY DAY.
IT WAS A VERY BUSY PLACE AND ALL THE TIME THAT I WAS HERE
I BELIEVE IT WAS FULL.
♪ MUSIC ♪
I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT I PERSONALLY LIKED THE STATE SCHOOL
AND A LOT OF KIDS HATED THE STATE SCHOOL;
I'M SAYING THAT BECAUSE EVERY CHILD LOOKED AT IT DIFFERENT,
AND WHEN I SPEAK, I SPEAK FOR MYSELF.
ALL THE TIME THAT I WAS HERE, THERE'D BE ABOUT 500 CHILDREN HERE. WE HAD 16 COTTAGES
AND THERE WAS ALWAYS ABOUT 30 TO 40 TO A COTTAGE.
A COTTAGE IS WHERE WE ACTUALLY LIVED.
C-11 WAS BUILT FOR 26 KIDS IN 1926, AND THE LITTLEST KIDS DOUBLED UP
SO ACTUALLY THERE WERE 30 TO 35 KIDS IN THAT COTTAGE
ALL THE TIME THAT I WAS THERE.
NATURALLY, IT WAS DIFFERENT ONES COMING AND GOING ALMOST ALL THE TIME.
♪ MUSIC ♪
I FEEL GOOD. HERE C-1, C-2, AND C-11,
EACH ONE OF THEM HAD THEIR OWN PLAYGROUNDS.
WE COULDN'T, AND THEY WERE ALL THE SAME AGE, BUT WE COULDN'T PLAY WITH THE OTHER COTTAGES.
THAT WAS A CARDINAL SIN TO LEAVE YOUR PLAYGROUND.
ANYWAY, THAT'S HOW IT WAS RUN.
AND EVERYTHING WAS VERY ORDERLY, IT HAS TO BE,
YOU CAN'T LET THE MONKEYS RUN THE ZOO. THAT'S FOR SURE. AND THEY DIDN'T.
EVERY COTTAGE WAS DIFFERENT. YOUR WHOLE LIFE DEPENDED ON YOUR MATRON.
A MATRON LIVED RIGHT WITH YOU.
THAT WAS A MIDDLE AGED WOMAN USUALLY.
I HAD FIVE, I WAS IN FIVE DIFFERENT COTTAGES UP HERE.
MISS MORGAN WAS VERY HARD AND VERY STRICT AND I THINK SHE WAS
THE WORST MATRON ON THE GROUNDS, MYSELF.
OTHER KIDS WILL ARGUE WITH ME BUT I'LL SAY,
I'LL BACK UP THAT I HAD MORGAN, I'LL SHOW THEM THAT PICTURE.
WELL ANYWAY, MY LAST YEAR HERE THEN, I THINK I HAD THE BEST MATRON ON THE GROUNDS,
OVER IN THE C-3, WHICH WAS CALLED THE MEAN BOYS COTTAGE.
JUDY KEEFE HER NAME WAS.
SHE WOULDN'T KNOW HOW TO HIT YOU IF HER LIFE DEPENDED ON IT.
SHE GOT HIRED RIGHT HERE. C-3 IS RIGHT THERE.
BY THE TIME SHE WALKED FROM THE OFFICES TO C-3 TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLE,
EMPLOYEES HAD TOLD HER YOU WON'T LAST A WEEK HERE WITH THOSE KIDS.
SHE FOOLED THEM, SHE LASTED UNTIL THE INSTITUTION CLOSED.
I CAME HERE IN, LIKE HARVEY DID, I WAS FIVE YEARS OLD,
I CAME HERE IN 1935. AND I CAME HERE WITH MY SISTER,
SHE WAS FOUR AND I WAS FIVE.
WELL THE FIRST THING THEY DID, THEY SPLIT US UP AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE
SHE WENT BUT I WENT TO COTTAGE 2.
WHEN I GOT THERE I FOUND OUT THAT I HAD TWO BROTHERS THERE.
I WAS PLACED OUT ON A FARM THERE WITH MY BROTHER BUZZ FOR FOUR YEARS.
AND THAT WAS A VERY EXPERIENCE. SHE TOOK A HORSE HARNESS ON ME.
I DON'T THINK THERE WAS A DAY I WAS THERE WHERE SHE DIDN'T WHIP ME
WITH THAT HORSE HARNESS.
BUT YOU GET OVER IT, ONCE YOU START GETTING BEATINGS IT DOESN'T HURT ANY MORE
YOU JUST HOLLER SO THEY QUIT.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE DID. YOU JUST TAKE THE BEATING AND HOLLER,
TILL SHE QUIT BEATING YOU.
THEN JUST MOVE ON.
♪ MUSIC ♪
AND WE HAVE OUR OWN CEMETERY. THERE'S A 198 CHILDREN BURIED OUT THERE.
WHEN YOU CAME HERE NEW, YOU WERE NUMBERED, BY THE WAY.
THEY WERE BURIED WITH JUST THEIR NUMBER AND MY WIFE AND I
WITH THE HELP OF THE CITY, WE SEEN TO IT THAT THOSE 151 KIDS
GOT A CROSS AND THEIR NAME ON THAT CROSS SO THAT THE,
AT LEAST THEY WOULD BE REMEMBERED FOR BEING HERE LIVING.
♪ MUSIC ♪
THIS IS MY CHILDHOOD, THIS WAS MY HOME,
ALWAYS FIGURED IT AS MY HOME AWAY FROM HOME.
I FIGURE I HAD A GOOD WAY, A GOOD UPBRINGING, I HAD GOT EDUCATED,
AND LIKE HARVEY SAID, HAVE GOOD FOOD, GOOD EVERYTHING.
AND GOOD PLAYMATES AND STUFF.
AND I LIKED IT HERE, I HAVE NO ILL FEELINGS ABOUT EVER BEING HERE,
BUT I TOO, WHEN I GOT OUT, WENT ASTRAY.
I HAVE A PICTURE OF 23 KIDS AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO 16 OF THOSE KIDS,
BUT EVERY SINGLE KID ON THAT PICTURE THAT I KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM,
EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM WAS A ALCOHOLIC OR WENT TO PRISON OR BOTH.
WHY WOULD SO MANY KIDS FROM C-11 TURN OUT LIKE THAT?
IT HAD TO BE THE ATMOSPHERE THEY WERE RAISED IN.
I MYSELF WENT TO ALCOHOL TREATMENT 32 YEARS AGO.
THE CULTURE OF THE STATE SCHOOL WAS UPSIDE DOWN, AS FAR AS BOYS.
SEE, IF YOU WERE A GOOD STUDENT YOU WERE ACTUALLY MADE FUN OF IN THE COTTAGE.
BECAUSE YOU WERE NOTHING BUT A BOOK WORM.
EVERYTHING DEPENDED ON WHO WAS THE TOUGHEST KID.
THERE WAS A PECKING ORDER, YOU FIND OUT WHERE YOU FIT IN THAT PECKING ORDER.
YOU HAVE TO PROVE YOURSELF AND SEE, A LOT OF THE KIDS DIDN'T REALIZE
THAT WHAT MADE YOU A BIG SHOT HERE DIDN'T WORK WHEN THEY GOT OUT OF THE STATE SCHOOL.
BECAUSE IT'S A DIFFERENT WORLD.
WE WERE RAISED UNDER THE SAME WRITTEN RULES AS A PRISON.
THE STRONG RULE, NO SNITCHING, THAT'S A CARDINAL SIN.
AND IT'S YOU AGAINST AUTHORITY IF YOU PULL OFF SOMETHING ON AUTHORITY,
YOU ARE A HERO AND SO ON. SO YOU'RE LOOKED UP TO.
ONE OF THE BIGGEST REWARDS IS THAT IT HAS GIVEN THE CHILDREN
AND GRANDCHILDREN OF STATE SCHOOLERS TO COME BACK AND LEARN.
WHAT WAS IT LIKE FOR THE RELATIVE TO LIVE HERE WHEN IT WAS AN ORPHANAGE?
PEOPLE SAY, YOU KNOW, I HAD NO IDEA BECAUSE GRANDPA WOULD NEVER TALK ABOUT IT.
SEE, SO MANY OF THEM HAD, THEY JUST WANTED TO BLOCK OUT,
THEY DON'T WANT TO REMEMBER, BECAUSE IT, FOR MANY OF THEM,
IT WAS HEART WRENCHING TIMES WHICH DRAMATICALLY AFFECTED THEIR ADULT LIVES.
♪ MUSIC ♪
LINDSAY THIBAULT FROM ROCHESTER IS A MIXED MEDIA ARTIST.
SHE CREATES LANDSCAPES LIKE YOU'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE
USING TORN PAPER, SAND AND PAINT.
LINDSAY TAKES THE ART OF THE COLLAGE TO A WHOLE NEW LEVEL,
LAYERING PAPER ON TOP OF PAPER.
LINDSAY CRAFTS COLORFUL SCENES, CONJURING UP
IMAGES OF GLORIOUS SUNSETS AND WARM SUMMER DAYS.
♪ MUSIC ♪
I HEAR A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY THAT MY WORK IS DIFFERENT.
THEY'LL SAY, I HAVEN'T SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE. AND THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I'M GOING FOR.
I WANT PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO INTERPRET IT
AND FIND THEIR OWN MEANING IN MY WORK.
I AM LINDSAY THIBAULT AND I'M A MIXED MEDIA COLLAGE ARTIST.
I AM AN ARTIST BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT EVERYONE HAS SOMETHING TO SAY
AND THE THINGS WE HAVE TO SAY ARE WHAT INSPIRE US MOST
AND FOR ME IT'S NATURE AND MATERIALS FOUND IN NATURE.
THAT'S WHAT STARTED IT ALL. I'D SEE THESE LANDSCAPES AND ALL THESE DIFFERENT LAYERS
OF HILLS AND I ACTUALLY USE TO LIVE IN WINONA AND SO THE DRIVE ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI
TO WINONA WAS JUST GORGEOUS AND SO JUST THE SAME THING, THE LAYERS AND THE COLORS,
THAT'S WHAT STARTED IT.
♪ MUSIC ♪
COLLAGE MEANS TO CUT AND PASTE.
♪ MUSIC ♪
IT IS A COLLAGE BUT I DO THINK THAT I'M UNIQUE IN THE WAY THAT I BRING IN SOME OTHER
MATERIALS AND I'LL TYPICALLY TEAR. MORE PEOPLE WILL CUT AND HAVE LIKE REALLY KIND OF STRICT
AND DIRECT LINES IN THEIR WORK.
AND I TRY TO HAVE MORE OF AN ORGANIC FLOW AND I KIND OF LET THE PAPERS TELL ME
WHAT THEY WANT AND DIFFERENT MATERIALS WILL JUST COME TO ME AS I'M WORKING.
AND WHAT I'LL DO IS WAIT UNTIL MY PAINT IS DRY AND THEN USE GLUE AND SPRINKLE IT
ON TOP AND YOU'LL SEE WHEN I'M CREATING MY PIECES, I'LL JUST DECIDE,
OH, I THINK THIS ONE NEEDS SAND OR I THINK THIS ONE NEEDS THIS TEXTURE IN IT,
DEPENDING ON WHERE THE PIECE IS GOING.
I'LL TAKE PICTURES OF TREES AND PLANTS AND THINGS THAT WILL INSPIRE ME FOR MY PIECES.
I GO AROUND MINNESOTA AND WISCONSIN AREAS AND FIND SAND FROM LOCAL AREAS LIKE THE
MISSISSIPPI RIVER OR OFF OF A BLUFF OR AN AREA THAT I REALLY LIKE AND I'LL PUT THOSE SANDS
IN THE PIECES.
SO, THAT'S WHERE I SAY MIXED MEDIA, IT'S NOT JUST PAINT,
I'LL ADD OTHER TYPES OF MATERIALS TOO.
THOUGH I TYPICALLY WILL USE CONSTRUCTION PAPER OR CARD STOCK PAPER
AND THEN I PAINT MY PAPER WITH DIFFERENT MATERIALS, I'LL ADD SAND OR STRING
OR OTHER MIXED MEDIAS AND PAINT.
AND THEN TEAR THE PIECES APART AND LAYER THEM IN A LANDSCAPE FORM.
AND THEN I OFTEN PUT SOMETHING IN THE FOREGROUND LIKE TREES OR PLANTS.
I USE AN EXACT-O KNIFE TO CUT OUT MY DESIGN OR IMAGE THAT'S GOING IN THE FOREGROUND.
SO THEN ONCE ALL THE PAPERS ARE PREPARED, I'M READY TO START TEARING AND GLUING
EVERYTHING TOGETHER AND THEN I PULL DOWN ALL THE PAPERS THAT I'VE CREATED
AND DECIDE WHAT ORDER I WANT THEM TO BE LAYERED IN.
I JUST GO RIGHT ALONG AND TEAR IN THE DIRECTION, SO THAT I GET THE LAYER
OF THE OF THE NATURAL COLORED PAPER SHOWING ON THAT HILL.
SO THEN ALL THAT'S LEFT IS TO PUT MY SAND GRASS IN THE FOREGROUND,
WHICH I'M GOING TO CUT OUT. OH THAT'S GOING TO LOOK REALLY COOL.
AND THEN MY TREE, SO I LINE IT UP, MARK WHERE I WANT THINGS TO GO,
AND THEN START GLUING.
IT IS COMPLETE. OH NO I TOK OFF SOME OF THE SAN.
THERE WE GO. IT'S AL GOOD. CRISIS AVERTE.
♪ MUSIC ♪
PEOPLE RELATE TO THE WORK IN SOME MEMORY THAT THEY HAVE OR A PLACE THAT THEY HAVE
BEEN, SO THAT'S KIND OF INTERESTING. SOMEONE WILL LOOK AT A PIECE AND SAY,
THAT LOOKS JUST LIKE MY FARMLAND
AND THAT'S PROBABLY WHAT INSPIRED IT WHEN I MADE IT.
AND SO THEY'LL PURCHASE PIECES JUST BECAUSE OF THE LOCATION
THAT THEY INSPIRE AND THEY SEE IN IT.
AND THAT'S ONE OF MY TECHNIQUES IS I DON'T SAY IT, I WANT THEM TO SEE
AND INTERPRET MY WORK HOWEVER THEY WANT TO AND SO I NEVER TELL THEM
WHAT IT'S INSPIRED BY, UNLESS THEY ASK.
WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR SOMETHING NEW AND SOMETHING DIFFERENT AND I THINK
THAT'S WHAT I STRUGGLED WITH BACK IN ART SCHOOL.
I WANTED THAT SO BAD AND FINALLY I JUST SAT BACK AND JUST DID WHAT
I WANTED TO DO AND IT HAPPENED TO BE KIND OF UNIQUE
ON ITS OWN ANYWAYS.
I WOULD LIKE TO BE A WELL KNOWN ARTIST. I'D LIKE TO BE SOMEBODY THAT PEOPLE SAY,
OH, THAT'S LINDSAY THIBAULT'S WORK AND SOMETHING THAT THEY
RECOGNIZE MY STYLE RIGHT AWAY.
I THINK IT'S REALISTIC. I DON'T THINK IT'S GOING TO BE ANYTIME SOON.
I THINK I HAVE A LOT OF DEVELOPING TO DO WITH MY SERIES AND MAYBE EXPERIMENTING
WITH THINGS OTHER THAN LANDSCAPES AND THINGS LIKE THAT TOO,
BUT, I JUST WANT TO KEEP DEVELOPING AND SEEING WHERE IT GOES
AND BE OPEN TO OPPORTUNITIES AND HOPEFULLY BE A WELL KNOWN ARTIST SOMEDAY.
♪ MUSIC ♪
CHANNELING THE ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONIST MASTERS OF THE 50'S,
ROCHESTER'S PHILIP TAYLOR WORKS ORGANICALLY.
ALLOWING HIS PAINTINGS TO FORM WITHOUT A PRECONCEIVED PLAN.
PHILIP'S REBELLIOUS SPIRIT CAN CLEARLY BE SEEN IN BETWEEN HIS BRUSH STROKES.
HE ATTACKS THE CANVAS LIKE HE'S WRITING A JAZZ SONG.
FOR PHILIP THE PROCESS OF MAKING ART IS BOTH SPIRITUAL AND EMOTIONALLY CHARGED.
ONE OF THE HARDEST THINGS FOR AN ARTIST TO DO IS LOOK AT A BLANK CANVAS
AND COME UP WITH AN IDEA
AND FOR ME I'LL JUST MAKE A MARK AND GO WITH IT.
♪ MUSIC ♪
A LOT OF MY WORK HAS A REBELLIOUS FEEL TO IT. I ALWAYS SAY,
I WOULD RATHER MY PAINTINGS BE GRITTY NOT PRETTY.
MY NAME IS PHILIP TAYLOR AND I'M A PAINTER.
♪ MUSIC ♪
I GREW UP IN WINONA, MINNESOTA. RIVER TOWN,
ENJOYED THAT VERY MUCH.
WENT TO SCHOOL AT WINONA STATE AND GOT A BA DEGREE IN STUDIO ART.
THEN I MOVED TO ROCHESTER WHERE I STARTED PAINTING.
♪ MUSIC ♪
OF COURSE, LIKE ANY KID, I ALWAYS DID A LITTLE DRAWING IN CRAYONS AND THAT KIND OF STUFF.
IT WASN'T UNTIL BASICALLY I GOT INTO HIGH SCHOOL WHERE I STARTED REALLY KIND OF FIGURING OUT THAT,
YOU KNOW, I'D GET C'S IN ALL MY OTHER CLASSES AND I'D GET A'S IN MY ART CLASSES.
YOU KNOW, IN SCULPTURE, PHOTOGRAPHY, THOSE KINDS OF CLASSES,
3D ARTWORK AND I JUST REALLY KIND OF ENJOYED THE CREATIVE PROCESS.
BUT, IT WASN'T UNTIL I GOT TO COLLEGE THAT I REALLY KIND OF FOUND PAINTING AND THEN
THAT KIND OF JUST FIT ME LIKE A GLOVE.
♪ MUSIC ♪
WHEN I PAINT, THE PHYSICAL ASPECT OF PAINTING,
WHEN I REALLY GET INTO IT,
IT'S ALMOST LIKE A MUSICIAN THAT'S REALLY GETTING INTO HIS INSTRUMENT,
YOU KIND OF LOSE TRACK OF TIME, YOU LOSE TRACK OF
WHAT'S HAPPENING AROUND YOU.
YOU KIND OF MERGE WITH THE PAINTING ALMOST.
♪ MUSIC ♪
I LOVE PAINTING. I TRIED A LOT OF OTHER ARTISTIC, PHOTOGRAPHY, SCULPTURE, DRAWING...
PAINTING TO ME, THERE'S A DIRECTNESS, THERE'S AN IMMEDIACY,
THERE IS A QUALITY TO THE PAINT.
I LIKE GETTING PAINT ON ME.
I LIKE THE PHYSICAL ASPECT OF IT.
♪ MUSIC ♪
THE ARTISTS THAT I REALLY ENJOY WERE THE 40'S AND THE 50'S
ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONIST PAINTERS.
THERE'S AN EMOTIONAL QUALITY TO IT AND THERE'S A DIRECTNESS TO IT THAT,
I COULD JUST KIND OF, KIND OF WHAT I'M ABOUT, I SUPPOSE.
♪ MUSIC ♪
I ALWAYS FIND IT FUNNY TOO THAT I KNOW PAINTERS THAT DO LIKE LANDSCAPES
AND SUCH LIKE THAT, THEY NEVER GET ASKED HOW LONG IT TAKES TO PAINT.
I ALWAYS GET ASKED HOW LONG IT TAKES ME TO PAINT AND I KNOW THERE'S A LOT
OF LANDSCAPE PAINTERS THAT CAN WHIP OFF A LANDSCAPE IN ABOUT 20 MINUTES FLAT.
AND THEY NEVER GET ASKED, SO...
♪ MUSIC ♪
AND I HAVE BEEN ASKED, YOU KNOW, BY PEOPLE THAT REALLY ARE NOT
IN THE ART COMMUNITY WHAT MY WORK IS ABOUT.
AND FOR ME, IT'S NOT TELLING THEM WELL GEE, THIS IS ABOUT THIS OR WHATEVER.
I'M MORE INTERESTED IN WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY AND WHAT THEY CAN BRING TO IT.
A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE STANDOFF, THEY'RE AFRAID TO DO THAT. I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE TRAINED
AS A CULTURE, YOU KNOW, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE DON'T UNDERSTAND THEN WE DON'T
WANT TO HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH IT KIND OF THING ALMOST,
BUT WHAT I SAY THERE IS A REBELLION, THERE'S A PROTEST, THERE'S A QUALITY.
PEOPLE CAN LOOK AT MY WORK AND GO THIS IS NOT A LANDSCAPE,
THIS IS NOT A STILL LIFE, THIS IS NOT A NUDE, THIS IS SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
♪ MUSIC ♪
MY WORK PROCESS, I WORK IN LAYERS, I DON'T REALLY HAVE A FULL FORM
OF WHAT I WANT TO DO WHEN I START. WHEN I START, I FINISH.
SO WHEN I START A PAINTING, 99.9% OF THE TIME IT'S GOING TO GET DONE.
I BASICALLY HAVE, GET AN IDEA OF THE COLORS.
WELL, WHAT I FIRST START IS I MORE DO RESEARCH.
I'M NOT AN EVERYDAY PAINTER.
I THINK IF I PAINTED EVERY DAY IT WOULD GET TIRESOME AND BORING.
IT'S ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT AS AN ABSTRACT PAINTER TO BE FRESH, READY TO GO;
IT'S ALMOST LIKE A LIVE PERFORMANCE.
AND THAT'S HOW I FEEL ABOUT IT. THAT'S HOW I GET THE DIRECTNESS THERE.
SO I GET IDEAS FOR COLORS, I GET IDEAS FOR SHAPES MAYBE OR SOMETHING,
OR MAYBE I SEE SOMETHING ELSE THAT ANOTHER PAINTER THAT,
HEY I KIND OF LIKE THE TECHNIQUE THEY USE.
I WANT TO INCORPORATE THAT IN TO WHAT I DO. BEFORE I EVEN GRAB A PAINT BRUSH AND CANVAS
I KIND OF HAVE THAT GOING ON IN MY MIND PROCESS. SO THEN I KIND OF GET
SOME COLORS GOING AND THEN I KIND OF GET AN IDEA OF MAYBE, NOT THE MOOD
I'M IN BUT I JUST KIND OF LET, YOU GOT TO MAKE A MARK ON THE CANVAS TO GET STARTED.
AND THEN FROM THERE I'LL BUILD IN MY LAYERS. WHEN IT'S DONE I'LL LOOK AT IT,
AND IF I SEE SOMETHING IN THERE THAT SPEAKS TO ME THEN
IT WILL HAVE MORE OF A MEANING.
SO I LIKE MY PIECES TO HAVE MORE OF A MEANING.
♪ MUSIC ♪
I'VE HAD PEOPLE WRITE ME PARAGRAPHS ABOUT HOW MY WORKS AFFECTED THEM
OR HAVE MOVED THEM AND THAT'S GREAT AND I APPRECIATE THAT AND THAT'S REAL COOL.
AND I'VE ALSO HAD PEOPLE WALK BY AND NOT EVEN LOOK.
♪ MUSIC ♪
SO I'VE HAD, YOU KNOW, LOOK AND KIND OF LOOK AT THE CORNER OF THEIR EYE,
OR WHATEVER, SO, YOU KNOW WHAT, I KIND OF GET A KICK OUT OF THAT TOO
BECAUSE IT'S AFFECTING THEM.
WHERE NOT EVERYTHING WILL AFFECT SOMEBODY. SO IF YOU GET A REACTION,
NEGATIVE OR POSITIVE, AT LEAST YOU'RE GETTING A REACTION.
♪ MUSIC ♪
I'VE ALWAYS LIKED THE REACTION, HEY I COULD DO THAT. I'M THINKING, WELL YOU MIGHT BE ABLE
TO DO THAT BUT THERE'S A LOT MORE INVOLVED IS KIND OF MY, FIRST LOOKING AT A LOT
OF ABSTRACT WORK TOO.
YOU KNOW, I WANT PEOPLE TO TAKE THEIR OWN INTERPRETATION OF THE WORK.
I CAN SAY FOR ME, THE WORK IS REALLY ABOUT REBELLION, THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF PROTEST IN THERE,
IT'S KIND OF A HODGEPODGE, I WANT GRITTY NOT PRETTY, SO THAT'S QUALITIES IN THE WORK.
I'LL ADD TITLES TO WORK TO MAYBE GIVE A HELPFUL HINT, IN ORDER, MAYBE I'M TRYING TO STEER
SOMEBODY IN A DIRECTION. BUT I REALLY WANT PEOPLE TO JUST FOCUS ON THE WORK ITSELF.
♪ MUSIC ♪
FUNDING FOR OFF 90 IS PROVIDED IN PART BY
THE MINNESOTA ARTS AND CULTURAL HERITAGE FUND
AND THE CITIZENS OF MINNESOTA.