Side Show V and "The Tree Surgeon's Notes"

THE SIDE SHOW V

Tonight is the Dayton Circus Collective's "The Side Show V". A night full of locally renowned visual artists, musical acts, performance art and fashion. 2 nights in the whole year, and I have to say I am impressed by the dedication of dayton's artists and so honored to part of this event.

My art piece, "The Tree Surgeon's Notes" will be featured at the event along with other talented local artists. The Tree Surgeon's notes was created over a period of two years on and off. Good storytelling takes time ;). There were many interruptions, subtle things, like joining the military, living in New York City.

The Tree Surgeons Notes is a visual narrative journal if you will. Many of the imagery and symbolism encodes and masks a personal story. 'The Tree Surgeon's Notes' recieved its name partly due to my last name. Which is a rough translation of Tree Surgeon in German.

For awhile, I was trying to give myself a new name as an artist, trying to fight the past with what my name carried. Plus, it was a hell of a time going to a school in rural England with a German name, some of the steam hasn't lifted from the war. Apparently 60 plus years on. Certain turns made me embrace the name Baumgardner. Partly due to the symbolism that could be used.

Simply, in brief, trees are a symbol of growth and life, they are probably one of the most fascinating natural structures, and for centuries have been a tool of symbolism. A Tree Surgeon tending the trees, hacking off unwanted branches or connections to the tree, and at the same time planting them brought a whole new sense of imagery for me and for the piece.

We have our tree before us. And like the tree surgeon, we hack off those unwanted branches, those unwanted connections that have withered and jaded us. We tend to the branches that are of good quality, nature and try to have them flourish. Sometimes we cut the tree down in whole, only to plow the fields to create a new field of trees... see where I'm leading to?

The piece in its imagery portrays this. The bonds, the connections, flourishing or withered away, only to violently release oneself when that person or group binds us. Finding refuge in ourselves, and our creative core. Connecting with the follies of the past only to communicate them as something richly beautiful. I don't know if I have managed to do this, but I've made an attempt with this piece.

The Piece in Full...

Some explanation to the branched pieces. These are brief descriptions. More images will be posted later of the other branched pieces.

1. 'Our mutual confliction'

This branched piece is portrayal of a relation I had with a performer, that eventually collided into a chaotic confliction. What was said, what I could have said, or to give some sense of the relation is heavily encoded in symbolism. Namely through colliding trains, a Virgin Mary abandoning us only to give us the finger. As well as our apartment in Upper Manhattan ablazed with flames.

2. 'Refuge'

Shows an artist tapping into the dormant side of creativity and once found taking full emotional refuge in the Art. This theme of refuge comes from my close relationship with Tibetan Buddhism and relating it to the core value of buddhism of taking refuge with yourself. Other themes in this piece show the Faun, as the guide holding a child. Suggesting nurturing imagination, making way through the obstacles of reality and rational thinking.

3. 'Blindfold'

The Faun intently going in the opposite direction to the figure of Good Judgement. This a 'vs.' theme. Creative, Irrational thinking vs. Good judgement and stability, and in the center - the artist, making an attempt to balance the two. Blindfolded to symbolize that Good Judgement blinds us from what taking the risks can do for us, and vice versa, the risks blinding us from the benefits of good judgement.

More to come...