Self-Portrait with
giant rusty rooster
York, Alabama
September 23, 2007
I got to York a few days ago. Drove down from Jersey in the Queen Esther Mobile. Took 3 days. My mechanic said it'd be okay to drive her as long as i stopped every few hours to let her cool down. I obeyed and she got here without a hitch. Seems she's driving better than ever actually. It was fun. i stopped in Roanoke, Va. and Knoxville, Tn. Made lots of friends. Had lots of interesting conversations.
York is sweet as hell. I can't tell you how happy I am to finally be here. I'll be staying in this here house. It's an old converted doctor's office. I live upstairs and there's a studio downstairs for painting or whatever i want to do. Also on the grounds of the Coleman Center are a gallery, library, wood shop, more artist residences and studios and a decent computer center. There's another artist here for just a few more days then I'll be here alone for two months. That's cool though. I'll be constructing lots of big objects and using just about all the buildings here for something or other. You'd never expect such a contemporary art situation in this sleepy old southern town. Just across the way is a Piggly Wiggly and a real jook joint. I kid you not. There's also plenty of shotgun shacks and churches churches and more churches.
This is Nathan and Shana. They run the Coleman Arts Center. They came down from Indiana a few years ago as artists-in-residence and ended up staying. They are very committed to this place and are doing a bang-up job overseeing its expansion.
I dive head on into the Mose Tolliver project this coming week.
