Artist in LaBussaBox

My daily life was carried out in the display window of LaBussola Art Boutique downtown on 1st St. for 120 hours last month during Artown–that's 5 days straight–just to draw. I got out Saturday the 19th of July, so I wrote this about the experience:

10 Things I Learned Living Behind Glass:
1. Display windows offer no true alone time; it was a wordless stay but very social.
2. I posses no mood when I'm alone.
3. From the comments in my guest book I found that being seen creating seems to make one attractive.
4. Living in display windows insulates one from rejection.
5. When I live in a display window next time, I’ll need to be a non-smoker so I never step outside the building, not even once. People liked to police me if they saw me outta' the box yelling, “Back in your box!”
6. Thinking of new things to make was never a problem in there.
7. My drawings and collages are evolving in a sensible way but in separate directions.
8. It’s nice to employ two drawing styles so that both sides of the brain get used.
9. Neon light was a useful thing to draw people in at night to my window.
10. It was an honor to be able to do exactly what I wanted; it was a vacation–not a job.

Why live in a glass display window for 120 hours? I did it to get some quality drawing time in. I think everybody should have a deprivation tank of their own. I drew from 8am to 2am every day–because PEOPLE WERE WATCHING, besides I didn’t have anything else to do.

As they were being finished, I couldn't wait to get fresh drawings taped up on the windows. This was about the performance more than it was about the end product: drawing–verb vs. drawing–noun. The performance consisted of me utilizing my talent; I made maybe 50 or so drawings, sold just a few. It wasn’t about numbers though; it was about being seen drawing.

I think my drawing/exhibitionist act was a meditation for me to understand why I draw. But I discovered why was the last thing I should have been asking. Drawing is my life’s what; everything else is the how.

I needed to be seen for this to work. People watching me made me work. I was doing this to get in some practice time and people would yell at me when they saw me outside having a smoke or something, “get back in your box little man”. I loved that; I needed the time to myself, and you all kept me on my toes.

In LaBussaBox I was far from alone; I did not do this alone. My wife & friends brought me plenty of food, wine, etc, not to mention LaBussola’s gracious hospitality all five days.

This box of solitude was a vacation for me; it was a vacation from talking. I could see you; I just didn’t have to talk to you–!

the following photos are courtesy of David Gk.