John C. Ohran and Professor Joseph Ostraff, Visual Arts
Restoration of Good Fortune is an idea that originated from a discussion regarding the artist Edward Kienholz and his exhibit of Watercolors.
In 1969 Edward Kienholz’s exhibit Watercolors, was shown at the Eugenia Butler Gallery, in Los Angeles. For the exhibit, Kienholz “. . . contrived a system of currency, as he termed it, whereby the work was sold for the amount hand painted on the framed sheet of paper (which encompassed $1 to $1000 in systematic increments)” (1). In a retrospective of Kienholz’s work, this was written of his Watercolors, “. .
“… he was parodying his own desire to manipulate the marketplace for his art. . . .The watercolors were, in essence, a grand spoof on the value of the artist’s name in the marketplace; all the buyer actually received was a sheet of paper good for the amount or item Kienholz painted on it, simply because he and the artist agreed it should be so” (2).
Kienholz’s questions regarding the art market were intriguing, but his manipulation of the art market was very much self-serving.
Joseph Ostraff and I have collaborated in creating a body of work centered around Kienholz’s idea. Similar to Kienholz, the works include an incremental progression of numbers, and will play with the idea of art, as a commodity. Dissimilar to Kienholz, we have made a genuine effort on our part to create high quality works of art and a major portion of the money made from this show will be donated to local non-profit organizations.
Combined with the conceptual ideas regarding the value of art and the need for dialogue regarding current trends, is the image of King Rama V, of Thailand. He was a king loved by the people for his integrity and compassionate commitment to his country. While living in Thailand with his family, Joseph Ostraff found himself in deep discussion with a Buddhist monk. The monk gave Joseph photos of King Rama V and said that using the images in his artwork would bring good fortune.
We have selected several non-profit organizations within our community, one being Art Access Gallery. Art Access Gallery is dedicated to support of under-served populations through the arts, supporting ideas that are inclusive in bringing diverse peoples together from the community. Each institution would receive 30% of all sales from the exhibition. Other service groups found in the Salt Lake City Area will be selected to share in an additional 30% of all sales.
The images are painted on 10″ x 10″ aluminum sheet metal. The final images are of mixed medium. All 350 paintings have the image of King Rama V as well as a number indicating the works price. The processes used in applying the medium have ranged from traditional to modern techniques, such as silk screening.
We are intrigued with this project, and the ideas that it challenges. It challenges the hierarchy of who art is for and who can buy it. This refers to two people purchasing pieces of artwork, of the same quality, from a group of paintings, one for $1 and the other for $350. This project also brings into question the idea of social obligation, referring to people who wish to contribute to our effort to help their own community by purchasing a painting for an amount which they can afford vs. the amount of the cheapest piece. We are also intrigued with the idea of establishing the responsibility of the artist as a contributor to solutions, rather than that of a critical non-participant. It is our hope that such activities will contribute to the restoration of good fortune within our community.
The exhibition of Restoration to Good Fortune is scheduled from October 15 to November 12, 1999 in the Art Access Gallery, in Salt Lake City, UT.
References
- Pincus, Robert L., On a scale that competes with the world: The Art of Edward and Nancy Reddin Kienholz,(Berkeley, Los Angeles, and Oxford: University of California Press; 1990), p 56.
- Pincus, p 56.