El Fin

First off I would like to apologize for the lack of a conclusion. It was a hectic, but successful end to our trip in Bolivia and we found ourselves sucked back into our American lives upon returning to the states. The openings were a complete success. Richard’s show, Experimental ARCHolage (Santa Cruz, Bolivia), was well received by the public and brought in a huge gathering. Yolanda and I were quite surprised to have a large turn up for our show as well. The show titled, Expo Residentes/Crucemos La Calle/, consisted of sculptural studies and drawings by Ruth Ewan, Richard Saxton, Yolanda Chichester, and myself. Being the first show outside the academia for Yolanda and I, it was an amazing experience and a chance to look at what the future awaits for the two of us. The trip ended with a little vacation to see Pre-Incan ruins, the famous photographic site of Che Guevara's death, and helping to make the Butch Cassidy and Sundance film. Now back in the states for a little over a month, we have found ourselves greatly missing all the friends we meet in Bolivia. Yolanda and I built unforgettable relationships with the people of the country along with Ruth and her boyfriend Dan. There is a lot we have taken from this trip and we plan to use all of our knowledge in the future. Stay tuned for more adventures from Proyecto Satélite, as Yolanda and I tackle the tasks of finishing our BFAs and working with the Baseline Group. 

Encantos

It’s the last week for us here in Santa Cruz making it quite the busy one. Since we are so busy we regret to inform you that our posts will be a bit shorter and less detailed. So to keep you  entertained here are a few pictures of what life has been these past few days. We have visited more gigantic markets, strung up Bolivian style lighting, got a motorcycle, had a cook out,  and have been working hard on completing our show for Thursday.

Día 19

End of the third week and I am proud to announce that we are done building. Next week will be spent adding the finishing touches such as lighting, a moped, and a fruit cart. Now that all the heavy building is done Yolanda and I have been able to get our pieces really rolling. Our studio table has transformed quite a bit over the 3 weeks. Piles of drawings, books, yarn, power tools, clay, and mugs of tea fill our tiny space. Being down here for the month of June has given us a lot of surprises and experiences. Having never been to South America, this whole trip has been filled of moments I thought I never would of seen or experienced. For instance, Claudia Joskowicz has invited Ruth, Richard, Yolanda, and I to help out with the third installment of a film series. The film she will be shooting will be about the legendary death of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Richard will be playing the part of the Sundance Kid and Yolanda and I will be helping out in any means necessary. After the opening we will be traveling to Vallegrande for the weekend to do the shooting. As always stay posted for new and interesting tales of our South American experience. 

Día 18

¡Buenos Días!

A lot of my discussions with the local people often revolve around the food in Santa Cruz. Being that I am a foreigner, many Santa Cruz locals often need to make sure that I have tasted the delights that Santa Cruz has to offer. Accordingly, my taste buds are very grateful for this concern. This image documents the "palta" (Bolivian style avocado- about two/three times the size of what we're used to back in Colorado!) that accompanied my ham/cheese/egg meal today.

Mandarin oranges are everywhere- mmmmmmmmm! On our material search yesterday, Julio and I stopped to talk to a fruit man named Emilio. He walks around the city with his fruit cart full of oranges, mandarin oranges, japanese mandarines, bananas, papaya, apples, pineapple to name a few. Emilio has agreed to let us rent his cart full of fruit for Richard's installation. Our first encounter with the fruit cart was not the site of vibrant colors, but with a robotic voice we heard from a distance announcing the fruits available through a scratchy speaker. Behind the fruit cart, I caught a flash of a micro (bus) that circles around the city. The micros have such character in their paint jobs and the bumper stickers that adorn them.


We had a bit of excitement on the job site today. Jon and I have agreed on a title for the side exhibition we are going to host at the artist residency during the exhibition at Kiosko: "Crucemos La Calle" ("we cross the street" or "let's cross the street"). Also, the building process for the "hay-dome" and "tomato crate" structures is nearing the end. The next considerations for the installation will deal with lighting along with adding color, possibly through orange and blue tarps. Update on the robot costume: the search has been replaced with a hunt for a broken/cheap/abandoned moped. My previous thought still holds that never in my life would I have imagined I'd be in Bolivia, driving around the city of Santa Cruz, seeking out a moped.

Día 17

The job site seems hectic as we approach closer to the opening show deadline. With the arrival of the long awaited hay bags and tomato crates Richard and I were able to get a lot accomplished. The dome is nearly complete. I have to add some small finishing touches to the backside, which I will do tomorrow.  Richard got the DJ station built and we started to pile tomato crates upon it. With just two weeks we have transformed the patio into an ARCHolage of Bolivian inspired structures. Yolanda was yet again traveling with Julio through the streets of Santa Cruz. She got a lot accomplished today. I have to say without her we would not have anything to build. The combination of her Spanish and quick thinking makes for a good addition to the team. She was able to find a fruit vendor willing to let us rent his fruit cart along with a giant hat for Richard. I am sorry to announce that there will not be robots, but the plan still seems for me to do a fruit cart performance at the opening. Time seems so short with just a week to go. Santa Cruz and its people have really grown on me and I wish we could have more time down here. Stay tuned for more building, more improvisation, and more blogging. 

Día 16

These crates have been on our radar since we arrived to Santa Cruz. On our walks, we come upon these tomato crates that have been discarded on the side of the street or piled up against buildings along side trash bags. Yesterday, Raquel finally revealed to us the tomato crate jackpot. While Jon and Richard worked at the site, I went on another material search with our ever so smiley Julio. We took the bumpy scenic drive out to the 7th Ring, reaching the countryside, with hopes of meeting the owner of these crates. The owner had been running a bonfire, and was covered in charcoal dust. We arranged to purchase 150 crates at 5 bolivianos a piece for Richard's installation. I am hoping to rehire a man named Chicha, who is delivering 35 more bags of hay to the site tomorrow, to go pick up the load of crates as soon as possible.

I feel that I am getting to know a different side of Santa Cruz through these material "búsquedas.¨ With our trusty taxi driver, Sergio -Buenos Aires Radio Móvil #18- we also went on a search for heavy duty staples and to buy 33 meters of canvas clothe. Then we hit up calle Ballivian, walking into about 20 different colorful costume shops asking for "un traje de robot, o halgo parecido platiado" (a robot costume, or something similar, silver). The closest I found was a shiny mouse outfit. I am going back to the shops with robot pictures that Richard has prepared to see if someone wouldn't mind tailoring a couple robot outfits for the exhibition next Thursday. I have to say I never thought I'd be walking the streets of Santa Cruz in search of a Robot Costume (oh the life of an artist!)

Meanwhile, back at the ranch... Andrea and her friend Andy came to help with the installation again. Together, the four of them made as much progress possible before the hay and crates arrive. We are nearing the one week count down till the exhibition on June 25th and the patio is certainly transforming. There is much more building and material collection to be done so the pressure is on! Nonetheless, I think we are all happy and thriving off of this experience.

Día 15

Lunes. For the first day of the week we accomplished quite a bit. Richard and Yolanda went on yet another material search and purchased 150 tomato crates and 30 more bags of hay. While they were riding in taxis and bargaining for supplies I was at the job site. My morning mission: stack 50 bags of hay on top of the dome structure. It proved to be difficult and exhausting. The first stacking method I tried proved to be too weight bearing and the dome structure semi caved in. I replaced the woven supports and added new beams coming from the floor up the roof of the interior structure. Richard liked the look of it so it worked out for the best. I achieved success after going with a more layered brick stacking method, but was hindered by the amount of hay bags I had. Tomorrow we will get the 30 we purchased delivered and I will be able to finish stacking. Richard and Yolanda returned with a chain saw and an avocado the size of a melon. We took a lunch break and I got to hear all about their adventure to a local sculptor’s studio. On Saturday Yolanda and I will be going out there to pay a studio visit and learn more about his work. After lunch Richard gave me a chain saw demo and we cut large logs, assembling them into a roofed area that will contain a fruit stand. The day ended with Richard taken good advantage of my climbing skills and had my scale up the tree to cut down some dead limbs. The day was successful. I got to build all day, which I love, and am now completely exhausted.