Issue Magazine - March 2015

THE ARTS MAGAZINE OF THE ART STUDIO, INC.

MARCH 2015

TASI 3D GROUP SHOW SEE PAGE 8

INSIDE: TASIMJAE CALL FOR ENTRIES, CHIN IN HOUSTON, TAKIS AT MENIL, AND MORE

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A View From The Top Greg Busceme, TASI Director

JUST NOW GOT A call that our printer of ISSUE is going out of business. Four Star Press has been with us a long time and we truly will miss them. Now we need to find a new printer for our arts magazine.

New problems are always coming up at The Studio. We respond to the best of our ability, and eventually things get resolved and smooth out again. Our lives are like that — up and down — and The Studio is like that, too — a giant organism that sometimes has bad hair days. Things break, wear out or just stop working and we do our best to resolve the problem.

Kilns are a big source of pain-in-thebutt syndrome. Each firing is another attack on brick, heating coils and controllers — a controlled destruction that eventually dilapidates. The kiln, literally eating itself, takes a long time to do its worst. A well-cared-for kiln can last 10 to 15 years or longer with good maintenance.

Even light fixtures have a relatively short life. Our florescent fixtures die every 10 years or so — some longer, some shorter — and I am told that florescent lighting is the next old school bulb to become obsolete. This means all of our 35 florescent fixtures will have to be replaced with new fixtures and new bulbs.

But we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it for now.

Our sprinkler system has to be up-

ISSUE Vol. 21, No. 6 Publisher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Art Studio, Inc. Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Andy Coughlan Copy Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tracy Danna Contributing Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . Elena Ivanova, . . . . . . . . . . Caitlin Duerler, Jacqueline Hays Contributing Photographers . . . . Jacqueline Hays Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kevin Dodson The Art Studio, Inc. Board of Directors President Ex-Officio . . . . . . . . . . . . Greg Busceme Vice-President. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Angela Busceme Chair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . John Roberts Members at Large: . . . . . . . . . . . Sheila Busceme, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Elizabeth French, . . . . . . . . . . Andy Ledesma, Stephan Malick, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Heather Butler

The Art Studio, Inc. 720 Franklin Beaumont, TX 77701 409-838-5393 www.artstudio.org info@artstudio.org The ISSUE is a monthly publication of The Art Studio, Inc. Its mission is to publicize The Art Studio and its tenants, and to promote the growth of the arts in Southeast Texas. ISSUE is also charged with informing TASI members of projects, progress, achievements and setbacks in TASI’s well-being. Further, ISSUE strives to promote and distribute the writings of local authors in its “Thoughtcrime” feature.

ISSUE is provided free of charge to members of TASI and is also available, free of charge, at more than 30 locations in Southeast Texas.

Regular features include local artists of note and reputation who are not currently exhibiting at TASI; artists currently or soon to be exhibiting at TASI; Instructional articles for artists; news stories regarding the state of TASI’s organization; and arts news features dealing with general philosophical issues of interest to artists.

Contents

graded, with a radio-controlled alarm signal and tests on our sprinkler heads to see if they function or not. If not, we must change the multitude of sprinkler heads and upgrade the water delivery system, all of which comes at a substantial expense.

Our phone system was switched from analog to digital which screwed up all of our phones for the past two weeks and we are still struggling with the replacement of a system that will cost us $1,400 plus.

Sometimes, all we can do at The Studio is keep our administrative head above water. Other times are smooth sailing — at least until the next storm.

Usually I don’t share the trials and tribulations that occur in the day-to-day operations and functions of The Studio — but I think it is important to illustrate that The Studio just doesn’t happen. It is made to happen by a myriad of people in the wings who give this place flight, all the little pieces of the puzzle are meticulously put together by many hands, hearts and minds.

As I often say, The Studio is just a big building. Without people to make it function and people to enjoy the function, we have an empty building that does no one any good.

So, remember to participate and get involved, and reap the benefits that an organization like The Art Studio can offer.

UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS AT THE ART STUDIO MARCH

APRIL

Sculpture Invitational Group Show Opening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . March 7

TASIMJAE (The Art Studio, Inc. Member Jurored Art Exhibition) Opening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . April 4

BECOME A MEMBER OF THE ART STUDIO Membership in The Art Studio, Inc., provides invitations to all exhibitions and one year of ISSUE, the monthly arts magazine of The Art Studio. It also gives free eligibility for members to enter the annual membership art exhibition (TASIMJAE) and participate in various exhibitions throughout the year.

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Chin in Houston . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 4 TASIMJAE Call For Entries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 7 “Sculpture Invitational” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 8 Takis at Menil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 10 Carlo Busceme IV at High Street Gallery. . . . . . . Page 12 AMSET Family Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 13 Pride Dance Party . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 14 Thoughtcrime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 15 Cover photo: David Granitz works on a relief panel in advance of March’s Sculpture Invitational,

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4 • ISSUE March 2015

Volume 21, No. 6

Mel Chin, OUR STRANGE FLOWER OF DEMOCRACY, 2005 Bamboo, river cane, burlap, coir (coconut twine), mahogany, steel, bottle caps. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Nash Baker © nashbaker.co

Critique the World, Critique Yourself MEL CHIN’S REMATCH IN FOUR MUSEUMS IN HOUSTON The survival of my own ideas may not be as important as a condition I might create for others’ ideas to be realized.

— Mel Chin

A HAUNTING SCULPTURE, STRANGELY reminiscent of both nature and machinery, greets visitors as they enter Asia Society Texas Center in Houston. Made of bamboo, its graceful cylindrical body ends with a conical bottom, like a rocket, while wavering at its top is a plumage of long river canes, as if tossed by the wind. Life and death, beauty and danger, creation and destruction — all these things come to mind when one is confronted with this fascinating work, “Our Strange Flower of Democracy,” by famous artist and native Houstonian Mel Chin.

The shape of Chin’s sculpture replicates the

Story by Elena Ivanova

15,000-pound bomb, BLU-82B/C-130, also known by its nickname the “Daisy Cutter.” Used by the U.S. military in Vietnam and Afghanistan, this bomb would flatten a forest into a helicopter landing zone. Prior to the bombing, the aircrafts dropped flyers with the picture of the bomb as a fair warning to the local population — get out or get killed. By appropriating the “Daisy Cutter” as a symbol of U.S. foreign policy, Chin encourages us to consider the meaning of the popular expression used by government officials — “defending democracy.” Does the government always truly “defend democracy” when American troops become involved in an armed conflict overseas or is it rhetoric that justifies aggression?

Like with all Chin’s works, there are multiple layers of meaning waiting to be uncovered by a thoughtful viewer. One of the clues lies in the resemblance between the flowerets at the top of the sculpture and the hemlock. This poisonous plant was supposedly taken by ancient philosopher Socrates who was sentenced to death for questioning the principles of Athenian democracy. The shadow of ancient Greece, the cradle of democracy, evokes the question about courage to speak up and complacency in contemporary society.

The use of bamboo and coconut twine as structural elements indicates yet another layer of meaning

that has to do with Chin’s interest in the so-called cargo cults that sprang in Melanesia during World War II. Islanders saw military equipment and supplies airdropped for the soldiers who often shared some of the goods with them. When the dropping of cargo stopped with the end of the war, islanders started imitating the same practices that they saw performed by the soldiers in hope to bring material wealth (“cargo”). One of these practices involved building life-size replicas of airplanes using local materials.

Chin’s sculpture invites contemplation of the complex relationship between Western and non-Western civilizations.

Mel Chin is one of the most famous and most prolific contemporary American artists. His art covers a truly encyclopedic range of subjects — politics, ecology, science, world cultures, the subconscious. Chin also is a Renaissance man when it comes to the choice of media — he easily moves from 2D to 3D, from installations to performances, and from video to digital media. However, the most important thing about his art, remarkable as it is in itself, is its social resonance.

Mel Chin carries the weight of the world on his shoulders. He has a keen eye for social injustices, political controversies and ecological problems, no matter where on the planet they take place. His art opens eyes, engages minds and calls to take action. Most of

Volume 21, No. 6 all, it reminds us that we are a part of humankind and everything that is happening in the world has bearing on our lives.

This winter and spring, Houston is celebrating the lifelong achievement of its famous native son with a large retrospective, “Rematch.” Organized by the New Orleans Museum of Art, this extensive exhibition simultaneously showcases Mel Chin’s work in four museums: Blaffer Art Museum, Asia Society Texas Center, Contemporary Arts Museum Houston and the Station Museum of Contemporary Art. The retrospective opened on Jan. 17, with the artist’s talk marathon during which Chin gave presentations at each of the four participating museums, every time addressing the specific selection of works on view.

I followed the artist’s route from one museum to another and was overwhelmed by the scope and depth of his creative output. It would be a disservice to this amazing master to try to review the whole retrospective in a magazine article. I will provide snippets of this grandiose presentation and focus on the works that stroke a particular chord with my own sensibilities.

Of the four locations, the show at the Asia Society Texas Center is my favorite. This exhibition features only six works, but their craftsmanship and complexity of content deserve longer time than one may imagine. Thematically and visually, all of them contain references to non-European cultures — Chinese, Japanese, Central Asian, Middle Eastern and, in the instance of the above-mentioned “Our Strange Flower of Democracy,” Melanesian. However, their content is much broader and brings together Eastern and Western philosophies, psychoanalysis, and connects them with contemporary events and our own everyday experiences.

From a distance, “Wheel of Death” gives an impression of a beautifully executed black-and-white drawing that features three whimsically looking, but undoubtedly recognizable creatures — a pig, a rooster and a snake. According to the Buddhist “wheel of life,” they represent three “mental poisons — ignorance, greed and anger. As they follow each other in a circle, they create a recurrent pattern of cause and effect. However, there is a surprise. Upon a closer observation, one realizes that the image is not a drawing at all, but a collage made of pieces of a car tire.

Mel Chin used a particular type of Firestone tire which caused accidents with the Ford Explorer in the late 1990s — early 2000s. “Wheel of Death” is a biting satire that targets corporate mentality and its lethal consequences for individual consumers.

“Geometry of Wrath” reminds of Japanese decorative lacquer panels inlaid with gold leaf and motherof-pearl. It also hides a surprise: at a closer inspection, one realizes that we are looking at a sheet of steel to which oil paint was applied to produce a semblance of a shiny lacquered surface. As we follow the outline of the winding grapevine adorned with golden leaves and white grapes that runs across the surface, we notice that at some points it intersects with a barely visible underlying grid. There are also faint traces of scribbles resembling the Arabic calligraphy.

This work is an example of Chin’s recurrent theme, mapping. The grapevine and the underlying diagrams refer to al Qaida’s communications with its followers, including financial transactions and exchanges of intelligence. The scale of the financial operations is reflected in the size of the grape leaves — the larger the transaction, the larger the leaf.

In his choice of imagery, Chin was inspired by the writings of linguist Christopher Luxenberg who argued that the often-quoted line from the Quran about the virgins awaiting Jihad warriors in the afterlife — was actually a misinterpretation. Luxenberg examined ancient Aramaic and Syriac words and concluded that the reward should be interpreted as

See CHIN on page 6

March 2015 ISSUE • 5

Mel Chin, WHEEL OF DEATH, above, 2002 Firestone® Wilderness AT tire, paint on wood.

Loaned by Jim and Ann Harithas. Photo: Nash Baker © nashbaker.com.

Mel Chin, SCHOLAR’S NIGHTMARE, left, and (detail), below, 2001 Wood, dye, animal part.

Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Nash Baker © nashbaker.com

6 • ISSUE March 2015

CHIN from page 5 “white raisins” of crystal clarity rather than virgins. By invoking these new findings, Chin exposes the perils of blind faith which drives suicide bombers recruited by al Qaida and, generally, all fanatically-minded people regardless of their beliefs.

One of the reasons why Chin’s works are so appealing is their humorous subterfuge. Even when addressing the most serious subject, the artist never loses sight of its humorous aspects. At the same time, playful subjects always contain a deeper meaning.

“Scholar’s Nightmare” is a semantic pun which exploits our dependency on the context in order to understand the text. A “nightmare” may mean a bad dream and also a female horse; a “leg” may mean a part of a body as well as a structural element in furniture.

In this work, we see a table which, in its style, imitates geometrically-shaped furniture of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). However, one of its legs seems to have been inexplicably transformed into a horse’s hoof. The artist brings together Chinese culture, Surrealism and post-Freudian analysis in order to convey one of the scholars’ most fearful thoughts: what if their ideas — in this case, epitomized in the most indispensable tool of the scholar’s trade, the writing table — escape from them?

Chin’s global-mindedness is best illustrated by an exciting installation “KNOWMAD.” The title is a pun on the word “nomad,” a person whose lifestyle is characterized by constant migration. Chin’s intention was to bring attention to nomadic tribes of Central Asia, Anatolia and the Middle East whose traditional way of life and even existence are threatened by ongoing political and civil changes.

The installation features a tent with a pile of original Asian handmade rugs on the floor. But there is an unusual object in this seemingly typical nomadic home — a video arcade machine. On the day of my visit, the tent was filled with children and adults anxious to play the video game designed by the KNOWMAD Confederacy, a team of computer game experts, graphic designers and a musician brought together by Chin.

The players go through a landscape of tents filled with mazes of rug patterns as they try to capture pomegranates hidden inside the mazes. Like in all video games, the player is allowed limited time to complete the quest or “die.” The time constraint echoes the daily experience of nomadic people whose

Volume 21, No. 6

survival depends on gathering resources from a place.

But the game is not just about winning. As the players navigate through the mazes, they learn to recognize the patterns of different tribal rugs and appreciate their beauty. The game is homage to the tribal rug production as a source of visual and creative energy. Or, to use the artist’s words, “Consciousness imported from game to the real world is the travel that ‘KNOWMAD’ seeks to promote.”

Chin is often characterized as a conceptual artist.

However, this definition touches upon some aspects of his work while leaving out other important aspects.

What about his outstanding draftsmanship, his surrealistic paintings and sculptures, his tongue-in-cheek objects, like the famous “Lecture Ax” which is currently displayed at CAMH? Made of an altered book dipped in wax and attached to the wooden handle, Lecture Ax was used by the artist as a prop for his performance/lecture at the New School of Social Research in New York City in1988. According to Chin, he was so nervous to talk in front of an academic crowd that he reinforced him-

self with a few beers. “I had a headache and I was already edgy, so I just ripped off the newspaper, picked it up and said, ‘This is an ax!’ The head of the psychology department said, ‘What the fuck you gonna do, man?’ I turned around and slammed the ax into the blackboard. It broke apart and the notes fluttered down. I read from the notes. I was still shaking, but I was drunk; it didn’t matter.”1 Mel Chin’s art defies definitions. It is no use trying to fit his diverse and multifaceted talent into a cubbyhole of traditional notions. His works are fun, provocative and inspirational. Go to Houston to see Rematch and let your own creativity soar.

“Mel Chin: Rematch” will be on view through March 21 at Blaffer Art Museum, through April 19 at Contemporary Arts Center Houston and Asia Society Texas Center, and through May 1 at The Station Museum of Contemporary Art. For more information, visit www.rematchhouston.com 1

http://melchin.org/oeuvre/lecture-ax

Mel Chin, Geometry of Wrath, top, 2005 Oil, gold leaf, steel. Collection of Molly Kemp and Ann Harithas. Photo: Nash Baker © nashbaker.com.

Mel Chin, KNOWMAD, above, 1999. Interactive video installation, vintage rugs, fabric tent, projector, Windows computer. Courtesy of the artist Photo: Nash Baker © nashbaker.com.

Volume 21, No. 6

March 2015 ISSUE • 7

THE ART STUDIO, INC. MEMBERS JURORED ART EXHIBITION

TASIMJAE

CALL FOR ENTRIES DEADLINE MARCH 27 PLEASE READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY! ENTRIES NOT ADHERING TO THESE INSTRUCTIONS WILL BE DISQUALIFIED!

CALENDAR Entry dates ......................................March 24-27 Notification by mail.................................April 2 Pick-up works not accepted..April 3 by 5 p.m.

Opening/awards reception ...April 4, 7-10 p.m.

Pick up exhibited work.........................April 28 ELIGIBILITY Open to all members in good standing of The Art Studio, Inc. (TASI). Membership fee of $35 may be paid at time of entry. Works completed within the last two years that have not previously been shown at TASI may be submitted. All two-dimensional work must be ready to hang (wires, not sawtooths). All three-dimensional work must have firm base. Work may not exceed two hundred pounds in weight or 10 feet in height. Completed entry label must be firmly attached to the back upper left corner of 2-D work or base of 3-D work.

SUBMISSIONS Entries must be delivered to TASI, 720 Franklin, Beaumont, Texas, Tuesday-Saturday between the hours of 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. No works will be ac-

cepted after 5 p.m. on March 28. Works must be shipped prepaid and/or hand delivered. Limit two (2) entries per person.

RETURN OF ALL ENTRIES Work not accepted must be picked up by 5 p.m. on April 3. Works selected for exhibition must remain on display until April 25 and may be picked up April 28.

AGREEMENT Although the greatest possible care will be exercised in handling work, TASI accepts no responsibility for loss or damage to work submitted, while in transit or on premises. TASI reserves the right to photograph submitted works for publicity purposes. All sales during the exhibition will be handled by TASI for which a 25% commission will be taken. Submission of entries implies the artist’s understanding and agreement to the rules and conditions of the exhibition.

AWARDS 1st. place: $100 and a solo exhibition at TASI in May 2015 2nd. place $75, 3rd. place $50 JUROR TBA

SELF PORTRAIT #1 by Riah Lee placed first in TASIMJAE 2014. Riah will be the featured artist at TASI in May.

LOOK FOR A PROSPECTUS IN THE MAIL, DOWNLOAD ONE AT WWW.ARTSTUDIO.ORG, OR PICK ONE UP AT THE ART STUDIO

18 Artists; 1,000 Touches

8 • ISSUE March 2015

Volume 21, No. 6

TASI TO HOST MULTI-SCULPTOR 3D SHOW IN MARCH METAL AND WOOD SCULPTURES will be suspended from the ceilings, with hanging artworks adorning the exterior of the building, and a cornucopia of ceramics and found object pieces will infiltrate the gallery at The Arts Studio, Inc.’s Sculpture Invitational opening, March 6.

Elizabeth French, assistant director of TASI and curator of the exhibition, invited 18 Southeast Texas Artists to show new and old works at the collective.

“I just wanted to make it an entire show about sculpture and different things you can create sculpture from, and show people of all ages and all types,” she said.

French invited in-house artists, members, former and current instructors from Lamar, a few students, a recent graduate and friends of TASI to participate.

The show includes work

by Lotus Bermudez, Linnis Blanton, Greg Busceme Sr., Sheila Busceme, Craig Clark, Kelly Costlow, Beau Dumesnil, Karen Long Dumesnil, Suzanne Garret, Forrest Goodhue, David Granitz, Merridith “Butch” Jack, DJ Kava, Sandra Laurette, Julie Lee, Joyce Philen, Brittany Tanton and Caleb Simms.

“There is no theme, other than I want it to represent them and their style, either what they are doing now, or what they have been doing the whole time,” French said.

Some of the artwork is recent and some are from the the artists’ collections.

“Some of them are older pieces, but none of it has been seen,” French said. “It is all new to the public and representative of the individual artist.”

French said Beaumont is a little “ceramics heavy,” especially since TASI lost their barn, which

Story and photos by Jacqueline Hays

housed a foundry, during a Hurricane Ike. Blanton, a retired public school teacher and current adjunct instructor at Lamar, is a member of TASI, but works Monday through Friday in the ceramics studio on the Lamar campus.

Blanton uses a technique called “throwing,” where he uses a wheel .

“I spend 10 or twenty minutes on the wheel and then I sculpt for the next two weeks,” he said, as he maneuvered around a wedging table with a mound of clay. “I use everything.”

Blanton said his best tools are his hands and fingers. He enjoys working with a flat, flexible, slightly-curved tool called a rib — named after a rib bone, because of the similar arch and the probability that ancient peoples used animal ribs as tools when working with clay.

“A lot of the pottery tools and terminology goes way back, because people have been making pots since they have been on the earth,” he said.

Working with clay is a long process. Blanton said it takes days to dry out a small or medium-sized piece.

It is fired in a kiln, which is a two-day process, then glazed and fired again.

“And then you have to decide if that is good enough,” he said. “And if I want to re-glaze and fire again.”

Blanton usually kneads and works his clay 100 times, mostly just for the work out, since he may end up sculpting for days.

All of the sculptures Blanton has

Kelly Costlow takes the female figure, left, and incorporates totem heads that show different personalities and the different spirit of the women.

Karen Long-Dumesnil shows one of her monkey skull totems.

Volume 21, No. 6 decided to use in the exhibition are thrown, although they may not appear to be. His featured piece consists of a solid top with a middle section and a base. All three pieces were created individually and will be tacked together.

“Hopefully it is going to work,” he said, as he looked at the three pieces, which he will assemble in the days leading up to March 6.

Blanton said his pieces grow out of experimentation.

“I don’t know exactly what I am doing next and that is not a bad thing,” he said. “It is not a bad place to be — I might end up doing something I have never done before.”

Blanton said he believes in being in the moment.

“When you are in the present moment, it is like you react to what you do,” he said. “I try to get my ego out of it and say, ‘OK, this is making a suggestion — I need a base.”

Three weeks from the exhibition, Blanton’s piece sits nameless in his space.

“The title hasn’t come to me,” he said.

Blanton has pieces that share a similar aesthetic because he usually works in a series.

“They are all kind of similar, but different,” he said. “I am still searching for the form. I am trying to get one silhouette — one contour edge to work with the other contour edge. The whole thing has to work together all the way around.”

Blanton said his current work, which has a fennel on top, began as a pot — which it does not resemble now.

“It was an accident,” he said. “And that is when it is really fun. These two were totally mess ups and that is when I really started having fun because there was nothing to lose.

Working in 3-dimensions requires being hands-on.

“Sometimes, with my pieces, I have to touch them a 1,000 times to make them look like they have been touched once,” he said. “I want that spontaneity in the piece, so I touch and touch and touch.”

Karen Long-Dumesnil said she never throws — “I just sculpt.”

She combines split-caste molds and molds she makes herself from found objects to make the threeheaded totem poles she will be showing in the exhibition.

“I combined each of the elements together, making at least three creatures on each one because totem poles have three elements,” she said.

One of her totems looks like it is going to fall over — with the heads perhaps competing with one another instead of working together.

“That makes people nervous — sort of uncomfortable when things aren’t balanced,” she said.”

Blanton, who doesn’t utilize molds, thinks positive touch is important. Although he thought himself a painter early in his career, he can clearly see the difference in the two media because of touch.

“Painters don’t touch,” Blanton

March 2015 ISSUE • 9

Linnis Blanton works in the Lamar University ceramics lab where he is an instructor. says. “They take a paintbrush and touch it with that — they don’t get to physically touch.”

French said that sculpting can be more collaborative than making twodimensional art, and that often times, sculptors’ works will look similar to their mentor’s or whoever shares their space.

“When you study under a certain

teacher, you kind of have similarities of style,” she said.

French said she sees similarities in Blanton’s students who are showing at the Invitational. After seeing work

by Kelly Costlow and Brittany Tanton at Lamar’s studio, French asked if they were by the same person. She found out they sit beside each other when they work.

“They are different, but they are kind of similar,” she said. “However, if you work next to someone, there is something that happens.”

Blanton said he is eager to see all the different artists’ work in one exhibition.

See SCULPTURE on page 12

10 • ISSUE March 2015

Volume 21, No. 6

Invisible Forces Rendered Visible GREEK ARTIST TAKIS IMPLEMENTS MAGNETS TO ATTRACT ART, SCIENCE IN 1960, IN THE Iris Clert Gallery in Paris, Panagiotis “Takis” Vassilakis suspended the poet Sinclair Beiles in a chair using magnets.

Spectators held their breaths as they watched the poet declare in mid-air, “I am a sculpture. I would like to see all nuclear bombs on Earth turned into sculptures.” Beiles crashed to the ground before finishing his presentation of Takis’ “Magnetic Manifesto.” Although the experiment, “The Impossible: Man Within Space,” was a failure, Takis established himself as the master of magnets and has been incorporating the technology in his art ever since.

The Menil Collection in Houston has 25 sculptures, paintings and kinetic works — all pulled from the museum’s holdings — on display in “Takis: The Fourth Dimension,” through July 16. The works represent highlights over the span of the Greek artist’s sixty-plus year career.

Toby Kamps, curator of modern and contemporary art, accompanied by art historian Melissa Warek and conservator Erin Stephenson, opened the exhibition with a public lecture, “Takis: Ploughman of Magnetic Fields,” Jan. 23. Kamps said Takis sought “the fourth dimension as an invisible higher reality to step out of the constraints of time to gain new perspectives.”

All of Takis’ works question one’s relationship to space and the invisible forces that surround us. In the early ’50s, Takis became increasingly fascinated with sculpture and produced works which relied on simple geometric forms, as seen in his bronze sculptures. Many of his works harken back to themes from Greek sculpture such as “Seated Goddess” (1954). The bronze sculpture deviates from classical works because of the welded knob on the side of her pedestal, giving the illusion of a mechanism to power the figure.

The French philosopher Félix Guattari describes Takis art as, “Works that embrace modernity but are rooted in the past.” The Icarus legend from Greek mythology no doubt served as inspiration in his “The Impossible: Man Within Space” performance. Takis embodies Apollo, and sees himself not just as artist, but as an inventor. Although initially interested in his Greek culture, his desire for knowledge soon extended to Egyptian civilization and the lost city of Atlantis. He is interested in what makes some things timeless, or how timelessness can be generated.

Takis’ fascination with invisible forces, like space and time, extend to the radar technology developed in the 1940s, leading to the realization of his “Signal” sculptures. These sculptures act as antennae — “instruments of potential energy” — to reign in “the natural harmonies of the universe.” He has produced, and continues to produce, hundreds of these sculptures, composed of steel rods and found objects.

In 1954, the artist moved to Paris where he quickly lapped up the cultural scene and regularly fraternized with poets and other artists. He was a contemporary of, and friendly with, significant figures of the modern art movement, such as Yves Klein and Alexander Calder. Takis also consorted with the famous beat poet Allen Ginsburg who, in

Story by Caitlin Duerler

1962, wrote the following piece after a visit with the artist: “The only vision I ever had of magnetism was during a conversation with Takis in Paris in his studio, looking at his little metal cones hummingly wa-

veringly pulled by like wires straight at their little magnet feathers; and he, Takis, explained to me that the stars were all pulled together with myriad thin invisible wires of magnetism radiating from every star to every other star — so we imagined, if you pulled

Takis, BALLET MAGNETIQUE I, 1961, Electromagnet, Plexiglas, cork, and iron. The Menil Collection, Houston © 2014 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris.

Volume 21, No. 6

out any one star the whole thrumming mechanism would slip a cosmic inch like a quavering mobile and all twang together into place at once on lines of unseen magnetic tracks, thunk.”

From 1958, Takis’ interest turned toward making his static “Signals” kinetic through magnetic fields.

His incorporation of magnets in works led to a residency in the physics department of MIT 10 years later. Takis believes that magnets are the best medium for harnessing Earth’s energy. During his residency, his research focused on the effects of magnetic fields on organisms. He also developed another experiment to turn waves of water into energy, which was demonstrated by a bicycle wheel, a nod to Marcel Duchamp’s famous readymade.

The Menil Collection’s most amusing kinetic work is “Ballet Magnetique I.” In the center of the room, the sculpture presents two iron objects rotating around a base with a motor. Before exhibiting the piece, however, extensive conservation work had to be performed. Conservationist Erin Stephenson explained that the electric components which powered the work were worn out and outdated, while the iron elements were too fragile to display. The work that is on display is installed with facsimiles of the original found objects and updated electrical parts.

Conservation work was also performed on “Magnetic Painting No. 7.” This striking yellow tableau hangs on the left side of the exhibition and features iron elements suspended in front of a magnet on the back of a canvas. In storage, the magnet had shifted

March 2015 ISSUE • 9

and caused an uneven stretching of the canvas, as well as accumulated metallic debris. Small punctures and patches of chipped paint also needed to be repaired. The conservation team painstakingly used controlled application of humidity and heat to adjust the magnet, while still permitting the canvas to conform to the protrusion without excess stretching, and reapplied paint. However, they still had to consider which angle to hang the support bar in front of the canvas on which the iron objects hang. In this work, the concept of space is very important — the iron pieces must be nearly touching the canvas while in mid-suspension.

Besides having to perform conservation work, the Menil Collection also had to work with Takis’ requirements — all exhibitions must feature Takis’ musical compositions, created by a series of magnets moving on a metal thread. UT-El Paso art historian Melissa Warek conducted extensive research into his melodic pieces. Works were chosen to express the “sounds of the universe,” making “music through magnetic waves.”

The music is unlike the music transmitted on a radio. Instead of melodies, the work emits an almost mechanical, sliding sound produced by the metal materials interacting with each other. Magnetic forces act upon the metal components to produce what Takis’ calls “naked music.”

The Menil Collection is a particularly fitting institution in which to host Takis. The Menil family supported Takis during his years in Paris and provided

him with funding for his studio in an Athenian suburb, as well as making donations to his foundation for research in art and science. The family’s support at the beginning of his career was crucial for the creation of his art, freeing him from the stresses of the competitive art market. “Takis: The Fourth Dimension” also fits in well with the permanent collection of Surrealist art. Like Takis, the Surrealists sought to tap into the invisible — the unconscious.

Today, the artist continues his mission in rendering invisible forces visible at his studio in Greece. He insists that he possesses telekinesis but not in the mind-reading sense. Takis says he is able to sense the bio-electric magnetism, the ionic and magnetic energy, of others. Despite access to digital technology, his interests are still deeply rooted in magnetism. His work with these invisible forces coincides with another unseen interest — spirituality. Takis’ fascination with Zen and the void, developed from his career as an artist, and he receives visitors from all over the world who visit him for telekinetic healing.

Visitors to the exhibition will witness the invisible forces that Takis renders visible. Not only will they be transported to the artist’s fourth dimension, but also will be called to tune in to the world around them, paying closer attention to the invisible forces which shape our collective experience.

The Menil Collection is located at 1515 Sul Ross in Houston. Hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday. Admission is free.

For information, visit www.menil.org.

Takis, MAGNETIC PAINTING NO. 7, 1962, left, Oil on canvas, magnets, silk ribbon, and cork.

The Menil Collection, Houston. © 2014 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris.

Photo: Hickey-Robertson, Houston.

Takis, ESPACE INTÉRIEUR (INNER SPACE), top, n.d., Bronze. The Menil Collection, Houston, Gift of the Contemporary Arts Museum, Houston. © 2014 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris. Photo: Paul Hester Takis, MAGNETIC WALL – M.W. 038, above, 1999, Painted canvas, wires, and magnets. The Menil Collection, Houston, Gift of the Artist. © 2014 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris. Photo: Paul Hester.

12 • ISSUE March 2015

Volume 21, No. 6

Carlo Busceme IV to present ‘Something Quiet’ exhibition, March 7, at High Street Gallery THE HIGH STREET GALLERY will host an exhibition of paintings, drawings and ceramics by Carlo Busceme IV, 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., March 7.

The gallery is located in Victoria House, 2110 Victoria St. in Beaumont.

Busceme has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Lamar University with an emphasis in painting. His work is rhythmic, spontaneous, and abstract. The show is titled “Something Quiet”.

“I like to contrast loud and quiet mark making and composition,” he said.

“Gaining other people’s perspectives helps me understand my own when it comes to my art.

Hearing the input from outside viewers makes me ask myself different questions about what it is I

am doing. Hopefully, my art will allow this same benefit to others.”

Busceme said that lately his primary influences are Doze Green, James Jean and Adam Neate.

“We’re all influenced by what’s around us,” he said. “You can find a common thread, something that connects all the ideas, anywhere you look “There might be something that separates me from other artists, but I don’t know what it is.”

Entry is free and the work will be for sale. Refreshments will be available at the event.

For more information, email victoriahousetx@gmail.com, or visit the High Street Gallery Facebook page or www.naked dads.com.

CHIN from page 9 “I think the nice thing about this show is the diversity,” he said. “There is going to be something for everybody. There is going to be some realistic sculpture, there is going to be some abstract, there is going to be some figurative.

“There is going to be a whole gambit of subject matter, as well as the different ways of approaching subject matter.”

French said sculptors are limited to the materials they use.

“Some people embrace the nature of the materials themselves, or they strive to make the material look like something else,” she said. “Butch (Jack) is doing some things — although the ones we will have here are metal sculptures — but he does do some things that appear to be metal sculptures, but in reality, they are styrofoam.”

She said the pieces are painted styrofoam forms which were original castings for metal pieces. Usually the plastic is melted out, but Jack uses the forms and makes them look like metal.

Jack said he uses a lot of different media. For the Invitational, he will be showing one steel piece, and one steel and wood piece.

“They are actually not big or heavy, he said. “It is actually going to hang from the ceiling.

“That is one thing that all sculptors have to deal with — gravity.”

Jack started doing hanging pieces many decades ago. He said they are basically they are plumb bobs.

Like Blanton, Jack doesn’t sketch or do much planning before he begins a project.

“I usually have a vague idea, but gee, if I knew what it looked like, why would I make it?” he said.

Although Jack has painted and sketched, he prefers making three-dimensional art.

“My take on it all has always been, why make an illusion when you can just make the thing?” he said.

French said Lotus Bermundez is utilizing the porch of TASI for a hanging piece.

Linnis Blanton shows off a three-piece construction in progress.

“She was really interested in doing something on the exterior of the building,” French said, adding that Bermudez uses string in her work.

Blanton said that most of the people he has come across while working with clay are the nicest people.

“You are working with Mother Earth — It is a very primitive material,” he said, adding that there is something therapeutic about working with clay rather than with metal and other media, and that most sculptors share their ideas with others.

“But you don’t get the sharing with painting,” he said. “The painter’s environment is almost like, “Don’t steal my idea. (In the ceramics studio) it is like, ‘Take my idea and run with it — please use my

idea and come out with your own way of doing it.’”

Blanton said he doesn’t want everyone’s work to look like his, but if a fellow sculptor wants to try his technique, he encourages them to “See what happens.”

When French decided to curate the show, she had a simple goal in mind.

“I am trying to do a sculptural collage of this area and who is doing what,” French said.

The Sculpture Invitational opens with a free reception, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., March 7.

The Art Studio is located at 720 Franklin in downtown Beaumont.

For information, call 409-838-5393 or visit www.artstudio.org.

Volume 21, No. 6

March 2015 ISSUE • 13

Family Fun at AMSET The Art Museum of Southeast Texas hosted a “Freedom!” Family Arts Day, Feb. 21. The event featured a variety of hands-on activities including wood sculptures — related to the exhibition “Caprice Pierucci: Dream State” — and wood sculptures, to coincide with the show “Harvey Johnson: A Triple Middle Passage.” Other activities included presidential beards and decorating shamrock cookies in honor of the upcoming St. Patrick’s Day. A gathering of all ages was also treated to a poetry reading by Treva Johnson.

ISSUE photos by Andy Coughlan

14 • ISSUE March 2015

Volume 21, No. 6

CROCKETT STREET DANCE PARTY TO LAUNCH ‘PRIDE SEASON,’ MARCH 6 Beaumont Pride and Crockett Street Entertainment District will host a free dance party, March 6, from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Red Room.

Entertainment features Son of Hot Damn and a Drag Show featuring Bella Cavalli, Olivia Gardner and Treasure Gardner.

The event kicks off planning for the Pride Festival, the date for which will be announced at the dance party.

“While we, as an organization, strive to make Beaumont Pride as representative of our region’s unique culture and history, we also want to honor the traditions of Pride festivals that have come before us,” Shawn Hare, Pride Committee chair, said. “Hosting and participating in events throughout the course of ‘Pride season’ falls in line with those traditions.”

Son of Hot Damn, a DJ troupe, plays retro hits and various genres.

“If the collective doesn’t mix the music themselves, they are paying attention to what the dance floor needs,” Olivia Busceme, Pride entertainment chair, said.“And that is why they are good DJs. “Everyone is welcome. It is going to be dancing whether you like it or not — you wont be able to help it.”

The Red Room, located upstairs at Crockett Street, is an intimate venue.

“It has good feng shui,” Busceme said, “but still holds a lot of people.”

The event is the first in a series of LGBT-related events leading to this summer’s festival, events which while focusing on LGBT causes, are intended to accommodate everyone.

“It is a safe space — you don’t have to be scared to show up because the event is open to everyone,” Busceme said.

Crockett Street is an inclusive organization, Andrew Fison, venue day manager, said.

“This is a fabulous opportunity,” he said. “It is what downtown Beaumont needs. All of us who have been involved for any length of time in the dance scene have been involved in gay culture for years.”

Crockett street has previously hosted drag shows at Red Room, The Gig and Tequila Rok. “So we aren’t doing anything we haven’t done before, Fison said. “This is just another opportunity to show that Beaumont can make a change,” he said.

“At its inception, the Crockett Street complex was intended as a community space for Beaumont,” Hare said.

He said the committee has been working diligently

Mission Statement

planning Pride 2015 and is recruiting volunteers.

“If you want to volunteer for Pride, this is the place to do it early,” Busceme said. “Get your foot in the door,” Besides dancing and volunteering, veteran performance artists will entertain with individual drag numbers and a group performance.

“I have worked with Olivia Gardner many times and she is wonderful,” Busceme said. “She transcends all genres and groups of people.”

Olivia Gardner is unique to the drag scene by playing rock shows and performing to songs by local bands such as Jenny and the Reincarnation, Busceme said.

“She finds inspiration in a lot of different places that is not so common for drag queens,” Busceme said.

Treasure Gardner was mentored by 20-year veteran performer Olivia. Calvalli hasn’t been on the scene as long, but has been actively involved in community theater.

“There are so many things to look forward to in 2015 for Pride,” Busceme said. “And the committee is so excited to share those things with people.

“We are going to dance our faces off.”

For more information, visit the Beaumont Pride Facebook page, or email beaumontpride@gmail.com.

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Founded in 1983, The Art Studio, Inc. is devoted to: providing opportunities for interaction between the public and the Southeast Texas community of artists; furnishing affordable studio space to originating artists of every medium; promoting cultural growth and diversity of all art forms in Southeast Texas; and providing art educational opportunities to everyone, of every age, regardless of income level, race, national origin, sex or religion.

PURPOSE The purpose of The Art Studio, Inc. is to (1) provide educational opportunities between the general public and the community of artists and (2) to offer sustained support for the artist by operating a non-profit cooperative to provide studio space and exhibition space to working artists and crafts people, and to provide an area for group work sessions for those artists and crafts people to jointly offer their labor, ideas, and enthusiasm to each other.

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This project was funded in part by the B.A. & E.W. Steinhagen Benevolent Trust through the Southeast Texas Arts Council.

Volume 21, No. 6

March 2015 ISSUE • 15

Thoughtcrime Submission Guidelines and Disclaimer ISSUE solicits and publishes the work of local authors. Poetry, short fiction, scholarly works and opinion pieces may be submitted for review. All works must be typed and may be sent to TASI by email or by messaging the ISSUE Facebook page.

The opinions expressed in “Thoughtcrime” do not necessarily reflect the opinions of TASI, its Board of Directors, ISSUE’s editorial staff, or donors to TASI. Send typed works to: ISSUE 720 Franklin, Beaumont, TX 77701 or e-mail issue@artstudio.org Authors must submit a daytime telephone number and email along with all submissions. Pen names are acceptable, but authors must supply real names for verification.

All printed works are protected by copyright. The author retains rights to any published work. ISSUE does not notify of rejection by mail or telephone.

Bayou Boys A great coonass died the other day. The name was Robert Leroy Ward. They knew him by his front name down at the casino. If you needed anything, he was the man to talk to, and always at the right place at the right time. He taught me that the main ingredient to a good Gumbo was a mirror, so that you could make your Rue asshole brown. Leroy is a lot like me — slimy enough to be in bad company, but the way we comb our hair allows us to direct the powers that be.

I was drinking a cup of coffee when I heard the news. Leroy had died and my little nieces where taking it hard. I can’t blame them; he was the glue of the family and those babies loved their Papa. He was building a refinery down in Colombia, and I guarantee he had a good time. His wife was so distraught that his oldest daughter April had to go to Colombia to help retrieve his body. With lawyers and several days, April sorted it out with the Colombians.

The day of the viewing we all stood around down at Broussards Funeral Home drinking coffee and the babies couldn’t stop touching Leroy. I told them with a laugh, “Baby, you are gonna rub all of Pappas make up off.” Sometimes they touched him like a dead body and sometimes they touched him like Pappa. I know Pappa wouldn’t care; if it were another family member he would have just laughed, anyway.

April’s husband, Guy, was freaked out because Leroy — like his own father — died at 56. That was a hard time for Guy and his family, and I remember the hurt they felt. He was facing his own mortality and reliving the pain. Not as hard, but still hurt.

After the Catholic chant was over, everyone could say something if they wanted to do so. Leroy’s son-inlaw, Adam, with his two brother-in-laws behind him spoke very well about Leroy and I could tell he was honored to do so. Adams middle child, who couldn’t be more than four, wanted to talk. He lifted her up to the microphone and with a little sweet voice she said, “I miss Pappa so much.”

I remember last Thanksgiving I had dinner with them in Lake Charles. Leroy lived on the lake with a great view of the bridge and casino — right place at the right time. The babies made place cards all down the long table and we took turns saying what we were grateful for. When it got to Adams daughter it was quiet. Adults were coaching her to say something, “What are you grateful for?” She pointed her little finger all around the room in a circular motion.

I almost cried.

At the end of the end of the funeral everyone sang the LSU fight chant and Dean Martin’s “Little Wine Drinker.” You know how coonass are.

The next day was the funeral. Blue Broussard hands me an obituary for Leroy. It said that Leroy had his own idea what color gumbo rue should be and he carried his own color chart everywhere he went. No shit! Leroy got the last laugh again.

We drove out to the cemetery where they laid Leroy down under a live oak. It was right next to the river where you could see barges go by. I walked down by the river and remembered what Leroy said to me

one of the last times I saw him, “It doesn’t matter where you go or what you do, you will always be a part of this family. And you will always be my baby’s Uncle Nat.” In the South, everyone who is older than you that you love is uncle or aunt somebody.

When the service was over, I tramped through the mud and weeds, down to the water’s edge where I found a soccer ball. I kicked it back to the lawn and played with it for a while. Then I kicked it over to my truck to retrieve it before my exit from the grave yard. Guy came walking down to the water so no one could see him smoke a cigarette. I could tell he was reeling from past events. He was on auto pilot and could not carry on a conversation. My consolation was unobtainable.

We all started back to the church to eat and I realized I had left the ball, so I stopped and looked in my rear view mirror. I didn’t turn back to get it, I just keep looking at it. After about eight minutes a Mexican woman and her child came walking by and the little girl picked it up with excitement. I could tell they both had found a treasure. I knew I was on the right path as I drove away listening to Billy Joe Shaver’s “Star in my Heart.”

We ate, then inquired about a liquor store. There was one between the church and Uncle Dan’s. I entered the store, but not before holding the door open for two sweet black angels who were eyeballing me as well. Fleeing, she placed her index finger over my lips and her neon yellow finger nail touched the end of my nose. I purchased two long wheel based beers with form fitting paper sacks and a pint of whiskey for extra spark. I don’t usually drink but after all, it was a funeral.

We had one hell of a bonfire as fireworks were going off over head. That Leroy sure knows how to have a party. I could tell his daughter April finally had time to accept her father’s death. She stared into the flames as the fireworks exploded. She was in charge of the situation and didn’t have time to do anything except take care of business, but now it was time to grieve.

I snuck out so I didn’t have to hug 47 people and brought my ass down to the Gig where GG Shinn was singing with the Ken Marvel Band. Thank you Lord for swamp pop. As I walked through the door, GG mounts the stage with his red crush velvet suit and walks to the edge of the stage to survey the crowd. GG has an earring and a gold tooth that shines in the light when he smiles, hair perfect. That’s one shiny mother. He gets the crowd’s attention the way he sashayed to the microphone, holding his staff like some old love wizard. The women hollered for a drip of nectar.

The band kicks up the “Harlem Shuffle.” The horns are blaring through the crowd. Everyone is moving, even if it is just their foot or tapping their finger.

People are out on the dance floor in a frenzy. Slow it down, “Something is wrong with my baby. Then something is wrong with me.” Everyone is drunk and falling everywhere, swaying, their libidos building. Most people are fifty years plus, but that ain’t stopping them from feeling up their dance partner. There are old wrinkled hands in back pockets and red bandannas making out in front of the bar. Hiding in corners and hands in shirts. Even if it’s real slow there’s some old people gonna get fucked tonight. I LOVE IT! My friend Beth

LivingLife I sniff the smell of the onion Sliced for the chicken sandwich.

There is joy in slicing the tomato And sliding on the bread.

Spreading the mayo without a knife Squeezed from the no longer jar.

Salt and Pepper make me sneeze As I look at the meal’s pills.

Resurrection at a hospital some Day I will refuse, hopefully afar.

DJ Kava

and I join in to this pit of trashing bodies and it’s getting sloppier and sweatier. More coonass music comes pouring out and it’s all we can do to keep our voices we are hollering so hard. An old man dances like nobody is watching free from all who dare to judge. He goes down into the splits and I shit a brick. He is a mad man, and James Brown cool. I even think I saw him do the Boogaloo. Alcohol is flowing with more gallons per minute than the Sabine River and my gut is full with more in route. We step outside to smoke and breath air that doesn’t have stank on it. TK Hueling and GG sing “Hold on, I’m coming.”

TK sings “Glory Halleluiah” because of the crowd and because he sings it well. We are not as amused because they use songs like this to convince people that everything is alright, and it’s not. We want it to be true but we have canceled our subscriptions.

GG comes back with TK and sings “If You Don’t Know Me By Now.” That is for sure a belly-rubbing song. Get Down Brown, who has been in the SouthEast Texas night life for over 60 years comes out to thank everyone for coming out and says that there will be more to come.

Ken Marvell convinces GG to sing his woodpecker song. Apparently, he used to sing this song in the ‘40s when he was in Boy Scouts. One of the lines in the song was, “two wood peckers pecking on each other, one wood pecker said I forgot to put the rubba. Woodpecker ... woodpecker.” It was generally a filthy song , but after all, it was Valentines Day, and I laughed my ass off. Then he would use people’s names like the name game to fill the lines to the Woodpecker song. He has been singing this song for 60 years and has always been able to make up the song on the spot. Ladies would go up to the stage to tell their husbands name and before he would sing the song he’d holler out “woodpecker pecker” like a cat call to let everyone know to hold your drawers cause it’s coming. Someone’s name was Teddy and he assured the crowd that Teddy was ready while holding his staff between his legs as if it were his member. The crowd fell out.

In an interview in Cat5 magazine, GG made a joke about honoring thy current wife. Everyone knows he loves his wife Sandra, but coonasses have a special way of thinking about things. It’s a way of making a bad situation alright. It’s colorful and fun-loving. It’s a way of acknowledging sin and being alright with it. We are just simple humans doing the same thing since the beginning. There are no new human elements.

On the way back home, I thought of Jean Lafitte and how he received word that he was unwelcome in Lake Charles, how the officials would have him hung if he showed his face around these waters. To show gratitude for keeping Lafitte in their prayers, he ransacked the town for two weeks, making all the officials of Lake Charles walk the plank with lots of debauchery and drunkenness for a fort night. After, he went on to rob British ships worry free from Lake Charles authority.

To this day, they honor that time with a festival called Contraband Days with two weeks of debauchery. C’est la vie.

Nathaniel Welch

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