In this together

                               In this together, Cornstarch drawing,  2020

2020 was weird, right? Lockdown! I probably had it better than most having worked out of my house/been in ‘lockdown’ for years. In some ways it was better for me, I had the company of my family during the day. Still it was a grim time. As a little ‘gift’ to the neighbourhood I made a few cornstarch drawings*. The first one was made around the end of the first month of lockdown. I went out at 11.30 and started laying out the cardboard stencils. There was no one about. As I started picking up the stencils a car headed up the hill towards me pulled into the intersection and stopped. Burbank Police. A Cop got out and came towards me. We had a little chat about what I was up to. I told him about the gift idea and that it was cornstarch which would wash away easily. He smiled. Got back in his car, made a 3 point turn making sure not to drive through the newly completed line and drove into the night.

* It should be noted using cornstarch and stencils to make a drawing was NOT my idea. Two years earlier I got a request from Carole Kim to participate in a multi-media performance. She wanted large scale wiggly-line stencils. I made them. Carole arranged them on the bank of the LA River. Cornstarch was sprinkled over the stencils which, when removed, left in place what looked like a large scale chalk drawing. Later that evening there were dancers and music and projected images.