Typically I cover LA art, sometimes, I cover New York art. But
while visiting my family in Madison, Wisconsin, over the
holidays, I was reminded that art isn't about glossy white
gallery floors and pristine walls, expensive print postcards, and
hype. Without these trappings, or even a pretense of pursuing
"art stardom" (which, besides reminding me of a great song by the
Yeah Yeah Yeahs, doesn't mean much) people still make art, some
of which has a refreshingly independent bent and unique, even
noteworthy, charm.
One such artist is Don Helley, known to his friends as "Uncle
Don" or even "Unka Dee." Don is a baseball trivia expert, WORT
community radio volunteer, and longtime political activist. His notebooks of black
and white pen and ink drawings remind me of a Taoist, abstract
map of the polyverse. Here follows five question and answers with
an unassuming talent; who truly embodies the slogan, "art for
art's sake."
1. How long have you been doing these drawings?
A. I drew most of
them from about 1990 to 1998. I still do one now and then, but
not in a regular routine. It took me about two years before I was
skilled enough to complete crisp drawings with some
regularity.
2. Who or what inspires you as an artist?
A. Any art, any medium
can inspire one to create. The pains, sorrows, joys and victories
of life trigger the need to express oneself. When I was drawing
most of these images the driving force was most likely whimsy
mixed with caffeine. I generally do not have a preconceived idea
in my mind. I usually play one of several games to generate some
random lines on a page, then I embellish the lines I've made, at
some time I may "find" some image in the randomness, and then try
to bring out what I find. My last pass is fleshing out lines.
This may "fail" (in my perception) at any time, causing me to
abandon the page and move on. About one in four attempts makes it
all the way through to completion.
3. How would you describe the "art scene" in Madison?
A. Most of
the art scene is in the campus and or the isthmus. Madison is
more of a place to develop your skills than a place to sell your
finished art. Other than campus art shows and a few downtown
galleries, an artist must work everything from the coffee houses
to large outdoor art shows. We have a nice variety of talent for
a medium sized Midwestern city.
4. What are the advantages for an artist, living in a smaller
sized city instead of Chicago, New York, or LA?
A. I have no
pressure on me here. If I feel like making a funny picture I can.
It is in my case an avocation.
5. How do you decide a work is "finished"?
A. Well, this question
is easy and odd at the same time. The way I draw means it's
finished when I fill up the page, but that is not exactly
correct. Most of my drawings are done on a small blank book, so
I'm limited by the size, sometimes it's done when I have a time
limit, or I get tired. Some drawings just look right! Sometimes a
drawing will make me come back to it and finish it. One drawing
was finished in about a minute, the most complex ones took about
four hours. Clear as mud, right.
© 2010, Moira Cue / The Hollywood Sentinel.