In process: et al # 5

Introduction:
I have finished my painting done with input from long distance truck drivers along I-85/I-40. Check it out. The following is my journal for my fifth painting in the et al series. I am creating a work that takes its influence from the house keeping staff at UNC.

Friday, October 1, 2004

On a beautiful fall day, I visited two UNC house-keeping staff meetings. The first was at Craig Dorm -a 1970's era building that reminded me of my days in college. When I finally found the staff meeting in an out of the way hall, I was immediately introduced by Cathy, their supervisor. The group had been told of the project and readily started to draw. The most obvious thing about this group was their friendly relationship with each other. Jokes and laughter immediately filled the hall as almost all the men and women started to draw. I have never worked with a more joyous group of people. They reminded me of my wife's community of special education teachers and assistants. They joke in a "M.A.S.H" kid of way to survive the tough job they do teaching and loving special education kids. I wondered if the work done by this group helped create this sense of humor between the staff, or maybe it was the management style of Cathy.

Most of the pictures I got from this group were light-hearted, with scenes of cook outs, beer coolers, and goofy faces coming from most of the men. Several staff members drew serious subjects; one was of a line of the working poor standing in the rain outside a soup kitchen, the other was of a battered women kicking the tail of her abuser. This last work was very powerful and will probably appear quickly in my painting. With the drawings collected and thanks given I left feeling joyous. I thought about sullen staff meetings I had attended as an adjunct in college and wondered what it would take to have them be that merry.

Here are a few of their drawings:


Later in the afternoon I borrowed a bike and rode through town to my next meeting. This group was seated in a classroom in the old dental building. When I entered their supervisor turned things over to me and I began talking. They sat quietly, and I had a hard time reading them. The group was mixed; many were African-American but one section was oriental. I later learned they were from Burma. This staff group was more reserved than the one at Craig dorm, and their art work expressed concerns as varied as poverty, peace, and working conditions. Several of the Bermese staff drew beautiful scenes from their life in Burma. One powerful image done by a white staff person showed a cross and the UNC logo superimposed. When I asked about this work he commented that UNC was so liberal that being a Christian was not easily respected. Another work by staff person expressed his frustration over working conditions, pay, and management.

I am aware of the history between the housekeeping staff and UNC. I am not doing this project to create similar controversy. Rather, I hope to create a work that more completely represents from where this community is coming- not just from the standpoint of fare wages, etc - though I respect their concerns over that issue.

Here are some of their images:

Friday, November 19, 2004

I have begun painting! Having finished the Singapore project I can now concentrate on finishing the et al series. I will be working hard on this over the next several months. My next piece will be done with the help of undocumented workers. I will post those drawings soon. Enjoy the progress of this work. I will!

Tuesday, November 30, 2004

Painted all day. The composition is starting to come together. The colors and keys are not right yet.

Saturday, January 8th, 2005

It's done! I worked on the painting religiously over Christmas break. I am happy with the results and have contacted a venue in Chapel Hill to exhibit it. I want to invite the Housekeeping staff that helped with this project to visit the work too. I will post details on this web site as soon as they are firm. Here is the work as a low resolution image. Click on the picture to see a larger file of the painting.