Nonexiztian flag redesign

I dont have much to post this week because it has been a "building" week...That is, I have spent most of my time building a wall to hang the drop for Fictitious on (really just adding pieces to make the 12'x8' wall into a 16'x10' wall) and priming the drop...so no real pictures there...in fact the only truly artistic thing I have to show for the week is the redesign of the flag for Nonexiztia. Redesign, you say? Why yes. Turns out that both the director and I were caught unawares that the Nonexiztian flag needed to be "Blue, Pink, Fuchsia, Brown, Mustard and Turquoise" (which is just about double the number of colors on any real flag....!) So, I present the new, Nonexiztian flag:

I might also mention that Scenery Appreciation nite for Spooky dog went really well last week, and I'd like to thank everyone (again) for coming out! If you missed it last week, I'd try to get tickets for this Saturday...turns out that the playwright is coming in to see the show...(which is an interesting trifecta for Landless this year...Seems they have had a visit from the playwright for each show they have done this year!)

Near Misses, Fictitious and Red Bull Warriors

So this is a two week post because I missed last weeks window...I've been busy, and also I have not been managing time as efficiently as possible lately...

First, let me remind you that "Scenery Appreciation nite" for Spooky Dog is this Friday (6/19) and all you need to do is go to the Landless website, and order your tickets...put in the coupon code "JARED" and you receive a discount! Plus, you will get a chance to hang out with the set designer after the show, at no additional cost...

Okay, a super brief wrap up of the past two weeks events: First, I was almost killed at Lubber Run Amphitheater while taking lights off of the basket-on-top-of-a-flagpole setup that they have there. Well, turns out that one of them collapsed from under me while I was going up the ladder that was leaning against it. I jumped to the moss covered roof to safety, and lived to tell the tale

Lubber Run Amphitheater...the tower on the right is the one that collapsed...

The force of the tower hitting the wing wall knocked the cinder block cap off...and you can see the tiny moss covered roof I jumped to...the ladder is in the position that they got me down from...

Well there's yer problem...the bottom of the pole had rusted out...

Other events of note that don't have accompanying dramatic pictures are: The David Byrne/Brian Eno concert at Wolf Trap, Rock and Roll at Studio, Looped at the Lincoln, and the Gay Pride Parade

The big monkey off of my back is that I finished the Red Bull Terra-cotta Warriors project. You can see the results below:

Red Bull and MieNyu Terra-Cotta Warriors Photo Ops
Approx 6'x5' (three pieces hinged together, with removable heads) Acrylic on Plywood.

A Baltimore artist, Charles Lawrance, is going to augment these guys with cutout redbull cans...I'll be sure to post pics when MieNyu has their party in late July...

Lastly, I finally put my nose to the grindstone on Fictitious. Fictitious is a play about (essentially) the life and times of Arnold Schwarzenegger...with some additions and subtractions, like his home country "Nonexista" (who's flag I designed for the show)

The Nonexistian flag

Fictitious is going to be one of the two entries for Landless theatre in the Capital Fringe Festival this year. Fortunately its in the Warehouse (which I have plenty of design experience in), but unfortunately, its fringe so there is minimal storage and a measly 15 minutes to set up and break down...so, I have tried my best to overcome those limitations and find a design that expresses the tone of the show while accommodating the 20 scenes it takes place in...(did I mention it was a musical?)

Fictitious Set Design
Pencil and Photoshop, 1"=1'

WAPO Artomatic Article and Spooky Dog opens FRIDAY

Artomatic opened last weekend... you can get a sense of what kind of evening that was from the only acceptable photo in my camera:

JD, Chris Bishop, Scott Brooks and KT at Artomatic opening night

But the real news is that the Washington Post published an article today (Friday, June 5) that mentions Jared in Uber-collector Phillip Barlow's unofficial roundup of artists he likes at Artomatic. You can read the whole article, HERE.

The other big news of the day is that Spooky Dog and the Teenage Mysteries opens tonight at the DCAC! I got a chance to take some shots at last nights final dress rehearsal...

"What? this is parody, you cant sue us!"

The set without pesky actors...The "Clue Caravan"

I like this shot because it seems to be from "Scraggly's" point of view...

Spooky solves another mystery!

ARTOMATIC OPENS THIS WEEKEND!!!

I know that I was talkin' all scared about how I didn't have anything ready for Artomatic last week...well, turns out that I made it in the nick of time...

Jared's Artomatic space with Hurdi Gurdi installed, as seen from 8th floor elevators.

Instead of trying to crank out a bunch of smaller pictures, I concentrated on making one large piece. It's actually five separate pieces of luan, that have been screwed to the 8'x8' plywood wall provided by artomatic.

Hurdi Gurdy
Acrylic on luan (five pieces) 8'x8'

While considering what to do at Artomatic, I came to the conclusion that it was one of the best venues for experimentation that a painter in DC is likely to have. Which means that I was given an opportunity to do something outlandish and risky. Seizing that opportunity meant making something that was not necessarily commercially viable and even something that was a bit ugly. In the end, I decided that I would make something that would be informed by my work in theater (using theatrical scale, as well as materials) as well as my work as a painter (painterliness and pictorial narrative) because that is exactly the type of work I have been striving to make lately. Usually, I am trying to shoehorn painterliness into my scenic designs...this time I wanted to shoehorn my scenic design sensibilities into my painting.

The narrative is also somewhat new for me. Usually, I make paintings that are pretty narrative neutral. The monkeys or tikis are usually alone, or it is not clear what is going on. My still lifes generally just depict the object without a background. So this picture is a departure for me. It has a definite narrative. It tells the tale of murder.

The Monkey was the Organ Grinder's. However the Organ Grinder is dead. He slipped on the murder weapon, a banana. Was it the Monkey that killed the Organ Grinder? That is unclear, but he seems pretty excited about being released from his bonds.


The Organ Grinder's disembodied head appears behind the monkey. Is the Organ Grinders soul going to heaven? or is he being dragged down to Hell by the anvil he is carrying in his mouth? Will he drop the anvil on the Monkey as payback for his untimely death?


Its a silly story...and a silly painting. But it was a whole lot of fun to make. Perhaps there are a few more paintings I could make describing the dynamic between Organ Grinder and Monkey...

I look forward to seeing everyone at the opening night of Artomatic, this Friday night! (Stop on by and sample the circus peanuts!)

Spooky Dog set finished...still need to start on Artomatic!

This week just few by because I concentrated solely on the construction and painting for Spooky Dog and the Teenage Gang Mysteries...which opens in previews this Friday and Saturday in Frederick (check out this sweet preview report from the Gazette) Spooky Dog will open at the DCAC in Adams Morgan on June 5th. Check out Landless' homepage for more details...and stay tuned to BTT blog for upcoming "scenery appreciation nights" (and the discounts that come with membership in the Artbyjared fan club...)

Suggestive Hot Dog stand...(and hidden ABJ logo reference!)

The whole set setup in the scene shop...

Detail of the main drop
Acrylic on Velour, 12'x8'

I'm off to try to make something for artomatic...

Spooky Dog first sketch

Things have been crazy...so above is the sketch for Spooky Dog...Which I intend to have completed by this time next week (!)...Haven't made much progress on the Artomatic painting front...hopefully I will be able to pull something out of my butt between now and the 26th!

See you next week!

My Staycation

I took a staycation. That's right, I took time off from the scene shop, and just stayed at home and relaxed. Well, I didn't really relax, per se, because KT took time off from Olney too. So, we spent the week fixing up the house, and generally getting stuff done that we normally don't have time to do. It was a needed respite after the whirlwind of stuff that happened in April.

But even in a staycation duty calls. To start the week off right, I had my site selection for Artomatic on our first official day off. KT helped me find the perfect space:

KT is excited about my space...8th floor, Area 5, Space 8....or the Northwest corner of the 8th floor, on the end closest to the stairwell...

One of the reasons KT is so excited is that she realizes that my space is facing (well, my row, at least) the national mall, and therefore has a good view of the fireworks on the 4th of July. I like the idea of seeing the fireworks from inside an air conditioned building that is serving beer (unlike those poor suckers on the mall, who have to get sauced before they left home)

The view of the Washington monument from my row...the fireworks should go off between the Washington monument and the crane

...and just for kicks, here is the view if you look to the right of my wall...isn't our city pretty sometimes?

Shortly after selecting the space for Artomatic, we went to the "scenery appreciation night" for Walmartopia. Landless has agreed to institute the "Jared" discount on certian "scenery appreciation nights" so that my friends and family can come, er, appreciate the scenery on a given production for a reduced rate! So, J-Rod, Mike and Jaya were able to see such a quality show for less than what you plebeians have to pay...KT said that Walmartopia was "better than Batboy"...which is high praise from her...

The next day Walmartopia was struck and a small production meeting was assembled for Spooky Dog and the teenage gang mysteries...I should have some sketches (if not progress on building the actual set) for you to see next week.

I also became an NRA member that day...and then got kicked off the range...but hey, that's just how I roll...

On Monday April 27th, I saw Star Trek. That's right suckers, I saw Star Trek almost a full two weeks before you did! (Thanks Paramount, partial sponsors of Yuri's Night 2009!) My review: IT WAS AWESOME! I am going to see it (ahem, again) in IMAX this weekend!

So, other than the home improvements (clearing out the evil plants under our front porch, painting porch railings, installing new lattice, putting 1600 lbs. of decorative rocks under the porch, etc) the week went pretty uneventfully, Until...

My meeting with Red Bull and the Georgetown restaurant Mei N Yu about a photo op commission that they want for their big summer event. They asked me to design something like the "muscleman cutouts" you would see on a boardwalk on coney island...except Asian and with Red Bull...So, I made three sketches:


They seemed to like the last one best. I happen to agree that three terra cotta warriors from china is the most direct "photo op"...that is, you wouldn't have to explain as much to people about photographing with them...plus they can take one away if there are only two people...The Red Bull people have decided that they want to sculpt the armor out of red bull cans, and have already lined up a Baltimore artist to embellish my designs...you should expect to see pictures of these leaving the shop sometime in mid June.

And Lastly, my Staycation was rounded out with the strike for Follies. It could have been much worse (in fact we had planned for it to go very badly) but in reality, we were done with everything by 3am...we had filled 2 1/2 dumpsters with the tiny cut up pieces, but we were done....Follies was one of those landmark shows for an organization like TAP (you can check out the DCtheaterscene article here) and I am proud to have been part of it. But in the end, I am relieved that it is over...

Yuri's Night Photos Start to roll in...and Follies Reviewed!

So, it's really just Kirstra's Camera that has contributed to the Yuri's Night photo pool so far (Thanks Kirstra!) I am happy to post these choice photos on BTT because Kirstra's hard drive had something of a EPIC FAIL, and wiped out her photos...except these lucky few...

Bambi, Heidi, Jim and yours truly...that's just how Yuri rolls!

Lil' Dutch, KT and Sugar Ann Spice

JD + KT + Southern Hemisphere

JD + KT on the stage after the show...whew!

Bambi and I get cosmo-naughty!

Dr. Zaeus and the "schick-schick" doorway

The Dance party was off the hook! Thanks DJ P-Vo!

When more photos roll in, I'll be happy to post them! (you know you've got some!)

I have cleaned up most of the house and scene shop, so I haven't really had time to make any art per se...but I will have some early designs for a photo op sponsored by Red Bull by this time next week! (and of course there is the ramp-up to this year's Artomatic to worry about!)

The other piece of news is that Follies got reviewed by the Washington Post today...It's a mixed review, but not where the set is concerned...Michael Toscano says:

Jared Davis's large set is gorgeous and functionally innovative enough to accommodate the crumbling present and the glittering past.

...Which is officially the nicest thing that the post has ever said about my scenery....

THANK YOU FOR A STELLAR YURI'S NIGHT!!!!!

This year's Countdown to Yuri's Night was the best one yet! Thanks so much to everyone for coming out and filling the Warehouse with your intergalactic alien love! (we didn't even mind the probing this time!)

So, predictably, I ran out of battery juice when I started to take photos that night, so I don't have very many to share (except for this provocative placeholder photo of Lil' Dutch)


So, in the meantime, I want to encourage any of you BTT readers out there that attended Yuri's Night to send me your best photos! We want to compile a bunch of good photos to post on the www.outofthisworldparty.com "2009 photo gallery" so we can give people in the 2010 event something to shoot for!

I will post Yuri's Night photos here also, as I receive them...

Out of the frying pan into the fire...FOLLIES opens this weekend! The Arlington Players have a really good show on their hands...the only problem for you, loyal BTT reader, is that the superb lighting design (by Hal Crawford) looks great in person, but does not photograph well with my equipment...so I offer these shots as a mere taste of what a fantastic show it really is...

Follies Act I Set Design
Pencil and Photoshop 1/8"=1'

Follies Act I

Follies Act I (Buddy's breakdown)

Follies Act II "Loveland"
(hey, where'd that giant fan come from? see the show to find out!)

Also, I must put in a plug for Walmartopia (it closes on the 26th!!!)...I was able to rustle up some photos from Amanda that show off what the Washington Post calls "Spartan" scenery...but what DC Theater Scene says is:

...I feel as though I have watched a theatrical bar mitzvah. At the end I wanted to stand up and say “Today, you are a theater company."

So, it just proves that art is subjective...and that Walmartopia is probably a good show for you to see if you like Spartans or bar mitzvahs...

The somewhat creepy opening number...

With co-workers like this, who wouldn't want to work at Wal-Mart?

WALMARTOPIA OPENS!!!! Yuri's Night JUST ONE WEEK AWAY!

So the headline this week is that WALMARTOPIA opens this weekend (Actually it opened on Thursday) Unfortunately, I haven't been able to get photos of the set during dress rehearsals, like I usually do. So this one is going to be a big secret that can only be revealed if you GO SEE THE SHOW! You can get tickets here



The countdown clock continues:

8 DAYS UNTIL YURI'S NIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Countdown to Yuri's Night Logo 2009
Acrylic on Black Velour, 8'x8'

Yep. that's all...we are so very close to launch, that I can practically taste the astronaut ice cream with a Stoli chaser! Get your tickets to this soon, as we have sold a bunch of the 9pm tickets already!

And just to add insult to injury...(I am suffering from burning the candle from both ends lately) Follies begins its load in this week...So, here are some random pictures of scenery that is lying about the shop, waiting for transport to the theater:

SL tower for follies...the idea is that it supposed to look like abandoned scenery...are we close yet?

One of the upstage "ladies" that will become a sort of light box...halfway through the paint job...yeah, its luan, so that's a lot of jigsaw blades...

Final Push for WALMARTOPIA

So, this week has been dedicated to the final push for Walmartopia. You can see that I have made some progress so far:

Wamartopia cutouts in various states of completion

But one of the Act II figures is pretty close to done:

And I was able to make the projection screen with little difficulty:

The most complete item is the Wal~Mart sign...I have changed it (hopefully enough) to avoid the wrath of the vicious corporate lawyers...

Walmartopia opens next Thursday (April 2nd) at the DCAC...go check it out before you are too busy with....

YURI'S NIGHT!!!!

There are only 16 days until Yuri's Night!!!!

This week we made all sorts of behind the scenes progress...but most importantly, I made a quantum leap forward on building an arsenal of space rockets with the help of KT, Jaya, Kirstra and Todd...I don't have any pictures to show for it just yet...so you'll just have to come to the show in order to see our space fleet in action!