I don’t know if I can honestly credit anyone for stealing the show in July, though I might nominate Khier Starchylde whose digital imagery on display at The Creative Alternative is positively stunning.  Alas, I fear his type of art may be all too underappreciated by the math abhorring masses, but as a certifiable computer & mathematical genius in my own right, let me assure you that Starchylde’s work is cutting edge stuff—although the reasons why this is so are almost as difficult to grasp as Relativity Theory, and for largely the same reasons; both are geometrodynamically intense!

Yet another contender for top honors is Michael Hanks, displaying at Heartsong, GP’s newest New Age shop, on 6th between G and H Streets.  Mike does some really slick stuff with sheetrock and laminated plaster—so far I’ve seen just plaques/wall hangings and tile-esque objects of art, though he’s looking into the possibility of doing up entire buildings with his magnificent bas-relief imagery (alas, nobody seems to be burying any Pharoahs these days…)  Mike also shows his stuff regularly at the Saturday Artisans and Crafters Market. 

Last but not least in my Top Three is the “Grapes, Vine and Wine” exhibit at the Harper and Howell Gallery.  For this extravaganza I offer two rounds of especial kudos to Dan Way Harper and Peace, who created two of the finest works in that show.

Notably absent from the festivities was Peace himself, off on a roadtrip with his nephew, Donny Peace USMC, recently returned from a tour of duty in Iraq (where he lived up to his name admirably, serving as a medic!)  Anyhow, they’re up in Washington, visiting family, and I hopefully imagine the elder Peace will bring back another masterpiece or two; after all, it’s some beautiful country up there and difficult not to be inspired.

I also missed Kurt Mottram, apparently because I arrived late, so after I finished the itinerary I dropped by his studio and found him rocking out in a gleeful mood.  He’d done the art walk earlier in the evening (day?) so we were able to compare notes, though we talked more about Paul Gaughin than anyone local, as well as Henry Miller, whose “The Air Conditioned Nightmare” is currently #1 on Kurts recommended reading list. 

Neither Kurt nor I saw Otto out there, but by golly, I bet he was there somewhere, and I think I’m going to try hooking him up with a blog, and Peace too, when he gets back, though for all three I’ll probably have to type in their spoken or handwritten words… 

Anyhoo, that’s the latest scoop from the Rogue Planet, and If any other artists think themselves worthy of being featured on this site, talk to me.  I’m John Granacki and I’m fairly easy to find.