MOS France 2015: Entretien avec Djalouz/Interview with Djalouz

A Parisian graffiti artist, Djalouz speaks about his influences and style. Thanks!

CB: I am here with Djalouz. It is the 18th of July at MOS France. So, when did you start to do graffiti, and why?

D: I started 12 years ago...first with bombing, and I liked that a lot, that one could do even bigger paintings, and quickly...so I wanted to develop [my skills] more, and here I am. 

CB: And the name "Djalouz" what is the origin of that?

D: Djalouz is a bit in dedication to all the youth in this scene, where we talk a lot about jealousy, resentment...and also it has a nice sound to it, I liked very much the sonority of the word, and so, here we are. 

CB: OK. How do you describe your style? What are your influences?

D: My style is most recently more thee-d style, but I also work with characters, forms...some of my influences include Marko, who is just painting there [gestures to Marko painting beside him] he was one of my influences when I began, so it is funny now to be painting next to him, and Marko 93 is from Paris also... there are also a lot of international people, like MTO, Dran...I like the style of DMV in general...

CB: And personally, what is the importance of this event, MOS France?

D: The importance of this festival? Of participating? I think that at this festival you can meet a lot of people, share ea lot with other artists, and to be able to connect and learn about different styles, that is the goal of this festival, a true mixing of styles, and it works well, it is cool. 

CB: For the graffiti community, what is the significance [of MOS]?

D: What is the significance for the graffiti community? This meeting for the graffiti community is good because it allows a real meeting of new people, people who you would not have the opportunity to meet otherwise, from far away...this is an occasion to meet together. 

CB: Who are the spectators you have seen here? What kinds of people? 

D: I think a lot of artists, also a lot of art fans who are very diverse; families with children, adolescents, older people. 

CB: Have you had any notable interactions or interesting interactions with audience members? 

D: Not yet, but we haven't been here that long. 

CB: Is this the first time that you have participated in MOS France? 

D: No, this is the third time I've participated in this festival here, but I have also participated before in Switzerland, England, Germany, and Spain as well...so for me I have been participating for six or seven years. 

CB: Have you observed any changes in the festivals?

D: Changes? You mean different things?

CB: Yes.

D: No, each time it is different. For instance, here, we have wooden panels, but in Germany and England we have walls not wood panels...but each festival has the same basic principle. 

CB: Do you think there is a particular reason the MOS France festival is located here, in the city of Perpignan?

D: Non. I don't know why it is in Perpignan, though it has been five or six years here...it is good, because there are people here that want to organize it, but I don't think it hash particular significance, that it is here in particular, other than that in the South of France it is nicer weather, but I haven't wondered so much about why it isn't in Paris....

CB: OK. What is your personal definition of "graffiti"?

D: My definition of graffiti, at its base, is that of tagging, bombing...in the street...that is graffiti, simply, for me. My origins are in vandalism, of graffiti on the street, outside...but also [it can be done] with brushes or as a job, but that depends especially on the country and its culture. 

CB: Does graffiti play a specific role in the city of Paris? 

D: In Paris? Yes, I think so. It has played the role of vandalism and degradation for a long time, but there are also people who do pretty things, and so there is a mixture of tags, graffitis, beautiful decorations, and ti works well, and I think it is good for Paris as well. This is the decor of my city. 

CB: I'd asked because I read in your biography that you were interested in particular in the sense of melancholy of abandoned spaces...

D: Yes, I like abandoned spaces a lot, it is my preferred location for developing my styles...I like to play with space a lot, but I paint each work to fit with its space, they are different [gestured to MOS wall]. With abandoned spaces one can play with the place, its decor, all of it. 

CB: Do you believe graffiti can change the world, or communities?

D: Me, in my work, I don't really have a message, I just try to create some color in the street, to create something pretty, but with certain styles of drawing, of canvases sometimes there are more engaged messages that respond to social problems. But in my graffiti work like this [MOS] I don't have any message. I just try to bring my touch [to the festival]. 

CB: OK. Is there anything more you'd like to say about your work or this festival? 

D: I am very happy to be here and the festival is very well organized. There is not a lot of time but this is not a terrible problem...I am Djalouz, I hope to continue painting like this for a long time, and there you go. 

CB: Excellent, thank you.

 

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Artiste de graffiti Parisien, Djalouz parle de ses influences et style. Merci!

CB: Je suis ici avec Djalous le jour est le 18 de juillet MOS France. Alors, quand commencez vous à faire de graffiti et pourquoi?

D: J'ai commencé de graffiti il y a douze ans, et parce que j'ai sorté...j'ai essayé la bombe de peinture est sa truc m'a beacoup de souhaite donc on pouvait peindre en grand, on peut peindre vite et donc...j'ai envie de devellopper et voilá.

CB: Et la nom "Djalouz" quelle est l'origine de ça?

D: Djalous est un peu un dedicace a tous les jeunes dans cet milieu qui sont un peu toujours de parler a propos de ... de la jalousie, de la mechante, et parce que j'ai trouvé que l'a sonné bien j'aimais bien la sonnorité puis et voilà ce rester comme ça...

CB: D'accord. Commen decrivez votre style? Quelles sont votre influences?

D: Mon style est est le plutôt dans les lettres en trois-d, je travaille aussi de personnage, les formes de parfours, et voilà mes influences sont un peu justement de Marko qui est là [gestures to Marko painting beside him] qui etaient des mes influences quand j'etais commencer. Donc, c'est drôle parler à côte de lui... il y a Marko 93 de Paris aussi...il y a sinon beacoup de gens internationaux comment MTO, Dran, j'aime beacoup le style de DMV en génerale...

CB: Et personellement, quelle est l'importance de cet evenement, MOS?

D: L'importance de ce festival? De participer? Je pense que en cet festivale on peut rencontrer beacoup des gens, partager beaucoup avec les autres artistes, on peut faire connaissance de connecter aussi de differents styles, c'est le principe de cet festival de vraiment faire un mélange de style et ce marcher bien, c'est cool.

CB: Pour le communauté de graffiti quelle est le significance?

D: Quelle est le significance pour le commaunaté de graffiti? Ce ressemblement pour la commaunaté de graffiti je pense que c'est bien parce que c'est me faire vraiment de nouveau rencontre des gens, qui n'a pas d'occassión à connaître, c'est beacoup des gens connaisser, qu'on a rencontre d'ailleurs etcetera...mais la c'est l'occasion prendre ressemble.

CB; Qui est [sont] les spectateurs que vous avez voit ici? Quelle types des gens?

D: Je pense que [il y] a beacoup des artistes, aussi beacoup des amateurs mais les amateaurs d'art sont trés diverses; il y a beacoup de gens qui aiment ça, il y a des familles avec des enfants, des adolescents, des gens plus agées.

CB: Est-ce que vous avez eu quelque interactions avec l'audience remarquables, ou interessants?

D: Pas encore, mais ça commencez pas longtemps, oui avec quelque personne, on peu discute, après n'est pas evident, donc un temp de peindre...mais...

CB: C'est le premier fois que vous avez participer en MOS France?

D: Non, c'est la troisième fois que j'ai participe celui et j'ai participé déjà en Suisse, en Angleterre, en Allemania, en Espagne aussi...voilà pour moi c'est six ans, sept ans je participe...

CB: Avez vous observer quelques changes dans le festival?

D: De changements? Des choses different?

CB: Oui, oui.

D: Non, chaque fois c'est different parce que il y a ici on a panneau en bois, en Allemania et Angleterre ce sont de mur, pas panneau en bois...mais dans chaque festivale le principe de bas c'est la même.

CB: Mais pour la ville de Perpignanm pensez-vous qu'il y a quelque signifance que le festival est localisé ici?

D: Non, je comprends pour le festival en France, je ne sais pas pourquoi c'est à Perpignan mais il y a cinq, six ans comme ça...c'est bien, c'est parce que des gens ici on voulu la organisé, mais après Perpignan je pense que c'est il n'y a pas quelque signification particuliarement que soit à Perpignan, c'est la sud de la France, il fait plus beau, c'est bien mais je n'ai pas pensé pourquoi non faire à Paris...

CB: D'accord. Quelle est votre definition de "graffiti" personelle?

D: Ma definition de graffiti, c'est a la bas c'est le tag, le bombing, c'est surtout, voilà c'est pratiquer de la peinture a la bombe, dans la rue, dans le terra vague, pour moi, c'est ça, le graffiti simplement. J'ai un bas, une origine dans le vandalisme, mais le graffiti c'est dans me terrance, d'est dans la rue, dans l'exterieure, c'est la bombe de peinture, après peut-être au pinceu ou boulot, ça depends de pays aussi, de culture... 

CB: Est-ce que le graffiti joue un rôle specifique dans le ville de Paris?

D: À Paris? Oui, je pense, oui. Ça a eu longtemps le rôle de vandalisme et de degradation, mais c'est aussi de gens sont rende-cont qui a des belles choses, donc, le mélange comme ça des tags, de graffs, de decoration belle et tous, ça marché bien je pense que ça fait du bien à Paris aussi. Ça decor à mon ville.

CB: J'ai demandé parce que j'ai lu dans votre biographie que vous êtes interessé en le sensibilité de melancolie de l'espace abandonné...

D: De lieu et aprés...voilà, les lieux abandonnés j'aime beacoup, mais...c'est l'endroit que je prefère pour faire mes styles là, je joue avec le lieu beacoup...juste peindre chacun à sa place et comment fait mes trucs, c'est differents, mais, le lieu abandonné, on peut joue avec sa place, on peur joue avec le décor...tout ça.

CB: Est-ce que vous croyez que graffiti peut changer le monder, ou, des communautés?

D: Moi, dans mon travail de graffiti, je n'ai pas de message, j'essais de donner la couleur à la rue, de donner quelque chose jolie, mais avec certains styles de dessin...de toiles et tout, parfois des messages engagés justamment qui reponds à des problèmes qui a la societé, tout ça. Mais dans mon travail de graffiti comme ça [MOS] je n'ai pas de message, j'essais juste de apporté ma touche, voilà.

CB: D'accord. Quelque chose pluse que vous voulez dire sur votre travail, sur cet festival?

D: J'uis [je suis] trés content maîtriser le festival est trés bien organisé, on n'a pas beacoup de temp pour parle mais ça, n'est pas grâve...pour mon travail, moi je suis Djalouz, je suivre partout et j'espère à continuer peintre comme ça pour trés longtemps, et voilà.

CB: Très bien. Merci.

Let Her Be Elevated: Andy B's Exploration of Movement, Fearlessness, and Vulnerability

I've known Andy for her mosaic work, in particular, a project she developed with the Chicago Public Art Group at Foster and Lake Shore Drive, Belmont and Lake Shore Drive, and Osterman Beach, and for her smaller scale projects as part of RedBull curates. Her work is frank, fresh, dynamic, and energetic. More recently I saw Andy perform in the Fierce Queer Burlesque festival in Pittsburgh this past month. Dancing to the "Sound of Silence," Andy offered a beautiful, and almost melancholy choreography with jerky arm, back, and leg movements, all the while her face covered in a shroud. This performance was surrounded by others, all different, from a woman that did a play on Catwoman Selena Pyle with a (submissive) lover, a woman doing a flamenco-type piece, a trans performer doing calisthenics with a glow in the dark hula hoop...and yet what united these performances, all extremely erotic displays of confidence and humor of the flesh.

Burlesque is the theme of Andy's new pop up show, "Let Her Be Elevated," where she uses the medium of glass, line, and light, to pay homage to a genre that has served as an inspiration for her, personally and aesthetically. In the show, one can understand glass not only as what one can see through, but full of color, memory, and lines. The viewer can also see surprising similarities between glass and flesh in terms of their fragility, expressivity, and that they are mediums of energy and light. The etchings that animate the majority of the work are part of a collaborative process, working with Sean Felix Andy created cut glass frames that serve as "homes" for the figures.

Image of Andy B. Photo credit: MC Newman

What follows is the transcript of an email interview conducted with Andy about the show.

1) I am approaching this project from maybe an obverse angle from most of the show's potential spectators-- I have seen your burlesque performance in person, but the art works through digital images-- but this to raises an important question that seems to be at the center of the exhibit. What does it mean to translate or transform the live, three dimensional, embodied experience of burlesque into colorful, flat, and fixed images? What do glass and light have to tell us about this performance practice that maybe cannot be said in the same way as photography, or videography?

One of the first things you learn as a burlesque performer is how to make lines with your body. When onstage standing in the light and telling a story to the audience, your arms are strong and posed, your legs, face, shoulders, everything has a purpose. The lines your body makes on stage can setup the entire performance and the strength that lies inside it. When I make art, I begin with lines. I draw curves, shapes, and what I consider to be movement. When I transfer these lines to glass, I imagine the cut glass to be shaped into forms that are posed and strong or move just right. The images of burlesque dancers connect to the glassworks in many ways. First, performers are standing in the light and waiting to be seen and different kinds of light will effect what is seen on stage within the performance. Glass is similar in that I imagine it also needing light to embrace all the things about it that make it magnificent. In different light, each glasswork will take on a completely new look and meaning. I don’t see the glassworks as flat like paintings, but 3-dimensional with life and force and intension, just like performers. By etching these performers’ portraits into glass, I feel like I am acknowledging their strength and intention by permanently etching this moment into glass shapes and lines that have been created specifically as a home for each performer. Each portrait is chosen precisely because this specific performer has inspired me at some time. I take this experience and carry it with me through the entire process of drawing the lines the portrait will be etched onto to carefully choosing a photographer to capture the exact image I am imagining will work to evoke the feeling in the image that I am trying. Each glasswork is created with a major intention of highlighting the beauty and strength of each burlesque performer.

“Unearthed”  hand cut glass, 3 ft. x 4 ft. Photo Credit: Mary Clare Runchey 

2)     What is your favorite piece in this exhibit? What is the story behind it?

My favorite piece has to be the one that has made me cry a couple of times as I worked on it.  It’s called, “My Last Companion.” Featured in this portrait are two burlesque performers, Tila Von Twirl and Switch the Boi Wonder. They are two performers who met in the world of burlesque and ended up getting married last October. The piece makes me feel super emotional because I have watched their relationship grow over the past couple of years and have witnessed first-hand the support they have given each other both on stage and in their personal lives. It’s almost as if they use the art of burlesque to say the things that are the most important to them and while one is on stage telling this story, the other is always there watching, cheering, clapping and supporting to the fullest extent. It’s love through art and love through truth. But, the truth is sometimes hard, and not so easy to face which is why their bond of love through this process is amazing. The strength they find in each other directly channels into the work they put on stage. “My Last Companion” is about finding that person who you imagine you will grow old with and who will stand by and watch you light up on stage and off. Tila and Switch will be each other’s companion for life and I have no doubt will continue to inspire people through the art they create and through the people they are. I love them both dearly and consider them to be two of my closest friends.

“My Last Companion”, hand cut glass, etched portrait, 3 ft. x 4 ft.,

Collaborations:

Photography: Kriss Abigail

Burlesque Performer Featured: Tila Von Twirl & Switch The Boi WonderPhotograph Credit: Mary-Clare Runchey

3.     In your artist statement you speak to burlesque as a practice (and community) that builds self confidence. Can you say more about that? Having seen it for the first time at the queer burlesque festival in Pittsburgh it seemed, yes, to involve lots of nerve, but also a huge amount of vulnerability. Perhaps this is contained in your reference to the "monumental" and the "intimate" but I'd like to hear more of your thoughts on this.

The first time I had a spark of inspiration for doing this exhibit and creating this work was during the rehearsals of a burlesque show called, “Black As Eye Wanna Be” It was a burlesque show that featured the work of Po Chop, one of the most amazing burlesque performers I have ever seen. She created a collaboration to produce this work and asked me to be one of her performers in the show. The essence of the show was about oppression and what it means to feel oppressed. It was through this process that I realized I was experiencing what burlesque is fully and completely. It was through this collaboration that I gained the most self confidence that transferred into all aspects of my life. I began to understand what it meant to be a part of a community, to be vulnerable in front of your peers and eventually an audience and what a true and meaningful collaboration of artists is like. I began to journal the process and through this experience I developed a drawing that I felt embodied our leader in this experience, Po Chop. I created a visual space for her to sit and pose and be that was inspired by a photo taken of her by fellow artist, M.C. Newman.  After I designed the line work, I reached out to a local artist, a master glass etcher, Sean Felix, to teach me how to etch the image on glass. We collaborated on the piece and it was the first piece that came to life. He etched her into the home I created for her and the collaboration sparked energy to create more etched works. This energy was in direct alignment with what I was experiencing through the process of Black as Eye Wanna Be and working with Po Chop. It was as if the experience of collaborating for this show opened up some inspiration inside of me that has been a constant flow from then on out. I feel open, alive, and awake now and it was through the most vulnerable process I have ever been through. Burlesque gave me the strength to pay close attention to who I am and just be that person. Be that person in my art and in everyday life.

“Po Chop”, hand cut glass, etched portrait, 3ft x 5 ft. 

Collaborations:

Photography: MC Newman Photography

Burlesque Performer Featured: Po Chop

Etching: Sean Felix

Photograph Credit: Mary-Clare Runchey

3)     Anything else you'd like to say about this project or your artistic practice that you didn't have a chance to talk about here?

I think the only thing that comes to mind is that I am constantly coming up with new ideas for how I think these glassworks can be. The more I work on them the more ideas I have for future works and find new ways that I can tell stories through this medium. I’m so excited to work through this process and really push myself to make the artwork better and bring more meaningful stories out through the pieces I created. It’s a humbling and energizing process to work through something that makes you want to keep working. I feel lucky that I am able to align my life with making art and grow as a person at the same time.

  “Red Bone” hand cut glass, etched portrait, 3 ft. x 3 ft.

Collaborations:

Photography: Laura Nova, Mustache Jim

Burlesque Performer Featured: Red Bone
Photo Credit: Mary-Clare Runchey

The show will open Friday, June 5th at R. Hanel Photography Studio, 119 N Peoria St., suite 3A,

with a reception open to the public from 6pm to 9pm. Additional viewing hours will be on Saturday, June 6th from 12 to 5pm with an artist talk starting at 2pm. More information on these events can be found on the gallery’s website, www.elephantroomgallery.com.

River of Words Oral History Project: Bill Steen, "Vortex," "Alhombra" and the Politics of Class in Historic Districting

On February 15th I met with Bill Streen. His words are "vortex" and "alhombra." In our discussion he brought up the fraught politics of historic districting, notably, the class exclusions that can occur. He reflected: "My wife and I signed a petition to not have the expansion of the district. I think all districts are historic and while I—because its city of asylum and river of words and its Guiselda and Carolina and Hector and Rafael—I hope they’re successful because it’s a positive thing, but there’s also a sort of irony, and maybe the less generous side of me says, “if they don’t get the commission or whatever to approve keeping the words maybe they’ve been hoisted on their own petard” and I don’t know, again, I think there was a lot of people within the historic district that were pushing for the expansion of it, which I think makes it difficult. I feel the historic district makes it difficult for people of certain socioeconomic levels to remain in place...

I’ve termed the expansion of the historic district “Redlining by Other Means” and it would be kind of ironic for people who, yes, the River of Words are a wonderful thing, but it would be ironic that say somebody within the historic district that doesn’t have the economic wherewithal at the time to make a much needed renovation to their home that would fit the very strict standards, if they weren’t able to do that, that a certain class of people was able to get the rules changed to do this, to keep the words on, and to me, that seems very unfair and – but like I say I’m conflicted because it’s a wonderful project, but I hope the people within the district who want the words to remain on their houses will think more about what expanding a historic district would mean to certain people who aren’t as fortunate."

Thanks, Bill.

Transcript follows.

CB: Okay. I am here with Bill Steen as part of the River of Words Oral History Project. Thanks for being here.

BS: I am glad to be here.

CB: I’m going to start with some demographic stuff, one of the things I’m interested in is getting a sense of the diversity of the participants. If you can provide your age, address, race or ethnicity and marital status.

BS: I am 56 years of age. I live at 1322 Arch Street in Pittsburgh, so I live two blocks from here. Marital status, I’m married to Susan. What was the other?

CB: Race or ethnicity that you identify as.

BS: Call me Caucasian, I guess.

CB: How long have you lived in the Northside?

BS: We moved to our present address in July of 2008. So over 6 years.

CB: Are you a Pittsburgh native or do you come from somewhere else?

BS: I was born in New York City.

CB: Cool, what part?

BS: Queens.

CB: Cool, I’m from Inwood in Upper Manhattan. And so does your house fall within the historic district?

BS: IT doesn’t. It falls just outside. It was in the area that people were trying to incorporate into, which I am happy they didn’t.

CB: And we’ll talk a little more about that later. Lets turn to the River of Words project. Can you tell me, first of all, what is your word? And how did you get involved, and all that?

BS: Okay. We actually have two words. One is “vortex” and the other is “alhombra”—

CB: How do you spell that?

BS: A-L-HOM-BA.

CB: Okay.

BS: And it’s a Spanish word from Arabic roots meaning “Pillow.”

CB: How did you choose your words?

BS: Well actually we chose “vortex”, Susan and I, at the meeting where they had the words in the tent over here. But “Alhombra” was basically, we got to know the artists, they were by one day, doing a neighbor’s word, and they said “Hey we have this extra word its getting near the end of the project, we’d like to give it to you.” At first we said “Maybe give it to someone who doesn’t have a word” but they insisted and so we said “Sure, the more the better.” Vortex is just like an applique on the window, whereas Alhombra was three dimensional they had to screw in into the brick word. And unfortunately somebody came by and pulled off the “a” so it’s been, what is it, frenchified, now “l’hombra,” unfortunately the “a” is missing now.”

CB: So almost “l’hombre” or shoulder. How did you find out about the project, initially?

BS: Well, we’ve, ever since moving into the neighborhood we’ve been big fans and supporters of City of Asylum and so naturally we get word of all their stuff, and we liked the idea, because we get all the emails, so, yeah.

CB: Over the last six months can you tell me if the meaning of the words has changed for you and what kind of impact they have had on your lives?

BS: Well, we love our words. We specifically picked “Vortex” due to the wintry weather last year and we are getting a bit of it now. We liked the idea of a polar vortex and right now we have it decorated with snowflakes behind it, but, I don’t know. Susan and I both love books, love to read, love literature, and so the idea of having a word, the whole idea behind the project was cool and just fun, in today’s society where it seems to me, though maybe I’m just being an old fogey, it seems that people read less and less and they are doing more just looking at images and stuff. It just seemed important to do.

CB: Have people asked you about your word? Have you had any memorable interactions around your word?

BS: We happened to be, there was one woman walking by the house, we happened to be out and she asked about the word so we told her about the project, but we haven’t had people like ringing the doorbell—or a lot of the. I think a lot of it is happenstance, so if you happen to be outside your house and somebody comes by and asks about it. So there was this one woman.

CB: What do you think the broader significance of this project is?

BS: Well, I think, which is a great part of City of Asylum’s mission, to keep people in touch with reading and books and literature and it feels like its just a good thing to do. It helps make the community more interesting. Its fun to go by areas that aren’t part of like this centralized Mexican War Streets, the historic district, [but also] out on Western Avenue in front of a restaurant that we go to there is a couple of words so its neat to run into houses that have these words. Its just, I just think it’s a positive thing.

CB: So I want to turn now to the Historic Review Commission controversy. I know you don’t have a historic district house [but] are you aware of what’s happening with that?

BS: I am. I got the email from Henry that talked about Glenn Olcerst, who I know, so I am aware of all that. My wife and I signed a petition to not have the expansion of the district. I think all districts are historic and while I—because its city of asylum and river of words and its Guiselda and Carolina and Hector and Rafael—I hope they’re successful because it’s a positive thing, but there’s also a sort of irony, and maybe the less generous side of me says, “if they don’t get the commission or whatever to approve keeping the words maybe they’ve been hoisted on their own petard” and I don’t know, again, I think there was a lot of people within the historic district that were pushing for the expansion of it, which I think makes it difficult. I feel the historic district makes it difficult for people of certain socioeconomic levels to remain in place.

CB: Can you say more about that?

BS: Yeah, well, I’ve termed the expansion of the historic district “Redlining by Other Means” and it would be kind of ironic for people who, yes, the River of Words are a wonderful thing, but it would be ironic that say somebody within the historic district that doesn’t have the economic wherewithal at the time to make a much needed renovation to their home that would fit the very strict standards, if they weren’t able to do that, that a certain class of people was able to get the rules changed to do this, to keep the words on, and to me, that seems very unfair and – but like I say I’m conflicted because it’s a wonderful project, but I hope the people within the district who want the words to remain on their houses will think more about what expanding a historic district would mean to certain people who aren’t as fortunate.

CB: That’s really interesting. I noticed, I went to my first historic district hearing, where Henry gave a speech, it was really interesting because the debates were about, basically, appropriateness. There were arguments made by people who wanted to make [architectural] changes for reasons of security and cost, but those kind of values were denigrated in favor of the notion of “history” or “historic appropriateness” so it is interesting to think about those issues of class. And how it relates to a historic district.

BS: My daughter is an architect and she doesn’t like the idea of historic districts. She says, I stole the phrase from her: “All districts are historic” and there is history to all things and I think it just puts a great burden on certain people. Some people it doesn’t  matter and its great, it keeps the home values up, it keeps certain people from moving in, and frankly that’s not what everybody’s in it for but there are certainly some people.

CB: that’s really interesting. OK. Can you speak a little about what you think to be the role of public art in the North Side in general?

BS: Well, I think its had a large effect on the community. I just see a number of people, you see the number of people walking around the area and they are obviously, they have made an effort to come to the area to see certain things like Randyland or the House Poems and the beautiful artwork on the houses, so I think its had a really positive effect. My wife and I often say that we cant imagine this neighborhood, the North Side, without City of Asylum and the things that City of Asylum brought to it. Specifically, public art, which we love.

CB: What is it that you do, if you don’t mind me asking?

BS: I am a special agent with the secret service.

CB: Oh wow.

BS: No jokes, please.

CB: No, no jokes. Fascinating. There was I think one more little question I wanted to ask I thought of while you were talking. No that’s it. Is there anything you’d like to share in terms of comments about the projects or anecdotes that I haven’t given you a chance to talk about?

BS: No. But other than, I just, I’d like to see them maybe do a River of Words part two. I think there would definitely be interest. I’m sure there are people who would love [to see it] expanded, doing a second [one]. I thought it was a great idea, and the artists, it was so nice meeting them.

CB: What was that like? I read a press release about synapses etc. but I wasn’t here yet.

BS: Well, we went to dinner with them, Henry and Diane invited us to a dinner with them at Café du Jour so we got to meet them and see them at events here and on the street and it was just really really nice, so yeah, I’d like to see a second, 2.0.

CB: Great. Thank you so much.

BS: You are welcome.