Jason Hackenwerth

Artist Statement

2010-08-03T07:03:00.000-07:00

My work is part of a growing dialogue of artists exploring the possibilities of experiential art. Experiments with latex balloons as an alternative medium has evolved into massive forms akin to painting in the spontaneity with which they manifest yet rooted in the language of sculpture.

The immediate and temporary qualities of this work are a subsequent commentary on the “give me what I want and give it-to me now” disposable culture in which we find ourselves.
An example of this is a sculpture and performance titled The Megamite inspired by the bed bug epidemic in New York City created at the 2005 Venice Biennale. In the performance, I make a sexually suggestive, insect-like wearable sculpture with latex balloons and use it to maraud, flirt, and antagonize viewers. After which, the sculpture is destroyed in front of, or sometimes by, those who had been confronted. The work expresses an allegory that is experienced personally between the artist and the viewers. In this process, the object is obliterated, leaving behind only the participants.

Equipped with a unique vocabulary of form, I continue to explore other materials and processes as a means of artistic expression. My approach is a traditional studio practice of exploring the potency of a material in a state which it can be perceived as both extraordinary yet simple.
While I reject the notion to cast and preserve my ephemeral works, I am compelled to create huge kinetic sculptures in wood.
I intend for these works to eventually reach architectural scale with gigantic moving components that will allow for involved human interaction.

In transition to this ambitious goal I first tested Styrofoam, and later plywood, as a building material. Attracted to plywood for its versatility and low cost, I love it for its inherent contradiction of being both precious and inexpensive. Even in early tests, the process revealed a seductive crudeness that resonates from the nature of the wood. I find this quality translates nicely into the finished sculptures as well, lending them a sensuous yet unpretentious appeal.

Inspired by the iconic sculptures and mobiles of past masters and fueled by cultural currents, each of my works is a contribution to the evolving language of sculpture and is a new voice in the conversation of contemporary art.

Venus

2010-06-09T10:35:00.000-07:00

Here are some images from my most recent installation at The New Children's Museum in San Diego.

The title of the piece is Venus. It's three stories tall and will be on view at NCM until August.

It was great to be back working with artists who are on staff at NCM. Thanks everyone for all your help, and good luck J, who's last day was during my visit. Hope we can work together in the future.

Stay tuned for the video.

Thanks Oklahoma City. I love you.

2010-05-03T06:48:00.000-07:00

It was a fantastic experience in Oklahoma City making Cocoon. Here is a list of the kick ass artists and people I want to thank for their help.
Thanks:

Clint Stone, Director of Exhibits OK City Arts Centerhttp://www.cityartscenter.org/
Mary Ann Potter
Kristin Richter
Candace Coker
Kolbe Roper
Barney Karper karperelectronics.net
Kelsey Karper
Chad Mount http://chadmount.com/blog/
Jackie Mania
Lynna Schneider
April Vega
Heather McHeather
Moses White
Brooke Rowlands
Britni Kidwel
Louisa McCune-Elmore
Julia Kirk Director of Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition
Thank you Christian Keesee, Oklahoma City Five Star Art General.
Thanks to my new friend, Eric Dawson, The Toast of OKC.
Special Thanks to Romy Owens my bff and all around Awesome person. Go see her amazing work at the Capital building NOW.
www.romyowens.com
Check out the video MEGALIPS featuring Black Joe Lewis "Gunpowder"
Worn by Heather McHeather, Lynna Schneider, and April Vega. You girls got moves!

Cocoon. Oklahoma City Arts Center Apr 23-May 22

2010-04-28T08:51:00.000-07:00

I had a great time making Cocoon. Thanks to the talented artists who volunteered. Your help made it possible. A big thanks to all of the kind people who made me feel so at home. I found Oklahoma City alive and inviting which made me all warm and fuzzy inside.
Very special thanks to Romy Owens for being awesome!
RomyOwens.com
And to Adam Cremona for producing the Cicada Sound.
www.boutiquerecordings.com

A Conversation With The Diety

2010-03-09T06:32:00.000-08:00

This Friday night I will perform A Conversation With The Deity at the McNeill Art Group Tribeca Project Space at 143 Reade St. NY NY

Opening Friday, March 12 at 6:00pm

Performance from 7-8

End Time: Friday, March 12 at 9:00pm

Agartha By Brian Lockhart. Brian Lockhart Photography

2010-03-07T15:36:00.001-08:00

Check out some of the fantastic photos of Agartha at The New Children's Museum in San Diego, taken by Brian Lockhart. Brian Lockhart Photography.

Here is a link to a kick ass slideshow.

The Tide of Poseidon

2010-02-26T07:39:00.000-08:00

I had a great time working on Tide at Harper College. Thanks to Jason, Paul, Vicki, Kaleigh, Christina, Nick, Sandy, Angie, and Morgan, and Perry, for helping out. Thanks to Qualatex. Here are some pics and a link to the video featuring the song Torch by Pinback.
Video Link

Agartha

2010-02-19T06:31:00.001-08:00

It was a fantastic week of hard work at The New Children's Museum in San Diego. Thanks to Leah, Alina, Van, Scott, and Kate, for all their help inflating balloons and working so tirelessly on the sculptures.
Agartha will be up for at least two months. If you have the chance to, I recommend seeing it in person. It turned out beautifully! Thanks to Julie and Qualatex balloons.

2010-02-02T09:03:00.001-08:00

I had a great time making sculpture in Los Angeles at the Natural History Museum. Thanks Karen and everyone who helped out. Here is a video highlighting the event.

New Orleans New Year

2009-12-28T17:02:00.001-08:00

It's been months since my last blog post. I guess I'm a bad blogger. But something interesting is happening and I wanted to share it.
These are pics of some beautiful buildings here. I'd love to turn one of these into an artist residency studio building.

Greetings from Grand Rapids

2009-09-17T18:35:00.000-07:00

I’ve been in Grand Rapids, Michigan for a week now and have made real progress getting my wearable sculptures made and meeting lots of people. Last Sunday I went to a big church picnic. The night before that there was a little street art fair in downtown where I met a number of local artists. I also became friends with Dan and Lisa, the owners of The Cottage Inn. It is an old pub that I think is awesome. Lisa was so sweet she introduced me to the entire place after the band took a break. I was running around twisting lots of balloon hats.
This week was mostly up early and working late. Romy Owens and Luke Homitsky who are here helping me here look as exhausted as me.
Tomorrow is Friday and we will be playing some of the sculptures downtown at a pre-registration event that will be going on all day in a little park a few blocks from my venue, The UICA. I have recruited some attractive young people who are going to come out and get in the sculptures for us.
I expect to have some great pics of all of that on here by Saturday.
Thanks to those of you who bought a print. Those of you still waiting, keep in mind, after October 10 the price goes to $600.

Check out the flicky movies Romy is making each day.

Flicky Movies on Vimeo

PURCHASE PRINTS

2009-09-15T16:58:00.001-07:00

Hello Friends,

I want to urge you all to take a look at my Limited Edition Prints on my website. I am offering beautiful signed and numbered prints for only 125 until ArtPrize is over. After ArtPrize they will go back to $600 if there are any left. If you are able, please click on the Purchase Prints and get one through PayPal.

The whole idea is to raise money for us here in Grand Rapids for things like food, gas, supplies, and things that just add up. Please don't wait, go now! Thanks

In Progress

2009-09-15T16:44:00.000-07:00

Today was an early call time. We had to be at the UICA at 730 to be interviewed by Emily Richett at the local Fox News affiliate. After the interview we worked all day on the second wearable sculpture. Romy took a time lapse video of it's construction and you can see Luke moving around in frame taking video and pictures.

So far things are going well over all. We are staying at the Vant Hoff residence. Barbara and Bill have been super great and the house is very nice and comfortable. Thanks Barb and Bill!

At this point is is imperative that I sell some limited edition prints from my website. We still have a few weeks to go and we are dangerously low on funds.

The prints are on my Purchase Prints page and can be gotten for only 125 plus tax. After the 10th of October the prints will be 600. So please get them now while they are such a great deal!

To Vote For Jason Hackenwerth

2009-09-14T20:01:00.000-07:00

Planning

2009-09-11T04:39:00.000-07:00

Today I will pick up Romy from the airport. It will be great to have her here. There is much planning and work to be done and she is no slacker.
Some of the things we will be working out is exactly where and when we will be doing performances and appearances out in public. There are many targets to choose from and I want to make it to as many as possible.
In order to do this I will be borrowing or renting a box truck to move the sculptures around and looking for a handful of young people to get in the sculptures.
Get in touch if you want to participate in the Megamite Army. And for all of you who are able, please don't wait, go to my website and purchase a print. We are running on fumes here and need your help the most.

Grand Rapids Arrival

2009-09-10T08:55:00.000-07:00

After months of planning I have finally arrived in Grand Rapids where I will make my bid for the ArtPrize. Luke Homitsky flew out with me so he can get video footage of every possible aspect of this project.
When we first arrived we took a cab to Fox Ford where they let me borrow a beautiful black Mustang convertible. In exchange for this fantastic transportation for a month, I have agreed to spend the weekend of Oct 1st creating sculptures at their dealership and doing a performance. I will post more info about that in the next few days.
After picking up the car, we went to Barbara Vant Hoff's house. She and her husband Bill are putting my crew and me up for the duration. The place is wonderful and she greeted us with a delicious steak dinner.
Thanks Barb, and Thanks Pete at Fox Ford.
Here are some pics. Pictured are: Me, Luke, me and Steve Samson at UICA, and the car in front of Barb's house and the UICA.
Weee.

Goodbye 5 Points

2009-08-24T13:16:00.000-07:00

Last week I packed and moved my studio from the Crane Street building AKA 5 Points into storage until I finish a long run of projects on the road that will keep me busy until April or May of next year.

I will miss all of my friends and neighbors at the building. It really feels like the end of a era.
The building attracted people from all over with its fantastic graffiti and talented artists. It seemed like there was always something going on.
Well wishes to Nicole Gagne, who was hurt in the collapse which triggered the buildings close.
Here is a link to the article.

The next few weeks will be spent making the final preparations for ArtPrize, and my up-coming shows at The New Children's Museum, in San Diego OCT 10, and at The Skybox at 2424 Studios in Philadelphia OCT 30.
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3147/2409309568_ae0ac42e6b.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.liqcity.com/neighborhood/5pointz-stairwell-collapse-severely-injures-woman-building-neglect-cited&h=375&w=500&sz=179&tbnid=V52Rhy_1LyfHyM:&tbnh=98&tbnw=130&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dnicole%2Bgagne&hl=en&usg=__CBiMk9sFJT4YTitu9SC60jrfRhI=&ei=b_ySSoeiK9KYlAfyz4isDA&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=6&ct=image
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/19/nyregion/19pointz.html

The Fun Factory

2009-08-11T07:14:00.000-07:00

There is much work to be done this August. As I am pulling the pieces together for ArtPrize, I must also move out of my studio. It feels like the end of an era at The Fun Factory. Here are some pics that Romy Owens took at the Great Caper party. Look how awesome this place was.

Flown the Coop

2009-08-06T13:27:00.000-07:00

The prints have gone out! They should be 6 days in the mail. Thanks to all who ordered them.

Back to work in NYC

2009-08-03T11:03:00.000-07:00

Traverse City is fantastic! Everyone I met was absolutely kind and generous. I felt right at home with the Allen-Wickler family. Chris, Roger, Zoe, and Olivia. Their house is the most peaceful place I have ever stayed.
Check out their stuff online.
www.allen-wickler.com
For making sculptures John Robert Williams handed me the key to his studio and let me use it like it was my own for the week. He and his wife Terrie were incredible hosts.
Check out John Robert Williams online
www.jrwpix.com
Kat, Olivia, Zoe, and Roger.

Swimming in the lake was amazing. The water was crisp. clear and super refreshing. After jumping in once I was hooked. Each time was like a spiritual awakening.

Here are some piles of sand I made to get heated before jumping in the cool water.
This week I will be fulfilling all of the prints. Yay!!
Thanks to all of you for being so patient. They're coming.
Lot's of exciting things to report about my ArtPrize campaign, as well as some potential upcoming shows that will be jaw dropping if they come through. More about that later.

Here is the link to a little video from last week-end.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TaipXsNPA0&feature=channel_page

Traverse City Film Festival Megamites

2009-07-29T06:55:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Traverse City!

Making sculptures here the last few days has been fantastic. The lake, the cherrie orchards, the inviting and friendly people have made it great to be here.

Here are some pics from the opening events at the film festival last night.

This is Josh in The Oracle, Aly in The Madonna, and Jane in the light pink Lust Lizard going in to flirt with the cops.

I plan to make a couple more for Saturday nights closing events and finish with a bang.

Traverse City, and Your Prints.

2009-07-23T14:28:00.000-07:00

This week has been non stop administrative work. Sending out images, working on sketches, planning out assistants, working out travel dates, On and On...

Tomorrow I leave for Traverse City where I will be making Megamites that I will perform for the Traverse City Film Festival. The festival producers got in touch a few weeks ago and asked me if I could squeeze it in last minute. It seemed like a great place to network and a chance to visit Grand Rapids to meet many of the folks I will be working with during ArtPrize. If you or anyone you know will be there please say hello.

PRINTS.

There are still limited edition prints available. They will remain $125 dollars until ArtPrize is over. After October 10, if there are any left, the price will return to the normal $600.
If you were considering picking one up, now is the time! If you weren't planning on getting one, change your plans and get one.

http://www.jasonhackenwerth.com/?goto=purchase-prints

To those of you who have paid for your prints, I thank you and appreciate your patience while I waited for the mats, foam core, and packing materials to arrive. I believe the mats arrived yesterday so I will be getting all of those orders fulfilled the minute I return from TCFF.

On a lower note, the Crane Street studio building where I have my studio has been officially shut down. We artists in the building have until the 20th of Aug to get every thing out. It was a great studio building with fantastic artist neighbors. I'm going to miss it all very much.

I guess it's time for a much bigger better studio!

OH, I almost forgot, meet me on Twitter!

2009-07-13T11:58:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a fantastic day! It was warm and sunny on Gansevoort Street during the High Line celebration. Thanks to all who helped out!

Here is a list of the people who got in a Megamite and made that party awesome.

Alessandra Delacruz
Andy Monk
August Barber
Brandon Wolf
Carlos Restrepo
Dustin Flanigan
Graham Seaton
Kevin Oconnor
Lauren Molina
and me.

I try not to worry about diminishing my work by playing with it at street parties.

Don't Delay, Order Today!

2009-06-29T09:09:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends and Family,

With help from Sean Gilligan, I am offering two Limited Edition prints at a very low price but for a limited time. The pics here aren't great but the prints are really nice!

"The Shepherd"
Shot in April of 2007 at an ancient lava flow in Oregon by Sean Gilligan.

"Cyclops"
Taken at 5Points January 2007 by Sean Gilligan.

Printed in edition of 100 at 13 x 19 on 17 x 22 inch cotton paper and matted in a 18 x 24 inch white cotton mat.
That means they are large, archival, and ready for a standard size frame that will look great in your home.

Until October 10, 2009, these prints will be offered at $125.

To get your print go to my website and click the Paypal button on my Purchase Prints page.
http://www.jasonhackenwerth.com/?goto=purchase-prints

Thank you very much for your support.

Megamite Explosion

2009-06-23T22:52:00.000-07:00

2009-06-15T10:05:00.000-07:00

The Ghost

2009-06-07T11:45:00.000-07:00

On Friday morning at 5:20 am, I headed out to drop another sculpture in the subway. The sculpture took about 8 hours and over 400 balloons to make. After getting it in position it reminded me of the green ghost thing from the movie Ghostbusters, so I titled it The Ghost.
Below is the video or you can see it full screen on my YouTube Channel.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7_yy_Gxkkw&feature=channel_page

Also, if you didn't see it, CNN did an interview with me a few weeks ago while I was working on my piece for AXA Art at Art Chicago. Here is that clip that ran four times on CNN and is now on their site.
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/tech/2009/05/29/pkg.eod.balloon.art.cnn

Special Thanks
to Andrew, Erika, Romy and everyone else who clicked my Donate Button last week.
You helped me make this.

subway sculpture

2009-05-21T11:26:00.000-07:00

Today I took to the streets with a sculpture. I hung it at the 53/51st street Lexington station.

Taking it to the street.

2009-05-19T09:11:00.000-07:00

I just stepped into new territory. I put a Donate Button on my website.
I'm not sure how people will respond to this. Will I be chastised for this as if some shameful begging or will people view this as a reasonable way to support artists who make experiential work?
Please go to the Support page on my website and click the donate button. Just so I can be sure it's working. ;-)
http://www.jasonhackenwerth.com/?goto=support

My thanks to Amanda Sanfilippo at BCA Firehouse Gallery for using the term "experiential," to describe my work.

2009-05-18T13:15:00.000-07:00

It's a crying shame that the twenty minutes of rain at 9 am scared me off from making my Megamite at the Met.
I have every intention of trying again this coming Saturday.

2009-05-15T20:36:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is Met Megamite day!

Here is what happened the last time I threw down a blanket and made a Megamite in Manhattan.

See you soon.

You Megamite!

2009-05-11T07:55:00.001-07:00

The past week has been a time of introspection and incubation. Sometimes after big events I feel creatively bankrupt and need time to recharge before new ideas can start to be realized.
This time is different because my studio is closed. The building my studio is in remains shut down because of the stairwell collapse. Not having a studio to go to work to has me a little upside down. I have had to consider other ways of "going to work."

Among some other projects I am working on from home, I plan to begin making wearable sculptures in public places here in Manhattan. The first place will be on the sidewalk in front of the MET this coming Saturday April 16th.

The plan is to throw down a blanket and start blowing up balloons. I will spend about three or four hours making a wearable sculpture and another three or four hours performing in it. My goal is to get people to put the sculpture on, have their picture taken and hopefully, email me the photos to post here on the blog. I want everyone to get in the Megamite!

I do not intend to ask for permission so I may get shut down. If so I will try moving to Central Park for construction and once the sculpture is made I will wear it around all over the Museum Mile on 5th.
Construction should start around 8 am. With any luck the sculpture will be ready to wear by noonish.

If you are in town, please come out and get your picture taken in the Megamite! See you soon.

pictured, Brandon Wolf in the Megamite 2008

2009-05-07T08:01:00.000-07:00

It is great to be home in New York City after my three weeks of travel. My last trip was to Chicago where I created a sculpture for AXA art insurance group at Art Chicago art fair. The project was commissioned by Brian Shannon at AXA and facilitated by Ryan Schulz. Pictured above.
The shaggy one in the middle is me.
Art Chicago was a fantastic weekend. I met lots of great people and hope to be putting projects together in the not so distant future with some of them.

Now that I am home I have some catching up to do with my emails and proposals but first I wanted to get some of the good stuff from Art Chicago on here.

This video shows me cutting up my sculpture that was titled Pig Tale. I got so tired of hearing about Swine Flu all week that I just couldn't resist. Oing Oing...

While creating the work, CNN came out to interview me and get some footage. It will be a segment on their show called Edge Of Discovery. I will let you know when it comes out in a few weeks. Yay!!!

Thanks for following along.

Return From Paradise

2009-04-28T22:19:00.000-07:00

It was great to get away for a week for some decompressing. Here is one of the sand sculptures I made while I was recuperating. Not too complicated but a vigorous workout to be for sure.

After a long day of traveling yesterday I finally got back to work today on the sculpture I am making for Axa Art at Art Chicago. Brian Shannon from Axa Art has been hard at work getting the word out to the press about it. Here is a link to the story NBC Chicago ran today on their website.

http://www.nbcchicago.com/topics/?topic=Jason+Hackenwerth

Tomorrow CNN will be filming me working and will do a short interview. I hear it will air a few times beginning on Saturday morning but I will update when I know for sure.

2009-04-19T21:24:00.000-07:00

Working at the Firehouse Gallery in Burlington Vermont was great. Putting this show together has taken up pretty much all of my time for the last few months. In the morning I will leave for Puerto Rico and some much needed rest.
After my trip I will fly back to New York so I can pack some suits and my balloons for Art Chicago. There will be just enough time between my 1 pm arrival in NY and my 6 pm departure to Chicago. It's an amazing world when we can be on a tropical beach in the morning then fly to New York to grab a few things and then whisk off to Chicago.
What a great life. I'm so lucky.

2009-04-16T22:06:00.000-07:00

It's up and it's lit. The show is looking great! I can hardly wait to get better pics.
Ive been working 8 to 8 or later all week at the Firehouse gallery in Burlington and this is what I have been making. The little one on the corner is a Megamite and will be played on opening night. The big pink bad ass is Isa.

2009-04-11T20:07:00.000-07:00

Here they are. The sculptures that represent my blood, sweat, and toil of the last couple months. At first glance they look like something you might expect to see at a children's book store but like my balloon sculpture, they transcend their innocent child's toy appearances quickly. I've always considered my balloon sculpture to be surrealism and these new works in wood fall right in line. With their phallic and feminine attributes they communicate in much the same way my balloon works do.
I'm happy with how they turned out and looking forward to seeing them installed in the gallery. I leave at six in the morning for Vermont and I hope to have some install shots on here in a few days.
I'd like to talk more about this work but need to get some rest. More soon.

2009-04-08T22:13:00.000-07:00

Gilgamesh

2009-04-08T10:15:00.000-07:00

Here are some shots of my sketch for one of the sculptures I have proposed to The New Children's Museum in San Diego. At the top is Ollie getting painted.

2009-04-06T07:26:00.000-07:00

The past week has been highly productive. TCoA is finished! Here are some nice shots of the drawings for Oarie and Ollie. The will be painted today and tomorrow. This is a pic of Oarie getting primed.
August has been a great help in the studio the last two months. He took these drawing photos and has done much of the sanding and tracing of parts for this project.
Thanks August.

Also last week Anna Ortt changed out my old website for a much better new one. She did pretty much all the research and work putting the new site together, not to mention cleaning up my bio and press info. Anna, your awesome. Thank you.
www.jasonhackenwerth.com

2009-03-31T15:11:00.000-07:00

Here are some shots of Oarie and Ollie getting primed for paint. After much sanding and smoothing on filler, everything gets a couple coats of this white with more sanding in between coats.

Stroking My Wood

2009-03-29T09:50:00.000-07:00

The last few days have been non-stop sanding little wood parts. Here are some of them midway through the process. After I get them all sanded and assembled they will get two coats of primer and be painted.
Today I am spending the first half of the day making a huge roast that will feed me most of the week, and editing a video of all the sanding I have been doing.
Not getting up and rushing to the studio first thing in the morning feels a little like skipping school but What the hell, it's Sunday.

Oarie and Ollie

2009-03-25T15:04:00.001-07:00

Parts, Parts, Parts.

2009-03-25T06:33:00.000-07:00

I have been working like a madman on drawing new parts for yet another sculpture that will be in the show in Vermont. The show is called The Fat and The Lean. It will be at the Firehouse Gallery in Burlington Vermont. I drive up on April 12(Easter) to begin installation and the opening reception is the 17th.
Here is a link.
http://www.burlingtoncityarts.com/firehousegallery/

The Gallery is two large spaces. In one space I will make a huge, low hanging sculpture called Isa.
In the second space I will install The Creation of Adam, The Black Widow and the two smaller stable pieces that I finished drawing the parts for yesterday. I still have two and a half weeks to get the parts cut, sanded, primed, painted, and packed up for the show. With the help of August Barber and now Mike Falco who have been interning I'm sure it will all get done.

The proposal for The New Children's Museum took up most of my weekend but turned out well. I will publish parts of it after I hear back from them.

week end edition

2009-03-22T11:38:00.001-07:00

It's was business as usual in the studio this weekend. While I worked on my proposal for the project at the New Children's Museum in San Diego, August filled and sanded some of the parts for the new stable.

I spent this Monday morning running some errands. We needed more primer, and paint for the new sculptures. My plan is to have them all finished by the end of next week so all that will be left is making boxes and packing.

Here is a pic of last summer's Forked Tongue all packed up, and a link to the video of the process.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZ7WgQlZHyg&feature=channel_page

TCoA Goes Green

2009-03-19T08:11:00.000-07:00

On the heels of St. Paddy's Day, The Creation of Adam started getting green.
It was great to get back in the studio after my trip to San Diego. After re-priming and smoothing all of the parts, I set up the airbrush and got busy spraying the green yesterday.
Right now it looks a little like something one might see at a children's book store but once I add the center mobile parts I expect a more ironic dichotomy between whimsical innocence and subversively sexual.

Here is my artist statement for The Black Widow, a previous wood mobile.

The Black Widow" is a continuation of my work to date that illustrates the essence of the human experience.
Our collective reality is rooted in a universal truth that manifests itself in a series of parallel concepts that can be understood by examining binary code, an endless series of 10101010101s that represent paths electrons flow through to reach electronic logic gates, which forms the foundation of all computer operations.
Perhaps everything in the universe can be broken down into a similar binary code: positive/negative, matter/antimatter, absence/presence, and male/female.
As humans, our most visceral understanding of this universal truth is evident in our pursuit of and belief in soul mates, or inseparable pairs, which has long been the inspiration of my work.
My balloon sculpture reflects the aspiration for coalescence of masculine and feminine attributes, and our undying desire for them to live as one, flawlessly intertwined. The fluid and elemental nature of the work often leads viewers to perceive sea creatures, plant life, or magnified representations of microscopic organisms.
"The Black Widow," is a mobile sculpture in wood, representing the evolution of my balloon-based work. Long, spindly limbs and womb-shaped oval rings again exemplify the imagined union of male and female attributes. However, in this case, the menacing placement of one spider-like sculpture over another and the overt reference to a species widely associated with sexual cannibalism portrays our unyielding desire to unite with a mate that completes us, regardless of the consequences.

2009-03-16T10:08:00.000-07:00

It's great to be back in NYC. Here is a little video I made from the clips I shot at the Birch Aquarium on Friday.
I will be in the studio the rest of this week finishing up TCoA and beginning the new piece which I posted drawings of last week. The title for it hasn't come to me yet but I can feel it getting closer.

Some of the tasks happening will be tracing down the new parts to wood, cutting the parts out of the wood with jig-saws, vectorizing the parts with the belt sander, smoothing the parts with the palm sander and by hand, priming the parts with white paint, smoothing the primer, painting the parts of TCoA and the new piece.
It may not all get done this week but I plan to finish this as well as building the boxes for them to ship in the next three weeks.
If anyone out there would like to come by the studio to pitch in, give me a shout.

The New Childrens Museum visit.

2009-03-13T18:28:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I woke up in my hotel room with a view of sailboats on the water across the Pacific Highway in downtown San Diego.

After a terribly unhealthy breakfast served here at the hotel, I walked with my coffee 16 blocks to The New Children's Museum where I was given a grand tour by a few gracious staff members.
http://www.thinkplaycreate.org/

Once the tour was complete I met with the executive director and the other directors about what I might make for the show that will open in October. We decided I should visit the museum four times, making a new work each time. That will be great. It will also be about 88 hours of travel. Yikes.
When I mentioned that I wanted to visit the Aquarium some time this weekend while here in San Diego, Rachel, the executive director suggested that one of the directors take me there as they needed to take a look at a carpeted bleacher seat thing they have there. So after a nice lunch we went to the Birch Aquarium. It is relatively small compared to Shed's in Chicago but it was fantastic non the less. It sits on a bluff with an amazing view overlooking the Pacific.

The crew from the museum took me out for dinner and drinks last night at a nice place called the Starlight. http://www.starlitesandiego.com/

It's a bit cloudy today so no beach time, but I will go to the contemporary museum just a few blocks away from my hotel. I love my life.

A new stable.

2009-03-11T20:29:00.000-07:00

Today was a long and productive day. It started at ten this morning in the studio. August continued smoothing the primer on the parts of TCoA while I finished the drawings for the next sculpture to be in the Vermont show. These are some of the drawings. This one on the bottom is the large part. If you notice the notches in the bottom, that's where the legs will go. The legs are the top drawing. On Monday these parts will all get traced down to plywood by August, while I give the TCoA a second coat of primer. My goal is to be painting it green by Monday night.

Mixing the green

2009-03-10T17:46:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I traipsed all over town picking up paint, rigging equipment, and looking everywhere for a particular type of fishing weight. Running errands has never been one of my favorite activities and after yesterday I was so happy to be getting back to work in the studio today.

I started drawing some new parts for some small stable floor pieces while August began sanding the the primed parts of TCoA.

After a nearly inedible lunch from Court Square Diner, I started mixing the green paint that will be the final color.
My studio neighbor Jen across the hall is lending me one of her airbrushes so I had to thin and strain the paint that it wouldn't clog or clot in the airbrush.
I had hoped the parts would have been sanded by the end of today but it may take half the day tomorrow too.
I can hardly wait to get it re-assembled and sprayed with the green.

On Thursday I leave for San Diego where I will visit the New Children's Museum. They have invited me to participate in a show that will open in October and want me to see the museum before I begin working on my concept for the show. I love that.

2009-03-07T10:41:00.000-08:00

The city seems filthy today. It’s warm and beautiful outside and this sudden change in temperature has caused condensation on the streets, sidewalks, and tile floors in the subway stations. After all the soot and snow melting chemicals get wet like this it makes the ground feel greasy. It’s a small price to pay for the nice weather, especially on the art fairs week-end.
I should probably be making the rounds at Pulse, Scope, and Armory show’s but I have so much work to do I’m doubtful I will go.
It’s another studio day after picking up more sand paper and white paint to primer The Creation of Adam. I’m glad the open studio thing was only happening yesterday and not today too. I’m feeling a little low on energy and don’t think I want to deal with all tourists asking me silly questions as they poke around in my studio. One guy came in yesterday and asked, “Can I ask you a stupid question?” I said, “If you must.” He didn’t ask another. I guess that was his question.
Here is a pic of some people who came in.
The drawings are concepts for a sculpture at Art Chicago that will happen the first week of May. I am still working out the color scheme but I think it will be pink or blush. I love pink.
Sometimes it can be tough to get motivated in the studio. I’m sitting here in my chair listening to Ella Fitzgerald that Chris down the hall is blasting. It’s nice. I don’t feel much like working. I’m thinking though, so that will have to count for something today.

Signs of Life

2009-03-06T11:26:00.000-08:00

It's up and moving! Here are some pics of The Creation of Adam being assembled.
The guy in the flannel is August Barber. He's been helping out in the studio the last couple of weeks.
The scary looking dude is me.

I couldn't be happier with the way all the parts fit together. Aside from a little tweaking, it is just as I had designed in my drawings.

The next few days will be spent working out the ballast and priming for paint.

Today is an open studio day at Five Points. Open studio days are weird.
It's kind of like being a an attraction at the zoo. All sorts of people come poking around, not sure if they should come in or quite what to do. They look at me and give an odd smile then walk off. I have big double doors on my studio and I like to keep them open when I'm here but on open studio day's I'm inclined to close.

Rings, Freud, and the Universe.

2009-03-04T04:49:00.000-08:00

The parts are all cut out! Yay!!
Now it's just a matter of filling in the rough spots with wood filler and sanding them smooth.
These are the ring parts and the work bench where they get sanded. Below is the spine part with the two balancing parts that hang from the spine inside the rings. It must be hard to imagine now but soon it will be clear. What is important is that the two hanging parts almost touch. As a reference to the famous Michaelangelo painting. The flowing lines are also a reference to renaissance painting. Consider the flow of the robes and gowns depicted in so many religious paintings. These curves not only speak to that but I feel they come from a place so deeply rooted in our relationship to the earth and the original code of creation.
Did someone mention Freud?
http://blogs.riverfronttimes.com/stlog/2008/10/last_night_balloon_animals_sex_art_webster_university_jason_hackenwerth_st_louis_missouri.php

Rings and things

2009-03-02T14:50:00.000-08:00

Today was another happy day in the studio. I finished cutting out the ring parts for TCofA and was visited by first a class from the UK. They were on a tour with their teacher who is friends with Betsy and Zoran, neighbors in my studio building. I gave all the kids a postcard and they were on their way. Later one of the kids brought me a slice of pizza from the lunch they had delivered to Zoran and Betsy's studio. How nice is that?!

Here is a link to the RFT's review of my October show at Webster University in St. Louis.

http://blogs.riverfronttimes.com/stlog/2008/10/last_night_balloon_animals_sex_art_webster_university_jason_hackenwerth_st_louis_missouri.php

Saturday, Sunday, and Eric Lewis

2009-03-01T11:05:00.000-08:00

Saturday in the studio is always a good time.
My studio is at Five Points. The graffiti building across Jackson Avenue from PS1 in Long Island City. On the weekends there are always a bunch of graffiti guys painting up the walls and hip hop artists making videos, you name it.
This week my neighbor Martin was finishing up his painting of Johnny Cash for a tribute show that was last night at South Paw. It turned out great.
I spent the day tracing the last of the parts of The Creation of Adam to plywood and continued cutting them out. Here are some more pics.
The work is going well and I hope to have this one assembled and have begun the painting process by the 11th of March.
I go to San Diego for three days on the 12th to see The New Children's Museum that has invited me to participate in a show in October. I can't really afford the time out of the studio this month but I think it will be worth it.

Tonight Eric Lewis will be playing at Joe's Pub. Some friends from TED will be there but the show is sold out. I am hoping to get a ticket last minute. If you haven't heard him play you MUST check him out! Click the link below or search him on Youtube.

I first saw him play via live simulcast at TED last month and was blown away. I have never heard a more powerful pianist in my life. He started out with some chaotic, dis-harmonic plinking and banging, growing louder as he played until it sounded like some kind of eruption of madness. His facial expressions were absolutely compelling. As the music boomed from what seemed like every direction the crazy chaos melted into brief moments of the most sublime melody and just when you begin to get comfortable he would blast back into the chaotic yet tremendously calculated discord. As the song seemed to be falling apart and coming back together at the command of his fingertips I was moved to tears. For me it was the best thing I saw at TED. In fact, I'm a little misty thinking about it now. Wow, what a genius. I hope I get to go.
-J

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YwYeUt6REw

Friday Feb 27.

2009-02-27T15:14:00.000-08:00

Things are moving forward in the studio as well as other up-coming projects. While I am cutting and sanding the parts for The Creation of Adam, I am thinking about the balloon sculpture I will make for Art Chicago. I have some concepts for it and hope to have some sketches on here in the next few days.
In the mean time, it is lots of cutting with the jig-saw, and sanding with this old belt sander.
Here are some pics of the development of the parts and tracing them to the plywood.

Xanadu

2009-02-26T13:32:00.000-08:00

Xanadu
Kubla Khan

In Xanadu did Kubla Khan
A stately pleasure-dome decree:
Where Alph, the sacred river, ran
Through caverns measureless to man
Down to a sunless sea.

So twice five miles of fertile ground
With walls and towers were girdled round:
And there were gardens bright with sinuous rills,
Where blossomed many an incense-bearing tree;
And here were forests ancient as the hills,
Enfolding sunny spots of greenery.

But oh! that deep romantic chasm which slanted
Down the green hill athwart a cedarn cover!
A savage place! as holy and enchanted
As e'er beneath a waning moon was haunted
By woman wailing for her demon-lover!
And from this chasm, with ceaseless turmoil seething,
As if this earth in fast thick pants were breathing,
A mighty fountain momently was forced:
Amid whose swift half-intermitted burst
Huge fragments vaulted like rebounding hail,
Or chaffy grain beneath the thresher's flail:
And 'mid these dancing rocks at once and ever
It flung up momently the sacred river.
Five miles meandering with a mazy motion
Through wood and dale the sacred river ran,
Then reached the caverns measureless to man,
And sank in tumult to a lifeless ocean:
And 'mid this tumult Kubla heard from far
Ancestral voices prophesying war!

The shadow of the dome of pleasure
Floated midway on the waves;
Where was heard the mingled measure
From the fountain and the caves.
It was a miracle of rare device,
A sunny pleasure-dome with caves of ice!

A damsel with a dulcimer
In a vision once I saw:
It was an Abyssinian maid,
And on her dulcimer she played,
Singing of Mount Abora.
Could I revive within me
Her symphony and song,
To such a deep delight 'twould win me
That with music loud and long
I would build that dome in air,
That sunny dome! those caves of ice!
And all who heard should see them there,
And all should cry, Beware! Beware!
His flashing eyes, his floating hair!
Weave a circle round him thrice,
And close your eyes with holy dread,
For he on honey-dew hath fed
And drunk the milk of Paradise.

Samuel Taylor Coleridge

"Watson, come here; I want you, "

2009-02-25T12:37:00.000-08:00

I never dreamed I'd be a blogger, but here it is, my first blog post.
On my blog I will attempt to keep a daily/weekly journal of images and thoughts about what is going on in the studio and with projects around the world.
I'm not sure how many people, if any, will be interested in this but here it will be.

Currently I am working on some mobiles in the studio. The newest one, The Creation of Adam, is in process and I hope to have it finished in the next few weeks.
Here are some sketches and technical drawings of it.
Check back or become a friend and you will get updates on the progress.

I look forward to staying in touch through this new forum.

You can check out my videos on You Tube at the link below.

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=&search_query=Mrsuperdeluxe