Robin Barcus Slonina ARTWORK "States of Dress"

Eco Eggs Dress Project

2011-05-15T01:31:00.000-07:00

I was recently contacted by a company in Minnesota that is making Easter Eggs out of completely biodegradable compostable materials! Imagine that last lonely egg lost in the Easter egg hunt and left on the lawn - no worries! It will simply eventually harmlessly decompose into the ground. I made a shorter version of my Easter Egg Dress using their eggs so I can attest that they feel the same and are just as sturdy as the plastic varieties. My dress will travel with them to various conventions they are attending to promote their product. I was honored to assist this innovative, environmentally-motivated new company! Learn more at www.ecoeggs.com

New Dress Project! Cassette Tape Dress

2011-02-20T00:01:00.000-08:00

Before she left on tour for Japan, my friend the amazingly talented singer Tara Baswani wanted to collaborate on a dress project / photo shoot together. In honor of her music I made a cassette tape dress for her to wear. It was then used for a local Valentine's Day Couture Art Challenge in Vegas, benefiting the Children's Heart Foundation. Since I grew up in the era of romantic "mixed-tapes" I figured it was fitting for Valentine's! Tarra is modeling the Cassette Tape Dress on the program for the benefit fashion show.

It was then modeled on the catwalk by Jessica Napier. Hair and makeup by Stephanie Aguilar.

Photos by Cassi Thomas

Mama Mambo!

2010-11-18T20:21:00.000-08:00

In case anyone is wondering why I have taken some time off of the dress project, perhaps this video will explain how I was busy making my most beautiful creation yet....

States of Dress - NEW YORK

2009-07-11T16:37:00.001-07:00

NEW YORK CITY - Garbage Bag Dress

When thinking about what to create for the New York edition of the States of Dress project, I -like countless others across the world- thought first of America's most famous metropolis: New York City. The first time I ever visited New York as a young artist was during a massive garbage strike, and it left a lasting impression on me to see mountains of garbage piled so high on busy city sidewalks. I was raised in Chicago, where we have alleys to hide our garbage. I was surprised to discover that New York is a city without alleys, resulting in every home and business -even the fanciest restaurants- leaving their piles of trash right outside their front doors on the sidewalk. Even when there is not a garbage strike, as I found during many subsequent visits, the garbage bags regularly lining the sidewalks in New York take some getting used to. To me, the sanitation workers that mange these tiny mountains every week are the true heroes of the city.

However, by no means did I mean any disrespect or want to create something "ugly" for this metropolis of art, beauty and fashion. I therefore strived to create a "couture", jet-black, fashionable New York dress, that just happened to be made from garbage bags. To me, this piece represents all the dramatic contrasts inherent to New York: wealth and poverty, art and homelessness - beauty and trash.

To fill the bags, I used another New York icon - crumpled-up New York Times newspapers saved for me from the daily leftovers at the Marmara Manhattan Hotel. This was a great material to work with, filling yet lightweight. As an added benefit, the dress was recyclable when finished!

Here is the sketch for the Garbage Dress design

And the beginnings of the project. I worked in an art studio in Brooklyn rented from fellow artist Rob Kimmel, who was out of town for the month with his family in Morocco. Special thanks to friend Stacy Lee who visited the studio and helped me stuff bags with newspapers!

The finished dress!

I also made a detachable train so that I could walk in the dress, then add the train at the photo shoot.

Hair Styling by Jamie for New York Garbage Dress

2009-07-11T16:35:00.000-07:00

I found the fabulous hairstylist Jamie at Emilia's hair salon in Brooklyn, down the street from the art studio. She understood the project immediately, and created the perfect "trashy-elegant" hairdo for the Garbage Dress photo shoot. She even used crumpled up black garbage bags hidden inside the hair to create volume!

Here Jamie is teasing the hell out of my poor hair! This is going to take a long time to untangle!!

The finished masterpiece! Thanks Jamie!

NEW YORK - Garbage Dress Shoot #1 in Brooklyn NY

2009-07-11T16:10:00.001-07:00

This is the first day shooting the NY Garbage Dress, in a loading dock with great graffiti near the art studio I rented in Brooklyn from fellow artist Rob Kimmel. The first challenge is getting me up onto the dock in the dress! Here I am being hoisted up with a little help from my friends, volunteers T'ai Jamal Hanna and Jay Loebscher.

I did not attach the train until we got to the shoot location to help with ease of movement.

Volunteering to shoot the NY Garbage Dress is friend and amazingly talented New York photographer Layo Mayoli

Some final loading dock shots

This pigeon behind my head hung out the whole shoot, protecting its nearby nest.

Now we are trying a seated shot, with some styling help from T'ai.

Manning the video camera on the left is volunteer Katrina Stachowski.

Some final seated shots...

...and getting back down!

T'ai making sure everything looks good for some street shots, taking advantage of the beautiful architecture of the next door building.

Layo in action!

Some final street shots.

Thanks so much to my helpers! From left to right: Katrina Stachowski, T'ai Jamal Hanna, Jay Loebscher, and photographer Layo Mayoli

NEW YORK - Garbage Dress Shoot #2 in Manhattan

2009-07-11T15:45:00.000-07:00

This is the second day of shooting the NY Garbage Dress. We found a location on the Upper East Side of Manhattan where the city keeps garbage trucks parked in a large lot and along the street. Perfect place for a guerrilla photo shoot! The city workers let us shoot for about 20 minutes before we got kicked out...

On my left is Heather Lamb, a wardrobe stylist along to assist. And on my right is Anthony Gatto, juggler and budding film maker who generously offered to film the day for my documentary "States of Dress"

Stephan Landry (right) was the photographer for the day's shoot

Final Garbage Dress shots!

Casino Chip Bikini Auctioned for Benefit

2008-10-28T19:04:00.000-07:00

On October 23, 2008 the Las Vegas First Friday Arts Festival celebrated its Sixth Year! As a big supporter of this monthly Vegas arts happening, I donated my "Casino Chip Bikini" to the First Friday benefit art auction. Lovely Vegas model Stacy Lee also donated her time to model the bikini for bidders. The event took place at the Newport Loft building downtown. Here Stacy is pictured on the beautiful rooftop deck there.

And here she is again, posing with local art star Jerry Misko, who also donated one of his fab Neon Paintings to the benefit.

The artist and model!

...And lovely art patron Kellee Antalek won the bikini in the live auction!

And here is Kellee a few months later, modeling her new art acquisition!

Photos by John Rettie glamourphotos.com

States of Dress - NEVADA

2008-10-07T18:27:00.001-07:00

"Casino Chip Dress"

was photographed on the Eldorado dry lake bed in Boulder, NV.
It is the Nevada dress for the ongoing "States of Dress" series

"Casino Chip Dress" is made of over 2000 casino chips,
each with 6 drill holes joined by clear zip ties.

At the photo shoot on the Eldorado dry lake bed...

Special Thanks
to Kent Thomson for providing studio space to create this dress,
Todd VonBaastians of Atomic Todd Gallery for his generosity and support,
The Gambler's General Store for partial donation of materials,
Benoit Beaufils for his tireless enthusiasm & assistance,
Ross Gibson, Jim Slonina, Tarra Scarff, my Mom & all the other volunteers
for their help & friendship.

This photo was taken by the great Dave Proctor (www.daplv.com)
with hair and makeup by Keely Zelanka.

Finished Dollar Store Dresses!

2008-06-16T00:28:00.000-07:00

Here are the finished dresses from the 99¢ Only Dress Shop Exhibit
at Atomic Todd Gallery in Las Vegas:

Special Thanks to Todd VonBastiaans of Atomic Todd, to all my volunteers
(see full list in post below),
and thanks to 99¢ Only Stores for their support with this project.

Gallery Views:

"Feather Duster Dress"
made of feather dusters, sponge scrubbies and shoelaces

"Sponge Dress"
made of sponges, hot glue & velcro
(front)

(back)

"Blue Sponge Dress"
made of sponges, hot glue, shower curtain & shoelaces

"Silver Sponge Shorts & Vest"
made of sponges, hot glue & shoelaces

"Sponge Bikini"
made of sponges, hot glue & shoelaces

"Casino Chip Bikini"
made of casino chips, zip ties & shoelaces

"Easter Egg Dress"
made of plastic easter eggs connected with a price tagging gun

"Playing Card Dress"
made of playing cards & packing tape

"Beach Ball Dress"
made of beach balls & staples

"Whiffle Ball Wedding Gown"
made of whiffle balls and shower scrubbies (whole & unraveled)

"Casino Chip Dress"
made of casino chips & zip ties

First "States of Dress" short film!

2008-04-01T00:39:00.000-07:00

This is my 100th post on my States of Dress blog!

To celebrate, I am announcing the launch of my very first States of Dress mini-film, "Wyoming". It is the first in a series of shorts about the ongoing project. It shows how I made "Willow Creek Dress", a floating dress of woven willow on Lower Piney Creek, at the Jentel Artist Residency Program in Banner, WY.

To view, please click on the link below. Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/user/STATESOFDRESS

Gallery Show at Atomic Todd, Las Vegas NV

2008-02-16T02:36:00.001-08:00

"99¢ Only Dress Shop"

April 30- May 24 at the Las Vegas art gallery:

Atomic Todd: 1221 Main Street, Las Vegas, NV

"Sponge Dress" by Robin Barcus Slonina
Photo by Eric Guideng, Hair & Makeup by Krystle Randall

Continuing my exploration of environmental dress making, I am turning to local dollar stores in the urban environment of downtown Las Vegas. I will be creating a "dress shop" entirely out of items purchased at various 99¢ Only stores. I will be working in my "artistic sweat shop" during the run of the exhibit, making dresses out of items like sponges, whiffle balls and easter eggs. This show will be completely interactive and open to the public. I invite everyone to come visit, try on the artwork, or even help create it!

Please click on the links below to read two articles from local papers about the show:

The Las Vegas Sun / Review Journal
"Sort-of-Wearable Art on the Cheap
By Kristen Peterson

The Las Vegas Weekly
"The Sponge Dress, and Other Delights; Pop Art Goes to the Bargain Bin"
by Greg Thilmont

Here are some pictures from Opening Night!
the artist

Gallery owner Todd VonBastianns

Art slaves Ross & Benoit (above) and Tarra (below)

Gallery views

playing with the art...

Sarah getting into ART!

THIS ARTWORK WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE HELP OF MY AMAZING VOLUNTEERS!
Your dedication to this silliness really touched my heart.
THANK YOU:
Barb Barcus
Benoit Beaufils
Heather Eggerding
Barbara Ellis
Tara Ellis
Ross Gibson
Amos Glick
Laura Herbert
Jessica Holker
Marah Kaprowski
Stacy Lee
Luke Littell
Nick Mays
Bryan McCarthy
Carolina Moraes
Brett Palmer
Lucy Pascoe
Dave Proctor
Stephanie
Lakeisha Sable
Tarra Scarff
Andy Schmitz
Danny Sidlow
Jim Slonina
Kent Thomson
Todd VonBastiaans

FOR MORE EXHIBIT PICTURES, click here to VISIT MYSPACE

Frontier Implosion, Las Vegas!

2007-11-15T17:53:00.000-08:00

Damn I love exploding buildings! The historic Frontier Hotel imploded at 2:30AM on November 13th. We scored an amazing view of the spectacle after bluffing our way into a "Press Only" parking garage across the street... Check out Jimmy's YouTube video of us on the scene!

LINK TO OUR VIDEO:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73yIORe7W9g

Las Vegas Wedding!

2007-10-21T20:55:00.000-07:00

On September 29, 2007, I participated in a circus-themed extravaganza love-fest of a wedding, and married my love Jim Slonina.

Jim is an actor and currently works as a clown for the Las Vegas spectacle "Le Reve", so we pulled in the circus theme with an air-jumper, popcorn and cotton candy machines, Steve August juggling, and Maria the Snake Babe with an 8-foot boa constrictor. The ceremony began with my friend Marah running down the aisle to stage-whisper to the groom that the minister had a flat tire and she couldn't make it. So while Jim made an embarrassed apology to the crowd, our good friend Claudio Carneiro (an amazing Brazilian clown) stood up from the audience to save the day, doing magic tricks in the aisle and taking over as minister. There was lots of gags mixed in with the true lovey-dovey moments, culminating in an interruption during the "Speak now or forever hold your peace" bit, when Renaldo, an acrobat in a karate costume, ran down a hill and attacked. You can check it out at the photos at the link below:

Jim & Robin's Wedding Pics

I Heart Austin, Texas!!

2007-08-01T11:05:00.000-07:00

I am currently in Austin, TX, working on a mural project for Gatti's Pizza, and managing to get in just a little sight seeing as well...

Bat Bridge, Austin TX

2007-08-01T10:31:00.000-07:00

The Mexican Freetail Bat is the mascot of Austin, after the city accidentally built a perfect bat habitat along the bat's migration route from Mexico. The city considered them pests at first and tried to get rid of them, but Austin citizens fought to save the bats and now "bat bridge" is a big tourist attraction. 1.5 million bats summer in the long thin recesses under Congress street bridge, rearing their babies before heading back to Mexico. At sunset they swoop out in a massive group to fly east up the river feeding on 20,000 pounds of bugs a night!

It was cloudy the night we visited the bridge, so they did not make their dramatic flight, but stayed close to home, darting over our heads to feed on mosquitoes.

The Cathedral of Junk, Austin, TX

2007-08-01T10:16:00.001-07:00

Something amazing has been growing in Austin, hidden in the backyard of a small, nondescript South Austin home. It is the Cathedral of Junk! Refuse is lovingly attached together into rooms, towers and walkways to climb and play in.

Vince is the creative genius behind the cathedral.

My Austinite friend Thor climbing one of four towers....

The view from the top!

"State of Dress" Exhibit!

2007-07-19T00:52:00.000-07:00

The July / August exhibition of "State of Dress" at the New York Mills Cultural Center in Minnesota marks the first one-woman showing of this series. On display were 40" X 60" photographic prints on canvas of all the "Dress" sculptures so far...

Pinecone Dress survives the journey...

2007-07-19T00:51:00.001-07:00

"Pinecone Dress' was shipped here for the exhibit, from the MacNamara Foundation Arts Residency in Maine where it was created. This is the first time an actual "dress" has been displayed in addition to photographs of the work. The tough nature of pine cones made this possible. I was amazed when we opened the crate at how well they had weathered the long journey.
Here is my friend Hope lending a hand touching up the dress with the back-up pine cones I mailed with the dress from Maine.

"Leaf Dress" paintings

2007-07-19T00:40:00.000-07:00

In addition to the "State of Dress" exhibit in the main gallery, the front of the cultural center held some of the two-dimensional work I also created while an artist in residence in Maine. While on break from creating "Pinecone Dress", I collected plant life around the island and preserved it on canvas to create these "Leaf Dress" paintings.

Here is a close-up from the large "Leaf Dress" painting, with blackberry leaves preserved in their red fall color.

"Collecting Kisses"

2007-07-19T00:35:00.001-07:00

Also on display is the new work, "Collecting Kisses". This is an interactive installation of three dress paintings on which viewers are encouraged to leave their lipstick kiss prints. Many ladies and a couple men took me up on it during the opening, and I hope the art continues to collect kisses during the run of the show.

2007-07-19T00:31:00.000-07:00

Luckily for me, Wendy DesChene was the visiting artist to the NYMRCC while I was in town. She was an enormous help to me during the installation of the "State of Dress" exhibition.
Please check out her amazing artwork at http://www.wendydeschene.com

Spamalot!!!

2007-04-09T23:13:00.000-07:00

Spamalot comes to Vegas, fresh from its run on Broadway. It is showing in the sister theater to Le Reve at the Wynn, which meant we were lucky enough to be invited to the premiere opening bash. It was a really fun chance to support our new friends in the cast (pictured above with buddies Ed, Tony and Ashley). Plus, I got to meet and hang out with Robin Williams, one of my big faves, as well as meet Steve Martin, and the whole Monty Python gang, including another big fave John Cleese!

Stardust implodes!

2007-03-15T11:18:00.000-07:00

I have to say, I love Las Vegas! Where else could I go to a Barrack Obama rally one day, and a Nicky Hilton wardrobe unveiling the next? Another bonus: imploding buildings!!! Here I am with my man Jim, who gets geeked out at all things explosive. We camped out on the roof of the Wynn Casino parking garage for three hours to get a prime spot to film the historic Stardust Casino implode -after 48 years on the Las Vegas strip. It was an amazing spectacle, with 5 minutes of fireworks culminating in a pyrotechnic countdown, with flares spelling out "10, 9, 8..." on the full height of the building. We then watched the crowd on the strip run from the dust cloud, until it rolled towards us, covering our car and sending us sprinting inside. We had to wait another 3 hours for the Star"dust" to clear, so we ran around inside the Wynn until 6AM with some of the awesome, fun cast of "Spamalot", the new Monty Python musical at the Wynn. Viva Las Vegas! (click on image to enlarge)

Casino Chips!

2007-03-01T03:45:00.000-08:00

Here I am drilling holes in over 1000 casino chips in preparation to link them together. I am working on the floor of a room in my friend Kent's house, which he has generously donated to me to use as my studio. Thanks Kent!!

Here are the chips once they are linked. At this point I am using a garment tagging gun to hold them together, for it's ease of execution and "invisible" linkage, but I will see if the results are strong enough once the dress starts to take shape...

Casino Chip Dress, Las Vegas NV

2007-02-20T17:30:00.000-08:00

I am back in Las Vegas and I am planning on making Nevada's dress project out of casino chips, to honor this state's unique gambling history. This will be a time consuming endeavor! Upon completion I plan to photograph it out in the desert to bring in the natural beauty and vast landscapes surrounding Nevada's sprawling cities. I wish to thank Wendy and all the folks at the Gambler's General Store in Las Vegas for their very generous donation of casino chips for the project!

2007-02-20T17:18:00.000-08:00

Here I am at the Gambler's General Store picking out my casino chips ...like a kid in a candy shop!

Thank you volunteers!

2006-11-17T18:16:00.000-08:00

A huge thank you to my fellow artists who volunteed their time to help set up and document "Pinecone Dress". I could not have done it without you! Clockwise from center: Duncan Slade, Robert Brun, Ian Sexton, Jennifer Sanchez and Colette Fu.

Finished Pinecone Dress!

2006-11-12T17:06:00.000-08:00

Here are the best two pictures from two days of shooting "Pinecone Dress" outside on location. I am still deciding which one will be the final image... VOTE for your favorite! Number One on the left, and Number Two on the right! (photos thanks to Colette Fu)

Number Two Wins! It seems most people felt it looked more organic, like it grew up from the forest floor...

Pinecone Shoots!

2006-11-06T11:53:00.000-08:00

Here is a shot taken during the first photo shoot of the completed "Pinecone Dress"! It was about 45 degrees outside so it was pretty cold! Here I am taking a break with my hat and scarf while we wait for this dramatic "cross" shadow to pass so we can continue the photo shoot. Special thanks to Colette Fu and Jennifer Sanchez for their assistance.

And here is a shot from the second day of shooting. I am pretty imobilized once I am in the dress, so I am dependent on the artistic judgment of the photographers to document the project. Here they are really going for it! Robert is in the background, while Colette is kneeling to get a good angle, and Ian is lying down on the job...

Pinecone Dress in Progress

2006-10-26T10:13:00.000-07:00

Let the obsessive compulsion begin! I have scrubbed hundreds of pinecones and begun the labor-intensive process of attaching them all to the wire dress form I have constructed...

My Father's Memory

2006-10-26T09:56:00.000-07:00

October 25th was the one year anniversary of my father's passing. I can hardly believe it has been a whole year, with so many changes filling the time in between. To honor him on this day, I scattered some of his ashes at a favorite cove beach here in Maine. I have been doing these scatterings in various parts of the country, with the idea that his spirit will journey to all those places he wanted to travel to, if he had the chance.

MacNamara Foundation, Westport Island, MAINE

2006-10-17T18:48:00.000-07:00

During October/November 2006, I am staying at the MacNamara Foundation Arts Residency on Westport Island off the coast of Maine. The seven artists here are housed in a beautifully renovated barn from the 1860's, where we are served gourmet food 3 times a day! I feel very spoiled, although it has been a bit of an adjustment getting up at 7:30 every morning for breatkfast! Here is a shot of me, Jen and Ian enjoying a typical East Coast lobster dinner...

Cinderella of the Woods!

2006-10-17T18:23:00.000-07:00

Maine is called the "Pine State". and the first settlers here were impressed with the gigantic white pines, which they called "King's Pine". There are still pine trees all over the state, as well as along the coast and on the island where I am staying. So, after deciding on pinecones as the material for the dress project in Maine, I discovered that pinecones are only produced by the white pine trees every OTHER year, which, unfortunately for me, was last year. There are still cones to be found on the forest floor, if I am choosy and inspect them for rot and insects. Better still are last year's cones still clinging to the tops of the trees. We just had a big windstorm here that blew many down, so I was able to collect them. Then the scrubbing begins! I feel like a character from a fairy tale as I sit outside for hours scrubbing pinecones....

"Faces of History" in MN

2006-09-15T00:55:00.000-07:00

As a visiting artist with the New York Mills Regional Cultural Center in Minnesota, I am painting a series of panels for the "Faces of History" mural, celebrating colorful characters from Minnesota's past. These ten 4' X 8' panels will be installed outdoors in the neighboring town of Wadena, where the Alley Arts Institute plans to complete an ambitious series of mural projects. The town's theme is "Pieces of History", with a jigsaw puzzle motif connecting the various murals around town. This is the second year I have been involved with this project, after helping to plan it two years ago, and painting the first mural last year. There are now almost twenty murals completed by local artists, changing the face of Wadena, MN!

Happy Birthday Jimmy!

2006-09-05T22:27:00.000-07:00

Before starting the community mural project I am working on in Minnesota, I flew home to Las Vegas to surprise my boyfriend Jim for his birthday. He was at a bar with friends when he was led outside to the alley to open his "present". He hadn't seen me for 5 weeks and wasn't expecting me back for his birthday, so he was pretty shocked, to say the least.

On the Road Again...

2006-09-05T16:05:00.000-07:00

After the Willow Creek Dress project in Wyoming was done, I began traveling again, roadtripping in my van through South Dakota to Minnesota. I passed Sturgis during their biker fest, so I saw my share of bikers, passing and waving to me on the road with signs like "Sturgis for Bust" strapped to the back of their hogs. On the way I stopped at the famous "Wall Drug" in Wall, SD, a drug store from the 1930's which has taken over the Main Street of the small town and become a kind of surreal theme park. It had a t-rex that roars every 15 minutes, a 5-banjo-playing machine, a "creek" where kids can pan for gold, a pharmacy museum, a tiny chapel, walls of historic photos, a soda fountain, shops with western wear and fossils, and loads of other random weirdness. But my main destination was the Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD, which is a 114-year-old building covered with murals made of 200,000 ears of corn. There has been a terrible drought in the Dakotas and Nebraska, so this year the towers were not covered, and I met people who were comparing the weather there to the dustbowl of the 1930's.

Last Days in Wyoming...

2006-09-04T23:08:00.000-07:00

This shot is from a visit to the nearest town of story, WY, which consists of a few streets of log cabin buildings surrounded by a pine forest. At the general store in town is a big chalkboard so residents can leave messages for each other. Again, I had to get used to small town America, where people not only don't lock their doors, some don't even have locks on their doors! When I needed stamps, I left money and a note in the mailbox for Rose, the mailperson. But I think it was the constant encounters with wildlife that I loved the most. One night walking I came across a field with about 80 deer, grouped in families. Antelope ran by me regualrly, and I startled a couple of porcupines, which move soooo slowly and make very funny noises. It was a wonderful stay in a beautiful state.

Medicine Wheel, WY

2006-08-12T20:53:00.000-07:00

Before leaving Wyoming, some of the artists and I made a trek into the Big Horn Mountains to reach the sacred site of Medicine Wheel, a human-made circle of rocks dating back 2000 years, placed on the clearing of a mountain peak, with a beautiful 360 degree view of the surrounding mountains. It is a site of vision quests and pilgrimage for many Native Americans, who feel it must be visited at least once in a lifetime. There were many prayer bundles and offerings attached to the fence surrounding it, making it feel like a very charged space. We were very fortunate to have the place to ourselves on the windy afternoon we visited, so we each had time and space to circle Medicine Wheel, meditate and pray. It was a very moving experience.

Wyoming Rodeo!

2006-08-05T12:16:00.000-07:00

On Friday, August 4th, we ventured from the Jentel Arts Retreat to mix with the locals and attend the PBR Sheridan Rodeo! We went to see the pro bull riding tour, and it was pretty exciting and looked very dangerous, with a few riders getting their hands caught while being thrown, tossed around like rag dolls in the dirt with their arms still attached to the bull. OW. Afterwards, we danced under the stands to a live band with John, the mechanical bull operator (who actually flipped Karina over his shoulder at one point), then we hit the famous Mint bar in town. All in the name of local research, of course...

2006-08-05T12:10:00.000-07:00

In the stands with new pals and fellow artists Karina Hean and Robyn Art.

When in Wyoming...

2006-08-05T12:05:00.000-07:00

I took a spin and a spill on the mechanical bull at the fairgrounds. Although I must say, this cityslicker did pretty well for her first time, staying on for over a minute, which is MUCH harder than it looks! "It's all in the hips!"

Completed Willow Creek Dress, WY!

2006-08-01T22:37:00.000-07:00

My favorite shot of the day, taken by Karina Hean. I like the twin snake hills in the background that are always in view here, and are such an important visual element at Jentel. I am very satisfied with the project and extremely grateful to the Jentel Foundation for hosting me and making this experience and work of art possible.

A little help from my friends...

2006-08-01T22:32:00.000-07:00

I could not have documented the piece without the brave souls who climbed into that cold water with me. Other resident artists (top photo, from left: Robyn Art, Karen Schiff and Karina Hean) donated their talent and got wet and chilly to help me out. Bottom photo: Karen frames a shot with my camera.

2006-08-01T22:26:00.000-07:00

This is the sheltered location I found, in a little inlet in the creek. The current was too strong for my anchors everywhere else. Even here, I had to bury the anchors in the sandbar under the dress to hold it in place for the three days it took me to work on it.

Almost ready...

2006-08-01T22:16:00.000-07:00

Here is the final dress with fresh branches woven into the willow frame. There was a heat wave while I was making it, making all the cutting and hauling of material sweaty work, with sunburn, scratches, wasp stings (one got caught buzzing under my bandana and stinging my ear!), and snakes to contend with (I encountered so many that I took to singing/whistling as I entered the underbrush to warn them away). Then a wind storm hit the night before the photo shoot, and while the dress survived in tact, the temperature dropped dramatically from over 100 degrees to around 65 when it was time to get in the water. It was chilly, but fun, and I was so happy to be completing the project that I didn't mind goose bumps and shaking a little in the cold.

2006-07-30T22:45:00.000-07:00

Getting ready to launch! "Willow Creek Dress" is in the water and anchored down. Here I am weaving willow branches into the frame.

In the studio...

2006-07-26T22:50:00.000-07:00

I have decided to create my Wyoming dress with the abundant willow that grows along Lower Piney Creek on the Jentel property. Willow is a very pliable material for sculpture, regenerates quickly when cut, and the cut branches will even grow again if you stick them back into the ground! I am creating a dress that will float on the creek, Ophelia-style. Here I am in my studio at Jentel, building the bodice and connecting willow branches with biodegradable twine to form the massive skirt.

WYOMING Jentel Artist Residence

2006-07-15T18:44:00.000-07:00

I arrived at the Jentel Artist in Residence program on July 15th and I am overwhelmed by the beauty of the surrounding land and the luxury of the accommodations. It is absolutely beautiful here. I feel extremely spoiled! The Lower Piney Creek, which circles the property, is very inspirational, and I am thinking of creating a floating dress using the willow that lines its banks.

2006-05-19T17:39:00.000-07:00

Love in Las Vegas

photo by Tomasz Rossa

Okay, folks, now for the real reason I am sticking around Las Vegas! About three weeks after my dad died, I met this clown.... literally. My new boyfriend Jim is a clown for the water / air circus spectacle "Le Reve" at the Wynn casino. After dating about three months while I was still traveling, he asked me to stay with him in Sin City and I said yes! I will use Vegas as a home base from now on, and continue the dress project through arts residencies I will travel to in various states every few months or so. With my father's deep love of all things circus, I think he is smiling down on this amazing new love in my life.

Las Vegas, NEVADA

2006-03-15T20:56:00.000-08:00

I am currently living large in Las Vegas, Nevada. I love the weather and have made some amazing friends here!

I also just found out I have been awarded a couple of artist residencies, which means cultural centers in different states will be giving me room and board and general support as I create my dress projects for those states. I am headed to Wyoming in July thanks to the Jentel foundation, and then I am off to an island in Maine in September thanks to the MacNamara foundation. So preparing all of those applications paid off!

Robert Barcus 1940-2005

2005-11-02T20:44:00.000-08:00

This blog was supposed to be about art, and yet life keeps intruding. I flew back to Chicago on October 24 to face the shocking and painful news that my father unexpectedly passed away in his sleep. Here is a picture of my parents realxing at a late-night art performance, in happier times.

2005-11-02T20:43:00.000-08:00

My sister Missy and I made the flower arrangements for the service ourselves. These are surrounding his urn. Below is an excerpt from the eulogy I wrote for his service, which sums up how I feel:

"Several days ago, I received the shocking phone call that no one ever wants to get, telling me to get on a plane immediately and come home, because someone I loved deeply was gone.

Much of the pain of my father's passing comes from how early and suddenly he was taken from us. He did not have the chance to grow old with my mother, travel to Europe like we planned, or even meet his future grandchildren. He had been looking forward to retirement for as long as I can remember, and he had a lot of exploring planned. Because he will not be able to fulfill those plans, my family and I have decided that as I continue on my travels, I will take his ashes with me, and I will scatter them in all of the places that he would have liked to go and experience for himself. And who knows what new realms of space and time he is experiencing now! I would like to think that he is off on a new adventure, greeting whatever mysteries are waiting for us with his characteristic curiosity and open mind.

I know my dad is physically gone, and his absence leaves a hole in my life, and in the lives of all who knew him. But underneath the pain is the very real feeling that he is still living inside of me. My sisters told me they feel the same way. Being the science-fiction lover that he was, I told my mom, he's like Obi Wan Kenobi now. As in, "If you strike him down, he will become more powerful than you can possibly imagine." He is Obi Bob Kenobi.

My father was simply an amazing man, always up for anything, so patient, so supportive, so proud of me and my sisters. I live a pretty alternative artistic lifestyle that some parents might worry about or not approve of. But I have never felt anything but acceptance, support and genuine pride from my father. He was so intelligent, so generous, such a friend to my friends, so accepting of everyone, curious and inquisitive and willing to engage anyone he met, on any subject. He instilled in my family the exquisite gift of non-judgment, as he taught us young, and continued to show us by his example, that all people are created equal and all deserve kindness and respect. He loved peace. I think it simply seemed to him the most logical way for people to live together.

Even in the midst of tragedy, it is possible to count blessings. I feel so lucky that I was born into this family, so blessed to have Bob Barcus as my father, and I am just overwhelmed by all the love I have felt from my family and all of my friends. I want to sincerely thank everyone for the non-stop parade of prayers and food and assistance that has been so generously given to me and my family in this time of need. I am also moved by the steady and true bond between me and my sisters and mother, that has allowed us to make this last week as good as it could possibly be. I think we have laughed as much as we have cried, and trust me, we have cried A LOT. So many people have asked me, "What can I do for you?". I have an idea what we can all do for each other. Appreciate the life we have. Let the people you love know how you feel, express it freely and often, and try to be at peace will all who surround you. Because in the end, only love matters. My father taught me that."

Vedauwoo, Wyoming

2005-09-18T20:24:00.000-07:00

On my drive to Idaho, I stopped at a state park in Wyoming called Vedauwoo, which means "earthborn spirits" in Arapaho. It is an incredible place of towering rock formations and bluffs, where Native Americans came to have vision quests. I pulled in late at night and could only see the rocks within my headlights, and I actually got a little spooked by how powerful this place felt in the dark! When I got up at sunrise and stepped out of my van, I was awed looking around me at the circle of crazy rocks I found myself in. I explored all day and had some great meditations on the rocks. I realized that I have been holding on to a lot of fear about funding this trip, and it was a great place to let it all go, and trust that everything will work out as long as I trust myself think positive. It was also a great place to count my blessings, and realize how much I do have to be grateful for.

2005-09-18T20:23:00.000-07:00

After that I drove all day through Wyoming, which is just incredibly vast and empty, with long expanses of rocky terrain and scrubby desert brush, ringed with mountains in the distance. I could see the weather for miles away, and watched lightning and rain storms in the distance while I drove in the sunshine. After watching one storm for over an hour I finally drove into it and it was like driving into a car wash. Water was spraying in the vents on my dashboard!

Blessed Belly

2005-09-18T20:21:00.000-07:00

I arrived in Sun Valley, Idaho to visit my oldest childhood friend, Jody, and her husband Craig. I arrived just in time to hear the Dalai Lama speak as he visited the region. We were fortunate enough to actually get to meet him for a moment and have him bless Jody's pregnant belly! Here she is with her blessed belly, which I body-painted for her, by the Big Wood River.

Hot Springs in Idaho!

2005-09-18T20:19:00.000-07:00

Visiting the hot springs on the Big Wood River. The air was COLD but the sulphur springs were HOT! You could see the boiling water bubbling underwater, and it was crucial not to get too close to the bubbles or they would burn. ...Here is Craig doing his best Dalai Lama impression.

2005-09-18T20:16:00.000-07:00

Life is good in Idaho!

WISCONSIN: "White Pine Dress"

2005-08-28T13:45:00.000-07:00

The next dress project took place in Seely, Wisconsin at Castle Gardens, a small home-farm owned by Dan and Margaret Krause. While working on this project I stayed at my friend Amy Maxon's family cabin in nearby Stone Lake. We used tree limbs recently blown off the many white pines at Castle Gardens. "Phorpa" the dog thought my pile of materials was a bed made just for her.

2005-08-28T13:36:00.000-07:00

Josey was visiting Castle Garens and kept me company while I built the dress form. I made her a crown with extra chicken wire and she filled it with flowers. Here she is wearing her masterpiece.

2005-08-28T13:35:00.000-07:00

Karen and I worked late into the night to finish the 12-foot-tall dress form for "White Pine Dress".

2005-08-28T13:34:00.000-07:00

With a little help from "Gray Nose" the cat.

2005-08-28T13:33:00.000-07:00

Dan graced us with music from his home-made Native American flute.

2005-08-28T13:21:00.000-07:00

Attaching the branches to the dress form took five people about four hours to complete. Here I am with Karen and Calvin.

2005-08-28T13:19:00.001-07:00

The completed "White Pine Dress"

2005-08-28T13:19:00.000-07:00

I was just another tree for the cat to climb.

2005-08-28T13:17:00.000-07:00

Karen looked great in "Pine Dress"!

2005-08-28T13:16:00.000-07:00

And Calvin gave it a try-on as well...

2005-08-28T13:13:00.000-07:00

The crew! Many, many thanks to my friends, helpers and hosts. From left: Dan Krause, Margaret Krause, Calvin Ramseyer, Amy Maxon and Karen O'Mara.

IOWA: "Prairie Dress"

2005-08-01T13:59:00.000-07:00

The Wickiup Hill Outdoor Learning Center in Toddville, IA graciously agreed to host the Iowa dress project, "Prairie Dress". They are working hard to convert their acquired land back to the natural prairie that once covered Iowa.

2005-08-01T13:56:00.000-07:00

We needed to secure a permit to allow us to cut the prairie grasses. Here are Craig and Felicia collecting material.

2005-08-01T13:55:00.000-07:00

Here Cynthia and Paloma are weaving grass into the wire armature for the dress. I found volunteers to help with the project through a local art gallery and also by searching online.

2005-08-01T13:50:00.001-07:00

The completed "Prairie Dress"

2005-08-01T13:49:00.000-07:00

I thought it was fitting with the nature of this Great Plains state to keep Iowa's dress low to the ground.

2005-08-01T13:38:00.000-07:00

This project would not have been possible without my awesome volunteers, who spent a day with me under the hot sun, attacked by ticks and mosquitos, to make "Prairie Dress" happen. From left: Leif Zalewski, Felicia Taylor (hair and make-up), Craig Volesky, Stewart McCoy (holding the wire dress form), Cynthia Wittstruck, and Paloma Jamal Scheck.

2005-08-01T13:08:00.000-07:00

Iowa is in America's heartland, the great prairie lands that became the farming breadbasket for the United States. I found out during my work on "Prairie Dress" that the natural environment of Iowa has been reduced to 1/10 of 1% to make room for farming and housing. In other words, if Iowa was a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle, only one piece would be undeveloped nature.

"Pieces of History" Mural in Wadena, MN

2005-07-09T22:50:00.000-07:00

For the entire month of June, I have been painting as part of a community project in Wadena, MN.

2005-07-09T22:49:00.000-07:00

My assistant Michael Beachy, a local art student, and project director David Evert working behind him.

2005-07-09T22:47:00.000-07:00

BEFORE... this is what the wall looked like before we started.

2005-07-09T22:46:00.000-07:00

And AFTER... the finished mural! It is intended to look like a big jigsaw puzzle, to fit with the "Pieces of History" theme of the project. This is the first in what it is hoped will be an onoing project to depict the history of Minnesota in Wadena.

2005-07-09T22:39:00.000-07:00

It's an orgy of bird life, with blue herons and the state bird, the loon, which is almost as big as a goose, and its babies ride on its back!

2005-07-09T22:35:00.000-07:00

Details of eagles. Notice the painted turtle on the log, which was painted in on the last day on the town barber's request.

2005-07-09T22:33:00.000-07:00

I could not have done it without the help of many, many friends, including Hope, who is helping me here to touch up nail holes once it was installed.

2005-07-09T22:30:00.000-07:00

Catching a big Northern pike with new friends in MN. (...note the plastic gloves; it all seems a little icky to this city girl)

Tornado hits Minnesota!

2005-06-23T13:59:00.000-07:00

On June 20, a tornado and wind storm hit both the county I am living in (Ottertail) and the county I am working in (Wadena). I was painting the mural indoors at the Wadena Emporium when the storm hit: the sky turned green with black swirling clouds, hail rained down, and the windows shook. Then the sky went dark. The power went out and we all sat by candlelight listening to the radio, until the local station got hit by lightning, and the radio went out. I am lucky enough to be painting in a very secure building, so many people fled the storm to join us in our candlelit safety, including one woman who had seven trees fall in her yard, one through her roof. What surprised me most was how graciously everyone weathered the weather, even those with massive damage to their property seemed affably awed by the power of nature. The home I am staying at in Ottertail is just not the same, as all the trees on the property were lost. Here is a picture of my yard after the storm.

2005-06-23T13:46:00.000-07:00

The top of this tree was lopped off right next to the house. Although much damage was done in two counties, I haven't heard about any injuries, and many houses were luckily just missed by falling trees.

2005-06-23T13:44:00.000-07:00

Man VS. Nature.... nature wins!

2005-06-23T13:42:00.000-07:00

It was tragic to see all the beautiful old trees felled by the winds,

2005-06-18T21:50:00.000-07:00

The New York Mills Cultural Center has graciously allowed me to use their beautiful upstairs studio space to work on wire dress forms for the next project.

2005-06-16T12:32:00.000-07:00

Work in progress...

First Stop

2005-06-14T18:26:00.000-07:00

Ottertail, Minnesota (population 451) is where I am laying my head these days, while I paint a mural in the neighboring town of Wadena. Small town life is something to get used to again after Chicago. I need to remember to pay AFTER pumping gas, and get used to people looking at me like I'm crazy when I lock my car door. I was near here last year with the New York Mills Regional Cultural Center, making the Corn Dress, and the Alley Arts project in Wadena asked me to come back and help get an ambitious mural project started in their town.

"Pieces of History" Mural

2005-06-14T18:16:00.000-07:00

The theme of the mural is Minnesota history and I am painting a prairie scene of the Lakota Sioux. More pics to come of its progress...

First Days on the Road

2005-06-02T17:20:00.000-07:00

Driving through Sauk City, WI, the sky lit up with an amazing rainbow, a good omen for the journey! I am on my way to Wadena, MN, to help the town with a mural project they are starting. I will try to jump over to the Dakotas on my days off to create a dress sculpture.... Does anyone have any contacts in North or South Dakota?

Leaving my home in Chi-town

2005-06-02T17:07:00.000-07:00

Getting a little help (?!) from my friends....

2005-05-29T12:00:00.000-07:00

All of my possessions have been sold, stored or given away, and my life has been edited down to what I can fit in my 1986 Volkswagen camper van. I am set to travel for the State of Dress project for the next year or so.

ILLINOIS: "State of Dress" benefit art auction

2005-05-05T17:09:00.000-07:00

On April 23, 2005 Saverio Truglia Photography generously hosted a benefit art auction in his new studio space to raise funds for the next leg of "State of Dress". Over 200 people ate, drank, danced, and made merry while 25 of my paintings were auctioned off, as well as donated artworks by Chicago artists: Katie Baker, Elke Claus, Eduardo De Soignie, Mark McGinnis, Paul Munro, Doc Sanjuro, Galina Shevchenko, Renata Stojkowski, and Saverio Truglia. Rocking the house was Matt Faunce, Environmental Encroachment, MoFoe and Jungle Street Rockers, all under the blessings of MC LA*JC, who also took a turn on the turntables.

2005-05-05T17:01:00.000-07:00

Over $2000 was raised to help fund the next leg of State of Dress. The money will go towards the purchase of a digital video camera to document the project. Party photos by Jake Setlak.

MINNESOTA: "Corn Dress"

2005-04-06T15:25:00.000-07:00

MINNESOTA: "Corn Dress" was created in September of 2004, while I was an artist-in-residence at the New York Mills Regional Cultural Center in New York Mills, Minnesota, supported in part by a grant from the Jerome Foundation. "Corn Dress" was created with a 14-foot-tall welded steel frame, complete with a built-in ladder. It was 6-foot wide at its base. This sculpture was made possible by the hands of many wonderful volunteers, in a corn field belonging to Ray Sonnenberg and Brian Sillanpa of Homestead Valley Estates. Photo by Kevin Cederstrom.

2005-04-06T15:14:00.000-07:00

This sculpture is dedicated to the memory of Ray Sonnenberg, whose humor and goodwill charmed the creation of "Corn Dress". Ray passed away shortly after I left Minnesota, and he will be missed by all who were lucky enough to know him.

2005-04-06T15:08:00.000-07:00

Assisiting in the construction of the "Corn Dress" frame were students from Paul Detloff's welding class at New York Mills high school.