A couple days ago I received an invitation to Mahan Gallery’s March art opening. My eyes popped when I opened the envelope. The featured artist: Ric Ocasek. My first thought was: “How many Ric Ocasek’s can there be?” A product of the ‘70s and ‘80s, I immediately associated R.O. with the Cars, even hearing a bit of “Just What I Needed” in my head. It couldn’t be the same guy. And yet, when I turned the invitation over, there was the confirmation. Step One… I immediately called and rsvp’d. Step Two… I pondered why Ric was dabbling in art. I wondered how many people would show up purely because of the fanboy effect, and how many would be there for the art. That led me to a question of celebrity and commercialism versus authenticity. So before I dug myself a deeper hole, I called Jacquie Mahan (gallery proprietor) and scheduled a chat on the subject.

And I was glad I did.

We sat at Jacquie’s desk (pure white, blending in with the white exhibition walls) at the back of the gallery. Before jumping in to the obvious questions I thought I’d start with a bit of focus on the gallery itself.

JA: What is your philosophy about art and your gallery?
JM: I want to keep it real. Accessible. Honest. We are a highly contemporary gallery. We take a lot of risks and they usually pay off.

JA: So it’s not always a formal or traditional installation?
JM: We do feature traditionally hung shows, but it’s also fun to do something non-traditional. Artwork doesn’t have to be so serious. Sometimes it can be really fun. We support young artists as well as high-profile artists. In June we have an exhibit with the architect, George Acock.

JA: How serious are you about the gallery experience?
JM: I take artwork seriously, but I don’t take myself so seriously. I’m always open to learning, to hearing new ideas, and to experiencing. I think Mahan Gallery stands out with a very different gallery formula in Columbus. There are a lot of “art shops” out there filled with pieces to sell. Our gallery is attention driven. We embrace a theme. Make it intense. Make it an experience. We want the gallery to be a destination apart from other galleries.

JA: Give me an example of “experiential.”
JM: One of my favorites was our Maya Hayuk installation. Maya is from Brooklyn and has been to Columbus several times. She came to do a solo show at our gallery. We gave her the entire space. She simply took over. Paintings. Photos. She even painted pieces directly on our walls. Not on canvas, on our walls. It was completely immersive. If you didn’t see it at the gallery, you wouldn’t see it anywhere else. When collectors entered the door, they could instantly feel the art. There was even an opportunity to take self-portraits with the art via a ripcord - camera mechanism Maya installed. Fully engaging. It was a risk. And we liked taking it.

JA: So let’s talk about Ric. How did you get him to make his first gallery appearance at Mahan?
JM: It’s funny. People are going to think it’s only because he’s my father-in-law, but that’s not the whole story. It took years to gradually convince him to take this step. Yes, I had an inside track, but the biggest factors were probably the quality of our gallery, including our website, and his trust in how we would handle the installation. In the end, he decided to let us install the exhibit.

JA: So you made a proposal to Ric and here we are.
JM: Not nearly. It took five years of putting seeds out there. I saw Ric’s work for the first time on a beach trip. My husband Adam said: “You have to go see my dad’s work. It’s really cool.” From that point I began telling Ric: “You’re really good at this. You should share it with others.” We never went much deeper than that, and I decided not to push it. I just kept putting it out there. One day Paulina said: “You should talk to him about an installation.” She’s the one who really gave me the signal to make the ask. So I broached the subject. Ric simply said: “When are we having a show?” I said 6 months. “Okay. How many pieces?”  I suggested 50 - 150. Ric responded: “I’ll send you more.” That was about the extent of the conversation once we got over the hurdle of having the exhibit. So it was a lot of being patient. A lot of saying the right things at the right time. And having no ulterior motives. When he picked Mahan I was really happy, but if he had picked somewhere else I still would have been happy to see the works finally displayed.

JA: So here’s the rub. Is this really about an artist or an insanely famous guy?
JM: This installation is about the person. When it all gets peeled away, (the rock icon, my father-in-law, Adam’s dad, Paulina Porizkova’s husband) what’s left is some amazing artwork. The artwork speaks for itself. Ric’s work is really personal. It’s real. He makes his work for himself and by himself. Being around him at family functions I watch how he works. He sits by himself and starts creating. He’s no longer in the room. He’s by himself. I see that zoning out in Adam as well. I find the work very vulnerable. It’s a self-portrait. Think about it. If you made something never intending for others to see it, you make it real. You make it the way you want it to be. You’re not thinking about how others will react.

JA: So what is Ric’s inspiration?
JM: Ric views his work as a visual form of his music. He calls it the visual noise going on in his head. That’s where the name of the exhibit came from: Noise Colored Party. There is a rhythm and a tempo to every thing you will see.

JA: And what can we expect from Noise Colored Party?
JM: Ric works with markers, pen, and pencil on paper… some even on his letterhead from Elektra Records. There are also photographs, paintings and paper collages.

JA: Is there a theme or message in his work?
JM: Ric is very abstract. You can’t sum him up. His work is what it is. You can’t say it means anything specific… it means everything. If anything, it’s a stream of consciousness show. It’s a product of what people do when nobody’s looking. He’s really being himself.

JA: So this is a big deal for him to take this step with Mahan?
JM: It really is. It shows how paralleled he is. Keeping to himself all these years and now opening up to share his work.

JA: Did he have specifications about the installation?
JM: He said: “Make the installation look like music.” There will be 171 pieces for the show, maybe 175 if we get the four additional paintings I would like to include. The whole place will be totally saturated in crazy drawings.

JA: Will the works be for sale?
JM: Yes.
Photographs $800 - $1,200
Drawings $800 - $2,200
Paintings $2,500 - $5,000

JA: How is Ric feeling about his decision now that the opening is less than a month away?
JM: He is taken aback that people are interested in the pieces. He’s flattered that people like them so much. I don’t think he gives himself credit for his talent. To him, this is his knitting. Paulina is a knitter. She knits every night. I like sewing. We all have creative outlets. His is art.

JA: So what’s left to be done for the installation?
JM: Tons! We pick up the framing supplies on Friday. We will be building new frames for every single piece. Ric is a perfectionist. Each work is float mounted and placed on tiered matting. We will be working nonstop March 1 - March 5. It will take a really long time, but it will be totally worth it.

JA: How has the community reacted to news of the debut?
JM: I think people of the 80’s, people who love his music are particularly excited. They have an affinity for him, they relate to him, they want to know more about him. There has been a lot of support and expectation.

JA: One last question. How did Mahan Gallery end up in Columbus… in the Short North?
JM: I have family here. But that’s not enough. More importantly, Columbus is a viable community. I came to the SN because the rent was cheap. I liked the area. I liked the mix. I felt grateful to get established. There was no other choice. I wouldn’t have thrived the same way anywhere else… it’s a community where we keep it real.

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Noise Colored Party

Ric Ocasek

Solo Exhibition

March 6 - April 25, 2009
Invite-Only Reception: Fri., March 6
Gallery Hop: Sat., March 7, 6-10p

Mahan Gallery • 717 N High Street

So HighBall is launched and now we set about making the vision reality. As a longtime event producer, I firmly believe every event should have key features that make it truly experiential. These features combine to become the signature, and differentiate it from all other events. They keep people buzzing for weeks or months after the event fades. For HighBall, there are many features, but the overarching (Short North pun intended) signature has to be its artistic creativity. HighBall will be an immersion in absolute fabulousness. It will be a celebration of Columbus’ creative class. It’s not the stereotypical witches, goblins and ghouls. It’s wow-factor, alter-egos, Priscilla Queen of the Desert and trick-or-treat “eye candy.” It’s simply fabulous.

Sometimes fabulousness isn’t easy. In fact, it can be downright arduous. But I so admire the people who decide to invest the effort because they live for the fabulous moments. They invest their art and soul into a project because they want to create an experience for themselves and for all those around them. That artistic drive is at the heart of HighBall. And it is what will make HighBall different than anything out there.

Today, here’s the story behind the couture costume fashion showdown… this is a competition for professional fashion designers and design students. Each contestant will present 3-4 items from his/her collection and add a HighBall couture costume to the set. Then they will hit a 40 foot runway staged in the middle of High Street. Thumping music, struttin’ models, a wild audience, and 4 decision-making judges. The incomparable Nina West, drag queen extraordinaire and 2008 National Entertainer of the Year, will be our celebrity emcee for this fierce fashion showdown. Someone will be crowned HighBall couture costume designer of the year and receive a $1,000 prize package… and, of course, ultimate bragging rights. More so, perhaps, all the designers will have an awesome platform to share their creativity, both in their signature collections and in their couture costumes, with an audience of influential and inspired fashion fanatics… Columbus’ creative class.

Our first two enthusiastic partners are Kelli Martin (a recent participant on Project Runway and founder of AntiLabel), and Esther Chung. Both have design businesses in Columbus, and both have a passion for the expressiveness of Halloween. If you are interested in being a spotlighted designer in the heart of the couture costume fashion showdown, drop me an email at johnangelo@shortnorth.org or give me a call at 614.299.8050 x13… and help spread the word.

Next time, details on the costume contest (for the general public) and on the dogtober halloween procession.

Ciao for now.