MAY 2008 ONLINE EDITORIALS
Art Trek: Blazing New Trails
By Maggie Kunze
As I was sweeping through Craigslist last week looking in the “Barter” category – not that I haven’t occasionally looked in the more ‘personal’ categories...but that’s another story! Anyway, I love to see what people are bartering and pandering for, and I found this artist who has such a great sense of humor and fabulous art. I was so taken with that, I had to reply and make an appointment to meet the guy.
So I responded to his posting and told him that I didn’t know who he was but that I wanted to meet him and see his art in person. He responded back that my ‘reputation’ preceded me and he had heard about me! I love this art community – we all support and share info about each other!
So I set up an appointment and got to meet Brandton Manshel and his significant other Sarah Miller. They are such a creative, cool couple and we had a mutual admiral connection from the get-go.
They were high school sweeties who moved to Washington State when they got out of school, spent around eight years there and decided to move back to Colorado to be near family and friends.
Brandton is a graphic designer who has worked jobs ranging from a sign shop to a vitamin store and now spends most of his time producing art in many different mediums. The amount of art this couple produces is astonishing! Thus the “Great Art Haggle” was born. That’s what he calls his pages on Craigslist.
He starts out like this: “So---we’re drowning in art over here and we have forbade ourselves not to make any more until we get rid of this pile… and so it must begin: THE GREAT ONLINE aardvark art HAGGLE FEST!!! If you see something you like, or maybe even just something you are tempted to burn, make up a price and ask me. What’s the worst that could happen? I could yell at you. But that’s it, and I would probably accept it in the end... so, thanks.”
Then he goes on to show his varied, strange and wonderful collection of art. His editorial commentary absolutely cracked me up. The variety of subjects is amazing. I particularly like his nudes, but his abstracts are really wonderful too. I think he has a great playfulness about his creative process and he’s pretty damned funny.
He talks about an Indian painting that he has in his bedroom that he has to move in and out “ ‘when the time comes’ cause I can’t do it with somebody staring at me. Call me old fashioned. Maybe you can put it in your kitchen.”
He is a computer geek, recovering protestor and a guy who loves to put his art ‘out there’ just to see what kind of reaction he will get. He puts little paintings or sayings on cardboard and leaves them in bathrooms or nails them on poles in Old Town. On the back is a coupon for half off one of his paintings on-line.
This guy loves to make people think about art in a different way and by using a forum like Craigslist, he gets people that may not even know they are art appreciators to respond to his art. His art is thought provoking, compelling and a real voice for his social commentary. I admire his verve and funky way of marketing. Brandton and Sarah are working on a collaborative multi-media show that will be at Hodi’s Half Note on June 5th. They are coordinating short films, videos and sound experiments with bands that I would expect to be worth going to see!
He is one of those people that I know when he’s rich a
d famous I can say “I knew him when…” You will remember me then Brandton, won’t you?
Check out his posting on Craigslist under Barter; it is posted as “The Great Art Haggle” and please visit his website at www.aardvarkart.net or www.myspace.com/lovelandaardvarks (be sure to check the blogs…)
I’ll leave you with some of his words of wisdom written on cardboard: “Become News” or “Admire Ants’ Tenacity” and “Knead Dough” …words to live by my friend. So next time pick up that piece of cardboard, it may contain a coupon worth great art!