I don’t remember where or when I first heard about the Art-O-Mat, but I do know I was very intrigued from the beginning. It is the brainchild of Clark Whittington, and has been in operation since 1997. In short, these are refurbished cigarette vending machines that sell original art for $5.00. There are over 100 of them throughout the country with over 400 artists involved.
Well, after seeing on at the Whitney Museum in New York, I was hooked. I wanted to be involved in this. So – I sent off for a block of wood the size of a pack of a pack of cigarettes and submitted a prototype. I was excited to be accepted.
So – now I have started my 50 pieces to send to Winston Salem. As of this writing, I have completed two layers, which is a good beginning. I am keeping a log to keep up with what goes into each one. At this point – I have used gesso, collage and salt – and am letting some of them dry with netting and bubble wrap. I will number each piece so anyone that purchases a piece will be able to email me and I will be able to tell them the materials in there piece.
See, I use alot of different materials for texture. Salt is just the beginning, as I’ve used coffee, tea – and most lately gunpowder – which I burn.
I hope to finish this project within by the end of the month and send them off. I have no idea at this point where they will end up. As I submitted my series of dresses, I wouldn’t mind if they ended up in a wedding chapel in Las Vegas!
Look them up on FACEBOOK
