Here are a few of the hand-drawn versions I made of my Breathe | Step | Arrive series.
Breathe Step Arrive /
Josh Sands
Breathe Step Arrive, 2019
This project is a series of maps that examines the intersection of the five stages of grief in relation to water.
Breathe Step Arrive: Anger/Ecology
BREATHE…Now take a step…aaaaand ARRIVE. Now here is the statement about the piece.
Josh Sands w/ Joely Davis Digital Designs
Breathe Step Arrive, 2019
Bridge Exhibitions Contemporary Art w/ the City of Eugene Cultural Services
Visual Arts Week: Aug 2nd-Sept 4th
Sponsored by Imagination International Inc.
In partnership with LTD, FastSigns, Smith Family Bookstores, & 5th Street Public Market
“Breathe Step Arrive” is a series of five imagined transit maps. At first glance the familiar graphic network seems to describe a complex system of subway or bus routes. We are naturally drawn in to seek our current position and destination among the lines and dots. Another look reveals unexpected suggestions of our possible current “location” in relation to water resources, personal psychological status, our level of distraction verses interaction, and more. The artist invites us to examine our general state of awareness, but he also wants to help us appreciate the luxury we have in being able to “live outside” of the immediate moment. The content of the maps, with their mix of lightly humorous, and more serious “stations”, as well as the leisure moments we spend perusing and considering them, may be foreign experiences to those living in more challenged socioeconomic, environmental, or political circumstances.
Now here are some thoughts about the piece from the artist. "
“ego adsum” (Latin meaning I am here).
The inspiration for the title of this series “Breathe Step Arrive” comes from the great Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh in his profound book “You are Here.” “Breathe, Step, Arrive” is a passage from the book that acts as a suggestion to the reader to better understand their surroundings. A strategy to become more aware of the experiences and sensations of being alive. Much like a map, the quote’s simple suggestion seeks to guide the viewer along to calmer waters, and offers nothing more than an approach to discovering some form of compelling fulfillment. Yet this type of mainstream neo-spiritualism seems forced, and a bit phony. How is it that we become so detached from ourselves and our surroundings that it takes a personal mantra or guide to help us find ourselves again? In one sense this project’s aim is to encourage the viewer to question their awareness in relation to water and their mood, but in another more subversive way its goal is to question the privilege we have to be able to live outside of the immediate moment. People living in desperate socioeconomic situations often times are forced to live in the moment. Others who are forced to deal with potential violence and hate, live in a state of hyper-awareness of their surroundings. Through our greater understanding of the present moment we hope learn more about our internal selves, but also understand how lucky a position that can be, to be given a choice. I chose water for it’s humanizing and humbling quality. An elemental source of life that no person on this planet can live without and thusly cannot avoid being a part of their everyday lives and surroundings.”
Visit here for a review of the project by Sandra Honda
https://eugenecontemporaryart.com/critical-mas-sandra-honda-on-josh-sands-breathe-step-arrive/
Breathe Step Arrive: Depression/Quality of Life
Breathe Step Arrive: Bargaining/Conserving
Breathe Step Arrive: Denial/Recreation
Breathe Step Arrive: Percent of Water Composition/Percent of Acceptance
Strange Veg Abstractions /
Strange Veg Abstractions
At the very end of the project, after all of the decay has happened what I was left with was a pure formal abstraction of textures and colors.
Strange Veg 2 /
Strange Veg part 2
As I embarked upon the second half of this project I knew I would be touching on tougher issues and greater absurdities. The absurd reality and inherent deceit of stereotypes may not be the easiest subject to tackle but it is an important one. I knew that if I was to explore offensive racial stereotypes further my aim would be to squash them, dissolve them, bury them…deep, and grow new life out of that destruction.
“African Americans”, 2015 sand, rock, decorative rock, soil, watermelon, chicken bones, grape kool-aid, basketball, orange prison shirt, cotton, collard green seeds
…and so an exploration of horrible stereotypes concerning “African Americans” began…
just do it
given the tools
tall like his daddy
hustle
bright future
urban decay
upward mobility
help me mama
…wrong place at the wrong time
fade away
serving time
I can’t breathe
“An imbalance between the rich and poor is the oldest and most fatal ailment of all republics”
Mexican Americans, 2015 sand, soil, rock, work gloves, rubber gloves, cleaning supplies, vacuum tube, sombrero, poncho, flannel shirt, kids clothes, tequila bottle, tortillas, corn, green bean seeds
lazy
seeds get planted
all the children
up early
hard worker
a colorful people
resilient
bring the cousins
harvest time
the fruits of labor
after the drought
White Americans, 2015 soil, sand, aquarium rock, straw, wood, bonfire ash, water sports gear, camping gear, tent, gardening items, seed packs, wonder bread, national geographic, maps, Hawaiin and tie-die shirts, kale seeds
the wonder of bread
health conscious
worldly
free spirited
resourceful
entropy/apathy
gentrification
urban renewal
these colors don’t run
after the fall
“The greater their ignorance, the stronger their opinions.”
Prim and Proper
Irish, 2015 sand, soil, charcoal pellets, rock, Jameson whiskey bottle, lucky charms, potatoes, cabbage seeds
plough the fields
Jameson with your breakfast potatoes
the dawning of new luck
common threads
wish me enemies ill
spirited advancement
blood and soil
to triumph in spite
beware of invaders
to hell with it
Strange Veg 1 /
Tennis Ball Kale, 2015
Strange Veg series 2015-ongoing
Part 1: Sports
The title of this series makes reference to "Strange Fruit" a song performed most famously by Billie Holiday who first sang and recorded it in 1939, first written by teacher Abel Meeropol as a poem and published in 1937. The poem was written in protest of American racism, a troubling phenomenon that has been on the rise lately, but has always been a part of the historical and cultural landscape of America. This fact is not often talked about in honest terms and remains an issue that seems resistant to actual resolve and healing. Take for instance the American football player Colin Kaepernick’s “take a knee” protest, a protest that according to him was meant to shed light on violent injustices perpetrated on black men at the hand’s of various police departments. When this issue is discussed it is more often that not discussed in terms of the protest taking place during the national anthem and how it is disrespectful to the flag. Rarely is the original aspect of the protest even discussed, and is often avoided to absurd lengths. Here the NFL helmet combined with wheat reinforces the stereotypes of the American dream, and the misconceptions that Americans have prospered through hard work, strong ethics, the ability to be a successful self starter and self-made man.
It is in the spirit of this absurdity that I used racial stereotypes to emphasize the general absurdity of race relations’, culture, history, and heritage; through sports. The nature of these works are meant to highlight our commonalities as well as our slight differences in a humorous, thought provoking, and different way.
I photographed the pieces outside to relate to the plants themselves, but also to make reference to the sports field in general, the pedestal cues the viewer into the fact that this is indeed art. Here the photographs are the art, and the actual plants, balls, and settings could vary and take on entirely different contexts and meanings displayed in other places.
Basketball Collard Greens, 2015
Soccer Ball Beans, 2015
Football Helmet Wheat, 2015
…the monumental version
Baseball Mit Mint, 2015
Here for your behind the scenes enjoyment are some additional photographs of the pieces in progress being sculpted by photosynthesis, water, and the sun.
I think this might be my favorite image of the whole series.
In a Nut Shell /
In a Nut Shell, 2015 photo series
Almond Vicodin, 2015
This series of photographs uses the common phrase “in a nutshell” to reexamine the ways in which often times problematic, desperate, or dangerous situations can be trivialized, or misconstrued. The images touch on aspects of addiction, poverty, privilege, privacy, technology, beauty, and violence.
Pecan Lightbulb, 2015
Hazelnut Stamp, 2015
Walnut Film, 2015
Brazil Nut Doll, 2015
Peanut Bullet, 2015
BRIDGE, 2018 w/ DUBCAT /
We Are The Ships. You Are The River, Bridge Exhibition 2018 with the City of Eugene and DUBCAT (envisioned as a three part project)
Before I start I want to give the most thanks to Valentina (VRGNZ) and Dain Kaldahl for making this project a reality with me! Huge thanks also needs to be extended to WildCraft Ciders and Forest Paints for the enormous role they played in helping us out as well. I also need to thank our wonderful curator Lillian Almeida and Kerry Weeks.
For the 2018 BRIDGE Exhibition with the city of Eugene’s Cultural Services, myself and two other members of DUBCAT (Valentina Gonzalez, and Dain Kaldahl)-a part of the Whiteaker Community Art Team were chosen to construct a site specific art installation downtown, for inclusion in the visual arts week festivities. Our work with the Whiteaker Community Art Team focuses on providing art opportunities for artists, creating projects, and general support of the Whiteaker neighborhood in Eugene, OR.
The following excerpt is from our initial proposal for the project:
We are the Ships, You are the River
Our piece entitled, “We are the ships, You are the river,” is centered around ideas of identity, loss, and memory both collective and individual. As a neighborhood that is approaching the crossroads of a character shift and reformation, we find it profoundly interesting to present those struggles and questions in visual form. Through our exploration of the piece we seek to call into question the perception of the neighborhood, and how that forms our sense of communal distinctiveness and disappearance. In other words, it is our goal to bring some of the unique characteristics of the Whiteaker into downtown both figuratively and literally, to illustrate our point about personal and cultural sacrifice.
Materials start to coalesce in the swamp van…a van that became more alive than not, more outdoors than indoors.
Construction materials start to intermingle right from the beginning…
A gracious host, Wild Craft Ciders, emerges to let us perform our magic in the back…
…where we have an abundance of inspiration (and cider) to keep us motivated.
The dreams start to become reality.
Onward and upward.
The layout of the frame emerges.
Our first 12 foot section of frame is erected. It stands at 10 feet tall.
The juxtaposition of materials becomes apparent already.
Stratographic.
Some finishing materials start to collect.
Interesting shapes hide in plain sight.
Our main goal was to tell the story of our conflicting feelings toward the ‘progress’ in the neighborhood, which was primarily seen and felt through the lens of gentrification, renovation, and whitewashing much of the history and culture of the neighborhood. The way we wanted to tell that story was by contrasting different wood materials, in their varying states from raw to finished, to attempt to illustrate our point.
The sliver thing started to get really real…
Never forsake the gods you serve…
The “coyote fences” start to take shape for the first 12 foot section of the tunnel.
The beginning of the layout and laying in the textures to build from.
Valentina Gonzalez (VRGNZ) at work.
Dain Kaldahl the artist at work.
Progress on the right.
Progress on the left side.
The trusty truck in the back by the cooling towers.
The iconic image…
Our favorite little helper Florence came through to tighten things up.
Another load of sticks starts to cramp the space!
Home sweet home…
Painting day…
Val krushin’ it…
Dain on the stain.
The truck with the coyote fences arrives and we are feeling glorious! Installation day officially kicks off!
The backside of our installation site. (the breezeway)
The front side of the breezeway.
Our first load of sticks arrives…
Deliriousness sets in early in the late July heat.
It’s all coming together…
Huge thanks to Troy Danks tree service for another large load of sticks for section one of our installation. Section one aka ‘the nest.’
Off to the alley they go…
Let the weirdness begin.
One side of the tunnel wall in its new home…
…and the other one.
Huge thanks to John!
We couldn’t have done it without Danny…
…and Lee!
Dain and Val inspecting ‘the nest’ in progress.
Time to get serious about erecting these monstrosities.
The walls are up! Time to call it a night.
Lee still grinding the next morning.
Huge progress on the nest.
The middle “transition” section starts to come to life with a mix of natural elements and more rough pieces of processed wood.
Lots of detail getting added.
Our trusty ladder looks proud of all of our work.
Both sides looking tremendous!
Last little details get worked out. The vertical boards get painted the same color as the background walls.
The final finished piece!
Time to take the piece down after a very successful visual arts week!
We clearly worked really hard and had a lot of fun. Exhibit A.
Exhibit B.
Almost all cleaned up.
The circle is complete and the sticks go back to nature having helped us illustrate our point about progress, growth, survival, and renewal.
Mayors Art Show, 2019 /
Cactus (the future of the nation), 2018
mixed media, digital photo print on wood, borosilicate glass, hardware, cactus, terra cotta pot
The young artist has been accepted into the prestigious Mayor’s Art Show in Eugene OR , after many tries.
Self Portrait of the young artist. You can see my piece on the bottom of the advert.