Number 99
A few years ago that number seemed to elusive to me, like a fish slippery from the grip. It was 2012 and I was living out in the warm lights of Los Feliz in Los Angeles. At the time I had only finished 20 of these pieces, and while I was more determined than overwhelmed with the prospect of this project, the idea… that number 99 would ever exist as a piece in this collection, just seemed strange to me.
Where would I be living? Where would I have traveled? What would have happened in between No. 20 and No. 99 that would further change me?
I decided to carry one blank Mickey canvas with me throughout my journey. I would use this canvas to wipe off my paint from the other pieces over the years and it would carry the weight of all the other paintings that I had created. This piece would travel all over the world with me, and in essence, number 99 would carry the collective residue of the entire TENxTENxTEN collection.
This piece was worked on in every city that I visited and lived in, and in the end… 5 years later… I finally drew on top of it with the collective memories of my time with this project.
The blog within Mickey Mouse’s face states:
“North Atlanta // January 31st, 2016:
In a soap factory 2 miles from where I grew up as a child. Growing up here I would have not known that my life would 1 day revolve around art, but never did I think that I’d get to work with Mickey Mouse.
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Flight at L2 – LAS (interpretation: ATL – LAX – LAS)
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..but here we are at the end of 10x10x10, and what a journey it has been. This piece in particular is special b/c its been with me since L.A. I’ve used it as a palette 4(for) years.
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Next Day. Las Vegas. Feb 1st 7:26 AM. (yawn)
I worked out in the desert in ’14. I was working in a metal shipping container in downtown Las Vegas and at night at the front of the space was a metal praying mantis that would shoot flames out of his antennas. It was crazy. This piece here was with me in that space and time. Returning back is both bittersweet and magical.
Kind of like Art.
Kind of like Las Vegas.
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Athens, GA. February 10th
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Hello. Hello. Hello. Moving back to Chicago (yay). I’ve come to the END of 10x10x10 and found myself in a whole new world of ART.
Thank You
Thank You
Thank You
From the bottom of my HEART.”
This piece closes off the “Loveless Letters” series, and resides as No. 99 in the TENxTENxTEN collection.