By Dave Babbitt – Special to the Sydenham Current
The most revered and sophisticated art involves world-class skills and utilizes only the finest quality materials.
Think of a great movie or documentary.
It will involve the best cameras, directors, actors, script, audio engineers, gaffers, foley artists, special effects artists etc.
When I see a Troy Brooks painting, it’s obvious he uses only the finest materials, on the finest of canvas, and he likely works in perfect lighting conditions.
All art doesn’t require the finest of anything, however.
In thinking of our Wallaceburg Arts Council Art Collection, two pieces of art come to mind.
Paul Beaton was an artist who lived in the area probably about 20 years ago.
One year at our annual Arts Awareness Evening, Paul was our featured artist.
He made amazing carvings out of old bricks.
The piece of art we purchased from him that year was a brick that he rescued from the demolition of the Talbot Inn and carved into a beautiful, small section of the Inn.
It is pure genius.
A small piece of history made from a scrap of history.
It took fantastic skills but didn’t require sophisticated supplies.
He made art out of next to nothing.
Another one of our featured artists was Jon-Erik Kroon who became known for his “roadkill art”.
For instance, he would find a former squirrel that was now a “two-dimensional” squirrel (could pick-up one of those on Elgin St. most days), slather it in ink somehow, and press it on to paper.
Voila!
Art made from something we eventually bury.
We purchased a piece from Jon-Erik titled “Muskie”.
You can likely figure out what it is.
Jon’s art didn’t require any sophisticated supplies.
I also think of the phenomenon known as STOMP.
This is a troop (of mostly percussionists) who utilize all kinds of ordinary, everyday objects and garbage such as hubcaps, brooms, newspapers, tubs, pots, utensils, rubber tubes, garbage cans etc. and turn them into soundscapes of incredibly sophisticated rhythmic ostinatos.
People flock to see STOMP and having attended a performance, highly recommend it.
Again, they make great art out of next to nothing, in fact really ANYTHING.
This brings me to… me.
While it’s certainly up for debate as to whether I can be considered an artist or not, for the sake of my column, let’s just say I’m am an artist of little repute.
(And that’s not false humility)
Most folk in Wallaceburg likely think of me as a highly trained musician, however that couldn’t be further from the truth.
I am another example of how art can be made from next to nothing.
For those unaware, I have a degree in Physical Education and was qualified to teach at the Primary-Junior level.
My experience and training in music was limited to my years in school at W.T. Laing and WDSS.
On February 24, 1984 unable to find employment as a teacher, I was working at Nicholl’s Funeral Home when I received a call late in the day from Alice Botai, wife of my former music teacher Andy Botai asking me if I would be willing to supply teach for Andy on Monday.
Keep in mind that I was not qualified to teach at the high school level, nor in the specialist area of instrumental music.
To this day I do not recall how I got around those major hurdles, but I was there on Monday morning!
I had played trumpet in dozens of bands but had never conducted a band, nor even held a baton in my hand.
Making matters even more complicated, my youngest brother was in one of my classes.
Much like the teacher we’ve all experienced who had to teach something with the book behind their back, I persevered and learned what I needed to learn quickly.
Leading them on their instruments was one thing but as part of the curriculum, I was required to teach music theory as well.
Gag me with a fork!
I HATED theory when I was a student and always did very poorly on the final theory exam.
Now I was required to teach it!
Back to the books I went.
The sad part of the story is that Andy passed away six weeks later, and I was asked if I could finish out the school year, which I did.
Unbeknownst to me, the school had been planning to present a production of The Sound of Music later in the year and the actors/singers had been working at this for months.
Jim Gilbert, English teacher and Director of the production approached me to see if I was willing to put together a pit orchestra for the musical.
I had ZERO experience doing this but there was no way that I was going to be held responsible for cancelling the musical.
Complicating matters were the facts that the music is scored for an orchestra, not a high school band, it is very difficult, professionally scored music that is string reliant, and being rented, only arrives six weeks before opening night!
The short story is that I barely slept for weeks trying to figure out how to put together a pit orchestra.
Miraculously, it all came together and rough as it was, it had a huge reception with every performance being sold-out.
It was the darling of Wallaceburg.
Phew!
I just had to finish out the year now.
The permanent job to replace Andy Botai in September was posted, but of course I had next to none of the qualifications required for application.
The day before applications for the job closed, I was summoned to the main office by Principal Jack Glendinning.
The conversation went exactly like this:
Jack: “Dave, are you going to apply for the music position?”
Me: “No, I can’t. I’m not qualified”
Jack: “Don’t be an a**, Bill Green (Superintendent of Staff) wants your application on his desk first thing in the morning!”
I ran home that day, threw together a resume and submitted it.
Within a couple of days, I heard that I was selected for the full-time, permanent position as Music Director with the proviso that I take the required courses to become qualified.
My high-profile involvement in the Sound of Music paid dividends.
I took the courses I was required to take but like most jobs, most of my education occurred on the job, in the trenches.
I taught myself theory, how to play a bit on each of the instruments, and how to fix them.
It was baptism by immersion, but it’s all worked out.
More art, made from next to nothing.
My son just asked me if I’ve heard about people utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) to create art?
He told me that one can provide a computer with instructions/descriptions/ parameters of what you want drawn and voila! it’s done.
And they’re selling it, claiming to be an “artist”.
He just showed me an example by telling the computer we wanted to see a snowmobile driving on a lava flow.
A ridiculous scenario, but within moments, it arrived!
That’s the ultimate example of art created by no one and made from nothing.
Sheesh!
Now I don’t feel so incompetent.
