DRAWING U IN: Lead 2 Ink
January 17, 2009
State Street Gallery’s 2009 Drawing Exhibit
Opening February 6th 6:00pm
This amazing show will feature the drawings of
John Lyons, and Isaac Arvold
Full Nomadic Interview
January 12, 2009
How long after the 2 of you meet did you start talking about this idea to travel and make art and music?
Our discussion to travel together began about a year after we met. As our friendship grew, we realized a common dream to step out of the mundane day to day and see the land. Creating along the way was just inevitable. That said, it took three years of “talking” before we finally made it happen.
What is the logical way to travel to every state? And how did you choose where to stay while in each state?
Logical? Definitely not the way we went! When we looked at our route in the end, we realized that we made several circles. This happened because we strictly tried to see one state at a time, spending the entire week finding hidden gems and following the local advice. We didn’t even look at the next state until we were leaving the current. Our basic plan was for survival – stay south in the winter, north in the summer. We didn’t plan any specific route ahead of time because we wanted to be led by the land and people.
I imagine that there were probably some artistic and conceptual break throughs where did they happen?
Many artistic and personal breakthroughs. There was one point in New Mexico where I stood, overlooking the ancient Anasazi ruins and felt like I was completely reborn. When you stay in one place for any length of time, you can’t help but become comfortable and live in somewhat of a narcissistic bubble. Once you escape that, there is a freedom of feeling completely uninhibited.
Why a Honda Element?
When the Element first came out in 2003, Alfonso’s cousin told him we should check it out because it could make a great travel vehicle. That night, Alfonso took me to a Honda dealer (which happened to have a blue element open). We sat in the dark inside that car and said “this is perfect!” We bought it a month before getting married, knowing that we would someday see the country in it.
Did you paint as you traveled or did you sketch and paint in more stationary points?
I sketched and journaled constantly, and there was one point where I finished the Texas painting while riding in the back of the Element – on the way to the gallery! But for the most part, the paintings themselves were completed outside, in laundromats and in hotels. Often times I would use our one night a week in a hotel to start and finish the actual painting of a piece. We’d check in early and I would paint for 11 hours straight. It was a hard transition to go from studio painting to making the world my studio (environmental, light and space conditions were unpredictable), but it added another dimension to the project.
What are some things you learned about the country? The people, the history, the places you stayed? Alfonso always says “This country is a lot safer than everyone makes it out to be.” That is very true. We camped in some pretty obscure places and never had a safety issue. As long as you use common sense, you’ll be fine.
Another thing we learned is specific to our generation. It was a lot more difficult to get into an in depth conversation with people our own age. When we were able to get past the ipods and cell phones to find the person beneath, they seemed to have a much more jaded view of our country than the older generations. Division in politics, religion and race have blinded us from the inspiration within this great land.
Are the two of you planning any other collaborations? Any new projects?
We’ve thought about “The Nomadic Project Aquatic.” We really want to experience all seven continents. First we’ll have to learn to sail and I may have to learn to swim! For now, the experience has left us with a lifetime of inspiration to pull from.
