CAN'T GIVE IT AWAY

     Forget trying to sell something. I gave up on that years ago. Even my 2002 Toyota Corolla (with bad brakes and muffler) sits forlornly alongside the road  waiting for a load of dirt and a pine tree to transform it into lawn art or the scrap  man to tow it away. In my entire fifty-four years of driving I've never sold a car or truck. Once I've had my way with a vehicle nobody wants them. As for my art career, I've de-capitalized as much as humanly possible. It's not that I won't sell anything but the opportunity arises so infrequently that I stopped trying decades ago. Instead, periodically I try to give work away. That can be as difficult as closing on a sale.

1989 BLUE BLANKET GIVEAWAY- While living on Ave. A and Sixth Street in the East Village one winter I decided to create a piece that would not only gift twelve friends with a warm blanket, it would put the task of giving another blanket away in their hands. To that end I purchased twenty-four blue blankets. Each person received two blankets with the instruction to give one to a homeless person. With no fear of  small pox, over that winter my blankets appeared draped over shopping carts and wrapped around still bodies up and down the Alphabets. The piece was a success.

2014 SELL TO THE RICH GIVE TO THE POOR- This was my attempt to give a "major work" to anyone in Sullivan County who could prove they fell below the poverty line of $11,600 yearly income. I printed up cards and put them on bulletin boards in all the social services offices throughout the county. I received one response. The guy said he had no use nor appreciation for art and was basically insulted by the offer. I couldn't give away work any other artist would have charged tens of thousands of dollars for. 

2021 LAND BACK This piece, that I referred to a few blogs back, is my latest attempt at giving away something with no strings attached. I own a tiny piece of river front property along the Neversink that I've used for various purposes. Originally I envisioned it as a "baptism access" for the CLGM. I put up a sign which was immediately stolen. When I reported the theft to the town they just laughed and told me the sign was illegal. (I suspected the Town of Thompson road crew had pilfered it). I asked about all the local election and FOR SALE signs around town. Were they illegal? I had them. No, for sale and political signs were allowed. So, then I erected a 4'x8' red and white FOR SALE sign. For some reason the neighbors hated that. It also disappeared. I suspect the neighbors. Now I want to give that river front property back to the Lenape Nation. You'd think that would be easy. Guess again. The Lenape diaspora is spread out from Oklahoma to Wisconsin and into Canada. Six distinct Federally recognized bands join other lesser affiliates. Give to one and piss off the others. My connect is Chief Curtis Zunigha of the Oklahoma Lenape and his organization The Lenape Center. We are in discussions to somehow transfer real property into the meta-sphere (they have no physical space), a symbolic gesture in keeping with the spirit of (F)ancestor. So far it's slow going. All I can hope for is stones removed from ears, scales lifted from eyes and the path cleared of briars. Talks continue. I'll keep you posted.