A.S. Ashley and the big traveling art bazaar takes over the Bakersfield Museum of Art - By N.L. Belardes
As many of you know, I’ve been following the artistic antics of the Art Czar of Bakersfield, A.S. Ashley. His recent mockery of the “Bakersfield: Life as it should be” slogan was not his only recent stirring of the conservative mindset of Bakersfield’s status quo. Just last week A.S. decided to bring some pick-up trucks filled with artwork to show off works larger than the suffocating constraints of the recent Bakersfield Museum of Art competition. (more on Bakersfield: Life as it should be)(see video)
Build-a-body-good A.S. in the big Bakersfield Museum of Art lot
to promote his rebellious grassroots coup of small art exhibitions.
Image by Nano.
A.S. truly loves and strives to help build the Bakersfield art community from a grassroots perspective. Although rebellious, his antics help fulfill the ongoing renaissance in artistic growth and fusion among artists, theatre folk, literary minded writers, musicians and filmmakers that Bakersfield is enjoying through Bakersfield’s online blogs and websites like yours truly (Paperback Writer, Buck City Podcast), theatreaddict.com and bakotopia.com.
Although I didn’t make it out to his big rebellious museum parking lot Coup d'État, I asked if he would educate us as to what happened that day. Here is a piece written by his friend, thomasjacksonwalker describing the latest antics of the Art Czar:
A.S. ASHLEY IN A BAKERFIELD LILLIPUTIAN BATTLE ROYALE!
By thomasjacksonwalker
The Bakersfield Museum of Art decided to grace the art peasants of the land with a juried art show. It was open to all of California, not just to the downtrodden inferiors of the local arts community. The museum’s vision was grand and opulent: requiring all the works submitted to be no larger than 16 X 16 inches square. If you were so inclined to matte and frame your colossal work, you could expect to yield a massive 12 X 12 inch bounty!
Those sweating out their art existence in the killing fields of Kern were grateful for this crumb of sustenance that only once before, was the majestic offering of the museum. None of this sat well with the quixotic A. S. Ashley.
Ashley, who in the Seventies was the O.C.’s premier Performance Artist, heeded the call to arms, as he is known to do in chivalrous fashion every time he views an inequity too difficult for him to swallow. Never comfortable with the title of ‘performance artist’ (He will tell you he’s a painter, who also passionately loves doing assemblages), says performance art is “bad theatre”, and it’s performers, “horrible actors”. He scoffs at those who do performance art in theaters (“sacrilege!”), and insists on doing his performances in the “open court” of the streets. His run of performances in the Seventies culminated in the shocking exit demonstration (“the Laguna Beach Art Abortion”) performed at the Laguna Beach Festival of Arts in 1979, when he was 23yrs old. With 2,000 viewers present, he ripped a tiny artist “action figure” from the vaginal confines of Laguna Beach, located on a large map of Orange County he stretched across his booth. Ashley had earlier been asked to leave the exhibit for the controversial nature of his Art. He called his performance a response to that action.
The Art Czar in the late 70s in Laguna Beach
Of course, it didn’t stop there. A suit was filed regarding Ashley’s First Amendment Rights and was carried to the State Supreme Court. Ashley won the case and was reinstated in the Festival. Though he says the real victory was rallying the Festival’s other artists to pressure the Board to amend their by-laws: to better represent the artists and give them addition seats in the ruling body.
Ashley is now here, in the sun-parched streets of Bakersfield. Brought up from L.A. by the higher calling of his two godsons who, for his fifteen years of residence in B-town, he helped raise. His re-emergence in the art world happened only a year and a half ago, and he’s on a mission.
“All the Arts and their venues here in Bakersfield need to join together to power their craft and works into the community at large; without which, we will never grow, and the community will never know the art renaissance in Bakersfield that is close at hand.”
And there lies his rub with The Bakersfield Museum of Art. In Ashley’s estimation the Museum doesn’t represent its name or the Artists that surround it, “They’re all about “importing” talent from everywhere up and down the state, hardly lifting a finger to seek out any of the shining brilliance that lies just outside their ivory tower.”
As a space, A.S. views the museum as the best in town. “Its friggin’ gorgeous!” Yet, he envisions its role in the arts community to be more pro-active:
“I think they could afford to donate a small stretch of wall space, and call it BEST OF SHOW. Every month they would display their pick of each of the currently running art shows exhibiting LOCAL ART—one piece from each (at the very minimum). That would probably come to six pieces maximum.
Exhibiting local art would create two opportunities for local art and local galleries:
One: Help stimulate the local art community by honoring gifted artists and give notice to other venues here in town.
Two: Show the Museum is SERIOUS about bringing local art to the community."
Armed with the largest canvases in his possession, Ashley moved forth into the glaring Central Valley heat to offer Bakersfield patrons some art to view at the Bakersfield Museum of Art’s Small Works Opening that didn’t require a jeweler’s lens. His cowboy rice-pan hat covered his cowboy attitude, as he entered the Museum entrance parking lot to do some Zen gravel raking.
Image by Nano.
There was no media present—no chants or noise—just the quiet passing of patrons who stopped to peer at his looming monoliths of art. Amazed and confused, people searched wildly for an explanation. They saw a small number of urban hodads clustered around a distant pick-up truck like they were at a tail-gate party. Some of the attendees approached the smiling cache of Cheshire cats and asked, “What going on?” Ashley looked up, and with his best butchering of an Okie accent said, “Welp, I understand they got them a small art show n‘der!”
Image by Nano.
“That’s right, and?”
Ashley just grinned, “So we all just out here waitin’ fer the BIG SHOW!”
And so it went. Some stopped and chatted about what Ashley was doing in the parking lot and thanked him for the view. Many exiting the show stopped by again just to say that Ashley’s work was the best they saw on “either” side of the Museum walls. One even exchanged contact information, very interested in purchasing one of the large canvases.
Image by Nano.
Image by Nano.
None of those “living” in the Castle ever came out to see what the fuss was all about.
That’s probably best. No need for a not-so-OK corral with dueling paintbrushes and tumbleweed cannonballs.
Build-a-body-good A.S. in the big Bakersfield Museum of Art lot
to promote his rebellious grassroots coup of small art exhibitions.
Image by Nano.
A.S. truly loves and strives to help build the Bakersfield art community from a grassroots perspective. Although rebellious, his antics help fulfill the ongoing renaissance in artistic growth and fusion among artists, theatre folk, literary minded writers, musicians and filmmakers that Bakersfield is enjoying through Bakersfield’s online blogs and websites like yours truly (Paperback Writer, Buck City Podcast), theatreaddict.com and bakotopia.com.
Although I didn’t make it out to his big rebellious museum parking lot Coup d'État, I asked if he would educate us as to what happened that day. Here is a piece written by his friend, thomasjacksonwalker describing the latest antics of the Art Czar:
A.S. ASHLEY IN A BAKERFIELD LILLIPUTIAN BATTLE ROYALE!
By thomasjacksonwalker
The Bakersfield Museum of Art decided to grace the art peasants of the land with a juried art show. It was open to all of California, not just to the downtrodden inferiors of the local arts community. The museum’s vision was grand and opulent: requiring all the works submitted to be no larger than 16 X 16 inches square. If you were so inclined to matte and frame your colossal work, you could expect to yield a massive 12 X 12 inch bounty!
Those sweating out their art existence in the killing fields of Kern were grateful for this crumb of sustenance that only once before, was the majestic offering of the museum. None of this sat well with the quixotic A. S. Ashley.
Ashley, who in the Seventies was the O.C.’s premier Performance Artist, heeded the call to arms, as he is known to do in chivalrous fashion every time he views an inequity too difficult for him to swallow. Never comfortable with the title of ‘performance artist’ (He will tell you he’s a painter, who also passionately loves doing assemblages), says performance art is “bad theatre”, and it’s performers, “horrible actors”. He scoffs at those who do performance art in theaters (“sacrilege!”), and insists on doing his performances in the “open court” of the streets. His run of performances in the Seventies culminated in the shocking exit demonstration (“the Laguna Beach Art Abortion”) performed at the Laguna Beach Festival of Arts in 1979, when he was 23yrs old. With 2,000 viewers present, he ripped a tiny artist “action figure” from the vaginal confines of Laguna Beach, located on a large map of Orange County he stretched across his booth. Ashley had earlier been asked to leave the exhibit for the controversial nature of his Art. He called his performance a response to that action.
The Art Czar in the late 70s in Laguna Beach
Of course, it didn’t stop there. A suit was filed regarding Ashley’s First Amendment Rights and was carried to the State Supreme Court. Ashley won the case and was reinstated in the Festival. Though he says the real victory was rallying the Festival’s other artists to pressure the Board to amend their by-laws: to better represent the artists and give them addition seats in the ruling body.
Ashley is now here, in the sun-parched streets of Bakersfield. Brought up from L.A. by the higher calling of his two godsons who, for his fifteen years of residence in B-town, he helped raise. His re-emergence in the art world happened only a year and a half ago, and he’s on a mission.
“All the Arts and their venues here in Bakersfield need to join together to power their craft and works into the community at large; without which, we will never grow, and the community will never know the art renaissance in Bakersfield that is close at hand.”
And there lies his rub with The Bakersfield Museum of Art. In Ashley’s estimation the Museum doesn’t represent its name or the Artists that surround it, “They’re all about “importing” talent from everywhere up and down the state, hardly lifting a finger to seek out any of the shining brilliance that lies just outside their ivory tower.”
As a space, A.S. views the museum as the best in town. “Its friggin’ gorgeous!” Yet, he envisions its role in the arts community to be more pro-active:
“I think they could afford to donate a small stretch of wall space, and call it BEST OF SHOW. Every month they would display their pick of each of the currently running art shows exhibiting LOCAL ART—one piece from each (at the very minimum). That would probably come to six pieces maximum.
Exhibiting local art would create two opportunities for local art and local galleries:
One: Help stimulate the local art community by honoring gifted artists and give notice to other venues here in town.
Two: Show the Museum is SERIOUS about bringing local art to the community."
Armed with the largest canvases in his possession, Ashley moved forth into the glaring Central Valley heat to offer Bakersfield patrons some art to view at the Bakersfield Museum of Art’s Small Works Opening that didn’t require a jeweler’s lens. His cowboy rice-pan hat covered his cowboy attitude, as he entered the Museum entrance parking lot to do some Zen gravel raking.
Image by Nano.
There was no media present—no chants or noise—just the quiet passing of patrons who stopped to peer at his looming monoliths of art. Amazed and confused, people searched wildly for an explanation. They saw a small number of urban hodads clustered around a distant pick-up truck like they were at a tail-gate party. Some of the attendees approached the smiling cache of Cheshire cats and asked, “What going on?” Ashley looked up, and with his best butchering of an Okie accent said, “Welp, I understand they got them a small art show n‘der!”
Image by Nano.
“That’s right, and?”
Ashley just grinned, “So we all just out here waitin’ fer the BIG SHOW!”
And so it went. Some stopped and chatted about what Ashley was doing in the parking lot and thanked him for the view. Many exiting the show stopped by again just to say that Ashley’s work was the best they saw on “either” side of the Museum walls. One even exchanged contact information, very interested in purchasing one of the large canvases.
Image by Nano.
Image by Nano.
None of those “living” in the Castle ever came out to see what the fuss was all about.
That’s probably best. No need for a not-so-OK corral with dueling paintbrushes and tumbleweed cannonballs.
This entry was posted by N.L. Belardes, on
Sunday, July 02, 2006.
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jackie gleason was the man... it's good a.s.a. is kicking against the jams - i hope this fellow's not like the other gypsy moths who'd blown through the arts around here, though. it sure takes a great deal of cajones/fortitude to keep on keeping on in these parts, i think.
Way to stand up for the arts A.S.! Show the big museum what local art looks like...
I love those paintings!
i'm glad ashley does what he does... what gorgeous art i see in the photos... pooh pooh to those who didn't come outside the building to see where all the excitement was...
I really hope Ashley's latest protest sparks some changes around here. THANK YOU NIC for helping to get the word out! It's time for them to recognize the art, and artists, right here in their own city! It's a disgrace that a Bakersfield artist would have better chance of making it, outside of his or her own hometown, than in it!
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