The Marin Society of Artists and the Marin Independent Journal sponsored the current show at MSA’s gallery: “Artists’ View of the News” (June 4–July 3, 2015; Marin Art and Garden Center, Ross, California). My two entries were inspired by two controversial actions taken by the City of San Rafael: enforcing the massage ordinance in order to shut down sex parlors posing as massage businesses; and closing a city park for three months to clean it and discouraging the return of homeless patrons who had trashed it.
What They Left Behind Archival inkjet print mounted on cradled birch panel, 12 in. x 12 in. x 1.5 in. Digital photomontage comprising photographed and scanned items found in San Rafael’s Boyd Memorial Park. In January 2015 the city closed the park for three months to clean it out and discourage the return of homeless patrons who had effectively taken it over. When the park reopened in April, I found drug paraphernalia that escaped the parks department’s cleaning crew. Items included in this work: Ace of Spades Ziploc bag; used and unused syringes; empty saline solution tube; vodka bottle label; beer bottle caps; rubber duck.
Emerald Spa Archival inkjet print of digital photograph 6 in. x 8 in., matted and framed 11 in. x 13 in. In 2013 the City of San Rafael began enforcing its massage ordinance in order to shut down sex parlors posing as massage businesses. One of the closed sex parlors was Emerald Spa at the corner of Second and A Sts. The floor-to-ceiling drapes that covered the storefront are now gone, revealing the pink and orange walls and little windowless rooms. The afternoon sun now illuminates the formerly shady space.
