Photo by Virginia Harold
ARTIST STATEMENT
I am a chronic observer—looking for stories in the woodwork and bringing them to life in three-dimensional space. As a conceptual folk artist on the autism spectrum, I make art as a means to understand the world around me and to explore questions about race, gender, family, and society. I use readily available resources including digital media, cultivated and harvested natural materials, and detritus to tell stories with implicit social commentary. My work forms a vibrant collage of experimental architecture, calligraphy, photomontage, and wearable garments. Working with found materials adds a fundamental element of chance to my work. I call it the random approximation of unrelated events. It is a recognition that unpredictability is an inescapable element in everything. Rather than trying to extinguish it, I cultivate it.
For the past 50 years, I have been producing works through anonymous platforms and fictitious characters as a vehicle to explore my identity and stimulate discourse about cultural norms in America. My adoptive parents were working-class Congregationalists from Kansas with deep Midwestern roots; dad was the head deacon and mom the secretary at church. Based on what little information I was given about my biological parents, I constructed a cultural identity for myself: “Half Irish, half Anything. What more could you ask for?” I came of age in the 60s and the combined influences of radical art movements and the civil rights era catalyzed my rebellion against my inherently prejudiced, adoptive family. This conflict inspires my ongoing investigations of the socio-political landscape of Middle America.
EXPERIENCE
Art Advisory Board. The Luminary, St. Louis, MO 2022-present
Founder. GINJU-AN, An Artists' Cooperative, St. Louis, MO 2014
Founder/Director. Mrs. MacCormick's Yard. Installation and Performance Space, St. Louis, MO 2007-present
Founder/Owner/Designer. Tuskdog Productions/Excellence in Art and Architecture. St. Louis, MO 1974-present
Founding member and Archivist. Artica Festival. St. Louis, MO 2001-2020
Director of Dance Injury Prevention and Rehabilitation/Dance Medicine Clinic. Department of Dance. Webster University. St. Louis, MO 2009-present
Proprietor, Performing Arts Medicine, St. Louis, MO 1985-present
Presenter/Educator. Performing Arts Medicine, International Association of Dance Medicine and Science, Performing Arts Medical Association. 1986-present
House Doctor, Dance St. Louis, MO 2001-2014
Company physician, GASH/VOIGT Dance Theater; Russia, Turkey, Greece tours, 1997-1999
Board member, aTrek Dance Company, St. Louis, MO 1996-1998
Executive Board Member, Art St. Louis, MO 1994-1995
EDUCATION
Dance Medicine Certification. Harkness Center for Dance, Hospital of Bone and Joint Disease. Columbia University. New York, NY 2004
Ink Brush Painting. Hunan Normal University. Changsha, China 2000
Diplomate in Sports Medicine. Logan College. St. Louis, MO 1989
Doctor of Chiropractic. Logan College. St. Louis, MO 1987
MFA, Multi-Media. Washington University. St. Louis, MO 1974
MA, Weaving. Pittsburg University. Pittsburg, KS 1972
BFA, Ceramics & Printmaking. Pittsburg University. Pittsburg, KS 1971
HONORS/AWARDS
Artist Support Grant, Regional Arts Commission, St. Louis, MO 2019
Artist Support Grant, Regional Arts Commission, St. Louis, MO 2016
Guest Resident Artist. Laban Dance Conservatory. Greenwich, England 2016
Contemporary Art Museum. St. Louis, MO. Studio Visits.
Creative Time. Nate Thompson, Director. 2009
Project Row House. Rick Lowe. 2007
Flat File. Contemporary Art Museum. 2005, 2004, 2003
EXHIBITIONS
The Luminary
AIRSTREAM REPAIR PANEL, Cherokee Street Jazz Crawl. 2023
Word Broom (a self portrait), “To Pillar To Platform” Group Show 2023
Intersect Arts Center
Thay Retired on His Teamster Pension, “Blue Hour” Group Show. 2023
I am A Collaborator and the Old Man Shuffle, with Flo Art Collective, Dovetail Exhibition. 2021
Angad Arts Hotel
Sufi Spin to Enlightenment Under the Red Cloth, Group Exhibition. 2023
Kranzberg Gallery
Quantum Kansas: an Anthropocene Study, Solo Exhibition. 2022
Artica
Mobile Found Sound Orchestra. 2023
Found Sound Orchestra. 2022
Dr. Hatt Manikin Presents Dr. Hatt Manikin ME. 2020
Cassius Clay and that time my mother slapped me reconsidered. 2019, 2018, 2017
Community Stage—a Flat Level Plane, 2018
Squatters get too, HayZeus and the Cross Shoes. 2016
EBOLA SURF CLUB. Paste-up, spray-paint, markers. 2015
100 Years [in spray paint]. 2012
Illa May the Dragonfly, parade float. Pop-up Artica Parade. Cherokee Street, 2012
Some Are Guilty, All Are Responsible, latex paint. 2011
Hazus and the Wisemen Act I: Hazus Broken, Waiting To Be Held By His Lover. Native grass, maple saplings, aprons, cloth, wire, fire. 2010
Apron Shanty II. VW Westfalia, aprons, aluminum. 2009
Sleeping on the Levee in The Apron Shanty. VW Westphalia, aprons, driftwood, action figures, mushrooms. 2008
Sorrow Dolmen. Latex paint, mattresses, limestone, rubble. 2007
Train Piece, Rosa Parks in Lights. Spray enamel, paste-up. 2006
Charles and Chalot Haven't Been Since the Black Maria. Spray paint, markers. 2005
Charles and Chalot, Homeless, Sleep Under the Wedding Photos. Paste-up, found photos, VW Westphalia, wicker, quilts, clothes, found wood. 2004
MRS. MacCORMICK’S YARD
Three Quarter Tour, Group Show. 2023
Secrets of the Bower House: Chapter Two, performance and installation works in collaboration with FloSTL. 2019
Chautauqua Art Lab. 2012
Color Palette. 2nd Annual Installation Invitational. Found dresses. 2009
Faded Paper Wedding Photos in the Wedding Tent. Wedding photos, inkjet prints, cloth, tree limbs. 2007
Charles and Chalot Live at Mrs. MacCormick's Now, mixed media. 2007
St. Lou Fringe Festival
Secrets of the Bower House: Chapter One, performance. 2019
Janki Shack. 2017
Improvisational Set Piece. Grand Center. 2016
They Paint Crosses on Their Shoes. 2016
Yellow Spot, bamboo, aprons. 2015
BLACK SURF. Mobile arts platform, paste-up, bamboo, canvas. 2015
Conversations With the Devil. Multi-layered, real-time video. 2014
Pinhole in a Window Shade. Mobile installation and performance platform, video, spray paint. 2013
She Died So U Would Know. Digital prints, markers, found cloth. 2013
Regional Arts Commission/Contemporary Art Museum
PANTS of PARTICLE ENTANGLEMENT. Pants exhibit. Regional Arts Commission Gallery. 2015
eARThworks. Found cloth, color copies, rice paste. Regional Arts Commission Gallery. 2001
Flat File. Contemporary Art Museum. 2005, 2004, 2003
National/International
Aunty Shakespeare, performance. Festival Wuma the First, Winona, MN 2006
Structured Improv for Seven Dancers and a Piano. PAMA Conference. Aspen, CO. 2002
Ancients in the Armory. Cotton, found clothes, stencil, photo-transfer, tent, aluminum. Royal Armory. Istanbul, Turkey. 2000
Death Valley Classic, 40 Day Fast by Billy X. Curmano. Video, photography, performance. Museum of Modern Art. New York City 2000
Headlands to the Gulf, Mississippi Swim by Billy X. Curmano. Video, photography. Museum of Modern Art. New York City 1997
Videographer. GASH/VOIGT Dance Theater. Russia, Turkey, Greece tours. 1997-1999
Street/Pop-up Art
Drive-by Gallery, Crittenden and Texas Ave, St. Louis, MO. 2020
Dragon Float. Anonymous public art mobile platform. Gay Pride Parade. St. Louis, MO. 2014
Bull Float, anonymous public art mobile platform, Peoples Joy Parade, St. Louis, MO 2014
2+4, anonymous public art project, Mud House, St. Louis, MO 2014
Open Carry Black & White, paste-up installation, found photo, rice paste, St. Louis, MO 2014
Nebraska on Cherokee, large-format photos, Red Chair Gallery, St. Louis, MO 2014
Texino Neutrino, Ride the Glitter Log. Street Installation. Found poster, glitter, paint. 2013
Ila May Says Roseanne Rocks and the Weasel Too. Street Installation. Found drawings on vinyl, marking paint, markers. 2012
Mother Mary and the Mystic Rose, maple saplings, dresses, truck. Anonymous Public Art Touring Series, St. Louis, MO 2011
27 Variations on Streets of Laredo/Bard of Armon, sound installation, iPod, portable speakers. Mobile Anonymous Public Art Series, St. Louis, MO 2010
12 versions of Seven Spanish Angels, sound installation, iPod, portable speakers. Mobile Anonymous Public Art Series, St. Louis, MO 2010
Refrigerator Dance, paste-up, color photo. Jefferson Avenue and Arsenal Avenue, Drive-by Art Series. St. Louis, MO 2007
Love and Death. Icons. Paste-up, mixed media. Jefferson Avenue and Arsenal Avenue. St. Louis, MO. 2001
Sets [Theatrical]
INTERWOVEN, Karlovsky and Company Dance, The Grandel, St. Louis. 2022, 2021
Where Am I? by Kate Cleary. Homegrown prairie grass, folding panels, rolling door. 2009
Dine on Dance. Dawn Karlovsky and Friends. 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005
Video
Requiem for the Trees: Harvesting Trees With a Clown. GINJU-AN. 2016
Dr. Bills DadaZen and Friends. An Evening of Experimental Video. Duet Gallery. 2014
Into the Light. The Helix Effect. Sequential stills. Duet Gallery. 2014
Conversations With the Devil. Multi-layered, real-time video. St. Lou Fringe. 2014
STIX, The Penny Eyed Man. Real-time video. St. Lou Fringe. 2014
Road to Sarah Paulson's Brain. Sequential stills. Nebraska. 2014
God's Breath. Sequential movie stills. 2014
Great Plains Migration. Sequential stills. Nebraska. 2014
Seven Curses, performance/video/installation
5th Annual Installation Invitational, St. Louis, MO 2012
1st Annual St. Lou Fringe Festival, St. Louis, MO 2012
Chautauqua Art Lab, Mrs. MacCormick's Yard, St. Louis, MO 2012
The Factory, St. Louis, MO 2012
$3 Waterworks. Real-time video. Pulitzer Art Museum. St. Louis, MO. 2007
Boxing on the Southside. Video, photography. Mad Art Gallery. St. Louis, MO 2007
Ten Days With Asperger Boy. My Walk Home. Mad Art Gallery. St. Louis, MO 2007
Books
Peking Through the Bamboo Shield. Handmade paper, photographs, poetry. 2002
The Conversation I and The Conversation II. Photo narrative. 2001
Memories of Mom and Dad by Charles Douglas-Book. 2000
Memories of Mom and Dad by Chalot Douglas-Book. 2000
Memories of Uncle Earl by Charles and Chalot Douglas-Book. 2000
Memories of a Small Town by Charles and Chalot Douglas-Book. 1999