Ice Station Quellette at HOUSE OF ETERNAL RETURN
AN EVOLVING STORY OF SCIENCE & WONDER for children of all ages
Ten years ago, the climate crisis seemed like a desperate call for all hands – on deck!
I created the Ice Station Quellette world to convey a message of hope against the barrage of doom and gloom.
ISQ shows a future where we cast our petty conflicts aside to save us from ourselves — to treasure our beautiful planet and the fascinating flora and fauna that share it.
This is not a work of fiction.
This is a possibility worth our best efforts.
I am constantly inspired by the lively educational exhibits at aquariums, museums, and alternative spaces, and the individuals and institutions working tirelessly to predict calamities, and mitigate suffering. Also, the good people all over the globe who show us how to live in harmony with nature.
An adventure story traversing dimensions, ISQ features a cast of charismatic characters surrounding the angelic Space Owls, the silent defenders of the Earth.
The installations featured original paintings, digital art, photography, sculpture, and historical polar ephemera, both real and imagined.
I brought a science degree in natural resources from UC Berkeley and decades as a career creative in entertainment in NY, LA, and San Francisco. These were my first solo shows as an artist.
I threw my entire heart and soul into the work. It was my prayer of hope for the world. It was everything to me. The wildly emotional reaction to all three exhibits validated my belief in it.
I guess all some folks saw were dollar signs.
And as each day passes, ISQ’s message becomes more urgent.
Thank you wyattwizard, I did too.
A New Mexico art collective when they wanted free art and labor.
A Delaware corporation laughing all the way to the bank.
(Every great wipe-out deserves a theme song, and that was ours.)
You don’t really know someone until you’ve sued them.
Remember Mark Twain’s classic story of those neighborhood kids lining up to whitewash Tom Sawyer’s fence, trading their valuables for the privilege? Mr. Twain’s unique understanding of the American character offers some insight into how New Mexico’s high regard for artists and wealth of community spirit became the unwitting vehicle that launched a mall-art empire.
You’re nothing here if you haven’t helped smooth a neighbor’s adobe wall, mud in one hand and a cold beer in another. In 2016, I joined hundreds of artists and construction volunteers who lined up to create Santa Fe’s new art complex, spearheaded by a legendary local art collective, originally conceived by two friends almost a decade earlier.
Turns out, an ambitious faction staged a coup to privatize the Collective in 2011, after the spectacular Due Return exhibit.
I had made an explicit agreement to protect my IP before I installed ISQ material in the exhibit. My boundaries were widely understood by employees who tried to intervene as the new company systematically erased my connection to my creations, presenting Space Owl as its exclusive property to build its brand and freely monetize my work.
Behind my back, Space Owl saturated the media as the corporation’s trademark symbol. Stacks of pitch decks featuring Space Owl were sent to countless investors and entertainment companies. They were even selling Space Owl drinks in the bar.
I took a four-year beating to reclaim the soul of my creations from a private equity corporation. My 2020 whistleblower complaint included fraud, unjust enrichment, and copyright theft; it contained no financial demand, despite reporting to the contrary.
We ran headlong into a blank-check massacre. And received a thorough tutorial in how civil court operates to legitimize economy-of-scale misconduct. As the case files show, each time the Court sided with the corporation, it was a blow to artists’ rights.
With trial weeks away, I dropped my case. I had obtained some disturbing information, last-minute, that convinced me I was walking into a trap – trapped like a trap, in a trap, to quote Miss Parker.
CLICK ON THE FIRST PICTURE TO START THE SLIDESHOW.
THANK YOU: Katherine Lee, Yon Hudson, Tuscany Wenger, Caity Kennedy, Chris Hilson, Cris Brodsky, Jake Snider, Chris Clavio, Kate Russell Photography, Ann Jag, and of course, all the artists, volunteers and staff who provided so much support!
RELATED PRESS:
ARTNET NEWS: State of the Culture, Part I: Museums, ‘Experiences,’ and the Year of Big Fun Art
PLEASE CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE ICE STATION QUELLETTE SITE.
