"Postcard from Ancient Mayan Ruins" (1996) by Gar Bailey
The beauty and brilliance of great art is that it can surpass limitations like finance and geography. All it takes is a determined voice. From there, it will assume a life of its own, finding a place in the annals of history. Florida-based Gar Bailey is probably one of the more energizing artists working today. His creations harken back to a time when street renegades like Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat used color and controversy to set the world ablaze. Yet, he's managed to do so from his quiet home in the woods. Bailey refers to himself as a "neo-Dada maximalist" but to those in love with his creations (which include paintings, collages, film as well as music), he is simply awe-inspiring. From the boldness of his brush strokes to the sheer audaciousness of his marketing strategies, he's on the fast-track to success. "At this point in my career, it's really just up to me, my wife and to a few individuals who are helping to promote my visual artwork," he explains. "Up to this point in time, I have had more assistance selling and promoting my auditory works than my visual exploits. Mostly through Polyvibe Records, as well as through another associates company called Xentek, who's really helped empower me to sell my own works. Xentek also hosts my three main Web sites, and is helping me set up my own company as we speak. I'm hoping to have that up and running this Summer/Fall, and will start officially offering up items for sale very soon. Everything from paintings, prints, shirts, stickers, pins and anything else that we can print on to. Of course my new record label's Web site will be offering CDs, DVDs, MP3s and other musically related merchandise for sale very soon as well. All this is long overdue and many years in the making. But when you're going DIY, it's key to stay patient yet diligent."
Despite his steadfastness, Bailey does admit that there's a struggle to maintain balance between his art and his daily obligations. Just as Charles Bukowski toiled as a postal worker, Bailey has worked in construction or on various odd jobs to pay the bills. Occasionally, he even feels a certain level of frustration surrounding his situation. "I mean, imagine if Jackson Pollock, Pablo Picasso or Jean-Michel Basquiat had been forced to do drywall or masonry work for all their lives and what a massive waste and misappropriation of talent that would have been," he says. But isn't that what patrons and historians love about the aforementioned? Their respective abilities to redefine their lot in life and rise to heights above and beyond expectation? Bailey's determination to do what comes naturally--which is turning out phenomenal art--is ultimately his greatest attribute. He, like many of his ilk, stays open to the gifts of inspiration that arrive as a result of tapping into surroundings, foreign and familiar. "[I get inspiration] from the universal laws of nature, science, and philosophy. From Irony. Tragedy. Triumph. Defeat. From other human beings who've inspired and confounded me. From spirit molecules. From within the intangible places inside my own being which I could not understand or comprehend but through the transmogrifying journeys of self-expression, exploration, and transformation," he admits. Bailey even relies on a bit wisdom from a very cool source: "There's a quote from Picasso that I've always subscribed to--It goes something like, 'I am always doing that which I do not know how to do, in order that I may learn how to do it.' There you have it."¤
(above, Bailey. Artwork and photo courtesy of Gar Bailey)
For more information on the truly outstanding work of Gar Bailey (including his recordings on Polyvibe Records) visit www.garbailey.com
Despite his steadfastness, Bailey does admit that there's a struggle to maintain balance between his art and his daily obligations. Just as Charles Bukowski toiled as a postal worker, Bailey has worked in construction or on various odd jobs to pay the bills. Occasionally, he even feels a certain level of frustration surrounding his situation.
