Outis is a reference to the pseudonym, meaning nobody, that Odysseus uses to double-cross Cyclops in The Odyssey; its a sideways method of describing a place thats neither here nor there. Its a place thats not quite outer space and not quite Earth, but somewhere in between, where imagination and the physical realization of your imagination combine in making artwork, OConnor explains. And in creating their comic book, the kids have created a concrete rendering of that idea. In it, they teach me, Teddy, how to become one of them, he continues. They help me achieve my full potential of imagination.
The kids have all fallen in love with Teddy they call him Teddy Bear, says PlatteForum director Judy Anderson, even if, in truth, hes tall and lanky and not very fuzzy. But, she adds, his personality is quite cuddly and OConnor is also in tune with the psyches of little kids, the age group he requested as a prerequisite to his residency at PlatteForum. That was the height of my own love for super-heroes, and its an age when transformation is definitely an important part of life, he says. I was fascinated at that age, specifically with characters that could morph, like the X-Men. Coming into the project which included hands-on immersion and collaborative storytelling with that experience got heroic results: Theyve come up with an incredible team of characters, both good and evil, OConnor notes.
See Jump Suits at PlatteForum, 1610 Little Raven Street, during a reception from 5:30 to 8 p.m. tonight; the show continues through January 7 (although the gallery will be closed December 24 through January 2). For more info, go to www.platteforum.org or call 303-893-0791.
See more on the Show and Tell blog at westword.com.
Dec. 16-Jan. 7, 2010