About Jack
Baltimore County
My professional and artful lives have been a journey to share and foster self-expression in classrooms throughout my professional career.
I am living in SW Baltimore and continuing to conceptualize, experiment, and herein present. Having stepped into septagenarianhood, I find I am still creating images that engage and entertain.
I am a practitioner of using what I have, what is left over, and what is in the box of… more
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SPIRAL
SPIRAL
This theme has evolved with me. I continually explore the form. The studies are of series of 100+. The double helix constructions are also a series of 100+. The form continues to engage and inform me with the new knowledge of Birkland currents double helixing in space and the work of plasma physicist Anthony Peratt. My newest compositions are plasmic, too.
This theme has evolved with me. I continually explore the form. The studies are of series of 100+. The double helix constructions are also a series of 100+. The form continues to engage and inform me with the new knowledge of Birkland currents double helixing in space and the work of plasma physicist Anthony Peratt. My newest compositions are plasmic, too.
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Birkland Pinch24"x36" 2012 “Birkeland Z-Pinch” 2012 This image is a stylized cross-section of a plasma formation that occurs throughout the universe. In plasma physics circles it is known as a ‘double layer’ and and spirals in double helix for light-years. The Z-Pinch of it is the ejection of a spheroid. This image is comprised of paper lanterns, fabric, the Himalayas, aggregated with acrylic medium.
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Above_the_Water16'x20" 2012 Of the series using paper image and color
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prefaceOpening page of Tin Can Man: A Colorin' Book
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chalk_spiral 23/38
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double_helix_twists3"x3"x6' assortment of painted paper twists see http://cankind.com/painted_paper_twists.html
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triptych_yellow_violetprinter's ink samples, acrylic medium
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triptych_blue_and_orange“To the Trade” 2012 This collage/painting is also composed of ink samples. It is the central image in a triptych of 3 swirling spirals. Spirals have been an ongoing motif in my lexicon of imagery both visual and poetic. The spiral connects the universe for me.
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triptych_red_green
Wordings: Old
I won a second prize in poetry in the 7th grade.
I have been writing since college. I journaled and developed my style.
During the 80’s I wrote more and often read aloud in the poetry circle that was occurring in Baltimore. I continue to hone my phrases to find a solid expression. There are a few more poems in the webpages:
http://cankind.com/poems_by_jack_trimper.html
The images of poems are scans from the volume “Roads, Wooden Objects and Sunsets.”(1985)
The newer more recent are text documents.
I have been writing since college. I journaled and developed my style.
During the 80’s I wrote more and often read aloud in the poetry circle that was occurring in Baltimore. I continue to hone my phrases to find a solid expression. There are a few more poems in the webpages:
http://cankind.com/poems_by_jack_trimper.html
The images of poems are scans from the volume “Roads, Wooden Objects and Sunsets.”(1985)
The newer more recent are text documents.
Photography: Black and White Silver Prints
Black and White Silver_prints
I include this older medium/ project because it was formative and practiced. I began framing my imagery in a camera early on and was able to learn black and white silver printing and to make many prints. I worked with some color; I photographed the 1st Pride of Baltimore and other Baltimore locales. I initiated a cooperative darkroom in the HollMark Artists' Cooperative; many used the facility. I taught a class there. My one-man-show of photography was at the Eubie Blake Center in 1983; most of the images included here are from that series entitled “Leanings.” I continued to collect images on B&W film; there are many images I have only seen as negatives.
I will digitalize these early unseen; and I will print and present somewhere. I, too, digitally capture images these days.
This collection reflects where I was in the medium of silver and light chemistry when I shifted to other metals.
I include this older medium/ project because it was formative and practiced. I began framing my imagery in a camera early on and was able to learn black and white silver printing and to make many prints. I worked with some color; I photographed the 1st Pride of Baltimore and other Baltimore locales. I initiated a cooperative darkroom in the HollMark Artists' Cooperative; many used the facility. I taught a class there. My one-man-show of photography was at the Eubie Blake Center in 1983; most of the images included here are from that series entitled “Leanings.” I continued to collect images on B&W film; there are many images I have only seen as negatives.
I will digitalize these early unseen; and I will print and present somewhere. I, too, digitally capture images these days.
This collection reflects where I was in the medium of silver and light chemistry when I shifted to other metals.
artful_actions
ARTFUL-ACTIONS
I tend to involve others in artful activity: founding/directing/teaching at WestEnd Street School / HollMark Artists’ Cooperative ('83-'87); The Vortex Duck Race in Berkeley Springs, WV (1997); artful anti-nuclear activism; ArtCar Parades at Artscape; ArtCart Walks; ATinCan CanTinA; working in any art room and offering self-expression opportunities in diverse settings.
Much of my own self-expression has consistently been connected with my position to offer opportunities to express and succeed, usually in a classroom. I have taught English and Art many times during my professional career; I am presently certified in both in Maryland. When I taught English I promoted self-expression and self-publication; I was advisor for the school newspaper for more than a few schools and student groups. I have taught in many settings including frequently in the street. I began a storefront: “WestEnd Street School.” in the Hollins Market area of west Baltimore. I did this for 3 1/2 years and with the students began a Memorial Day festival then known as “Art in the Street” precursor to the “SoWeBohemian Festival.”
I tend to involve others in artful activity: founding/directing/teaching at WestEnd Street School / HollMark Artists’ Cooperative ('83-'87); The Vortex Duck Race in Berkeley Springs, WV (1997); artful anti-nuclear activism; ArtCar Parades at Artscape; ArtCart Walks; ATinCan CanTinA; working in any art room and offering self-expression opportunities in diverse settings.
Much of my own self-expression has consistently been connected with my position to offer opportunities to express and succeed, usually in a classroom. I have taught English and Art many times during my professional career; I am presently certified in both in Maryland. When I taught English I promoted self-expression and self-publication; I was advisor for the school newspaper for more than a few schools and student groups. I have taught in many settings including frequently in the street. I began a storefront: “WestEnd Street School.” in the Hollins Market area of west Baltimore. I did this for 3 1/2 years and with the students began a Memorial Day festival then known as “Art in the Street” precursor to the “SoWeBohemian Festival.”
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HollMark Artists' Cooperative logo
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ATinCan CanTinA 2004This installation had the pretense of offering liquid refreshment in the form of chilled drinks and hot coffee. The larger concept behind the installation was to counter the pointing Gun sign (arrow to the left) with a pointing “ART” sign (arrow pointing right). Additionally, I installed close to 125 pieces of the metal man CanMan and CanMa’am motif I had explored for the last 20 years upon a wooden construction made out of a bundle of 1½“ x 6” X 10’ planks delivered on the doorstep and installed within the 800 cu.ft.. I consider this art outreach in my longtime home community of Arbutus, MD. This installation was on show for 3 months in ’04.
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Art Blossoms in a Storefront part2
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SoWeBohemian Festivalpaper Jumprope/Double Helix Making Workshop '07
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Art Blossoms in a Storefrontby Andrei Codrescu The Sun Magazine October 24, 1982
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endAt Artscape the year of Autoeternative ArtCart Gathering
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start“Assemblage Transport” to ArtScape AutoEternatives Art Car presentation 2006 There is a gallery of photos of this event on cankind.com/ . On this day I walked and towed 12’ tall pyramid of Double Helix and CanMan / CanMa’am. I journeyed from my home 5.5 miles from the ArtScape site. My web page of images says, “A rolling pyramid of Painted Paper Twists was transported by wagon 5.5 miles from Arbutus to Mt.Royal / Artscape ’06. As a participant of "Autoeternative," sponsored by The American Visionary Art Museum, it was pulled by the artist...” Viewers along the route wondered often to me. On the way I passed through the community/neighborhood where “Street School” occurred earlier in my artistic career. For the prior 3 years the cankind collection was transported in, Can Van Museum Art Car, a gallery of a 100 can sculptures suspended throughout the van interior. The cart was created by the artist.
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Can Van Museum ArtCar Tour '03Kentucky Museum of Fine Arts ArtCar Gathering Louisville, KY
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dscn0001-2.jpg
Repurposed Community Painted Papers
This project is comprised of three series that evolved with the repurposing of painted paper. The paper was painted in WestEnd Street School by self and local children. The medium used was water-based tempera paint on heavy paper (supplied by my printer father). There were three events at the Hollins Street outlet that produced volumes of "material."
The first was "The 100-foot Painting" that occurred on the lot next to James McHenry Elementary School. It was sponge painted by dozens of young people splashing carved foam paint imprints on over 350 square feet---very quickly it turned out-- as I remember. All the colors were there and black, too.
The second was "Dots," displayed at the 1st Ad Hoc Arts Festival. This was a series of 6-foot circles painted in tempera. It was a lesson in making circles, and it was a vivid lesson in color theory. If confronted with a color the contrasting color will "appear" when eyes are then closed. The dots were a diameter of six feet and were red, yellow, blue, and green. These became the first of many paintedpaper/brassfastener assemblages.
The third was a series of large applications of paint upon paper using the street school's Christmas tree as the brush. Several very nice applications occurred before it all became brown. I constructed one assemblage approximately 6'x20' entitled "The Point".
I offer a selection of each of the three series: "Primaries"('87 & '13), "Dried Flowers" ('96), and "More Flowers" ('13-'14).
The first was "The 100-foot Painting" that occurred on the lot next to James McHenry Elementary School. It was sponge painted by dozens of young people splashing carved foam paint imprints on over 350 square feet---very quickly it turned out-- as I remember. All the colors were there and black, too.
The second was "Dots," displayed at the 1st Ad Hoc Arts Festival. This was a series of 6-foot circles painted in tempera. It was a lesson in making circles, and it was a vivid lesson in color theory. If confronted with a color the contrasting color will "appear" when eyes are then closed. The dots were a diameter of six feet and were red, yellow, blue, and green. These became the first of many paintedpaper/brassfastener assemblages.
The third was a series of large applications of paint upon paper using the street school's Christmas tree as the brush. Several very nice applications occurred before it all became brown. I constructed one assemblage approximately 6'x20' entitled "The Point".
I offer a selection of each of the three series: "Primaries"('87 & '13), "Dried Flowers" ('96), and "More Flowers" ('13-'14).
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Green_Pinchpainted paper, lantern, acrylic medium
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Her_Man's_ChairDecember 2013 24"x30" painted paper, brass fasteners, acrylic medium
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Primary_Eye35" diameter 1987 painted paper, reflective sheet, brass fasteners
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Wild_Flower2013 30"x38" painted paper, colored paper, acrylic medium
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Lean_Flower2013 12"x24" painted paper, colored paper, brass fasteners, silkscreen print
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dried_flower_112"x24" 1997 These and dozens of others in the series were conceived, executed, and presented as they were assembled -- hanging from the stem
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Flower_Emerges2013 16"x20" painted paper, colored paper, brass fasteners, silkscreen print
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Seeing_Pair_Flowers2013 16"x20" painted paper, brass faseners, acrylic medium
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dried_flower_2
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Fair_Pair_Flowers2014 36"x48" painted paper, acrylic medium
2012 Two-Dimensional Assemblage
Lately, I have been working on a series inspired by my interest in the ‘electric universe,‘ specifically, how the ancients used symbols and surmises to communicate for generational understanding of truths. I have been using a cache of prints, artifacts, and ink samples from my father to create these collage/paintings. These months of focus produced dozens of pieces evolving as they do with the possibilities acrylic medium offer -- painting layers of streaks of color with fragments of paper. This is a medium I began to explore in February ’12 and since.
Recent images and assemblages
new metalmen, scanned photos and other digitalizations
cankind aka canman/canma'am
This project spans decades of development and innovation.
My projects often started with using what is available. Not so much found but peripheral to a lifestyle. We ate from cans; I made sculptures from food and beverage containers. This metal man series now spans 25 years of renditions within a motif I honed and called cankind. I make Can Man and Can Ma’am; I have created many styles and designs. I started with steel cans while I was still on the nuclear disarmament peace road.
I documented the first generation of canman / canma’am with a coloring book. These images were stylized using only multi-generational photocopy machines and the original photos of the sculptures. These early sculptural attempts are documented in a Tin Can Man; A Colorin‘ Book; more of these images can be found online at
http://cankind.com/coloringbook_by_jack_trimper.html
These sculptures I continue to assemble. I’ve made near 800 or more.
I transitioned from steel to aluminum containers-- from tomato and olives to soda and brews. I transitioned from the “art” of metal men to the “craft” of the same for the purpose of fostering a good use of what you have.
I designed a series of webpages: www.cankind.com to share the motif and its story.
My projects often started with using what is available. Not so much found but peripheral to a lifestyle. We ate from cans; I made sculptures from food and beverage containers. This metal man series now spans 25 years of renditions within a motif I honed and called cankind. I make Can Man and Can Ma’am; I have created many styles and designs. I started with steel cans while I was still on the nuclear disarmament peace road.
I documented the first generation of canman / canma’am with a coloring book. These images were stylized using only multi-generational photocopy machines and the original photos of the sculptures. These early sculptural attempts are documented in a Tin Can Man; A Colorin‘ Book; more of these images can be found online at
http://cankind.com/coloringbook_by_jack_trimper.html
These sculptures I continue to assemble. I’ve made near 800 or more.
I transitioned from steel to aluminum containers-- from tomato and olives to soda and brews. I transitioned from the “art” of metal men to the “craft” of the same for the purpose of fostering a good use of what you have.
I designed a series of webpages: www.cankind.com to share the motif and its story.
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cankind.comopening page http://cankind.com/index.html
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Who's_in_the Can?_canmancans, brass fasteners, caps 2013
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trophy trio2007 aluminum cans, brass fasteners, caps Made for SoWeBo Arts Festival awards
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UP7_canmanvintage steel cans, brass fasteners, caps 12"x3"x3"
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Volunteerin'_ canman1998 5"x9"x48" Commissioned by Morgan County Arts, Berkeley Springs, WV Hangs there in Ice House Arts Center. The voice remains inside this man's head.
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Liddin'1997 3"x4"x9" Made from lids of frozen beverages 1st canman to be able to sit
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Trashcan CanMan2013 galvinized garbage cans, nuts, bolts washers, metal cap 48"x10"x8"
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OK'Ma_Tiptoe_canma'amNumber 1 1989 4"x6"x16" page 1 in TinCanMan
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Tin Can ManCover: Tin Can Man: A Colorin" Book 1991 44 pages 8 ½" x 11½"
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Coupla' Stout Mennewest kin Jan. '15 Guin & Issin'