TWO AFTERNOONS WITH RAT

One Rat. Two Stories.

Work in ink – black and white. Work in digitized color.

Two very different afternoons. In one, Rat falls asleep on a monorail and dreams. In another, his travels through a park inspire him to learn more about his ancestors.

They are little stories.

Last summer, I gave these small ideas – snippets, really - to two visual artists, to illustrate. Both were interning at Status Hat. One, Mary Rynasko, is a studio art major at Skidmore College in Saratoga, New York; the other, Francis Toriaga, had recently graduated from SUNY.

As an arts collaborative, Status Hat is interested in developing new work. We are interested in what it takes to bring ideas into the form-world, and in cultivating the time, space and resources necessary to do so. With diligence, discipline and persistence, ideas can become full-formed works. But sometimes little strands of thought or sparks of interest are just that – potential studies, really. One may associate "studies” with art-school classes, or perhaps they bear similarities to writing-prompt exercises, but it's my personal bias working artists, writers and musicians (as well as other creatively-engaged individuals) benefit from exploring ideas using such tools.

In addition to the two stories below, we also include a collection of Rat "Artifacts".  While “Rat on a Monorail” has not been developed further at this time, we are happy to present these explorations of Rat's world, by two talented artists with bright futures.

Carli Castellani, Artistic Director

March 31, 2011

NOTE:  "Two Afternoons with Rat" is the second installment of the Status Hat series:  "Life of an Idea".  The first edition published in December, 2009, as "The Status Hat Reader 2010- The Life of an Idea", and included a collection of articles and interviews related to the creative process in a variety of forms.

AN AFTERNOON WITH RAT I:

Rat falls asleep on the monorail, and dreams (with a nod to Haida artist Bill Reid)

Illustrated by Mary Rynasko

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AN AFTERNOON WITH RAT II:

Rat picnics, visits a statue and thinks about his ancestors...

Illustrated by Francis Toriaga

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RAT ON A MONORAIL ARTIFACTS:
Curious about who Rat is, where he lives and what sparks his interest?  This collection of drawings my contain some clues...
Illustrated by Mary Rynasko
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