Obsession

I'm traveling to Austin, Texas, this week to work with another artist in the development of electronic interfaces for my next artist book with a working title of Surveillance. One of the specific things missing for me while traveling is the time to preoccupy myself over necessary details of a developing project. There is absolutely no time frame to be obsessive about anything on the road. Therefore, I’m looking forward to this interaction to stimulate me to re-create good studio habits and the passion for particular subject matters.

Developing and realizing a creative idea, for me, usually takes a degree of obsession. I suppose most artists choose to be engaged with compelling and motivating ideas to the point of being enthusiastic.

© 2018 Louise Levergneux. Manhole cover in Tucson, Arizona.

© 2018 Louise Levergneux. Manhole cover in Orlando, Florida.

© 2019 Louise Levergneux. Manhole cover in St Petersburg, Florida.

The allotted span of time it takes to wear the different hats (artist, creator, researcher, administrator, distributor...) does not leave much time for the creation — the fun part. However, I have not found the occasion to establish brief periods in my studio space and relate and connect to different subject matters. Traveling denies me the concentration time and fun of merely sitting in my space to reflect and work with my thoughts. Most of my time is taken by day-to-day activities of living and moving from one place to another. Traveling brings new ideas, but as a full-time traveler, shopping lists, balancing accounts, preparing meals, and... Life often takes over!

© 2018 Louise Levergneux. Manhole cover in Orlando, Florida.

© 2018 Louise Levergneux. Manhole cover in St Augustine, Florida.

Yet, an idea might never leave your thoughts, and the obsession continues. Back in 1999, on a Scotland trip, when my project City Shields began, I collected many hundreds of images of manhole covers. I never thought 20 years later I would still be obsessed in photographing an interestingly designed manhole cover I happened to find during my walks.

© 2018 Louise Levergneux. Manhole cover in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

© 2018 Louise Levergneux. Manhole cover in Circleville, Ohio.

This might be a excellent example of a primal acquisitive urge — I built a whole project out of this creative fascination of photographing manhole covers. The collection continues, but the project came to an end when the jewel cases that contain the die-cut photos of manhole covers were no longer available. Being picky about how the project would be presented, I felt the need to maintain the same packaging because it was essential to the idea of City Shields.

© 2018 Louise Levergneux. Manhole cover in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

So, as I travel, I’m often caught searching the streets for the next beautiful manhole cover. The need to take the camera out and shoot yet another manhole cover cannot be denied! The obsession is still alive. What do I do with the multiple photos of manhole covers I’ve taken through my journey. Create an ebook, an on-demand book, an artists’ book...??? What obsesses me as an artist can enrich the viewer to interpret my work.

My critical questions are:

How do I inject passion into my work while traveling?

In a hectic lifestyle, through what force does one find time to create?

By what means do I create a studio space to bring thoughts to completion?

How does one balance the administration versus the creative side of art work?

Any ideas?

© 2017 Louise Levergneux. Manhole cover in Austin, Texas.

© 2018 Louise Levergneux. Manhole cover in Sugar House, Salt Lake City, Utah.

© 2012 Louise Levergneux. Manhole cover in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

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Discovering!

I’m in a conundrum these days! Do I continue my art work or prepare the next 10 years of my life. In, the meantime, my project The incessant Journey is as you have noticed taken over my life. Just like an obsession that won’t let go. Manhole covers are up and down and all around me. 

I’m discovering more and more artists who create using manhole covers as their muse. I received an email from Will Karp who occupies most of his time photographing and creating art with photographs of manhole covers.

Similar to my preocupation, Will has collected hundreds of images of manhole covers on his travels from the American Southwest to the Middle East. 

Awarded first prize at the Santa Fe Arts Commission in 2011, his composition of "Manhole Covers of Santa Fe” heightened his passion for manhole cover art.

I continue to wonder who’s behind the designs of manhole covers with intricate three dimensional motifs comprising of grids, concentric arcs and circles, cross hatching, insignias, and other geometric shapes. The multitude and variety of designs produced is staggering. Not only do the covers themselves offer an eyeful, but the colors and textures of the surrounding pavement whether pebbles, bricks, cobblestones, grass, dirt or asphalt, create a unique canvas for each cover.

Different mediums including book arts, printmaking, magnets, posters, and large installations are used in Will’s work. His latest creation is a book entitled Manhole Mania, A Tribute To Ground Art. 

Will, hopes that each set of pages that unfolds reveal a refreshing way to appreciate and see the artfulness of utility covers that are right under our feet for us to enjoy, if only we knew it.

© 2016 Will Karp, compositions using 16 photos of New Mexico

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Searching through the internet for others with a penchant towards the ground, I have found other artists who design intricate manhole covers for their cities.

Nancy Blum designed the City Light, City Bright manhole cover in 2001, in which the flowers represent the city and the electric pattern in the background represent the utility side of manhole covers.

© 2016 Nancy Blum, City Light, City Bright

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In 1990 The City of Minneapolis reached out in the artist community to create artwork for Nicollet Mall in Downtown Minneapolis. 

Kate Burke commissioned by the city to create manhole covers designs to replace the covers over 13 city blocks around the Nicollet Mall. There are 11 different designs which commemorate the state designations and other icons of the state. Included are the state flower, fish, tree, bird, grain, fruit; and the grains. These manhole covers are absolutely gorgeous. They are a must see. I hope I can go trough Minneapolis again and add these to a second volume of Minnesota.

An in-depth dialogue with Kate will be part of another post later in the year.

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Continuing with my conundrum, I need to figure out what to do with my life—an incessant journey on its own. Time goes by fast and work is slow these days, I need to get back to what is important. The first issue is to get my printers working after 3 months off. Wish me luck and hope you find your own purpose in life, go DO.

Manhoru

Back to work, I realise my studio is a mess. I’m in full production of City Shields.

© 2016 Louise Levergneux

© 2016 Louise Levergneux

© 2016 Louise Levergneux

My curiosity grows with the pile of manhole covers. Has the manhole cover become a point of interest for other artists? I continue my search on the internet after communicating with Lucinda Ziesing featured on my blog post dated June 26th. Artists and graphic designers all over the world have noticed and are inspired by these works of urban design on our city streets.

My latest find is a wonderful fluoro colour publication entitled Overlooked, the 45th publication produced by design studio Pentagram in the UK. This colourful book celebrates the “gatekeepers” to the subterranean world beneath London’s streets.

© 2016 Pentagram Paper

After many hours of searching, I discover Remo Camerota, a dedicated manhole cover photographer. Camerota’s new book, Drainspotting, is dedicated to the his fans or the ‘manhoru’ maniacs. Manhoru is the Japanese word for ‘manhole’. A trip to Japan is worthwhile just to photograph the brightly painted manhoru covers.

Remo Camerota, Cherry Blossoms by Tokyo Five

Going down the rabbit hole, I come across Russell Muits, a graphic designer who embarked on a coast-to-coast odyssey. Muits travelled from Camden, New Jersey, to Seattle, Washington, and back. Russell searched out unusual manhole covers and, through hands-on application of ink and canvas, transformed the covers into prints. We share the same goal of finding every interesting manhole cover across the US. Of course my goal is to add the cities of the Canadian provinces.

Aaron Windhorst, Philadelphia Daily News/TNS

How can I finance City Shields and the travel to attain my goal? Any ideas?