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OCTOBER 1976
spend a lot of time alone in the studio and that presents its own kind of problems. Ultimately, though, I validate my existence in the privacy of my own studio." High Gear: How did "coming out" affect your work?
Bob: It enabled me to go forward. If you're not healthy, you can't produce. I was confusing myself with the image I was falsely portraying. Before coming out, I was like two different people. It had nothing to do with anyone else, but a lot to do with me.
an
High Gear: Schiller wrote an essay on aesthetics in which he inferred that one might subconsciously lead "aesthetic life" by engaging in activities without specific or utilitarian goals. Would you
comment.
were
Bob: Well, that's hard to define as it is ultimately hard to define art itself. At one time science and math considered art. Only since the 18th century did art become what we know it today. Greeks and Romans considered art to be crafts. The aesthetic they perceived art to be has been lost to us. Back then, there was a much more utilitarian aspect to
וויד
essential to art. If you don't have it, your production is lacking. High Gear: And what about the future? Bob: continue my involvement with art as a lifelong project. As any dedicated artist, I'd like to get some major recognition I suppose that will come. It takes will and patience. The gay poet C.P. Cavafy in a poem called "Ithaca" said the goal is not as important as the experience you gain in attaining the goal and ultimately the goal once obtained may be different from what you originally conceived it as.
art. As with Michaelangelo, LONELINESS
things were done because they had to be done. With Plato, Art was figurative. 20th century art broke away from those concepts completely...The relationship between art and the receiver, however, is still the same. There is a human connection even the "Portal" at the Justice Center has that.
High Gear: Your recurrent use of expansive collages utilizing maps, printed words, stamps, bags and checks is intriguing. Its impression shows more of the precision of classicism than the extremes of romanticism. Howe did that expression develop?
Bob: It comes out of a concern I had in school with. common materials. I cut up everything, sandpaper, bags, you name it. I feel the relationship between the materials use transcends the material itself. You see more than just the content. I make my statement without using say extravagance of velvet. In my creations attempt to show that sandpaper can be as beautiful as velvet... My work is kind of art without object. That's to say the idea is more important than the object post-conceptualism
I was involved with the idea of nothingness. I did some work on a white canvas which at first glance doesn't look like anything, but if you looked at it carefully, you'd see spots of color. I read a lot of Sartre who said "I can't think the thought of nothing." I've concluded nothingness is the total accumulation of everything.
High Gear: Does an artist stand a better chance at getting away with being gay because of his/her "bohemian" disposition or matrix?
Bob: I think so. Right now, I don't give a shit who knows. I do what I want to do for myself. If I limit my sexuality, I'll limit my creative expression. Freedom is
By Van Ault
It isn't easy watching others Running around together
Having good times While you're occupying your mind
To keep it from aching..
It's hard to distract yourself From the sensuous things: Desire for a greeting or smile, Or perhaps a promising invitation.
No one likes to be lonely. There's an emptiness about being left out.
It nags at your humor,
And clutches to you like a tick, Sucking out your common
sense
Until you plunge headfirst Into foolishness
And sometimes even selfdestruction.
HIGH GEAR
HELP!!
Because of High Gear's rapid growth, our staff is becoming overwhelmed with increasing responsibilities. Outside of a handful of contributing writers, there are only five of us all volunteers who handle advertising, distribution, layout, subscriptions, classifieds, photography, the mails, news gathering, feature writing, typing and art work. We are literally swamped!
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Our intention of course, is to continue to make High Gear a free viable communications vehicle for the Ohio gay community. But we can't do it without your help! Volunteers are essential to the operation of this publication.
Unfortunately, High Gear is unable to cultivate a paid staff without both dramatically increasing our advertising rates and/or charging for the paper. We wish to do neither. Subsequently we are moved to ask volunteers to donate anywhere from two to six hours of their time once a month. Help is desperately needed in:
Delivery Routes Nearly 20% of our readership is heterosexual or closeted. As our circulation climbs, largely due to increasing straight businesses willing to distribute the paper, people are needed to make deliveries. If you can spare only one afternoon a month to distribute High Gear at pre-arranged businesses, you will greatly aid the progress necessary toward further proliferation of gay thinking.
State-Wide Gay Distribution We are in serious need of people to volunteer one or two nights a month to package newspapers for UPS shipping to gay points throughout Ohio. People who live in the Northeastern Ohio cities of Akron, Canton, Warren, Youngstown and Cleveland are also needed to deliver papers in their respective cities on the second Friday of each month only.
Layout Again only one or two nights a month in the week prior to publication is needed for High Gear's layout purposes. People interested in ad composition, article paste-up and various artistic touches could be of tremendous service toward maintaining the professional look of the paper.
Photography We are willing to pay all photographic expenses if photographers would only volunteer their time. Assignments can be given a good week or two in advance. Typists Only one night a month prior to publication could relieve our burden considerably.
Artists Any Ohio artist who does graphics, prints, or commercial art, your work is always welcome!
Advertising Representatives It takes only one night a month to contact as many as 10 advertisers by phone and by car. Presently, only one person is handling all the advertising and ad composition. Please, don't let him stand alone!
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Written Contributions Whether its news, features, poems, humor, politics or social commentary, High Gear welcomes your written efforts. Our only stipulation is that the material be non-sexist and somehow gay-related. REMEMBER WE AT HIGH GEAR ARE ALL VOLUN TEERS. HELP US BUILD THE SPIRIT AND WILL OF THE OHIO GAY COMMUNITY WE CAN'T DO IT WITHOUT YOUR SUPPORT! WRITE HIGH GEAR P.O. BOX 6177 CLEVELAND, OHIO 44101 OR CALL THE GAY SWITCHBOARD (216) 696-5330, Sun Thurs from 6 p.m. 2 a.m. on Fri. Sat. 8 p.m. 3 a.m. THANK YOU. ONLY IN SOLIDARITY CAN WE REACH FULL LIBERATION!!!
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