150 foot drawing 228, originally uploaded by saulgrayhildenbrand.

So happy to post this brief little interview with artist Saul Gray Hildenbrand. Formally from Grand Rapids, Saul now lives in Santa Barbara, CA where he, along with visiting fellow artist Michael Schaeffer, sat and created art for 24 consecutive hours. I bet some strong coffee was involved.

So you did a 24 hour consecutive drawing from February 29, 2008 4 am to March 1, 4 am.

YES, that is right.

What were you thinking at about 12 am?

I had to consult the drawing I had just finished the greatest period of fatigue. Where I had drawn the contiguous united states end to end. Then I had coffee, and that stuff really works, I felt so much better. I drew one head on top of another head, not in a violent or mean way, Then a man searching for his head not finding it but finding a Raven’s head instead. That metaphorically speaking aptly descibes how I was feeling and what i was thinking.

Leap Day offered inspiration for this work. Any other major inspirations or influences?

I first did this type of project for the first time in 2000 on Leap Day. I was in college reading about the French Situationalists and their idea of “dérive”really struck a chord with me. It is taking a walk through spaces that are familiar and focusing on seeing them differently. Sort of a forced Jamais vu (opposite of déjà vu) the feeling of not recognizing what should be familiar. I decided to do this on Leap Day because of the weird liminal space it occupies. The first time I did this walk through the woods near my campus at night and while attending classes. I enjoy the catharsis and cycle of fatigue and recovery. I have done this four times alone and three times with Michael Schaeffer, who joined me this time as well. I’d like to include more people in the future.

I love the humor in this piece and in your other work. What do you find funny?

The absurd in the mundane. I use it mostly with word play and juxtaposition.

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