Short pieces about my art: "Francis"

"Francis"
© 2002 Brian Hutzell
5-1/4 x 23-1/2 x 1-3/8 inches
milk paint on wood

“Francis,” for St. Francis of Assisi. I don’t know too much about him, except that he liked animals and was usually barefoot. At least according to legend, that is. What little I know comes from the movie “Brother Sun, Sister Moon,” which I saw for the first time when I was living in Boston in the 1980s. I saw a lot of movies back then, at a lot of theaters that are no longer there: Nickelodeon, Off the Wall, Orson Welles, Sack Paris, Sack Cheri, Pi Alley, Sack 57, etc. That’s when I discovered that popcorn and apple cider were made for each other. I miss those days. The segment of my life I think about most fondly was 1983-1990, my first stay in Boston and environs. I lived at Berklee, Mission Hill, Revere, South End, North End, Medford, then South End again. Now I am in Des Moines, which is not a bad place, but if anyone dropped a million dollars in my lap, I'd probably move back east. So far, though, no one is stepping up with that offer.

Short pieces about my art: "Barefoot Boy"

"Barefoot Boy"
© 2002 Brian Hutzell
2 panels: 3-5/8 x 26 x 3/4 inches each
milk paint on wood

“Barefoot Boy” was named for Gene Janowski, now deceased. He was a former professional skater, but was well past his prime when I met him. Gene had alcohol problems, smoking, problems, weight problems, and was eccentric by nearly any measure. Still, he was a nice guy. I was sad but not surprised when I heard he’d passed away; he looked terrible the last time I saw him in Chicago, three years ago. It was through Gene that I met Ticklish, and through Ticklish that I met Scott, an S&M master. Gene also introduced me to Skeeter, another member of Chicago’s foot fetish community, and Milan, with whom I am still in touch. At least one other member of that circle has also recently died, Charlie. Time marches on.

Short pieces about my art: "Brian"

Like “Aladdin” and “Ashley,” this piece is named after me: “Brian.” Earlier this evening, I went for a 2.5 mile barefoot walk around West Des Moines. When I walk barefoot, most people either don’t notice or if they do, they don’t say anything. Those times when I get comments, those comments are nearly always positive. One exception was the overweight guy smoking a cigarette in Cambridge who warned me that what I was doing was dangerous. When I wear shoes, I am liable to hear comments like, “Hey, why the shoes? Why not barefoot?”

Short pieces about my art: "Alice"

This piece, “Alice,” is another of my barefoot art pieces from the collection, “Art By The Foot.” I’m not wild about this piece, but I am proud of the collection title. Not only does it make fun of people who buy art “by the foot,” just to cover a certain amount of wall space, but it also describes exactly what these pieces are. I painted my feet with milk paint, then made footprints on various boards I found around the neighborhood. It doesn’t get much more basic than that

Short pieces about my art: "Ashley"

All of the pieces in “Art By The Foot” are named after people known to be frequently barefoot. Several of them are named after me, including this one, “Ashley.” I always hated my middle name while growing up, but eventually I came to appreciate its uniqueness. I even briefly used it as a pseudonym: Ashley Standing. Now, thanks to the Olsen twins, “Ashley” is primarily thought of as a girl’s name. Even my first name, which I always thought was gender-proof (unlike “Pat” or “Chris”) has morphed into a girl’s name, such as “Bria,” “Brianne,” or “Brianna.” What will become of “Hutzell?”

Short pieces about my art: "Aladdin"

“Aladdin”

© 2002 Brian Hutzell

3 panels, each 13 x 5-1/2 x ¾ inches

milk paint on wood

from “Art By The Foot”

My footprint art began with this piece, “Aladdin.” It is milk paint on wood, and yes, those are my real footprints. Fun to make, and I think it even looks rather interesting. Most of my footprint art is now gone, either lost, given away, thrown away, or in a few rare cases: sold. When my wife and I were living in Cambridge, in Central Square, I was well known in the area for walking everywhere barefoot. That’s a habit left over from childhood, but that really took off when I was living in Chicago in the 1990s. I still spend as much time barefoot as possible, because it’s comfortable, and also healthy for my feet. The only downside is occasionally having to explain myself to people who just think I’m weird.

Art By The Foot

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December Blues

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Supernova

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Octopush

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Wheat

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