When members of the Downtown Albany Business Improvement District approached Tony Iadicicco about painting a clog for the annual Sculpture in the Streets exhibition, he had only seconds to decide whether to take on the project. Somehow, the group had ended up with a spare shoe, and there were other artists waiting to be contacted.
“He’s a pretty big ringleader of local artists,” said friend Gutman Black.
Iadicicco, the art director at Albany Center Gallery, put the call out to local artists on Facebook about painting the giant shoe. He was given the project on short notice and needed help. That’s when Black packed up his equipment from his studio in Loudonville and headed down to Albany.
Black, a Bethlehem native, said his plan was to take a section of the shoe and spend six to seven hours painting until he was done. But when he got to the gallery, the artists were just ending their night. When Black told Iadicicco why he was there, he opened the doors back up.
“I saw what they started to do and they weren’t really set on their ideas yet,” he said. “I asked Tony what he was looking to do and he said he wanted to create the best piece possible. I told his that was cool, because that’s what I’m about, too.”
Black’s six-hour session turned into a two-week partnership with Iadicicco. The clog was moved to Black’s studio, where he estimates he spent about close to 250 hours creating the finished product — a primary colored skyline filled with all of Albany’s greatest landmarks.
Black said the idea came to him after a nostalgic discussion with his father about the toys they played with as children. All of the colors used remind the 30-year-old Ringling College of Art and Design graduate of his favorite playthings, like Transformers and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
The goal for the duo was to make a piece people would be drawn to and form a connection with.
“I wanted it to exude the colors with what I do conceptually as an artist,” said Black. “’Clog’ is a boring word and looks boring, so we had to fit it in to something modern and contemporary. We designed it like a sneaker so a child would look at it and be (enticed.)”
There were 13 artists in total working on clog pieces to be placed around Albany’s downtown. Six 7-foot clogs were distributed, along with four sets of 3-foot pairs of the wooden shoes. Most artists submitted an application to be involved in the project, while some chose partners later on in the process.
Marquita Rhodes, the marketing manager for the Downtown Albany BID, said this is the first year the group has provided the medium and then asked local artists to participate in the Sculpture in the Streets exhibition. Usually, national and international artists are asked to submit or loan pieces they have already created.
“While fun and whimsical, the installation pulls on Albany’s rich Dutch influence, blending historical and artistic impressions and offering a multitude of cultural opportunities for the public to enjoy,” said Georgette Steffens, executive director of the Downtown Albany BID in a statement. “We want to encourage visitors to engage with the sculptures and experience Downtown by ‘standing in the soles’ and developing an affection for the soul and history of Albany. We invite the public to be creative and become part of the sculpture itself – whether through photography or other medium.”
Susan Rivers of Ravena also participated in the project, as did Mitchell Biernacki, a 24-year-old graphic designer from Glenmont.
Biernacki said he found the experience thrilling and although he has been painting from a young age, the medium posed a challenge.
“My father is a carpenter for Proctors Theater. When Broadway shows came to town I use to paint tables and have the cast sign them,” he said. “But this is the first time painting on a curved surface.”
Biernacki’s piece is a large map of Albany from 1857 that looks to be wrapped around the giant clog. He used a spray paint technique to make the shoe look like weathered paper and then painted the map by hand with brown paint. He said if people look close enough, they can see the Dutch influence of years past.
“It’s really fun to look at it. Madison Avenue wasn’t there at the time and it was called Lydius Street. Most of the streets and roads weren’t there,” he said. “Albany does have a really deep and rich history and you can learn more about it by looking at the map.”
All of the shoes will stay in place for about the next 11 months. They will then be auctioned to help raise money for the Downtown Albany BID. Some artists are marketing their pieces to try and draw more interest for when the auction occurs.
Black and Iadicicco have created a Facebook page for their clog. Spectators are encouraged to take pictures of themselves in or next to the shoe and post it on the page. The two artists then do a drawing so “fans” have the chance to win an originally designed poster or keychain of their clog. They are calling the fans “cloggers.”
Black has also taken to stopping by the piece and talking to spectators about the clog, though he never identifies himself as the artist. He often asks if they would like him to take a picture of the person with the shoe. Black said it’s fun to watch.
“A lot of kids jump into the shoe and start paddling like it’s a boat. They make it their own,” he said, which is exactly what he set our to do with the design. “Adults are more intimidated.”
Walking tours of the exhibit are taking place through May 2013 and are free to the public. Tour maps are also available online or by visiting www.downtownalbany.org.
