AND THE A DVO C ATE Alcolea's vision turns trash into treasure By Elsa Allen BANNER STAFF With a gentle touch, Ramon Alcolea pulls open the small panels on one of his wall sculptures, re- vealing what appears to be an intri- cate seascape complete with beach- side cottages and choppy waves crashing onto the shoreline. Upon closer observation, however, the painting within the sculpture turns out to be no more than a piece of wood, perhaps from an old boat or a piece of siding, paint chipping off in such a way that it creates the illu- sion of a portrait of the Province- town harbor. "Forall that is random is really not" says Alcolea, describing his methods and the process that he uses to create his capsulesof the bay"in Provincetown. "Youhave to eliminate parts and determine what people see"Alcolea uses his dis- cerning eye to scour the beaches and town dumps for cast-off scraps that he will convert into materials for his mixed-media pieces. With careful inspection, Alcolea finds art in what others may pass off as weather-beaten debris, using what is already there to create a picture of Alcolea's new pnmarily wood assemblage with mixedme- dia, will be on display at both the Musselman Gallery and the Provincetown Public Library during Photo Elsa Allen November. He has created a series RamonAlcolea, holding his dog Lucky, lives surrounded by his art. of interactive pieces that beg for a viewer to move the parts and reveal claims that his work occupies all of collage, "findingthe right things about art to go into one. By show- School of Art and Design in New hidden landscapes and clips of poet- his time. When he is not busy con- for the right uses:' Although it may ing his work at the library, he says Yorkin 1985. Four years later, de- ry that lie hidden behind hinged structing a new piece or searching look like a mess to the uneducated, he can reach a larger audience, and ciding that he needed a change from doors. His heart series makes cre- for new materials, he is updating untrained eye, his piles are simply perhaps encourage them to go to city life, he came to Provincetown. ative use out of the "lazy Susan" his extensive portfolios and re- the beginnings of his art. the gallery as well. Since then he has shown locally mechanism, placing spinning hearts sume, adding show after show to "Thepieces will eventually find "There'snothing to be afraid of each year, making dedicated rounds against backdrops of driftwood and his already epic list of accomplish- each other," he says. "Ilove the with art,"he says. "It'svery impor- of the galleries in town, as well as ornamental details taken from dis- ments. whole concept of art and art mak- tant for artto be public and accessi- galleries in Boston, New York,Cali- carded furniture. The result is a co- "Ilike to try to keep as active as ing. ble." fornia and Hawaii. He has also re- hesive piece that looks as though all possible;' he says. "Art is the choice I have Alcolea obviously enjoys get- ceived several fellowships, residen- of the pieces were meant to come This year alone Alcolea has made," says Alcolea. "I have ting people involved with his art. cies, grants and awards, including a together, that their previous uses been featured in eight shows and reaped the rewards, and I've suf- Unlikemany artists; his pieces en- grant from the Pollock-Krasner was granted a residency at the Vir- courage the viewer to touch the ma- ginia Center for the Creative Arts. terials and explore their details. His small apartment, overlooking "Peoplelove to open and close Commercial Street, brims with all the panels; they love to see what's things art. Art books cover the cof- written, how it relates to them as fee table, paintings by various local the Viewer."Alcolea has accumulat- artists hang on the walls or sit in ed a collection of poetry, from writ- racks waiting for their tum in the ers such as Emily Dickinson, rotation. Alcolea manages his col- William Carlos Williams and Mark "Provincetown Notes #5''ftatures a lection like his own personal Doty, and keeps snippets on hand to "Aovincetown Notes #1"opens and swinging arm with attached heart. gallery, changing the wall hangings include in his pieces. every so often so he gets an oppor- is transformed "Ilike to find writing that's right Foundation. His work is currently "ProvincetownNotes #1" closed up. tunity to appreciate each individual fered the consequences." for the piece," he says. When he represented locally by the School- were of no consequence and they piece. His work table drowns in Alcolea seems to be reaping the finds a particular line of text, Al- house Center for Art and Design. were intended to be used for art. All pieces of wood, bits of metal and rewards of his art at the present colea will engrave it on the back of The show at the Musselman of his pieces are crafted with the ut- odds and ends, and more materials time, and he wants to make sure a copper heart that swings from the Gallery, 397 Commercial St., opens most attention paid to their con- wait in piles on his deck. that the general public is given the sculpture on hinges. on Friday with a reception from 7 to struction as well as their aesthetic. "It'sdangerous to walk up my chance to reap the rewards that art Alcolea has lived in Provincetown 9 p.m. and will run through Nov. 20 Alcolea is a craftsman as much as stairs,"jokes Alcolea. has to offer as well. This is the sec- town for 11 years. Like many other For further information on this show he is an artist, focusing on the car- A dissected sofa sits next to the ond time that Alcolea has inten- local artists, his studio is also his contact 487-9954. pentry that holds all of his pieces in front door, surrounded by heaps of tionally scheduled a gallery show home, where he lives with his small The show at the Provincetown place as well as what they look like scrap metal and wood. Clearly, he to coincide with a show at the li- dog, Lucky. He was born in Seville, Public Library, 330Commercial St., when they are complete. fmds inspiration in the things that brary. He feels that many people Spain, and came to the United runs through Nov. 30For further in- His dedication to his art has be- others no longer want. He de- are intimidated by galleries, afraid States when he was 15. He received formation on this show contact 487- come a way of life for Alcolea, who scribes his work as somewhat of a that they do not know enough a degree in sculpture from Parsons 3981. At home here, Sculptor RamonAlcolea recentwoik "InsideMyLittleRed Alcoleashows CherryHeart." - his heart PbotDs poetry," Alcolea says. "I'veused By Sue Harrison Mark Doty's poetry on some and BANNER STAFF also used his words in my pastels. The writing is carved into the wood culptor Ramon Alcolea's or terra cotta although the written recent shows have been segments are broken down from Sfull of intriguing minimal- their original passages." ist pieces, sweeping abstract shapes Onone recent piece, "InsideMy with ridged edges that call out to be Little Red Haired Cherry Heart,"a touched, but his upcoming show heart shape made of joined pieces will show a different part of the of wood is mounted on a lazy susan artist's inspiration, his heart. Alcolea base which allows it to hang at any is opening in a group show on Fri- angle on the wall. Words weave day at the Schoolhouse Center, 494 around like snakes and the piece has Commercial St. to be rotated or even picked up and Born and raised in the south of looked at underneath to get the full Spain, Alcolea came to the States at text. 12. He studied art at the Corcoran "In some work I've used the School of Fine Arts in Washington, heart or a box as one given and D.C.and received a BFA from Par- gone from there,"he says. "Some- sons School of Design in 1985. times you can't tell that it started Minimalist sculptor Ronald Bladen from there. The hearts move, the made him his protegeand assistant writing moves, it becomes narra- and Bladen's influence can still be tive. You have to interact with it to seen in Alcolea's work. Despite his get the whole message. Some of the strong training in the minimalist message is even behind the heart." S continuedtowork The heart hape, he saay , m in pnnts and pastel drawing and has especially effective at getting an im- done work with representational el- mediate response from viewers. ements. "It'sa beautiful shape that ex- Alcolea made the move from presses many subjects," he says. New York to Provincetown in 1989. "And it has a direct connection He had been visiting here and when with the viewer. No one asks what it he decided to leave the city, he says, means. It just activates a connection this was his obvious choice. between the art, the artist and the "It'ssmall enough to be livable yiewer." and yet there are lots of artists, peo- His process begins with found ple to talk to and a lot of activity."he objects and a written selection says.