Kyle Dreier - Mr. Critical

Well, I have to say that I gave “My Name is Asher Lev” the good ol’ college try. Actually, I gave it better than that seeing that I wasn’t the best of readers in college – at least in my first round of college at Baylor.

I have the utmost of respect for my pal, Johnny Rogers, who recommended this book to me. I think I’m just not as smart or as patient as he.

In the book, Asher is preoccupied with his gift of art. I can relate. He and his art are not fully understood by those around him. I can sorta relate. The part that kept me from getting further than half way through was that the author Chaim Potok didn’t further the story … at least not at a pace to keep my attention.

Part of my problem is that I think I prefer non-fiction. I was interested in the human elements surrounding the Jewish persecution but would have been more interested knowing it was historically accurate. I may have been but I don’t know. Once again, my ignorance revealed.

I’ve had other artists recommend this book so I really really fought hard to finish it, but it just wasn’t going to happen. I did, however, pull a Harry from “When Harry Met Sally” and read the last page. It was the same at the first half of the book. Asher, his art, his whining, his not being understood.

I guess one redeeming nugget from the book is that I need to spend less time reading about art and artists and more time doing art. Maybe then I’ll have a better basis for my criticism.

– Kyle Dreier

Well, it’s my weekly Wednesday Night Out and my bud Jeff McMahon says there’s a friend of his playing some of her work “in the round.” Even though I’m somewhat hep to the local music biz jargon I had to make a joke about the artists singing “Row Row Row Your Boat” in rounds, to which Jeff quickly said that they also do “99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall.”

Anyone that lives in Nashville knows that The Bluebird Cafe is the paramount place to go to hear artists and writers. Wednesday night was my first time to cross the threshold of this landmark here in town.

For nearly 10 years now I’ve driven by this place and have created what turns out to be a romanticized image of what this venue is beyond the understated facade. Once inside my first impression was “This looks like it used to be a Japanese restaurant.”

The place was filled with friends, supporters of the artists and I assume some music business executives or wannabe’s. Not much, if any, pretension – which is nice. This venue was pretty much just an intimate (shoulder to shoulder … “is there a fire marshal in the house?”) relaxed environment … at least for the audience. The artists commented on how it can be a little intimidating to play without all the lights, stage, tech that goes with big venues.

The event was an “ASCAP Presents: In The Round with …” and they had four artists/writers. For my taste I was really struck by the talent of Kelleigh Bannen and Meghan Kabir. All four were far more talented than I could ever hope to be but the style of these two really caught my ear.

Kelleigh Bannen had a style and tone that reminded me of Patty Griffin. Meghan Kabir made me think of Fleming and John. It was fun hearing their voices and enjoy them in a pure and unproduced environment.

I’ll never bill myself as a music critique but I certainly know what I like and do have an appreciation for people’s talents.

- Kyle Dreier (Mr. Critical)

I’m nearly done preparing for an opening this weekend. I think art is more fun without the “show” … but that’s my own baggage. See my statement below.
::

The messy process.

::

Some neat things happen in the mess.

::

The mystery of curious feet that found the paint. I still don’t know which child this was.

::

The fun of trial and error.

::

Forced into some calculation but resisting along the way.

::

Artist Statement ~ December 4, 2007

I love the quote from Walt Disney “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.”

For me, I have to shut up, shut out and start doing. But, there’s a constant struggle for me – so often I feel that when I start a “fine art” project it’s as if someone handed me a musical instrument I don’t know how to play and put me up on stage in front of a critical audience.

I go ahead and try to play as best I can but have to close my eyes on my imaginary audience and forget they are there. I have to work at making my art for me, not to perform, but to let out whatever unresolved creative energy or muse is in me.

I don’t paint to decorate. I paint to purge my creative tank. What comes out isn’t always pretty. If someone wants pretty “sofa-art” for their living room then Pottery Barn is better suited than I. So often I bemoan that I ever started a project, but I eventually come to some resolve as I push forward despite my desire to turn it in to firewood.

While my attitude ebbs and flows I persist and take the hesitant step to allow others to see what results were produced … despite the aesthetic value, or lack thereof. I wonder what God thinks.

- Kyle

I couldn’t agree more …

“I have only made this letter longer because I have not had the time to make it shorter.”
- Blaise Pascal, (1623-1662) Lettres provinciales.

Not that the story need be long, but it will take a long while to make it short.
- Henry David Thoreau

If I had more time, I would have written a shorter letter.
- Marcus T. Cicero

You know that I write slowly. This is chiefly because I am never satisfied until I have said as much as possible in a few words, and writing briefly takes far more time than writing at length.
- Karl Friedrich Gauss (1777-1855)

It is my ambition to say in ten sentences what others say in a whole book.
- Nietzsche

The more you say, the less people remember. The fewer the words, the greater the profit.
- Felelon

No one who has read official documents needs to be told how easy it is to conceal the essential truth under the apparently candid and all-disclosing phrases of a voluminous and particularizing report….
- Woodrow Wilson

“If you want me to give you a two-hour presentation, I am ready today. If you want only a five-minute speech, it will take me two weeks to prepare.”
- Mark Twain

Rather than me go into a long-winded diatribe about the poisoning of our children with TV and video/computer games I’ll simple let these photos tell the story and make my case.

::

::

::

::

::

::

::

::

::

A special thanks to Jaden and Colsen for their tender friendship and to cousin Brad and Rose for their burlap gifts.

Here’s to more backyard fun for all!

-Kyle

(aka Mr. Critical)

While I’ve long prided myself in my ability to communicate with visuals I’ve never considered my ability to communicate with words to be very strong. As Steve Martin puts it “Some people have a way with words, and other people … not have way.”

My biggest downfall has been spelling. I’ve got a friend (who shall remain anonymous … Jeff McMahon) who can look at a page of text and see a misspelled word. Me? I can look at a page of text and see a poorly kerned word. So, when I see something misspelled it must be a doozy. (See photo below.)

When I see something misspelled or the use of poor grammar I make a judgment about the author. “Oh, must not be very smart.” Or “Must be a southern bumpkin.” Truth be known, I’ve got a friend who has C- spelling and B- grammar but was the CEO of a large company and has done very well in his professional career.

So, that raises the question about communication. How important is grammatical and spelling accuracy? Someone once told me “I’d rather be rich than right.” You could certainly take this statement a number of ways but for me who likes to work with a great deal of analysis and tweaking it means giving up some of accuracy to just keep moving forward. I’m certainly learning to do this on an ongoing basis.

Yes, I pride myself on doing things well. I guess more than anything I have to decide what is worth doing well and what is worth doing good enough.

Does this hand-painted sign here in Franklin, Tennessee communicate what it needs to? I believe it does. Had this kind of communication been on an investment firm I’d say it would be communicating but not sending the right message of stability, trust and longevity. While communication is more than words, communication is also in how they are presented. This all together is “message.”

I wonder what message I communicate in my writing, my speech, my appearance. There are many times I don’t really care and there are many times I do care. I’d hate to communicate a message that wasn’t consistent with my values … at least with people that I wanted it to matter.

For now, I’ll just proceed … right or wrong.

- Kyle Dreier

The lack of practicality in some things amazes me. This coming from someone who has a great appreciation for the aesthetic. How is one supposed to dry one’s hands with a holiday adorned hand towel which rivals the size of a Post-It note?

If decoration is the order of the day then let’s put decoration in its place with some backup in a supporting role.

While this personal experience is just a representation I have to say that I could make a strong argument for the polar opposite where function trumps all form, but you’ll have to stay tuned to a later post to see that rant.

Kyle Dreier

Is there a minimum criteria for what should be a pleasant culinary experience. I’m talking about graham crackers. If cardboard is the bar that is set for generic graham crackers then I’ve found the closest thing to that measure.

Feel free to pity me and my lack of understanding when with great anticipation I sat down with a 2 inch stack of Kroger brand graham crackers, a talk cold glass of low fat milk (like that’s going to make any difference in this particular sitting) and a remote control only to learn that this particular variety of graham cracker is by far the most inferior version of itself. (Is that a run on sentence, or what!?)

Let me just say that texture, or lack thereof, was just the beginning. There are certain things I can tolerate and was willing to do so in this situation. However, when it came to putting the tensile strength of these grahams to the test it was overly apparent that these grahams didn’t cut the mustard, or the milk.

What’s my expectation of a graham cracker when introduced to a pool of milk? For one, I expect the graham cracker, when combined with two or three of its kinfolk, to have the strength to withstand a 3-5 second dunk without any casualties. The absorption rate is as important as the strength to sustain the added weight. I contend that the Kroger brand of graham cracker is as effective as washing dishes with a Kleenex.

So, the question now is this … what is the better graham cracker. If memory serves me correctly Nabisco. But, this will have to be researched further.

- Kyle Dreier