I was one of five artists participating in an event called “The Tour De Loo” in Birmingham AL on 1/15/16. Each artist was assigned a restroom in a local business and had to come up with a theme for an art installation. I drew inspiration from the event’s name and went with the concept of “Lollapa-LOO-za.” I channeled memories of concerts (I attended two different Lollapaloozas in the 90s!), trading mix tapes with friends, listening to records as a child, and iconic musicians.
The good news? I won the $200 grand prize! Here is a quote from the event committee “Successful evening last night! Congratulations to Delaine Derry Green for winning best January installation! Joy Myers, director of Artwalk, had a very hard time choosing between all installations, but the one that stood out the most for the use of space, adherence to a theme, and overall feel-good environment, made it a winner!”
When you first entered the space you were greeted with an oversized ‘backstage pass.’
I lined the walls with numerous records and mixed media paintings using vintage sewing patterns. I transformed each pattern’s model into an iconic rock star… from David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust to all 4 members of KISS to Devo.
One of the focal points was a huge floating cassette tape, almost 7 feet in length, with its “tape” unraveled on the ground. A giant pencil was nearby to help “rewind” the tape.
Behind the cassette there was a cart stacked with vintage radios. An ipod and speaker was hidden behind the radios to provide some “mood music.” A long graphic spanning the entire width of the back wall was covered with song lyrics pertaining to bathrooms.
When you were ready to wash your hands a large eye with a record-iris watched over you.
And if the mood struck there was a Devo energy dome on hand to pose in!
