John McEnroe's Latest Creation

Studio Assisting For
John McEnroe
By Brittany Schall


When initially looking at John McEnroe’s work, the first two questions that crop up in ones mind are “how the?” closely followed by “what conceivable thought process brought this on?”. John McEnroe states that he is intrigued with the idea of utilizing multiple, individual components and brining them together to generate a larger unit. He was inspired to create his balloon works by looking at constructions executed out of bricks. Though singular, bricks can be amassed together to produce a chimney, wall, building, or more or less an entirely new entity. McEnroe thought it would be interesting to use this idea and manipulate the rigid format of it. What if he took an object that could be used to build something of a larger scale, but instead of adhering to a synthetic layout, he used a strategy that incorporated an organic edge? With this in mind, John started experimenting with new mediums, (a prevalent, if not dominate theme in his studio) which may possibly lend themselves to this concept.

John began conducting his experiments in an attempt to capture fluidity, mass, and volume within a unit. He wanted to be able to “freeze” these characteristics within in his works while maintaining a method that was cost effective. This led him to prosthetic panty hose, sand, and of course, McEnroe’s all familiar resin. The sand can exhibit the same visual properties of liquid while the resin is able to “fossilize” the water balloon shape. The approach is rather laborious and time intensive, but the end results are well worth it.


McEnroe starts off the process by cutting the sixteen-inch cotton panty hose in half, knotting the ends to form deflated lithe white sacs. Then McEnroe’s next phase is to “milk it” as he calls it. Decoded, this means that he takes a bendable plastic hose attached to a large funnel filled with sand, bends it just so to let the sand flow. The sac quickly engorges into a rather phallic form, it does not help that the panty hose is a medical white. Chuckling, John snickers out that this is animal husbandry at its finest. Once full, the plastic tube is kinked closed and the “balloon” is tied off and slumped into a pile with the rest.

This process continues for an hour or so until enough cycles have produced a sizable mound of balloons. This rudimentary, but relatively effect method, is not without a few flaws. Occasionally, “bleeders” as McEnroe refers to them, occur from time to time. This is when a run or a small whole in the panty hose is present, sand spurts out of this opening, deflating the bag. Before it completely empties, it is hoisted back over the funnel and the sand is emptied into it so it is not a complete waste of manpower. Outside of this refilling method, the funnel maintains its steady fill of sand by having bucket after bucket of sand poured into it. Needless to say, at the end of the day everyone in the studio has raw knuckles and rug burned fingertips.

After the process of filling the bags is complete, the amusing compositional phase begins. The bags are stacked and arranged on top of one another; both aesthetics and physics are employed to create both a functional and visually interesting assemblage. This process can pull the strings of everyone’s seventh grade humor as much as, or even more so, than the “milking” imagery of the sacs being filled. Not only can the bags summon phallic likenesses now; breasts, intestines, and feces can be added to the list as well. Thankfully, the bags positioning is reworked several times to edit out these uncouth visual parallels. Sometimes without warning, the bags chose to rearrange themselves. This leaves everyone dodging the raining array of hospital white prosthetic panty hose sacks. One of the main culprits to this catastrophe can be attributed to the “bleeders”. As the sand leaks out of one, the rest of the bags begin to resettle into an unstable construction around it. Occasionally, the antagonist sack(s) can be caught before it sends all of the rest toppling down. In the case where prevention fails, an entire days work can be easily lost and the “balloons” fall from their positions and gloriously exploded onto the floor several feet below.

After the bags are rearranged and the devistation of any of the disasters have been cleared away, the next stage commences: resin. Gloppy containers are mixed and the race to cover the bags with as much fiberglass possible before the resin sets begins. It is imperative to get the entire structure covered so it can support the next installment of “balloons” that will be placed on top. As it dries, the nylon is broken down and absorbed into the fiberglass along with a few millimeters of the sand. The end result is an incredibly sturdy foundation of biomorphic components where no two sacks are alike.

The freshly resined section of the sculpture is then hoisted off the completed stack and placed in another section of the studio. McEnroe crawls into the beehive like formation and cuts away at the remaining parts of the bags, leaving only a hollow half shell. Subsequent to this, he then resins weak spots on the inside of the sculpture for too reasons. To begin with, the most obvious reason for this is to reinforce the construction so it can support the next wave of sacks. Secondly, this “spot treatment” will prevent any awkward light peeping through the final internally lit sculpture. During this process, it is important to be wary of what John likes to call “meat hooks”. This is where pieces of stubborn fiberglass fail to lie flat, resulting in shards of glass poking outward. These meat hooks can then become problematic when you are shimming in and out of the narrow encasement. Suddenly shirts can be reduced to rags for the car and images of the iron maiden are summoned as you are unexpectedly gouged. McEnroe jokes that his process would make for a perfect submission for Discovery Channel’s “Dirty Jobs” hit television show.


Once this intense phase is concluded, the “shell” is hoisted back onto the completed sections of the sculpture. The whole cycle begins again, each time the bags are arranged to slowly converge into a point. The work will be finally topped off and painted a luscious, if not rouge red. An organic obelisk has materialized that conveys an in depth sense of space, weight, and movement. This splendid piece of conceptual art will be seen in full glory by being placed on a six feet tall pedestal on the Highlands Pedestrian Bridge walkway that crosses over I-25 and 16th Street. At night, the monolithic sculpture will serve as a visual beacon as the pulsing red “balloons” will be magnificently lit from the interior. One can only wait with anticipation for this public work to reach the end of its long road and it is displayed for the public’s enjoyment and amazement.

Charles DiJulio

The Presence of a Painter
By Brittany Schall

Charles DiJulio has fostered an extensive career that has not only included exhibiting works for over four decades, but also encompasses being a key member in several art organizations. The two most prominent associations have been Criss Cross and the avant- garde artist commune Drop City. He has shown his work across the nation and has held a strong presence in New York City since 1978. DiJulio’s work has evolved over time from loose action like paintings to his better-known style of systemic painting. Largely influenced by the dynamic relationship between structural patterning and the freedom vibrant color palettes offer, Charles DiJulio works have a commanding presence that is undeniable.

DiJulio’s background falls nothing short of intriguing, however most notable point of personal interest is his involvement with the creative commune Drop City. The artists Gene Bernofsky, JoAnn Bernofsky, Richard Kallweit and Clark Richert founded the site in 1965. The commune was formerly a goat pasture, which was located in southern Colorado just a few miles off from the city of Trinidad. The structures themselves originated from the conceptual and impromptu performances of Allan Kaprow, John Cage, Robert Rauschenberg and Buckminster Fuller at the Black Mountain College. Other influences of the "triacontahedron" and "zonohedra" geometric domes where gleaned from the architectural designs of Buckminster Fuller and Steve Baer.

The purpose of this isolated artisan community was to offer a creative sanctuary for individuals free from the constraints of structured society. Charles remained here for a short stint of a few months before moving on. His presence there was non- politically based and was geared more towards absorbing the ingenious creativity that surrounded him and the overall experience of communal living. After he left, Drop City’s original members drifted away with new generations taking their place. This led to the eventual decline of the fundamental spirit of the site, which in turn brought Drop City to its end in the early eighties.

Coinciding with this time frame, DiJulio was also an active member in the major abstractionist group Criss Cross. This artist collective’s platform was centered on the idea of creating synergy within works through systematic abstract patterning that was non- decorative. This definition precisely fit the format of DiJulio’s work and thought process, hence his heavy involvement from 1974 to 1981.

His works during the era of Criss Cross where specifically grounded in simple interwoven structures that were, in a sense, pure patterning. The compositional layout of these pieces can be somewhat ridged with DiJulio’s precision line work that visually alludes to his immense craftsmanship. However, this aspect is remedied and resolved by incorporating dramatic color shifts that explore the palettes of color field artists. The end result of using both these tactics is a massive work composed of bold ribbons of color which gracefully weave themselves across the canvas. Mesmerizing complementary colors compel any viewer to trace their path through the composition in a near hypnotic state. The vibrant hues reverberate against one another and cause a seemingly three dimensional twist to the flat surface. One motif that the artist has noted as a remerging characteristic within his pieces is the wave like movement. To explain this, DiJulio beautifully constructed a metaphor linking the similarities to his paintings and the structure of music. He notes that same keys are used again and again in music to create a melody; however instantaneous fluidity can emerge within the patterned set. Though restraints do exist within the patterns, they are far from total restriction. In fact, finding a way to work freely within the structure, be it either keys or paint, is were the soul of the creative endeavor lies.

His well known large and untitled works from the sixties and mid- seventies were formulated, in some ways, in response to the prevalent abstract expressionism and action painting that was going on at this time. DiJulio’s earlier works were looser, and most were executed in a modest size on raw canvas. The first few pieces that DiJulio did after these were an investigation on how space can be systematically divided; the dominating motif was a wave like shape of course. To him, these works were more intimate, they communicated softly to the viewer with a deeper sensibility. The human hand was evident with organic strokes and the lax structure. Patterning was the focal point, but with these, the idea of it was far more important than precisely executing it. Following these, he then moved from a meek size onto an impressive scale of around 86 x 70 inches. DiJulio also shifted from the somewhat gestural approach to rendering techniques that exercised intense accuracy. To do this, the rough structure was laid out first usually in the form of preliminary drawings and small sketches. Following this, the ideas are transferred onto the canvas and are continually modified during the process in response to color fluxes, dimensional entanglements and overall aesthetics. This method could easily explain some of the entirely unique colors that he achieves in his works. A ribbon of color could be shifted a number of times from anything from black, to pink, to turquoise, to pink again. Layering these hues creates an unusual color saturation that could never be accomplished by simply mixing paint. When it comes to the inspiration for his work, DiJulio draws upon design elements from various objects such as fabrics from shirts or table clothes.

Presently, DiJulio’s works have returned to a smaller scale and he uses a more organic approach, much like the pieces he did in Boulder prior to Criss Cross. He states that these paintings are more real and are closer to what he is after. To explain the change in dimensions, he once again draws upon fantastic metaphors to help explain personal rationale. He argues that his massive works no longer satisfy him because they were a lot like large sculptures. The artist spends maybe ten minutes on the wax miniature, and then works for next eighteen months trying to replicate an original that was executed in less than an hour. It is illogical to lay aside the creative and conceptual process for the sake of reproducing it on a larger scale. Size cannot be interchanged with creative efforts and struggles, rationally; it should be the other way around so development is not inhibited. With this in mind, new works have return to an intimate size with flesher brush strokes that allude to the pattern within. DiJulio no longer hand feeds his viewers by immaculately rendering massive interwoven color strips, instead he leaves the door open for investigation by leaving ambiguity.

There is pattern, but the loose approach emphasizes that there is more to the work than just this. Color takes on new meaning in these pieces as it acts with more independence. Previously, its main role appeared as an assistant in articulating the pattern, it gave dimension and gave life to a repeating structure. Now, pigment is no longer just an intermediate, it has its own commanding presence based of color sensibility. It has the ability to interact with composition, not just facilitate it. With this, DiJulio’s current works now equally focus on all of the elements of composition, pattern, color, and line quality.

Charles DiJulio continues to exhibit regularly with his last show being at N.Y.C.’s 128 Gallery this past December. He has cultivated an uninterrupted and an extensive career that has a broad scope ranging outside of exhibitions and into the art world itself. DiJulio has been a key member in the non- decorative abstract art movement and has impacted classical perceptions of art through his innovative tactics. He has a true understanding of his work, which enables him to continue to grow and explore new ground. Few artists have the luxury of facilitating a lengthy career, even fewer foster one that is continually exciting from one passage from the next. Charles DiJulio can be noted within both realms, the only thing that may be more impressive than this are the works themselves.