The Jefferson Agrarian

photograph © James Gilmore 2008

Ed. note: This is the first among (hopefully) many upcoming interviews with artists that continue to push the envelope in this rural outpost of the State of Jefferson.

Jefferson artist and entrepreneur John Rickard ran the first gallery in our area dedicated to photographic practice when he opened the Noda-Rickard Rostel Gallery with a partner in Dunsmuir in 2007. After a spectacular run of giving us a taste of art shows, receptions and workshops in a *real* art gallery setting, the Rostel Gallery closed at the end of 2008. Not to be deterred, Rickard has returned with Tangle Press & Gallery, which was launched on January 1, 2010.

The Jefferson Agrarian recently interviewed Rickard about his new venture:

JA: The stated mission of Tangle Press & Gallery is to inspire, educate and share life through the medium of photography. How do you see such a broad and ambitious mission being put into practice in the remote reaches of the State of Jefferson?

JR: The State of Jefferson is not only a refuge of free independent thinkers it also an area that cultivates the artistic mind. Imagery is a universal form of communication, it is often collected, critiqued and theorized by metropolitan intellectuals but it is intelligible by all.  Aspiring to music, images are universal. There are concessions (we make for) living in the mountains of the State of Jefferson, but we do not lack culture.  Artists abound here like wildlife, inspired by beauty and life’s trials and tribulations.  Photography has its own articulation, one with no syllables, grammar or syntax, only direct emotion.  Simply put, Tangle Press is initiating a visual conversation that can be discussed in any corner of the world.

JA: There appear to be four main areas of concentration for Tangle gallery, press, journal and workshops. Can you talk about your vision for each one?

JR: Synonymous with our name, all these avenues are intertwined. The workshops educate, the gallery inspires and the journal/press displays the resulting visual dialog. On a business level each is necessary to fund the other. I am devising Tangle to be approachable by all since our region is diverse on many levels.

JA: We also noticed something called ‘Red Room’ – what is your vision for a bricks-and-mortar gallery/workspace, and where would it ideally be located?

JR: Everywhere an epicenter of creativity is needed, throughout art history there have been places where artists orbit and exchange ideas. I’m not trying to start a new movement, just provide a location to work, learn, share, and grow. I am fortunate to have a home darkroom and can print on a whim, but many artists don’t have that luxury. A muse can leave an artist as quickly as it formalizes. Without the ability to conjure the tangible from the inspiration, art is just a thought. ‘Red Room’ will provide many local artists a place to create and share. Financially, I can’t yet provide this place, but it is one of my biggest goals. I think Mt. Shasta is the right town for a central Jeffersonian location, and its visitors.

JA: Who have been your role models for a similar successful venture?

JR: My teachers have been my role models, those with the innate sense of sharing, publishers who take pride in the book and artists who care not about fame and fortune but simply about their craft and its perception in society. These people are sometimes in art history books, and sometimes walking by our side.

JA: Who are your top five Art Heroes?

JR: There are many artists that create extremely influential art. They can redefine a medium and change humanity with their creations. Anselm Kiefer is our current living artist with such acclaim, but he was inspired and educated by Joseph Beuys – an artist and a teacher. Those who create great works themselves, but have also helped their fellow artists are my heroes. This idea is celebrated everyday by those like Linda Connor of Photo Alliance, Emilio Bañuelos and Elena Carrasco of Black Boots Ink and even by you with this blog and your teaching at the College of the Siskiyous.  Those whose work goes beyond narcissism, and whose existence is responsible for spores of new art and artists, are who inspire me. Alfred Stieglitz, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Harry Callahan, Minor White and my personal favorite Brian Taylor are such artists.