The Heartland
Artist Josh Anderson returns with a renewed perspective
Courtesy Josh Anderson
Given how open Santa Fe illustrator/multimedia artist Josh Anderson has been about his struggles with mental health, it should hardly be surprising his incoming Curate Santa Fe solo show Healing Pains at Iconik Coffee Roasters’ Red location explores what it is to be a creator, artist, person and, now, a father as the world crumbles around us. Anderson is quick to highlight his three-year-old daughter Juniper as a source of inspiration—or perhaps the word is recontextualization. Anderson says he feels better than he has in years, and much of the impetus is having a little human who relies on him and makes the world seem new again.
“It has created many compartments,” he tells SFR. “There’s the compartment that is my daughter, the psychological trauma work I do in art…I’ve learned to compartmentalize.”
Anderson’ also says his sobriety played a role in his new work, a series of illustrations achieved with marker, colored pencil and good old-fashioned pen and ink. He woke up one day, he explains, and just plain felt better. Of course, mental illness is a marathon, not a sprint, and he still finds healing through his work. Think of the pieces almost like self-portraiture, or glimpses into how Anderson moves through the world. An anthropomorphized heart finds itself riddled with ‘good job!” Post-Its, for example, or an angry flower is besieged by flies. These beings are simply trying to get by, as is Anderson, and though he says there’s a level of discomfort that comes from being so vulnerable—and putting himself into a starting role across his pieces—it helps him work out the emotions through which he travels.
“It’s not as gory [as previous works], it’s more of a bruising,” he says. “It’s not lacerating, it’s bludgeoning. I seriously believe the brain heals itself, but I do think in the political climate of today, it’s unpredictable to have your work interpreted; there’s a positive message in all my work.”
That message is something about the steps we take to heal, but the practice itself becomes a respite for the artist. He’s turned his more obsessive qualities toward creative pursuits. That can come with its own pitfalls, like a sour mood triggered by hours of line work or stippling, but at the end of the day, Anderson hopes to highlight that we’re almost never alone if we don’t wish to be.
“I’m trying to be of service to the best of my ability,” he says. “There are people out there like me, I’m trying to remind them of that.” (Alex De Vore)
Josh Anderson: Healing Pains Opening: 4-6 pm Friday, Oct. 24. Free. Iconik Coffee Roasters (Red), 1366 Cerrillos Road, (505)428-0996
High Stakes
Courtesy Santa Fe Playhouse
Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel Dracula is a classic no doubt, but its depiction of women is far from good; while the men are allowed to be heroes, women are forced to be “pure,” with deviation being seen as (literally) monstrous. However, starting this October, that all changes with a performance that explores the nature of predators through a reinterpretation of the classic Victorian tale. Playwright and author Kate Hamill’s Dracula A Feminist Revenge Fantasy comes to the Santa Fe Playhouse in a performance directed by award-winning theatrical director Anna Hogan. Described as “both terrifying and riotous,” this play is unlike any Dracula you’ve ever seen. (Callie Elkins)
Dracula: A Feminist Revenge Fantasy: 7:30 pm Thursday, Oct. 23-Saturday, Oct. 25; 2 pm Sunday, Oct. 26. $20-$80. Santa Fe Playhouse,142 E De Vargas St santafeplayhouse.org
Silence! Sort of!
Courtesy Jean Cocteau Cinema
JCC Website Posters - 2
We here at SFR have made no secret of our love for Dovetail Orchestra, that whimsical band assembled by local musician/composer Ross Hamlin for the express purpose of live scoring old silent movies. Not only do Dovetail shows provide a glimpse into lesser-known cinema work from a bygone pre-talkies era, they reimagine old art in new ways through improvisational prowess and the crazy-talented chops of musicians hand-selected by Hamlin (like Andy Primm). Hamlin is no slouch, either, having composed for anything from film and fun to freaking Zozobra. Of course, there’s an improvisational element at play for Dovetail Orchestra shows, too, and that requires a bit of skill and a whole lot of trust. It’ll be a goofy-fun time at the band’s Jean Cocteau show this week and, since it’s Halloween time of year, expect the movies to skew into the horror realm. (ADV)
Dovetail Orchestra’s Spooktacular Silents: 7 pm Friday, Oct. 24. $15. Jean Cocteau Cinema, 418 Montezuma Ave., (505) 466-5528
For the Kids
Courtesy Santa Fe Children's Museum
Even though we couldn’t find any instance of Halloween skullduggery in the form of razor-bladed candies or drugs hidden in chocolate (since people like to keep their drugs), it’s always nice to know there’s fun to be had in a safe way for youngsters. Enter the Santa Fe Children’s Museum and its Weird Science Halloween Bash/fundraiser. For a pittance, you can take the kiddos to the museum for all kinds of activities, including science stuff, a pumpkin patch for toddlers, STEAM games, bugs and reptiles, a haunted ship experience and more. SFCM wil even provide a sensory friendly spot for folks with special needs, and the whole shebang goes to support its ongoing work as a cool and educational spot for kids growing up in a town where it’s kinda tough to be a kid. (ADV)
Santa Fe Children’s Museum Weird Science Halloween Bash: 3-6 pm Tuesday, Oct. 28. $0-$25. Santa Fe Children’s Museum, 1050 Old Pecos Trail, (505) 989-8359
