Deaccessioning JPW3's "Zen Jail" at Sarasota Art Museum

"Zen Jail" by JPW3

"Zen Jail." It sounds like an oxymoron. But in the mind of creator JPW3 (aka Patrick Walsh), the combination makes perfect sense. The concept of zen is, after all, about your state of mind. And your mind has the ability to imprison you with negative thoughts and energies. Then there's the way we put each other in jail for all kinds of reasons -- both literally and figuratively. Meditation is a positive way to deal with the circumstances of your life and to find balance. In fact, many incarcerated people utilize meditation to help them make it through the day. So zen jail. But perhaps I'm getting ahead of myself. 

On a blazing hot Sunday in Sarasota, JPW3 was on hand for the deaccessioning of his "Zen Jail" at Sarasota Art Museum. The sculpture had been in place since the Museum opened, and it was time to make room for other uses of the space. Always one eager for an art experience, I turned up early in hopes of having a chance to chat with the artist. Bingo! Walsh was there early as well and more than happy to talk about his journey and his work.  

With JPW3 [Note to self: Deaccession that shirt] 

Walsh was an avid skateboarder when he was young. He loved the feeling of his body in space. He hadn't considered art as a career until he met an artist whose aesthetic reflected the way skateboarding made him feel. Something clicked. He realized there was a place for him in the world of art and has never looked back. Walsh's work -- which includes painting and performance art in addition to sculpture -- has been exhibited in places as far-flung as Stockholm, Singapore, Torino and Berlin. 

The version of "Zen Jail" on display at the Museum was the second iteration of the work. Anne-Marie Russell, former Executive Director of the Museum, discovered "Zen Jail" on a trip to Miami where it had been commissioned as a public art project by Fringe Projects. She immediately connected with the structure and began exploring bringing it to Sarasota. Walsh agreed with a couple of minor conditions. The first was that the driftwood in the piece would be replaced by some sort of log sourced locally in Sarasota. Done! They somehow located a man with a collection of wood/logs salvaged from hurricanes. (Walsh called it a "Stonehenge of logs." I am officially intrigued.) The chosen log was already hollowed out and created a peephole of sorts for visitors to look both in and out of the structure. 

Interior shot of "Zen Jail"

The second condition was that the area around the sculpture had to grow wild. Walsh is interested in the concept of what happens when nature reclaims a space. Other than the deliberate inclusion of passion plants, which are powerful pollinators, the growth in and around the structure was unplanned. (The passion plants did their job beautifully, and a multitude of monarch butterflies were on hand during the event.) Some landscaping was done during the time "Zen Jail" was on site, but the feel was organic with grasses growing tall and vines winding their way around the structure. 

"Zen Jail" was intended to be explored/used by visitors and included some interesting components. Two holes had been created holes in the floor -- one for plant life to grow through and another with a couple of steps that allowed people to take a load off and meditate or just hide from the world. I understood Walsh's concept behind that, as well as the watering can. But then there was an instrument of sorts with nails on it that could be plucked. Walsh posited that maybe the sound was like that of a bird call. Alternatively, it might be considered a tuning fork. While traditionally used to tune instruments, tuning forks can also be used to clear the space in your head. Ah, it was all coming together. 

Another interior shot

The deaccessioning ceremony was not, however, just an opportunity to hear Walsh speak. There was also a participatory component for those less inhibited than I. Visitors were invited to walk into "Zen Jail," pluck the tuning fork, take in what it felt like from the interior and then emit a primal scream. What???!!!  Yep. The screaming was intended as a form of psychic release. More than one person who took advantage of the opportunity pronounced upon exiting, "I highly recommend it." Still, I just couldn't do it. At one point a startled security guard looked out an upstairs window after someone let out a particularly blood curdling scream. I had to laugh. No worries -- just a bit of therapy taking place on the plaza. 

With that, the ceremony was over, and we continued on with our week-ends. "Zen Jail" does not have a next destination, although it might spend some time in Walsh's parents' backyard. (They live on a farm in Pennsylvania, and some kind of abandoned bus is there already.) When I was at the Museum the next day, the walls of "Zen Jail" were coming down. A couple of days later the beautiful log had been cut into pieces. It was kind of sad, but the tree had served a purpose more than once in its lifetime.

This is where I'd usually provide the artist's website, but JPW3 doesn't have one. But for a link to a gallery that represents Walsh, click here. And if you're interested in seeing "Zen Jail" in its Miami iteration, though, click here. You'll see that it has a different vibe than the one we've enjoyed. 

Thanks to Sarasota Art Museum and JPW3 for creating another memorable art experience.