Billy vs Matt 13: TWO BOXES

drawing by Matt Semke

Billy vs Matt 13: TWO BOXES

Artists William Hessian “Billy” and “Matt” Semke are at it again. The two artists will be having an art battle at the Red Hot Art Festival in Stevens Square Park July 30th and 31st. This is the 13th “Billy vs Matt” art battle since 2004. Past battles have included ink filled super soakers, axe chopping art, 10 foot poles, sledding art and many more. For this festival Billy or Matt will never be seen, they will be hidden under 4 foot boxes creating art. Inside each box the artists will frantically create works of art in their cramped dark space that they will leave behind as they move about the festival in their boxes. After each artwork is completed the artist will lift their box and shuffle to a new location, with only two eye holes to help them navigate with the outside world. To determine the winner of the battle the audience at the fair is invited to drop money the box that is creating the artwork they like best. The participants can collect the work that is being left behind every few minutes during the two day festival. 50% of all proceeds from Billy Vs Matt 13 will be donated to a local charity supporting the homeless.

The Red Hot Art Festival is a fantastic gathering of local artists, musicians, food, and performances. Live music is played all weekend long, activities for kids, food booths, and dozens of tents and booths set up with local artists selling paintings, ceramics, zines, crafts, magnets, stuffed animals and much more.

This will be the 3rd Billy Vs Matt Art Battle at the Red Hot Art Festival. Come by and see two artists make art inside boxes!

Read the article in the city pages

Zombies VS Robot art

The Zombies Vs Robot drawing is finally finished. I finally got back to working on this image to have it done and framed in time for Steven's Square Art Centers' Zombie Carnival exhibition. The artwork pictured below was created with ink, pencil, water color and prismacolor pencils. You can see this drawing when it was half done, and also the pencil version which started about 15 months ago. By the way, the artwork in frame is on sale for $300, contact me if interested. 

I never got into Zombie movies much as a child, although the concept was something that interested me. In the last few years, Adam Hafermann, a close childhood friend and artist had gotten me to watch some of his favorite classic zombie movies. While many of the movies lacked a lot of common sense in my opinion, I did find the theme very intriguing.

On my own, I stumbled upon a concept which you can find in some of my previous art: Robots Vs Beasts. The concept is based on our choice as human beings of which way to go with our current existence. I feel we have only two real choices, and that is to become animals who live off the land, like indians or cave men (minus the lack of intelligence) and live free from exploiting the world and globalization; or else embrace our technology and use it to make ourselves immortal, which is probably only possible by becoming robots (or transferring our knowledge to them.) Those that choose neither beast or robot, will undoubtedly - and probably already have become.....zombies.

That is how the concept of this drawing came about. Here is my artist statement that accompanies the work on the gallery wall:

When humans have long merged into thoughtless zombies, only our cold robotic creations can stop ourselves from eating each other to death and ridding the world of what the human race has become. Cities will become vending machines for brain hungry moaning masses of flesh, while the robots we built will try to use our designed intelligence to systematically destroy the zombie nation. Humans have already lost, but who will prevail on this planet, Zombies or Robots?

the completed drawing

a close up view

on the walls at Steven's Square Art Center

william hessian (me) and kelsey ericson at the opening

Art Battle with 10 foot poles and an axe

Nine out of ten outdoor bake off attendees ask:

"where is the controversial, interactive, art project that challenges my concept of art?"

that is where Billy Vs Matt 10 comes in.

Matt Semke and myself were asked to perform our tenth art battle, as part of Steven's Square fall festival bake off. The event had a dog show, a chili cook off, and US.

We painted a Rooster, a Robot and a Bee using ten foot poles (much like Billy vs Matt 9). The crowd voted for which painting was better, and the losing painting was then chopped up with an axe by an audience member chosen at random. It was a wild success. An art history teacher from the East Coast bought the Rooster set for $30. If you would like to buy either the robots, or the bees you can buy them for $30 (includes the winning painting and the remnants of the chopped up painting). Please contact me if interesting in buying a set.

Here is the entire photo album of the Billy Vs Matt event. A video will be coming soon.

Meanwhile, Billy Vs Matt 11 is quickly approaching as we are planning a SLEDDING art battle! We are looking for sponsor, donations and participants to come sled with us while we create art in the snow. The current plan is to do this in between Christmas and New Years.

Also make sure to bookmark my blog, because we will be announcing more Billy Vs Matt events and hopefully soon publishing our Billy Vs Matt official website, with a complete history of our Art Battles.

matt semke and me (in the red hat) painting robots with ten foot poles
Semke's dead bee after the axing by an audience member 
the winning robot, and the losing robot. The set is available for a measly 30 dollars!
The bees. Also available for only 30 dollars (you get both the winning painting and the losing one). 
Check out the full album for more pictures of entire photo albumthe Billy Vs Matt event.

I am featured on City Pages, Minnpost, Mnartist.org and MnSpeak

If you follow my career as an artist, or my art blog, you know very well that my Minneapolis Art Hunt begins Friday at 2pm. My last few blog posts, and my entire life these past few weeks have been consumed with this art hunt.

Currently here are the places people are finding out about my art hunt:

City Pages
http://blogs.citypages.com/ctg/2008/10/where_there_octopus_everywhere.php


Mnartists.org
http://www.mnartists.org/work.do?rid=207661

Minnpost
http://www.minnpost.com/from_our_partners/2008/10/16/3892/mnartistsorg_minneapolis_art_hunt_find_octopus_works_in_public_parks

I will also be performing an art battle with Matt Semke (www.catswilleatyou.com) at Steven Square Fall Festival Saturday, October 18th from noon-3pm at Stevens Square Park.

And inviting everyone to an art in the park session at Loring Park October 19th Sunday 4-6pm. Winners of the hunt can attend either event to claim their prize. Or email me.

Many businesses have donated prizes to be awarded to winners of the hunt. Also a special thanks to all the awesome minneapolis businesses and artists who have donated prizes to the art hunt. They support local art!


Minneapolis Parks & Rec

Altered Esthetics Gallery

Uptown Diner

Argente Photography

Broders: Cucina Italiana

Loring Pasta Bar

the empty envelope

robot LOVE

Walker Art Center

Weber's Westdale

Butter Bakery Cafe


You can watch my informational art hunt video or visit the official Minneapolis Art Hunt page to see clues.