James Drake decided to draw everything that came into his head for two years, then hung his “Brain Trash” up in a museum.
In 2012, virtuosic sculpture and video artist James Drake decided to do something totally new for him: Draw every single day for two years. In a departure from his typically meticulous approach, Drake allowed himself to improvise, capturing his inner preoccupations in a stream-of-consciousness style. The resulting 1,242 images have been hung in a monumental installation he proudly refers to as “Brain Trash,” at Austin’s Blanton Museum through January 4.
Stepping into the installation is like immersing yourself in the artist’s mind. Drake’s innermost fears and obsessions—scientific formulas, violence, addiction, studies of human anatomy, wild animals, storms—are inescapable, having been pinned directly to the wall in a grid from floor to ceiling.
This surprisingly intimate, and occasionally alarming, exhibit captures almost literally what it’s like to stick to a new discipline and let go of your inhibitions. Exploring the show before it closes this weekend might just be the perfect way to celebrate a new year.
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