Porgy & Bess - Rapid River Magazine
Porgy & Bess - Rapid River Magazine
Porgy & Bess - Rapid River Magazine
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R A P I D R I V E R A R T S<br />
fine art<br />
STUDIO<br />
SAFETY<br />
PART IV<br />
Miscellaneous Personal<br />
Safety Wrap-up<br />
A Hodge-Podge of Things I Just Gotta Tell Ya<br />
So far, I’ve written a bit about various<br />
T.T.C.K.Y. (“Things That Could Kill<br />
You”), and some others not quite so<br />
dangerous. But wait! There’s more!<br />
Back when I was young and<br />
suits were David-Byrne-Big, studio dangers<br />
were even bigger. And it’s not just<br />
that my shoulder pads<br />
could’ve wiped out my<br />
coworkers: does anyone<br />
remember Bestine thinner?<br />
AKA Heptane. AKA<br />
H3C(CH2)5CH3.<br />
In the design studio,<br />
we used a lot of rubber<br />
cement, and Bestine was<br />
THE product of choice<br />
for getting all that extra<br />
cement off of things it<br />
wasn’t supposed to get<br />
onto (and it always did).<br />
For fun, we used to<br />
watch it disappear into<br />
the palms of our hands<br />
and exclaim to one another:<br />
“Gee, how cool!” with nary a thought<br />
about where the stuff was actually GOING.<br />
When dealing with any chemical, check<br />
out a site like www.hazard.com for dangers,<br />
usage and disposal recommendations.<br />
Nowhere on a Material Safety Data Sheet<br />
(MSDS) will you find a recommendation<br />
to pour this toxic liquid into your palm (I<br />
checked). There are safer alternatives, and<br />
even Best-Test, the maker of Bestine, creates<br />
a gentler version these days.<br />
Also, there are now safer alternatives on<br />
the market for many chemicals like turpentine<br />
and mineral spirits that we’re so used to<br />
using. Look for the AP (Approved Product)<br />
label. I often refer to “Green Guide for Artists”<br />
by Karen Michel not only for supply<br />
resources, but also for home-made recipes.<br />
While there aren’t MSDS’s on people,<br />
maybe there should be. Another aspect of<br />
personal safety is being S.A. (“Stranger-<br />
Aware”) when you’re alone in the studio.<br />
Like when you’re working away on that<br />
porcelain sculpture that is drying out, cracking<br />
and falling apart with every touch (OK,<br />
I’m sure that’s just my problem), listening<br />
to Madonna’s Greatest Hits double-CD<br />
album on your headphones – and not<br />
noticing that the sun has set and you’re on<br />
Photo: Greg Vineyard<br />
BY GREG VINEYARD<br />
display like a fish in a bowl for any passer-by<br />
to observe.<br />
A couple of thoughts: 1) lock up; and<br />
2) keep your cell phone with you. One of<br />
the worst O.C. (“Oh,<br />
CRAP!”) moments<br />
is when a stranger is<br />
between you and the<br />
phone you left clear<br />
across the room earlier<br />
in the afternoon.<br />
A third thought is<br />
to make sure someone<br />
always knows where<br />
you are. When I’m the<br />
last one in the studio<br />
and it’s after-hours, the<br />
first thing I do is check<br />
the front door lock.<br />
And then go back to<br />
Madonna. Er, I mean<br />
classic rock.<br />
I must make note of one more area of<br />
personal safety. Invasion by… the common<br />
cold. Don’t touch your eyes or your nose<br />
(or any item in the studio that wet-hackingcough<br />
visitor was just admiring) and I swear<br />
you will have less colds this year. When<br />
we’re feeling good, we take better care. Of<br />
everything.<br />
Some might say my cup (a local, handmade<br />
item, of course) runneth over with<br />
worry, but I think diligence allows me to<br />
keep it half-full. There’s no real conclusion<br />
to safety recommendations in our artistic<br />
environments and our lives, but some considerations<br />
allow us to happily – and safely<br />
– work on what we love, and thrive.<br />
Greg Vineyard is an<br />
artist and creative<br />
consultant in Asheville’s<br />
<strong>River</strong> Arts District. Find<br />
him and his Ceramics<br />
For Contemplation &<br />
Connectivity at Constance Williams<br />
Studio & Gallery at CURVE, 9 <strong>River</strong>side<br />
Dr. Open every day 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.<br />
Visit www.CURVEstudiosNC.com<br />
Check out www.hazard.com for dangers, usage and disposal<br />
recommendations for hazardous chemicals. Refer to the<br />
"Green Guide for Artists" by Karen Michel for alternative<br />
supply resources and home-made recipes.<br />
34 March 2010 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — Vol. 13, No. 7