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PROVINCETOWN GUIDE
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| DIRECTORY |
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Provincetown :: Wednesday, February 8th 2012
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Interview with Artist Jay Critchley
By Laura Shabott
August 29th, 2010
Jay Critchley is wildly original. He encrusts motels with sand, mummifies a car in a mausoleum and made a septic tank into a theater. His art is an extension of Provincetown; its changes and uniqueness as varied as the town and its culture.
| Hundreds of neon caps are bobbing toward the Boatslip, town and the Monument. It is a site-sensitive performance art piece with the backdrop of the harbor and skyline. |
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We meet at his home, a haven for artists in the summer. A roommate is doing his vocals as we chat about Jay’s art, life and the upcoming Swim for Life Saturday, September 11th.
Q: What brought you to Provincetown?
A: I needed to check into another world. I was married with a pregnant wife. She had family in Truro and our visit never ended. My son was born here and we soon divorced. He's a real Townie, living in Wareham as a single dad with two kids.
Q: Did you go to art school?
A: Not the brick and mortar kind. Provincetown was my hands-on laboratory, starting with the medium of sand, plastic tampon applicators, fish skins - the harbor is my medium, and my historic septic theater. I came out here as a “born again” artist.
Q: You create art through ritual, for example, your annual Re-Rooters Day, a ceremony at the flats across from the Cape Inn. When did conceptual performance become a part of your expression?
A: I was an obedient Catholic altar boy, singing Gregorian Chants to the mystical body of Christ. My father was a trapper who skinned fox, muskrats, mink and raccoon in our basement. This was man's territory, and the stretched, drying pelts had a musk scent. My performances include song, costumes and ritual.
Q: The upcoming Provincetown Swim for Life is a wonderful creation. How did it begin?
A: It was really a response to the medical waste that covered New England beaches in the 1970’s. Here, the harbor was still pristine. In 1988, Walter McLean and I decided to honor the harbor by swimming from Long Point to the Boatslip. A boater volunteered to spot us. People thought it couldn’t be done but we did it. Two weeks later, we organized the first Swim for Life with twelve people. 23 years later, it has grown into a fundraiser, performance piece, Mermaid Brunch and a Celebration of Life concert produced by John Thomas. A different artist produces an image each year for the t-shirt. There are over 150 volunteers. Last year, 360 people swam from Long Point to shore.
Q: This is a huge undertaking. What is your favorite moment in the Swim?
A: It’s so satisfying to see the joy on people’s faces when they walk out of the water as they complete the Swim. My very favorite moment is watching the swimmers leave Long Point after I wave my red lamay flag. Hundreds of neon caps are bobbing toward the Boatslip, town and the Monument. It is a site-sensitive performance art piece with the backdrop of the harbor and skyline.
Q: Who benefits from this amazing event?
A: The community, me, the swimmers, kayakers and volunteers. The swimmers immerse themselves in the cleansing waters of Provincetown Harbor in honor of someone - living, sick or deceased. At registration, people may write the names of those they love on the ribbons. These prayer ribbons are a kinetic witness to the event.
We raise funds for Helping Our Women, AIDS Support Group of Cape Cod. Outer Cape Health Services, Lower Cape Ambulance, Provincetown Rescue Squad, Soup Kitchen of Provincetown and Academy at Provincetown High School. Last year we raised $200.000.
My most important concern is the safety of the swimmers. Kayakers play a very important role by providing water or rest for the swimmers. The kayakers are the glue; the safety net of the event. This year, we have new lime green buoys along the swim route. There is our medical team and the Rescue Squad on shore for any emergencies.
Q: The Swim for Life is part of the Provincetown Community Compact. What is that?
A: The Compact is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization that enhances the health and well being of the community with the Swim for Life, two Dune Shack residencies in the National Seashore and The Thinkubator, a fiscal sponsor for grass roots art and community projects. We provide the nuts and bolts so that groups like the Tennessee Williams Theater Festival and the Provincetown International Film Festival can eventually become self sustaining with their own non-profit status.
Q: You also have a show in New York next year.
A: I will have my first solo show in NYC at Freight+Volume, Nick Lawrence’s gallery in Chelsea. He runs DNA here in Provincetown.
Jay’s vision is far reaching. It was a privilege to spend time with one of Provincetown’s great artists.
Columnist/Artist Laura Shabott loves to write about Provincetown and the people that make it so special.
www.swim4life.org
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