Alan Close
Alan Close Statement
Originating from Flint, MI, and raised on a steady diet of bologna sandwiches and Hot Rod magazine, the sort of thing you see here was inevitable, really, especially when raised by two loving Olivet alums with a healthy respect for the Gifts we are given. Our family never went to fancy galleries or a lot of museums, but if it had wheels and went fast, we were into it. The culture of speed was where my artistic roots were planted. From a very early age, I was fascinated with art for the masses - magazines, comic books, t-shirts, stickers, and the like. The lowbrow art scene took off in the late 1950s with an artist and car customizer named Ed ‘Big Daddy’ Roth. Many have stepped into the sneakers of this self-aware kook and carry forth the acetylene torch of his unique style, and I’m proud to be one of them under the nom de guerre, ‘APOC’. ’Fool for Fuel’ is not fancy, philosophical, or high minded in any way. It is sugar for your eyeballs and gasoline poured on your internal fun factor.
Eternal thanks to Bill Greiner for giving me the freedom to explore my creative voice in a tiny Art Department (’91-’94) at a little University that no one had ever heard of. Although I’m sure my technique makes him cringe, I hope this piece at least makes him smile.
