Stick with me kid

This is not an image I would have been drawn to, but once it was handed to me, I became drawn to it. The target practice poster, Tactical Encounter No. 3, had been part of an installation by Micki Davis, mickidavis.com, at the University of California at San Diego Visual Arts Department Open Studios. She offered me a copy of the poster to be added to in any way, titled, photographed, and sent to her.

I checked the website of Alco Target Company. It actually does produce targets - this one considered a tactical training target for hostage situations. It's for real..

The title, Stick with me kid, is from the note over the barrel of the gun.

I had used the image of the bound up figurine in a previous installation in which she was actually dangling from her ropes. I printed out a photograph of her on adhesive-backed clear mylar. She is positioned as if a baby on the woman's shoulder, but a falling one. Red adds drama to the sparse understated palette.

I know that my attunement to negative space is greatly sharpened by my recent life-drawing class with Ken Goldman, goldmanfineart.com. I knew that life-drawing would enhance my mixed-media work, but couldn't have forseen it taking this form!


The scrap of paper with days of the week and dates, indicates the ordinary and daily quality of the violence depicted. The erotic edge to it is part of what makes it complicated and disturbing.


This is the original poster, Tactical Encounter No. 3. I love what grows out of collaborative art. Although Miki Davis did not alter this poster herself, she used it conceptually, and challenged others to come up with other concepts. It was a lot of fun!