by Daiv Whaley

You may have seen him at any of the numerous art events and exhibits that happen in the city of Cleveland each month—pedaling his bike or materializing unexpectedly in the midst of a crowd—the ubiquitous baseball cap and Seventies shades, the race car jacket and stubble, that Beat Generation/ Kerouac nodding smile and affable greeting. Chances are, if he’s not in the exhibit, he’s producing or curating the exhibit.

Abe Olvido is definitely one of the hardest working artists in the Cleveland area, with the mental agility and sophistication to match his peaceful warrior demeanour. Within the past year, his work has appeared in Newsense Gallery’s Eat Sugar, Spend Money exhibit in Lakewood, the Waterloo Arts Festival near the Beachland Ballroom, the Salon des Refuses exhibit in response to the NEO Show at the Galleria, performances at Spaces and Asterisk galleries, as well as his striking anti-war piece (written in ash upon a large wall of the gallery) at Lake Erie College a few months back. As this interview is queued-up for distribution, he will just have completed a music-based performance at the Murray Hill artwalk and will be preparing for another at the Tremont artwalk, as well as an exhibit of his paintings at a Seven Hills residence on June 16th. Olvido also assembled an exhibit of graffiti from various national and international sources, called Tagged—which was on display at Talkies Coffee Shop in Ohio City last summer.

Olvido is also a huge fan of Rock Music, and you’ll often find him at the Grog Shop, the Beachland, or Pat’s in the Flats, digging the new breed and supporting the local and national music scene which courses through Cleveland like an underground river of alkaline and sweat with threnody and jubilation, on many evenings. His latest project combines these two loves of his—Art and Rock & Roll. It’s sort of a Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom of sorts, if Marlin Perkins were into Hendrix instead of hyenas. But let’s allow him to tell you about it.

Cool Cleveland: You’re a visual artist, but for this project you’re documenting the art others are making—specifically, rock music. How’d you come up with this idea?

Abe Olvido: I dig film, video, music documentaries, the live performance… and I wanted to throw my aesthetics & perspective into the mix. This is a subject I am very familiar with and will–have–to-do as art in my lifetime. I grew up on stuff like this. I'm glad you said that I was a visual artist because I am not a filmmaker like Robert Banks is a filmmaker, but always liked shooting scenes since I was a kid and, whether thru super 8 or video to me, especially now, it's about preservation. And there's some good music & musicians doing their thing…..happening around us. People who I've been fortunate to have collaborated with and those I'd like to work with—and so with all the resources and the continual building of resources, I thought now was a good time to take the documentary aspect of what I've been doing the last number of years here in Cleveland and continue it by preserving these brief moments of sound & art and the live performance, and then put it all together in a cinematic way. If anything, it's gonna make this city look really cool to the rest of the world, really cool to those that still see this place as a dump, and probably unrecognizable to those living here who don't explore past their tethered boundaries. And you will not see any standard shots of the skyline.

Never ask an artist for an explanation of their work, without qualifying it with the adjective “short explanation!” How are you determining the bands that you’ll record…..is there a lottery system or something?

AO: The film is soundtrack-based, like a live visual mix tape, so it's tunes that I dig. Tunes that really bring out, maybe the best I think, in each band, in each performance.

'''Most artists seem to enjoy tweaking the system, so to speak—making the ordinary somehow unordinary. What are you doing in the course of filming these groups that will make this footage interesting to view, say, thirty years from now?'''

AO: Overall, it will have style, it'll have legs... old school tech revved up via modern technology...the way I'm seeing it, in thirty years the imagery will still be bloody brilliant, the soundtrack will still be great. For music film buffs--they may appreciate its rawness, purity, or aesthetic integrity. Maybe they'll catch underlying homages to great music films/documentaries like Pink Floyd's brilliant Live in Pompeii, Monterey Pop, Urgh! A Music War, The Last Waltz, among others. As for the “thirty years from now” bit--for those familiar with my work and the projects that I have done, this project fits right in-concert with my visual artist career, whether solo or the groop projects and planned collaborations to come. So in thirty years—if I ain’t dead--this film will stack up well in a solid resume' and could be one of those watershed projects for me as an overall artist.

Do you see a possible financial profit at some point down the line with this project? Can one make money filming the bands of Cleveland, and does that even matter?

AO: Fuck yes. And here's a long but real answer. Like I mentioned, I won't be marketing just the film--as a visual artist with a background and experience in advertising design &marketing—a side of me that’s always being utilized--I have and continue to produce and organize happenings, events & exhibitions. I've represented artists, have helped to sell their work at a fair market value, and/or increased their visibility and introduced them to my collectors/network of contacts. Through all this consistent visibility, there are sales/commissions/connections being made.…like many working artists, I've got work in private collections throughout Ohio and the U.S. And they are there because i've worked it. Gotten commissions cuz I worked it. I'm still unknown in the whole scheme of things but that's part of the life. Don't let anyone fool you--art is a tough-ass racket, but the doors have continually opened up for me because of the attempts, the visibility, social grace and hard work. And they will continue to open because I won't stop working it--it's all about timing; energy; karma, maybe. But steadily the price of my works have gone up and that's always exciting.
Like Mike Moritz (Olvido’s partner in crime in their art collective, groop—Ed.) stated in the Free Times article last year, ' people think we (groop) must be trust-fund boys because we have a gallery downtown and that is simply not the case--we put all our hard earned money back into the gallery, into exhibitions & projects." We've earned all the marks and bruises and mental calluses trying to get paid from the jobs done, and a sizable portion always goes back into the work, into the marketing, into the flyers, the receptions etc. Squared. The sales of my drawings/paintings throughout the years for example, has helped to fund many of the projects, productions, wardrobes for performance artists, exhibitions at the gallery or other venues--and that part of my career builds itself and helps to make projects like this film and other side projects happen—while helping to raise the national/international stock value. And as long as the source remains pure, educated and raw, any deviation from your set focus can be controlled because you have truly lived it…gotten the dirt under yer fingernails, sweated, starved and been broke like a mofo, made the stupid mistakes yet remained cool and collected and learned from it, walked the beat, cold-called it, all that shit. You realize what it takes--nothing gets handed to you in life except life and with this you become aware--you realize where the true power is because you have been dropped to your essentials and you are surviving as a good person. And the really creative people in this city are underdogs to the conservative mindset. But Frederick Douglas said it best -"without struggle there is no progress".
And it's not just about filming the bands of Cleveland (three of them don't live here anymore). It's a film about music, art, performance, a city with problems. Yet the artists, writers, filmmakers, musicians, etc keep going at it--making shit happen. It's about the music venues--the underground venues--the small clubs & joints; it's the social atmosphere that is created, the "do ityourself" attitude; the apathy of a city, the support of a city... collaborations... all this and everything more with each band, and the atmosphere around each moment getting your complete attention on the big screen. This film is not meant to be marketed as a film about Cleveland--Cleveland happens to be the setting.

What’s the name of this project, by the way?

AO: Raw in Cleveland is the working title at this point.

'''When Raw in Cleveland is completed, what do you hope to do with it? Will interested people be able to view it somehow? AO: Hire my marketing friends in Cleveland and everywhere else to market the heck out of it while working all the angles. And then see it on the big screen in some film festival type atmosphere or at the Cinematheque, or any future groop happenings in NYC or overseas, etc.'''

'''I’ve heard some stories of you wailing away on your electric guitar at 4 a.m. in an empty warehouse. You’re obviously a fan of rock music. Have you ever been in a band?'''

AO: Yeah, in school--none of us knew how to play except for one (a guitarist who wanted to play drums) but practice practice practice and most importantly – listen--and it starts to come together. I started at the kit but couldn’t figure it out (I'm a better hand drummer), switched between bass on some tunes and guitar & vocals. Did the majority of the writing. Two of us were willing to take it to the next level but the rest of the guys wanted to focus on school and that made sense, so I gave the music up as far as the 'band' thing to focus on art & school, but deep in the back of my head -it's there. So every once in awhile--like in the mid/late 90's I would collaborate with classically trained musicians and we would do freeform stuff, like with a bass clarinetist & a saxophone player while I 'deconstructed' a piano or other instruments. But I really love playing the guitar --and that's where the loud cathartic wailing away comes in, though its not always loud - but it does wail.

'''In GROOP with Mike Moritz, I know you two have achieved some sonic musical performances. What were those like?'''

AO: They were conversations & heated debates between my guitar/amp & his drums--reactionary, aggressive, piercing noise experiments- they've been called raw, "barbaric", reckless, atmospheric freeforms--constructed like a story. Lot of build up—a lot of drop-offs. Sometimes it was just about the sheer noise, controlling and constructing. Sometimes it was just about the atmosphere. We didn't focus on speed or anger, though it may have sounded like it. One guy said after the first Edge performance—“wow, that was volume!” We almost always made that shit up on the spot since we reacted to the context of “location”--so we had a structure and weaved chaos around it. The stuff we did if it was done in a club- yeah cool, right on and all that good stuff, but at the City Club in 2001 during the “dining portion” of a panel discussion--now that's another story-- it was atmospheric and very out-of-context.
One of my early collaborators Ryan Sciandra (multimedia artist/CIA Alumni—now in NY) and I did some atmospheric experimental stuff like that on the streets of Cleveland, with him on megaphone, me on guitar and we're both dressed in clean sharp suits and backed by DVD projections and groop installations on storefront windows--these were reactionary and subversive performances yet enlightening (because he was telling people how they can achieve growth and success only through personal change)...all this stuff was way before the Sparks project came in and attempted to create some kind of Cleveland brand yet completely missed the boat and watered down the whole aspect of performance art in a downtown atmosphere. It's very unfortunate.

'''You studied Art in Columbus, Ohio--I presume at the Columbus School of Art & Design? They’ve had a pretty healthy music scene going on ‘down there’ at various times. How would you compare and contrast the Columbus scene with Cleveland’s scene?'''

AO: Yeah, I saw a lot of good bands while I was down there--as far as local--Eric's Mother was my favorite.(Early Sabbath meets the Doors meets 2001 steeped in acid.) If anyone out there that has read this far and can find me a copy of Northern Lights Haze from 91-92, hook a brother up, please. In comparing and contrasting, I’m very out of the loop of what's happening in Columbus now. In terms of local music up here, Cleveland/Northeast Ohio always has good stuff happening. I mean, Alternative Press began here in Cleveland. Roue formed here. New Planet Trampoline, Jerk (the intro to their Guitar is a Dead Scene EP is a personal favorite), This Moment In Black History; the evolutions of some of these bands that would go from The Vivians to The Heathers to Speakercranker and parts evolving, into The Flat Can Co. And then there's Miss Melvis--need I say more?
There's also the whole Experimental Behavior scene, the Davenport Collective scene, Disengage (Jason Byers is a brilliant visual artist/curator), the Volta Sound. UNKL started here. What you'll see on the big screen will be such a diverse selection of music--from avante garde jazz to noise rock/experiments--but with emphasis on hard edge stuff. And this is all a post-Pere Ubu/Devo etc. period of influential Cleveland music. This is the now looking towards a bright future.

'''Recently, a film label approached you about this documentary project of yours and they’ve agreed to be your financial backers. Who are they and what exactly does that mean in terms of this project?'''

AO: Actually, they're my ”fiscal sponsors,” which gives this project a huge leap towards the international/national circuit, and a slew of resources that will include financial backers…so that the camera guys get paid, film-sound-video equipment can be afforded; this film can be made right.

'''As a visual artist, do you often find yourself wishing that musical acts would incorporate more “conceptual” or visual art into their work, especially their performances? Or do you take the other stance—that great music speaks for itself and does not need visual props or gimmicks? Is there perhaps a middle ground somewhere?'''

AO: It all depends on the band- but i do like the raw state when it's just good atmospheric lighting and their equipment. Like, flashpots are unnecessary, fog machines get clichéd; sometimes there's not enough thinkin' about atmosphere, especially with big name bands... get rid of the conventional eye candy -if the band says ‘it's about the music’ then let it be about watching 4 people tackle their instruments and their presence. Being a visual artist, I'm all about enhancing,…playing around or fucking with a new atmosphere--sometimes you gotta be clever about it. Slick is key. But if the band's record company is dead-set on spending huge amounts of cash to give the audience some really good visuals, then here's a tip: forego the cliches and the unimaginative and-hire groop, cuz we think big and we will magnify your presence and your audience will love you the more for not giving them the same old ...

'''Who have you documented so far for this project, and who’s on the Hit List next?'''

AO: Aside from the groop material and other sound collaborations, the Up Ensemble were filmed at B-sides in Coventry. I shot some test footage of the Flat Can Co. last July 16th during the All-Go Signs blowout at Cleveland Public Theatre. I just shot some footage of Jerk on April 23rd. Roue; a composition from avant-garde composer Christopher Auerbach-Brown; I’ve heard some good things about Red Giant (great name--I think they're from Akron), so i'd like to get their brand of hard rock into the film. There's a big hit list of great shit that i'm still trying to work out...I gotta hear the music. This is a big working project. One band that i saw in Cleveland last year are from Brooklyn, but they started out in Oberlin--and that's one of three bands in the film that had ties to Cleveland but had to move elsewhere to make it happen-I want to get that in there because it has happened to many of my good friends and I see it happening to me and to bands like UNKL (modern jazz beats)--now based in Berlin and working it and getting support in an international city; gettin' really good reviews and now signed to a label.

'''Who are you listening to these days, locally or national and/or internationally?'''

AO: Well I finally picked up the latest Queens of the Stone Age CD--so I can't wait to break that open, but right now I'm all about Pterodactyl, Roue, Acid King, USA Is A Monster. But I'm just always tapping into my music pile and it's pretty diverse, all kinds of good stuff. I've been making mix tapes for years, mainly to keep me painting without having to stop to keep switching albums to tapes to CD's, so there is something of everything in those tapes. I’ve also been getting back into early Floyd, the Band, Traffic, I’m a big big fan of 70's hard rock like Blue Oyster Cult, Aerosmith, Nugent, Rush,…. King Crimson was a good example of experimental innovation being able to reinvent themselves creatively and influentially in the 80's--not many bands were that fortunate. I dig Bebop to late 60's Jazz, and stuff i hear on friends' programs like on WCSB (89.3) out of Cleveland State. Skin Scratch Test--Erick Hughes plays some of my favorite new stuff, anything on the low left end of the radio dial--91.1 and under. Old World music, …Middle Eastern traditional music like call to prayers, etc. I dig a wide variety of music--the earlier from each band the better--probably Mission of Burma being one of the few exceptions--after a really long hiatus their recent one is still true to their form.

Excellent! So, you’re presenting a performance piece at the Tremont artwalk in June. Where and when will this be happening and can you give us a few details about what the piece involves?

AO: It’s titled “a short series of acts in disc(h)ord Part 1 & 2.” Part 1 happened on June 2 (happy birthday to my brother John) during the preview night of the Murray Hill Artwalk with Algebra Teahouse & Art Etc. as the backdrop. Part 2 jaunts over to the west side and is a collaboration with Studio 11, taking place in both entrances to Lemko Hall. Studio 11 is located at West 11th & Literary. This will occur during the Tremont Artwalk on Friday, June 9th.

Mike Moritz, your partner in crime from groop, will be playing drums for the performances, right? Your jams together at galleries are slightly legendary. Is this to be a full-on Rock extravaganza or something a bit more subversive?

AO: Thanks for the props—“legendary.” Wow, twice in one week. Who the hell you talkin’ to? Yeah, Mike played drums for Part 1. For Part 2. maybe….it’s usually very freeform when Moritz and I decide to really brawl it out “musically.” For Part 2 I will be collaborating with another drummer. Full-on rock extravaganza—possibly. Subversive? Yes, ahh to the subtleties of content and context. We’ll see.

I’ve heard that you “play” your amp sometimes for events. Is that about some kind of Rock de-constructionism, or do you really enjoy the effects of feedback?

AO: Yes, I do feed off the ‘noise’ surges that play through my amp but there’s more construction going on. I’m not always working off just the feedback either, but also the sounds that occur when you hit strings in a particular manner. All in all, I like to call it “a temporary building of landscape.” It’s very controlled chaos…I know precisely where it’s going to go and what it takes to get there.

Off the top of your head, I’m wondering who you’d rank as the three national or international bands who are tops in the art of guitar feedback?

AO: Of what I’ve seen, Sonic Youth, Butthole Surfers, the Swans (pre-90s), Thin White Rope….the Swans and the Ropes being my personal favorites. But early Aerosmith circa 1976-77 captured live on bootleg in Chicago—the end of Sweet Emotion as it careens to a halt….that left a huge and lasting impression on me. I aspire to that.

Very cool. Um…that was four bands, by the way. You're obviously a fan and supporter of the music scene in Cleveland. What's right with it and wrong with it in your inestimable opinion?

AO: I don't know; I try not to think of anything else when I'm seeing a band live..... I have been told that there's not enough support ... that the venues are too spread out...I'm just glad that we got a scene and it's really diverse. Unfortunately, the art business takes up a lot of my time but I do try to make it out as much as possible.

'''Last question. Is there anything you’d like to tell the readers of Cleveland…any message you’d like them to receive and understand?'''

AO: Yes. Part one--walk more, bike more, smile more, inconvenience yourself more often, and support the arts...not corruption. And part two-

groop (v) archaic, 1. To cut a groove in. groopCLEVELAND: multimedia arts & consulting collaborative formed in Spring 2001 by visual artists Mike Moritz, Jeremy Jenkins (now in England) and Abe Olvido branching from the modern arts coalition of cleveland(MACC).

DIRECTORS: Mike Moritz & Abe Olvido. groop stages context-driven atmospheric events, installations and filmed performances emphasizing deliberate "out-of-context" elaborate minimalism with a modern feel. groop collaborates with, networks and promotes area, national/international artists/filmmakers/writers/musicians/performance artists/actors/dancers/and all major forms of creative disciplines. An example of a groop motto is, "simple and effective," but the levels on that are very much layered in concept, content and design. Website coming soon.

The latter is to answer the question I'm most often asked--"So, what's groop and what does groop do?"

Well met. Thanks, Abe. Cleveland is lucky to have had you around!

Devotees, initiates, curious bystanders, and potential patrons of the arts can contact Olvido at his email address—groop33@hotmail.com. Check out his next performance at the Tremont Artwalk, Friday , June 9th . Or stop by 400 Skyview Drive in Seven Hills on Friday, June 16th to view a house collection of his paintings as curated by Mike Moritz, 8 pm to Midnight. 216.240.9708 for more details.

Rock on. dw (:divend:)