Humor, Love, & Art vs. COVID

by Larry Baumhor

(left click to enlarge photos)

     John Kruth’s daily true public art is a medicine to help cure the disease that is now killing our country. Only art and music can go deep into the Anaerobic Bowles of this sinking society. John’s daily depth charges will break the glum tarp that now covers us all.
 – Cork Marcheschi - sculptor and artist/founding member of the psychedelic rock band Fifty Foot Hose

             John Kruth & Willie Aron

     Masks, COVID, Trump, death, ventilators, hospitals, finances, hunger, unemployment, isolation, depression, homelessness.  This has been the vernacular of humanity! We need relief. We need escapism. We need happiness. But most of all we need hope!

 

     Along comes artist John Kruth who delivers us some emotional sunshine and hope! John’s art is inspirational and improvisational. He’s an established author, former professor, multi-instrumentalist, singer/songwriter, and artist. John Kruth is impossible to peg – his omnivorous approach yields a wealth of riches, ranging from Mid-Eastern jams to Waits-like blues ballads to squirrelly jazz-pop ditties. – Dallas Morning News

     With 11 solo albums to date, Kruth has performed, collaborated, and jammed with some of the biggest stars and opened for many others: Ornette Coleman, Allen Ginsberg, Sam Shepherd, John Prine, Patti Smith, Rick Danko, Laurie Anderson, John Cale, Gatemouth Brown, Albert Collins, Lou Reed, Violent Femmes, Meat Puppets, King Missile, Garth Hudson, and Elizabeth Swados. He’s worked with producers Joel Dorn and Hal Willner.

     “Zappa-esque…. genre-bending jazz and world-music” – The New York Times

     “Nailing down the multifarious culture of TriBeCaStan or even getting it to hold still for half a second is a tall order. Kruth and Greene have purposefully aimed to tear down the clichéd boundaries between world, folk, and jazz and reject all genres as adequate definitions.” – Huffington Post

     John creates his art using a paintbrush in lieu of an instrument, like a jazz musician he freelances in his garage listening to his soul with words and references to music, the bible, and the language of his subconscious. Call him a street urchin, a sign painter. He doesn’t care. He places his signs on his front lawn and week by week more people stop by commenting on the signs and thanking him for a ray of hope and a moment of joy. John Kruth as a shaman warding off the coronavirus:

Larry Baumhor’s interview with John Kruth

     Larry: Why did you start painting these signs?

     John: As a musician, I have been playing live gigs for nearly fifty years and began to feel isolated (despite the wonders of social media). I wanted to connect with people, walking or driving by in the neighborhood where we’ve been quarantined, in the SoCal the suburb of San Marino, (near Pasadena).

     Nice John. You always were an over achiever – Jorma Kaukonen, musician, songwriter, vocals and guitarist with Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna

     Larry: When did you start painting these signs?

     John: The first sign, “Eye Am Opto-Mystic” was of a large eye, painted on March 26th. I wanted to have fun and present a positive attitude.

     Larry: Has this been cathartic and what is the philosophical and psychological meaning of your signs?

     John: Oh yeah, absolutely! I grew up in a family that was financially comfortable but they were always fighting with each other. I found myself in the role of jester and peacemaker pretty much right from the start. So, if I can make somebody laugh and forget this overwhelming tragedy that has engulfed us, even for a moment or two, then my job as a “civil servant” has been accomplished for the time being.

     Larry: What’s been the response from other people? 

     John: There are a lot of Asian immigrants in the neighborhood, some I’m not sure if they read English all that well, ha-ha… So, they tend to walk on by. We have some very cool neighbors on one side of us (my more-than-wife, the real painter in the family, Marilyn Cvitanic, and I, our puggle Kooper and a couple of cats) who love the signs. They actually said, with all the art and music we make, they’re happy we lived next door! Let me tell you, that’s happened like… once in my life! A few people have stopped their cars for a socially distant chat, which was really nice. I’ve sold one sign so far on Facebook. Packed it up and shipped it off to a psychologist in North Carolina. And while a number of people have expressed interest, we all know money is tight right now.

     Larry: What type of paint do you use and what are the signs made of?

     John: Any paint at all – house paint, enamel, store-bought acrylic – whatever I can get my hands on. The signs are all painted on found, discarded wood… mostly plywood that I’ve found beside dumpsters, wandering the alleys of the neighborhood. I’ve also painted on split logs, and old tools – a pickaxe (“You Can Handle It”) rusted hedge clippers (“Cut the Crap”), and a few old rusty saws (“Don’t Forget What You (Saw)” and “I (Saw) You” that was laying around in the garage. I’ve painted a couple of basketballs as globes. One says, “Welcome Flat Earth Society – Watch Your Step.” The other reads, “He’s got the whole world in his hands,” spin it around and it says, “Oops.” Then I started in on kitchen tools – painted a grater – one side said “Great.” Flip it over, and it reads “And you?” But I think Marilyn drew the line there. For my latest batch I’ve been cutting up tin pie-trays, to make eyes, fangs, and fingernails for large yard signs like “Even Monsters Need Healthcare,” “Aliens for Peace” and “Dracula Sucks But So Does COVID.”

     Gardens and yards are the new galleries, they let us talk and even shout out our ideas. It makes me happy that the world has an opportunity to see John’s art. – Janet West

     Larry: Have you created art before?

     John: When I was a kid. Then, like all my fave 60’s British rockers, I went to art school. Mostly got into photography and collage. Have made a few fun books of writing with collage including The Horrorscope, and Jurassic Parking Lot – The Puzzling Extinction of the Autosaurus, along with hundreds of gig posters over the years.

     Larry: Did you take art classes in college? What college did you graduate from?

     John: I went to the Minneapolis College of Art & Design in the early ’70s, starting out as a painter, but that didn’t last too long. I fooled around with various media, got serious about photography, and realized it was an impossible way to make a living, so I got more and more into music, and writing… I graduated from MCAD in 1979. A writer from the Milwaukee Shepherd titled a recent piece about the signs “John Kruth finally puts his art degree to good use!” HAHAHA!!!!

     Larry: Are there any parallels between sign painting and your music and writing?

     John: Ornette Coleman always believed the idea is of utmost importance. And that’s where it’s at for me, completely. Whether coming up with a poem, story, song, or a sign. I also find painting signs is a process that needs a bit of stick-to-it-iveness. I’m really primitive, married to a wonderful painter. Marilyn has been really helpful when I need to mix paints, and really supportive as well while getting a kick out of the whole thing.

     John Kruth is a great musician. I attended his performances in NYC a few times. I’m glad the signs are creating dialogue within his community. Hopefully people will take it to heart and wear a freaking mask! – Diana M. Jacobson

     John is like the sign making Frank Zappa! Don't agree? Look the other away! – Johnny Hickman - vocalist/songwriter/lead guitarist and co-founder of the rock band Cracker

     Larry: What do the neighbors think? Any complaints or problems with the police?

     John: Here’s a note Marilyn got from her friend Eileen: “So, I finally drove by your house today. Glad I did. I needed a smile. I may have to drive by every day, just to remind myself of how close we are to the election and the end of Trump.” I try to paint a sign daily, counting down the days until the election, as well as how many Americans have died during the pandemic. I am surprised, however, that the good people of San Marino have allowed the signs. Good for them. Maybe they are opening their minds a little bit. Letting some outside air in. One can hope. So, everyone seems to enjoy the signs, for the most part. Then I painted the six-foot-tall “Trump Is Over If You Want It,” in honor of John and Yoko’s “War Is Over” billboards. It was pretty big and heavy, so I left it overnight leaned against the big pine tree in our front yard, and after about three nights some MAGA creeps snuck into the yard with a can of bright orange spray paint, the kind they use on construction sites and defaced the sign saying MAGA AND TRUMP. When I posted the pictures on FB, a few artist friends of mine (including the great Gary Panter) said it was even better, and that it had been transformed into a true talisman of the time. The cops actually stopped by and said it was “Too bad.” I was surprised. They were really nice. I thought for sure they were gonna tell me enough!

     Larry: Do you consider this folk art?

     John: Concept/folk art ha-ha… There’s obviously a literal aspect to it, as they are signs, based on words, that comprise a message. And there’s a prankster aspect to it as well. I hope people will think and maybe get a laugh, whatever. And yeah, I mean they’re maybe artistically one step above the old road signs I used to see as a touring musician, pointing me in the direction of hot coffee or spiritual advice. So, I’d say they’re like a combination of Wall Drug and Yoko Ono.

     Larry: How many signs did you paint?

     John: I have no idea really…. 52 – a full deck!

     Larry: How long do you think you’ll continue?

     John: As long as we’re in quarantine in California. It’s nice to have a garage with a workbench. I always admired “naïve” artists like Howard Finster, Clarence Schmidt, and Simon Rodia and thought, if I ever had space, I could really fill it up with something fun and colorful. And now that seems to be happening. The more I paint, the more ideas come, so I don’t expect it will end anytime soon.

     Larry: Do you leave the signs out overnight. Have any of the signs been vandalized or stolen?

     John: Two signs were stolen, the original “Love Me From Afar,” and an American flag with a blue heart instead of stars, inspired by my friend, painter Elise Margolis. But I wasn’t mad. I was flattered.

     Larry: Do you think your signs bring some joy to other people and relieve some of the stress caused by COVID?

     John: Yeah, most definitely. I make people laugh and think. Even if they don’t realize it, they’re getting a bit of culture too. Some of the signs are based on quotes from Bob Dylan, Gustave Flaubert, William Blake, Dylan Thomas, and beat poet Michael McClure…  And then there’s the COVID scorecard which I change daily… (currently the tally is Trump - 213,000 – COVID – 19).

     Larry: Do you think you’re making a political statement and if so what?

     John: Peace! If I can help to create a bit of peace with a sense of humor and gratitude it can only help quell and heal the tumult of this sad, crazy world. But as all the master peace warriors have taught us, it’s a long road, that never ends…  

     Larry: Does humor and love play a part in your sign creations and if so how?

     John: Oh yeah definitely. Although it’s really unpopular to site Woody Allen these days, I have to say that the last scene of Stardust Memories really taught me a big lesson. He’s overwhelmed, despondent by the tragedy and futility of life when the aliens land in his back yard. He asks them “What is the point? What does it all mean?” and they reply, “Tell funnier jokes.”

     Larry: Are you concerned about people not wearing masks, and if so, do you think your signs will help?

     John: I really hate it when I see people not wearing masks! It screams of selfishness, a flagrant f-ck you to everyone else. I was appalled by Van Morrison’s callous comments about social distancing and the government trying to control COVID. While I love his music, I have tucked all his albums away in the closet for the time being! Some of my best mask signs read: “Keep your chin up, or your mask will fall down.” “All you need is (g)love and a mask and “Mask or Ye Shall Receive,” which flies in the face of fundamentalist super-spreaders.  

John Kruth’s house and video of signs on his lawn as he plays music!

     John Kruth uses wordplay to express his message. Like the wordplay on his sign that states mask or ye shall receive, referencing the bible. Retail stores often have signs that say enter with a mask or you can’t come in. The deadliness of Kruth’s message is evident. – Florence Turnier

     Larry: Do you think your messages on your signs conflict with President Trump? How so?

     John: Yes! I hope so, in every way shape, and form! He is an absolute monster of the worst sort. I generally feel compassion for monsters, but not him or his reptilian wife. He is a fascist and wants to end free speech! I thought the Bushes and Reagan were a nightmare, but the current occupant of the White House has shown us that the escalator to hell descends to unlimited depths.

John Kruth

John Kruth – Autumn Orange

“A Halloween treat from singer/songwriter John Kruth, based in California where the wildfires blaze orange and the leaves of summer go down in Autumnal flames. The musical Autumn Orange stalks the street in a raven mask, recalling great horror stars of the past: "Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, Peter Lorre, Vincent Price whom he finds very nice,” –  clairedelune49.