Tales of my death greatly exagerated

Stopped everywhere because of this......

Art=Madness- Not!
This is the headline of the Examiner Newspaper of Baltimore the Weekend before Artscape.
We have reacted with the press release below with the hope that the public can come to a better undersanding of our work.

Date:Sunday July 15, 2007

From: Conrad Bladey, Visionary, Cartist

Topic: Escaping the Categorization of Artists as Madmen and Women

Description: Yesterday whilst attending to a brutal murder investigation next door…..a policeman gave me a copy of The Examiner, Baltimore, Weekend Edition, July 14-15. On the front page there was this image:

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The headline reads: Artlife- An Escape into Madness

The photo is of my arttruck Magnet Truck

I have spent my entire career as a cartist projecting the image that cartists can be ordinary people and that artcars should be in every driveway replacing cars which are the products of the assembly line. Americans and everyone should feel free to engage in art in their daily lives and utilize artcars as canvases.

The Examiner front page gives us a reflection of the state of the arts in our society. No wonder when portrayed in this light, art programs in schools are cut, grants are reduced and hard to get and art of all kinds seems distant to the people.

This article should give us all cause to examine the way art is projected in the media. I am taking the time this week to give media representative's calm, cool, collected time to investigate the process of creating artcars at my studio in Linthicum. I will make my cars, studio and work in progress available to all who are interested from Monday July 16 to Thursday July 19. It is hoped that representatives of the local media will take advantage of this opportunity to escape the chaos of the moment at Artscape and compose an accurate picture of the cartists, the artworks and the process. Visitors can view work in progress..

Both my daughter Margaret (Stella the Star Car) and myself will be available. Make an appointment to stop in:Phone-410-789-0930 or e.mail cbladey@bcpl.net

The studio is conveniently located at 402 Nancy Ave. Linthicum, Md. 21090. We are only a few blocks from the North Linthicum, Light rail stop.

As for my characterization by the Examiner as "mad" That is fine with me! But, at this time nobody knows for sure.

Conrad Bladey