Rainier von Chompenstomp, groundbreaking visual and performance artist, long-time Cabbagetonian, and lauded “awkward snuggler/natural blonde,” died peacefully in the late hours of Thursday, February 11th, 2016 in Atlanta, Georgia, with friends.
Early Life
Details of his very early life remain unknown. The Staffordshire terrier/labrador/whippet mix is rumored to have been clandestinely transported from his native Louisiana to Atlanta during hurricane evacuations in 2005. He spent his first winter in harsh, crowded living conditions before being discovered by his patrons and early supporters, the von Chompenstomp family of Cabbagetown, who retained his services as “au pair/irregular night watchman.” Although it was unknown at the time why the (then-)childless von Chompenstomps could possibly require the services of an au pair, it was suspected that the matriarch of the household hoped that a more urbane presence might normalize the behavior of the notoriously reclusive Écuyer von Chompenstomp, who had not been seen out of doors (clothed, during daylight hours) since 1998.
Budding Artist
The artist used the ample free time afforded by his semicontracted position with the von Chompenstomps to explore themes informed by his initial displacement and ensuing year of quasi-incarceration, particularly exploring the complex relationships between physical proximity and intimacy. Notable examples in this period included “Distressed Thrift Couch #1,” which equated physical proximity to inevitable ruination/elevation, and his well-known series “Nervous Tummy around Houseguests,” which was considered avant-garde even among more extreme Shock Art circles for its use of egesta as sole medium. Several installations from the NTaH series, such as “Matter near your hair is closer than it appears / time to wake up Jackie” and “These floors ain’t level / everything flows downhill: welcome Lady Hall” are being considered posthumously for the prestigious Blergh prize. This period also saw the beginning of his work on a prolific touring catalogue, including noted pieces “invisible on beige carpets,” “what is a horse” and “who’s afraid of a festering butt wound?,” the last of which was shown sequentially on a tour through nine Eastern seaboard states and employed a viral marketing campaign exploiting highway patrol broadcasts in the States of Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
Later Years
RvC came into his own during his later period, exploring (some say abusing) themes of repetition and deconstruction into his performance pieces and installations. The stunning physicality of his longest performance piece, “throw-ball-chase-ball-throw-ball-chase-ball” was transfixing to children and thought-provoking among more mature audiences, owing to its nuanced reflection on the passing of time being freely manipulated by our emotions, primarily joy. Other performance pieces served as counterpoint to this by incorporating extreme minimalism – conveying complex emotions through stillness. The most publicized examples included “crocodile-window-lurk” and “sphinx pose.”
RvC’s installations during this phase focused on the reinterpretation of man-made or natural objects into their constituent components. This effort followed but diverged from the “readymades” of Duchamp in that the artist considered his reinterpreted versions – to which he referred as “piles” – to be the true forms of these objects, rather than alternate forms or uses. Despite occasional misfires on this long-term project (including “Shovel,” “Cutlery,” and “Fence”), these works were among his most popular, and often incorporated the rich supply of natural materials afforded by his Kirkwood studio space. Notable examples included “Large-Format Stick I-IX,” “Stuffed Toy,” “Stuffed Toy,” “Stuffed Toy,” “Stuffed Toy,” “Stuffed Toy,” and “Possum Parts?” His final work in the series, “What is Under your Home is not Under your Home: French Drain” was panned by critics, but appreciated by some of his fans as a cri de coeur from an unendingly curious soul who knew that to destroy is the only way to truly create.
RvC is mourned and missed by his human and canine housemates (KEL, JLM, EHRM, DB), dog friends (MOB, DOB, MT, ZF, et al), and by his colleagues. Godspeed, good buddy.
ÉvC contributed reporting to this piece.
euronugget 