I met Lake Sirmon through a guy I was dating during my bohemian days. She had a tiny apartment that was crowded with art, most of which was of her own making. Many of them were found object collages, where she took what would be tossed aside as mere junk and turned them into colorful artworks. They often had inspirational words or sayings written in the corners to make them even more delightful.
Lake wasn’t just a material artist; she also organized shows like Nudity Not Violence which was a celebration of the human form–a kind of protest against the way depicting naked people is more likely to land you an R rating than depicting shooting somebody. She also directed the first and only known live performance of The Coolies’ legendary rock opera Doug—the story of the rise and fall of a skinhead who achieves fame and fortune by claiming credit for a cookbook. (She even acted in it, playing the role of a malevolent hamburger.)
When she bought a used hearse to haul her sculpture around in, the neighbors complained about the big, black, scary hearse in the front lawn, so she drove it into the loading dock of Backdrop gallery, got seven cans of automotive paint (including a custom-blended shade of pink), gave everybody gloves and brushes, and told them to go to town on it, resulting in a completely unique work of vehicular art. (It did make calling the roadside service a little tricker, though. “What color is it?” “Um, well…”)
When Lake was finally able to buy a house of her own in 2005, she made it her own. It was, like the discarded junk she picked up to create with, a house no one else would want, but one that was perfect for her. There was a long room that was halfway through being converted to a second kitchen when it was put up for sale. It had no stove, but it did have a sink, which made it an ideal art studio. It had a lawn for her to build a sculpture garden in. And it had lots of wallspace to display lots of art on—not just her own.
Lake has held on to this house through many trials and tribulations. She wants to hang on to it still, and she needs your help. Go to the Save the Art House GoFundMe and make a contribution so she still can.