Auchter's Art

There are few universally shared experiences these days. The ability to indulge our varied interests make points of intersection increasingly rare. One of the few exceptions is layoffs. Whether you have direct experience with the swinging axe or just near misses, we are all familiar with the type of "right-sizing" recently announced at Dow in mid-Michigan.

In her later years, my wife's grandmother suffered from dementia. She was the same extraordinarily sweet, wonderful person she had always been, but her short-term memory faded and her filter disappeared. For a time she lived with my wife's family. Their formal dining room became her bedroom — it was easy to keep tabs on her from the adjacent kitchen. 

She would go to her room to watch the TV news, and as my wife did her homework in the kitchen, she could hear Nana talking to the news anchor or reporter as she watched.

Artist's POV:

I've worked in the business world for quite some time now. From private to public companies, startups to established corporations, employee to contractor. I even had my own company for a dozen years. So I think I have a fairly broad understanding.

Artist's POV:

A cop shoots a man dead. Is your first thought to want to know their racial profiles?

A man uses a military assault rifle to kill multiple people. Is your first thought to hope for a reason that won't conflict with your political views?

A neighborhood teen takes his own life with a handgun. Is your first thought to wonder why a handgun was available to him at a moment of despair?

A young woman is gunned down in Chicago. Is your first thought to consider how this might affect gun control statistics?

Artist's POV:

Last month, Rick DeVos complained aloud via Twitter that the state flag of Michigan was "ugly" and "non-useful."

Well, sharing needlessly judgmental observations is what Twitter is for, so we likely would have all moved quickly on to the next snark if DeVos wasn't (a) the founder of ArtPrize, and (b) offering $500 to the best three redesigns.

Artist's POV:

I was trying to work up some righteous indignation about Michigan's fireworks laws and the decision in 2011 to allow in-state sales of the loud, semi-dangerous variety.

Maybe it was being awoken at 1:00 a.m. Tuesday by somebody’s sudden need to express their patriotism very close to my bedroom window.

Artist's POV:

Remember the comedian Sam Kinison?

It's fine if you don't.

In fact, I would advise against YouTubing him. (And I disclaim all responsibility if you do.)

But back in the 1980s he had a particularly edgy standup bit about world hunger and Western popular reaction to it (Feed the World, USA for Africa, etc.). As was his style, Kinison suckered you in with a low-key, seemingly reasoned assessment of the situation, then, BANG!, smacked you upside the head with a loud, audacious screaming rant.

ARTIST'S POV:

There is a scene in the movie Raising Arizona where a couple of delinquent brothers go to rob a bank. They feel pretty confident about their plan because they fancy themselves sophisticated criminals. As they bust in the front door of the dusty, country bank, one of the brothers shouts out, "All right, ya hayseeds, it's a stick-up. Everybody freeze. Everybody down on the ground."

CARTOONIST'S POV:

People ask me all the time, "What are you?" This can be disconcerting. But what they mean is, "As an editorial cartoonist, are you Republican or Democrat? Conservative or Liberal? Socialist or Capitalist? Left Wing or Right Wing?" And so on. My standard reply is that I am not strictly defined by any of those things — I am, if anything, a Contrarian.

CARTOONIST POV:

How much do I like beer? Well, I can tell you this: My wife and I recently traded a large and well-maintained trampoline for a single 12 ounce bottle of Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout. Those who know me would likely say that was out of character. (Not the trading things for alcohol — that actually is in my wheelhouse.) No, I'm talking about the deep appreciation for something like Founders KBS — a high-end, critically praised consumable. I'm really more of a eat-because-I'm-hungry, water-from-the-faucet, breakfast-cereal-for-dinner kind of guy.