Bags Up

Bags Up

Story of How Bag's Up Came to Be

by Gary Glassman

I was a friend of Jesse Chamberlain's, John's youngets son. Jesse told me has dad wanted to have a film made about his work but didn't want some observational-type film, he wanted a film that captured the spirit of his work and process. Jesse talked me up to his Dad and John asked to meet me at the bar at the Chateau Marmont on Sunset Boulevard.

I arrived and John was already there, smoking a cigar. I joined him and we proceeded to drink. He was loose from the start and as we got drunker he got even more expansive. He said what he tries to achieve in his work is an appearance spontaneity but constructing his multi-ton metal sculptures is the antithesis of random. He said its like when you come out of the shower and thrown your towel, sometimes it lands perfectly and if you try improving its shape, you risk destroying what you've got. He said he's observed the same phenomenon when he crushes cigarette packs.

I had a drunken revelation. I told him lets meet the next night at his studio. I'll bring my film camera and he should bring 100 brown paper bags and 50 hundred dollar bills. He asked, what's the bags for? I told him for him to crush. He asked what about the fifty hundred dollar bills. I told him it was half payment for the film I was going to make for him.

We met the next night. Jesse and my buddy Ed Tomney made the sound track. Jesse and Ed had been in the band The Necessaries. John loved the film. He told me when he goes to give a lecture on his work, he just shows Bags Up, and asks, are there any questions?