Zip Me Up

Who is "Joey The Bat"

2012-01-03T09:42:00.002-05:00

The "Joey The Bat Art Project", 12 years in the making, is a study of multiple individual interpretations of the same subject. Each artist I commission is given the same 100+ images to review and is told the same story of The Bat, and it is then up to the artist to create a piece based upon their interpretation of Joey. Each artist chooses the medium, scale, and final subject. It can be representational of the concept of "Joey", realistic recreation of his image, abstraction of his being. Examples of current Joey Art include Photo-Realistic Oil Paintings, a relief style carved Emu Egg, Joey Sterling Silver Necklace, a 3-D abstract recreation of Joey, and various digital works. I do not ask to see a preview, do not want to know the final subject of work. (But I do ask to know scale and medium to justify the cost before we get too far into the execution.) The work that you may or may not wish to make will join the 150+ other finished pieces in an upcoming 2012 Gallery Show here in Manhattan. The first show was in October 2010 in Williamsburg and was a huge success.

The back story of how I started with Joey the Bat:

It's 1999, and I am studying abroad in London. My friend Katie purchased a small stuffed animal bat with zipper wings from Kew Gardens, South of London. She named him Joey and Joey went wherever Katie went, zipped around an appendage or purse string, gleefully looking out upon the world. So I stole Joey from her and we went upon our own adventure. Over the next week, I took Joey to every tourist site in London and took a photo of Joey posing before the famous landmarks. The photos were developed and left for her in books, in her mail box, etc, with a little note written on the back of each photo. Basic story was that Joey was so exited to be out of Kew Gardens, he had to go off and explore. Much "Love and Apologies" to Katie, but Joey had to see the world on his own. Each photo was a new story of that day's adventure. It tortured her so, but brought a great deal of amusement to the rest of the students abroad whom had become captivated with Joey's Adventure. I had planned to give Joey back, but the adventure proved to be too much fun.

Jump forward 12 years. I still have Joey, and we are still on our adventure. The "London Secret" has been long uncovered and Katie has long moved on, but I have not. Thousands of photos have been taken and I have moved into more complicated levels of this project. I have added the artwork project detailed above as well as the newly started "Postcrossing" project. Through the website Postcrossing.com Joey sends and receives postcards to strangers all over the world telling little details of each others lives and part of the globe. And then there is the in-development book / travel guide / scrapbook of Joey's adventures delivered from the perspective of the other stuffed animals in the Kew Gardens.

Thank you for taking the time to visit Joey and my Art Project. For more photos, please visit www.facebook.com/joeythebat.

If you wish to contact me about making a work of art...please E-mail me @ JoeyTheBat {at} Gmail.com

Christopher Daly And Joey The Bat
www.facebook.com/joeythebat

Day 7 ~ Snow Bat

2011-03-04T15:06:00.006-05:00

Traveling about the English Countryside through a meter and half of snow is an insurmountable task when you are only eleven centimeters tall. And made of fabric. And cannot fly. But my desire to travel is overtaking my desire to stay warm and dry. So yesterday I bravely ventured into the blustery and chilled air from my safe refuge of the Crystal Palace. I made it 12 meters, left some Snowy Bat Art, and came right back to my warm perch.

I'll try again tomorrow.

~Joey

Day 6 ~ Stowaway

2010-10-11T14:56:00.005-04:00

I dreamt of elegant travel. I imagined the most opulent sleeping quarters on the Orient Express, sheets of woven gold and Swiss chocolate perched atop a mountain of overstuffed pillows. Resting in first class aboard the Concord while French supermodels eagerly await my champagne glass to empty. Tasting the wondrous cornucopia of fresh fruit at the Captains Table, served on the finest of china, drinking from crystal stemware, licking silver spoons. Being chauffeured about the countryside in my private Aston Martin, cigar in one wing and caviar in the other. It's a wondrous way to see the world!

Nope. I get to travel inside a stranger's purse...

...and while holding onto the life preserver of a tug boat...

...and hitchhiking.

If you squint, that's me in the bottom right corner of the photo. It's hard to stick out your thumb when you only have a zipper.

The elephant never told me that elegance costs money. Lots and lots of money. I don't even have pockets. But, this is one way to see the world. One highway rest stop, one barnacle covered fishing boat, one kind stranger at a time. Sometimes that kind stranger has candy in her purse. Who needs crystal and gold when you have a pack of gum and a box of tic-tacs.

~ JTB

Day 5 ~ The Places I Will Go...

2010-08-12T15:32:00.005-04:00

While I was in my waiting place, the Gift Shop, I studied about traveling and the all places I would go. I practically slept under the book rack. I dreamt of hanging from the Trffula Trees in the Nool Jungle, weathering the Oobluck Storms of Mount Crumpit, all while working my way towards Solla Sollew. Since I had only seen those places on the colorful pages of my travel catalogs, I wondered if they really existed and if I would ever find them. And now, on only the second day of my trip, I find a Giant Crystal Palace filled will all of the wonderful colors and shapes that I had studied for so long.

Who would have thought this was in my backyard the entire time! I would have started ages ago had I known!

Ever seen a real waterfall? Me neither, till today. It's the first item I get to cross off from my list of 100 things to see while on adventure. (#41, to be exact.)

It's very overwhelming. Nothing I know can compare to this Crisp Palace of Water, Color, and Light.

I'm only this far, and only tomorrow leads my way. I will go in this way, and I will find my own way out.

~Joey

Day 4 ~ Conquered the Lawn

2010-08-03T16:25:00.010-04:00

I made it across the lawn.

This is a huge accomplishment for me. Yes, I know I am attempting to travel around the world. A large patch of grass should not intimidate me. But it was really big! Biggest Lawn Ever! Seriously. It was like going through the Amazon Rain Forest.

See? It's taller than you thought it would be!

Camera, Two Ziploc Plastic Tourist Style Rain Ponchos, Thimble, Book of Matches, Golf Pencil, and a pile of stolen Postcard Stamps. I think that is an adequate list of provisions needed for a global adventure. And it only took me 7 minutes to pack! 7:55 am I was sitting next to the big noisy door, impatiently waiting for the first Tourist to come in so I could go out! The other animals were all perched over the edge of the shelf watching, waiting. Some had sincerely wished me a safe adventure, and others seemed not to care what I did. I'm rather sure the Elephant was taking bets that I wouldn't make it past the Hedgerow. I proved him wrong! The moment that door opened, out I Zipped. What a difference the world is when you see it from the other side of the window. Did you know there are more that 580 species of grass on display in the Grass Gardens? I had never even seen grass up close, never mind understood that there were hundreds of different varieties.

The photo above is me sitting in "Centipede Grass". I didn't see any Centipedes. They just made that up.

And this one is "St. Augustine Grass". Supposedly, it's named after a city in the Southern United States. I have made note of it. I would like to visit a city entirely made of grass. But I have a feeling they made that up, too.

And there were Giant Mushrooms everywhere. I looked like a Grey Smurf next to those things! But they are nothing in comparison to the Crystal Palace, the huge greenhouse next to the Grass Gardens. Tomorrow I adventure inside to discover the botanical wonder that awaits...

~ Joey The Bat

Day 3 ~ Moist Sheep

2010-07-29T13:49:00.002-04:00

The Sheep wasn't given the chance to say goodbye. That always bothered me. The cute Scottish Couple should have been more considerate with my need for closure. What would she have said to me? What would I have said to her? Maybe it's better off this way. I'm not very elegant with goodbyes. Velcro Monkey was chosen three weeks back and we didn't get along, so a tender goodbye was not wasted on us. Two months ago my Velcro foot got stuck to his Velcro paw and of course he panicked, slinging me half way across the shop into the Souvenir Hydrangea Gift Card Display. Huge mess. Ever try to stand up note cards when you don't have hands? Bloody difficult, trust me.

Holding an umbrella will be just as hard. This morning I unzipped to find water falling beyond the glass. Never thought about the rain before. My Poly-Cotton Fiber Blend of inner fluff doesn't deal well with moisture. I could always try wearing a tourist bag. You know the one...that clear trash bag with an extra hole for the tourist to poke its head through like a prairie dog. I guess I could try the same thing with a Ziploc sandwich bag. I've been told it rains a lot in Scotland. What if I end up running into the Sheep while wearing a sandwich baggie over my Zipper? What on earth would I say to her? I would look ridiculous. But then again, ever see a wet Sheep? Water and Wool don't compliment each other.

The Elephant neglected to teach me any Romantic Russian Rain Poetry. Sorry.

And I might not look cute, but at least I would be moisture free. I'll pack an extra baggie for the Sheep...just in case.

~Joey

Day 2 ~ Please Look After This Bear...

2010-07-28T13:42:00.002-04:00

The Elephant is a jerk. I ask him one question about London Paddington, and I get a lecture on the history of the British Rail System. I just wanted to know where the trains went. Then that pompous pachyderm announced to the entire shelf my desire to leave the Gift Shop. The Zebra was visibly shaken. I never knew she felt that way. I did not want my journey to be announced so candidly. I had a plan, a series of subtle hints that would lead to my departure. We have all heard the stories; listened to the Bear's warnings of danger and evil that wait on the order side of the noisy door. He is the only one who has been in the Gardens, the only one who has been beyond the hedgerow. The Velcro Monkey told me, a while ago, that he was found at Paddington Station with a note saying "Please look after this Bear." The Monkey was known to be a liar...it's hard to know what the real story is.

I cannot let my stuffing rot here. I refuse to accept the same fate as the Finger Puppets or the Creepy Furby forgotten in the corner. I'll be sure to send home lots of postcards and pictures. Maybe I'll even toss in random facts from each city to impress the Elephant. What a jerk. I hope his Zipper gets caught.

A delight as yet untasted -
Live and breathe for them;
Take into my soul and heart
All their words and glances sweet.
O fate! I've but one desire.

I need to pack, but what does one pack when you have no idea where you are going?

~ Joey

Day 1 ~ Philosophical Pachyderm

2010-07-27T10:55:00.009-04:00

Ever try to hold a debate with an Elephant? It's really hard. How do you debate with something that never forgets? Impossible. At least I find it impossible. The Giraffe won't even try. He read a book of Russian Poetry three months ago and now recites Zhukovsky like it's written on the side of his trunk. I would forget to Zip my own wings at night if it wasn't so drafty by this window. At least he spends most of the day hidden towards the back of the shelf behind the mound of discarded finger puppets. He doesn't care much for tourists, but I love them. Ever sit in a window and watch plump Germans and disgruntled French wrestle their way through hedgerows? It's very comical. Entertains me for hours. But really, what else do I have to keep my mind busy? My rather dreary activities include avoiding the egregious Elephant, dreaming of Zipper Pull with the Sheep, and watching the tourists stumble by my lil' window to the world.

I daydream a lot. Where do they come from? Where do they go? The Sheep was lucky. A cute Scottish couple Zipped her away a month ago. Nary a postcard from her. I would send postcards. It's only polite. I'm stuck here with Mr. Big Ears and those creepy finger sleeve things with badly knit faces. I don't have fingers...finger puppets are of no use to me. It's no wonder they are still lying here being used as an ugly Elephant habitat. I've Zipped us in the wrong direction...sorry. I was telling you about my day dreams. I LOVE to daydream. Exotic lands, crazy adventures, new friends and stories. Late at night I wander through the children's section, reading and re-reading "P is for Passport" and "Where is Coco Going?" I see such a small sliver of the world from behind my pane of glass; there must be more out there than this. Much, much more.

Was it not you who bore my soul aloft
Upon the inspiration of your sacred verse,
Who flamed before me like a holy vision,
Initiating me into life's beauty?

I didn't write that. I stole it from the Elephant. I think he stole it from the dead Russian Poet.

My name is Joey.

I am going to have a grand adventure.