Here is an outline, will hope to flesh out soon..
This time, I was accompanied by my mother. We are much of the same mind, and so, aside from our compounded distractabilty, we make natural travel partners.
I had planned to drive up the day of the opening, about a 4 hour drive. But after a full day of raking and hauling leaves, my wise father delivered news of incliment weather, and after some deliberating, we decided to leave earlier than expected, (Wednesday night 11:30pm) because of impending snow/freezing-rain storm at around 3am the next morning. So as the temperature plumetted towards freezing, we flew out of Durham, driving North to Emporia, VA, and crashed in hotel there, arising early the next frigid morning to find snow quickly coming in. We got in the car and raced further East to try to beat it.
And indeed, as we drove, the snow drifts moving Eastwards nipped at our heels, always just a few miles behind us.. We'd stop for gas, and by the time we had returned to the car, the merciless snow would be upon us again. It seemed to be sending a clear message, 'tarry not'.
However, when we had bought ourselves a little bit of road milage=time, I did find a swath of cotton floatsam and jetsum lining the side of highway 58 east through VA, and spent a hurried moment collecting a bag full to restuff Mighty Hercules with.
Fancy hotel, Hotwire.com
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| Opportunistic Photo Shoot in Hotel elevator. See, I told you we are a dynamic team! |
Next day, visited Chrystler Museum of Art and found and met Mr. Ed Pollard, the Museum Photographer, who I might have the privilage to show with next Fall! He was kind enough to show us a fascinating restoration project that he with the restoration department are working on there at the Museum. The Chrystler Museum actually has a truly AMAZING collection of both ancient and contemporary art works, much like a place we are getting to know... (And as it so happens, according to Mr. Gibbs and the Restoration expert, this collection was first established by none other than Mrs Sloane, who used her house to found/become Hermitage Museum).
It was a rare oppurtunity to look behind the curtain of an Art Museum, and gave me a whole new perspective on what is involved.
This was a very rich visit.
I left somewhat dazed, humbled and inspired.
Went to opening a half hour early to prep sculptures. Moreover, didn't get Armor-All all over All, per request of gallery staff.
The Staff did an extraordinary job mounting the show! I think the arrangment of the pieces is just superb.
With Ed Gibbs' (untitled) floral mandala greeting the visitors,
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| Conferring with Captain Carl |
my wall of black rubber intrigue,
and Anne Iotts breath-taking center piece 'Tibetan Prayer Book 1' acting as a anchor/nucleus to this tableau.
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| Artist Victor Freiling contemplates West Oakland Intersection. I had run into Mr. Freiling earlier that day at the Chrystler Museum of Art, where he was leading a group of high school students. I hope to work with Mr. Freiling this fall for Reclamation Exhibition. I also enjoyed talking with his wife, Ann? |
And that was just the second room!
Met lots of groovy people! Some friends of the Museum/Board Members, some other Artists in show.
Was good and didn't drink too much, too soon. Had lots of fun talking to folks. Got a lot of positive responses to my pieces. One person told me that, in the large treadknot piece "Leviathan" at least, I had 'transcended the tire'. While it sounds glib repeating it in this context, I appreciated this at the time, as I understood her to mean that the piece 'took the tire higher', to paraphrase.
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| Leviathan is perhaps the most photogenic sculpture I have ever made. |
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| This is what my mother and I would call an 'AF shot', the 'A' signifying 'Artsy'.... The expression on my face signifies: 'Ma, what the hell are you doing?' |
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Giving in to the 'AF' force... |
Was a little bit disappointed the museum didn't post our letters of intentions. I think people were intrigued, but also maybe a little (understandably) befuddled by the pieces, and the letter would help.
Awards Ceremony
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| The Hot House Out Back |
Public Programs Director, Melissa Ball had subtly primed me for this a little; she had reminded me there was to be an Awards Ceremony a few weeks ago, when I mentioned I was bringing my Mom (To be completely honest, I was actually so psyched to just be included in the show, and focused on publicizing that fact in my postcards, that I totally forgot about this aspect).
Then, the day before the opening, Melissa called to ask me how my last name is pronounced...a nice subtle hint if I ever caught one..
Still, I tryed really hard not to let my hopes get built up. But by the time we got to the opening, I have to admit that I had pretty much utterly failed at this effort.
So I stood with a few of the other artists in crowded tent, a plate of yummy orderves in hand, internally strategizing: "ok, if they call my name, I'm not going to spill this plate of food on myself, or anyone else, and I'm not going to crash into anybody." I scanned for a clear path to the 'stage'..
And lo and behold they did call me name, I had won second place! With some warm urging of my compatriate artists, I walked to the stage with out soaking or running over anybody.
They weren't really doing speeches, I only got to deliver a fraction of my semi-prepared speech, which was probably for the best, and I guess you could say it all worked out real smooth. Better to be over prepared, Right?
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| Public Programs Director Melissa program directs, as Programs Assistant, Caitlin program assists, while Executive Director, Melanie executive directs, and I just stand there. |
They handed me a check, I made people laugh a little, and nothing bad happened. Great! (I do wish I had seized the chance though to express my appreciation for Melissa, and Melanie and Colin and Caitlin, and Truly, and the rest of the Hermitage Staff, as they have been Truly great to work with thus far!
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| This artully blurry photograph of Our Dear Hostess captures the feeling of the evening pretty well actually. Photography by Edie Cohn |
Next day, me and Edie (me Mum) went back so she could get an excellent tour of the Sloane collection.
Then we headed back home to North Carolina.
I had been thinking if I won first place, I would have to make myself a tshirt that says MOST SPIRITUAL. Somehow, 2ND MOST SPIRITUAL doesn't have the same ring, though maybe its a little closer to home.
And I still have my cotton, which I am still picking the seeds and pebbles from.
We stopped by Nauticus, a Naval Museum. I must have been feeling pretty full of my self..
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| Booyaa! 2nd Most Spiritual. How you like me now? |
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| My Mom with her Naval namesake, the USS Wisconsin |
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| Here's to West Oakland Intersection. I always knew you could do it. Here's also to Travis Nathaniel Bench, who shared the experience that inspired this piece, and who marched through this Intersection everyday for a year. |
