From Art Fair to Animal Fair

 

Here I am, chillin' in my WTF Studio after a crazy time participating in Spring/Break Art Show. Hoo Boy! Tiring? Yes! I spent one day after visiting Spring/Break simply laying in bed recovering. I must have talked to a million and three artists and curators and gallerists and randos and friends... and everybody is looking for something (to quote The Eurythmics). Artists want shows and sales. Curators want shows and sales. Collectors (the few there are!) want bargains... But it was good clean, exhausting fun! Maybe do it all over again next year?

And here's a few things I saw- and really liked!

And...

And...

Hey! Those look familiar! Yep, that's my addition to the art fair. And they had a fabulous view out the window, up East 58th Street...

And we transition-

Here's me and Bob at the Durham Fair, picture taken by my sister Cathy. We had loads of fun. We ate, we saw odd chickens with fluffy heads, that scary Egyptian pharoah ride, lots of emus and alpacas! I still didn't get my fried dough- probably a good thing as it's not exactly health food! 

That's sister Cathy chowing down on a gyro at the fair. She begged me to take this picture as it was a sloppy (but delicious) mess and she entertained us with her table manners. We had pulled pork, rather sedate as opposed to her saucy sandwich roll!

As promised- and alpaca! Quite the charming personality on this one. Although I fell for a tall brown alpaca who made serious eye contact with me. He wouldn't let me photgraph him but he was quite the looker.

And emus? Did I promise emus:

These ones look two-headed from here! As we were enjoying the emu antics, a gentleman standing next to us remarked that emus are often raised for their meat; red meat in his words. We were happy when he moved off, as I'm sure the emus were. No one wants to be discussed as a potential meal while on display at the fair!

And, of course, a mandatory shot of the midway. (Not sure why it came out so dark as it was a pleasantly sunny day, with a light breeze and puffy clouds.) Also not sure why it doesn't look as packed as it was: REALLY crowded with so many willing victims. Willing to lose money on silly games with cheasy prizes and willing to throw up all that great fair food on terrifying rides that hurl you upside down and backwards. No thank you!

Spring/Break Art Show Further Reflections on Art and Life

Did I want to wake up and see this? Did any of us want to see this? It's supposed to be spring... And where have I been, you may (or may not) wonder?!!? I'm a bit behind in the blog posting business.
I'm still recovering from Famous Artists Syndrome. (Hahahaha) Believe me, I was so "talked out" after Spring/Break The Art Show that I had a hard time wanting to communicate on any level. I did jump right back in to studio work, but I subscribed to a near-monkish silence for days. I'm kidding, of course, as I had an artist's talk/ meet 'n' greet/closing festivity at the Community College where my show, "Wordy Dervish" was on display. It looked amazing! It was a fun talk- and delightfully well attended, including a nice mix of students, faculty, friends and family (hi Cathy!) and even a few long-ish lost-ish friends we hadn't seen in ages. I do like talking about my work, so had no problem jumping right in and orating about the hows and whys of what I do. I was asked questions and (hopefully) entertained the assembled art appreciators. Now I need a vacation!

I'm so sorry (NOT!) to be making you look at snow. And it's cold and windy to boot. Stay inside and make art or read my blog; just ignore what's happening outside and it will go away!
Anyway, the great art fair moment may have passed but left me with several bulleted points* of wisdom to share:

1. Gee that was fun! It's really nice to have thousands of people streaming through you space admiring your work. Trust me- I could get used to that!

      2. Some aspects of the art fair I won't miss. The women's bathroom (helpfully labeled as
         "Woman Identifying Bath Room") after four days of heavy use began to resemble an art
          installation. The floor was flooded and dotted with bits of paper products- some used-
          and the occasional cheerful splash of blood (!), probably evidence of a sacrifice performed to
          attract the attention of Jerry Saltz or other note worthy critics. Artist will go to great lengths...
     
       3. It is hard to maintain peak health at an art fair. If you didn't have the presence of mind to
           pack lunch in, you were out of luck. Beer and wine were available, as was coffee and a few
           cookies or pastries, but no where was there meat, fruit, salad or real provisions. I demanded
           that we stop on our drive in for me to obtain a sandwich. I need sustenance in order to properly
           address my adoring masses!You also become tired on a galactic level, as standing on your feet
           and reciting the pretty-much-the-same message 5000 times takes an odd toll. Example: "Hi!
           I'm one of the artists. If you have any questions..." and "So I'm channeling my "Inner Ivanka"
           with this piece..." You get the idea.

     4. (Repeat) Gee that was fun! I hope we do it again because I'd do it again in a "New York 
         Minute"!

And I do feel something like a molasses-like flow occurring where my art work is concerned. Maybe this is (finally) the year I get connected and sell some work and get some tangible much needed recognition. Maybe? Crossing fingers!

*And my formatting is all wonky! Can't see to fix that... it reads like bad concrete poetry!
*Now here's a nicer picture of happy plants- some blooming- enjoying the warmth inside:

      

What Is It With Me and the Weather?!?!?

I know, I know: it IS Winter and everyone gets miffed with ice, snow, cold temperatures, driving wind and grey days. But sometimes, I feel the need to respond personally.
A good friend asked me that question a couple of days ago (Hi Louise!), because every time I'm supposed to do something- something important like meet the Queen or  take a trip to the Moon- the weather predictions become dire. I was supposed to address my adoring audience of art lovers and art groupies tonight at the school where my art is on display but I postponed it because it's predicted that snow will start this afternoon, and they've been coy as to how much.
Alas, on Saturday, when Bob and I are slated to go into NYC to install my work at the Spring/Break Art Fair, it's currently predicted to snow all day. I have been skating my schedule around to accommodate changing that to Friday or Sunday... but it's hell to not be certain when and if you're hopping on a train to set up the most important show of the year! And I feel badly not being courageous and damning the weather and plowing forward, come hell or high water but I have bigger concerns: like not getting in an accident and winding up damaged and without a car! (I also know that I will inconvenience my co-art stars but me thinks they receive less snow where they are (further south) and are possessed of such assets as four wheel drive and stronger stomachs for hazardous drives.
Update: As it stands now, I'm going in the evening before installation and staying over at our gallerist's home in Greenwich and we will drive (with my work securely tucked into the back of her Prius). Lord knows what the weather will bring. Yesterday's threatened snow fall turned out to be a few wonky flurries and a real dud of a storm... but I guess that's better than sliding off an on ramp into a snow bank.* Maybe I need to take a chill pill, whatever that is.
And, yes, I probably am a tad wound up because we are on the brink of an exquisite art experience! That's bound to make one jittery. It's a good thing I spent the afternoon finishing a large piece (crystals pictured above an integral part) and playing with Robin the Good!

Tired her all out...


*Unfortunately, I think I inherited an awful propensity for seeing disaster looming from my saintly mother (aka "Mommy"). She was always predicting tragedies... On the other hand, I do think that people exercise undo bravado when traveling under less than optimal conditions. And I've had waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too many harrowing journeys home in inclement weather to feel sanguine about venturing forth when blizzards and ice are expected.

Spring Break

It was so warm, so sunny, so NICE that you could almost forget that it is only the beginning of February. And whether it's a slightly late January thaw or an aberrant benevolent snap, it really doesn't matter... it was beautiful weather.
When I checked the thermometer, saw that it read a hair above 60 degrees, I removed our thermal window cover and let the sun and warmth stream in. It made me feel so much more optimistic and want to do things...
Perhaps I overdid, as today I can barely walk. I went (horseback) riding for the first time in over a month. It felt both oddly familiar and strangely odd to be aboard a fuzzy 900 pound being. The riding part came back to me quickly- thank goodness or my riding instructor would probably have brandished a quirt about my ears!- but my muscles felt savaged and resistant, and that's despite my exercising diligently at home! Riding calls into play all manner of interesting muscle groups; inner thigh and lower abdomen particularly. It feels good to work these areas, but not so good that sitting still for a few minutes makes getting and crossing the room a uniquely torturous adventure.
Adding to my soreness was my enthusiasm to cut back some of the grasses and perennials in the long border. The birds have no doubt eaten all the seeds they're going to eat and the plants are shattered from beatings of ice and rain. They look messy so I lopped them back and dragged them away. Now my shoulders are protesting...

Maybe that's why my latest WTF sculpture is green- a longing for spring. I am excited about the second kind of Spring Break I'm celebrating here. My work is  being included in a booth at the eponymous art fair (Spring Break). This is something I have wanted for years. My work was almost taken to an art fair a few years back and I was sorely disappointed (more soreness!) when my sometimes art dealer (hi Ellen!) decided not to participate. (Let's be real: art fairs are expensive and peculiar, a very complicated aspect of an already complicated contemporary art market). Many people express disdain and contempt for art fairs; truth be known, they are like shopping malls for art consumption. People stagger around, ostentatiously absorbing Kulture and impressing each other with their conspicuous "good taste". But as an artist, you gotta love the exposure! Holy cow! How many eyes will fall upon my work?!?!?? I'm psyched.
Another good reason to throw back the curtains and enjoy the nice weather!