So. I took part in Recession Art's No Money No Problems show, which opened this past Saturday. Honestly, the whole thing feels a bit like a dream---the beautiful warehouse in Brooklyn, performance artist Lydia Bell dancing in front of my prints, two other floors packed with paintings, prints, sculpture, sweet French artists who offer you wine and a look at their beautiful photographs, brunch with parents, meeting up with some of my Brooklyn pals, the blur of cities that rush by on trains and buses while traveling between D.C. and New York.
The show was a mix of photography, paintings, sculpture, found objects, video and a giant tank of carrot juice (yes, really!). And I loved seeing the way our work fit together. It was an amazing time.
There's plenty of room for improvement, of course. I think I could have done a better job with the presentation of my work but it was also gratifying to see how people responded to my photos. I also realized how important it is to share the meaning behind your work. Once you do that, you give people a deeper understanding of what you were trying to accomplish, even if those original motivations feel a bit personal to share. It's also important to hear how other people interpret your work (whether they like it or not) because it gives you new ways of seeing yourself and new ideas of where to go next. It also made me realize I need more of that creative energy that comes from sharing ideas, and hearing perspectives different from my own.
I want to do more of this. I feel motivated again. I feel ready to tackle ideas that have been floating in my mind for a while. I feel ready to share my work more often.
It's a good feeling. Now I just have to adjust back to the D.C. pace. New York can be such an overwhelming, exhausting place. And I mean that in the best way possible.
P.S. No Money No Problems is still running at the Invisible Dog Gallery through Oct. 10. If you live in the New York area, you still have five days to check it out! Go here for more information.
P.P.S. I desperately wanted to take photos of the opening; unfortunately my camera decided to conk out on Saturday. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it's nothing too serious. In the meantime, I'm waiting on photos from my parents.
