Had a great conversation with Aimee in the courtyard at breakfast, it was just nice to sit outside. Called my friend Darren for his birthday, which was awesome to catch up and feel close to someone you've known for ever (twenty-one years) but that lives far away. Phone conversations seem to be out these days, between tweets and chats and texts, and seeing everyone's lives on Facebook, phone talking is dying. I never use my minutes anymore, and ten years ago I could not wait till my "unlimited" night minutes started. It is weird how the same technology that brings us together, keeps us apart (I'm talking about you, Miss Internet!).
After finding bird poop on my crotch (which, according to Marisa, was a sign of good luck in the sex department - not holding my breath), took a shower, gathered my garbage in room, and did one load of laundry (folded and put it all away as well - I know, I was impressed too). Worked in the studio for an hour and then it was lunch time, so I made a salad and a peanut butter sandwich. Ate again in the courtyard and Ellen joined me, as always a pleasant company and energy with her (afterwards I even put away the dishes from the dishwasher, and reloaded the machine - I know, jaw drop, Halina would be shocked). My back had been bothering me a lot, in that usual spot, so I went to my room to lie down for a bit and see if it got better. Also did some yoga poses and even popped my back, but to no avail. Ended up taking a couple Advils, which is totally a no no for me, as I avoid painkillers of all costs since for ever. Eventually they kicked in.
Went back to the studio, worked for another hour or so, and then put together a short power point for the salon planned for the evening. Throughout the day there were many email exchanges where the Salon+Mad Men screening turned into a Potluck+Salon+Mad Men screening. It was originally set to begin at 9 pm and by mid afternoon it got rescheduled to start at 7:30. By 4 o'clock I was done with everything I had planned on doing that day, and because I wanted to take the weekend off from writing reports, I decided to read a book, so I grabbed the 300 page tome on Nancy Holts' Sightlines exhibition, and began reading from page one, on the huge and comfy leather sectional in the commons area (completely underused). Several people walked by, telling me that I looked like Sunday. Because of the AC system, that area of the house was so cold I ended up putting a hoodie and socks and later even long pants, a first for me in about two weeks now. I actually got to read about 40 pages of the catalogue and leafed through the entire book. I think I will read her writing first before going into the interview and the critical essays (read only one so far, out of 5 I believe). Hoping to finish the book this week and maybe next week write a post on the exhibition.
I eventually put the book down because a lot of people just kept showing up, everybody seemed to be hungry and bored, or at least not in the mood to work in the studio. Which I think is a good point of the residency, when the obsession of working 24/7 ends and we realize that getting to know each other as people is just as important, in life and in art. Cobi, Ellen and I talked for the longest, with Aimee and Marisa joining in intermittently. Ellen and I (and Rita and eventually Charlie) were contributing with wine for the pot luck (I eventually grabbed a bag of bread SFAI provides us gratis as another one of my contributions, more as a joke than anything else - nobody ate it but they laughed at least). Marisa made a yummy salad, Cobi a tasty but randomly very spicy Guacamole, and Aimee a tofu soup, Chris and Carmin providing the risotto. The afternoon dragged, we almost sent out an email asking people to show up at 7, or 6:30 instead, but decided to eat something in the meantime. Ellen researched on the computer at the commons for stuff to do, so on Tuesday we'll be having a late breakfast in town and then see a museum, a fun little field trip to break the isolation. I am thinking of photographing the grounds today, if it is not too hot. Oh, yesterday actually rained for a bit, it was such a surprise!
Eventually everybody showed up (except Charlie, he came late thinking it was still at 9 pm) and we spent a long time at the dinner table, with all kinds of random and funny parallel conversations that you had to be there to make sense. Everyone overate, I believe, and I definitely overdrank, specially since I am such a light weight. By the time we got to the Salon part of the evening we all had polished two bottles of wine, with two half drunk and another popped open (mind you the altitude probably sped up the inebriation process).
The first person to show and tell was Ellen. She gave us an overview of what she's working on, a book project dealing with control, that connects to performances she does, and vice versa. She also showed us a couple videos of performances which were both beautiful and weird, almost funny but mostly odd, in a good way. Next we had Cobi showing his paintings and drawings from his website, really amazing work that is both personal (as a lot of it includes himself and his trans-history and family), and yet connects to the history of western art and representation and contemporary issues. We went to their studios at the end of the evening to see some of the stuff in person.
I know I am going to get this out of sequence, blame it on the three-buck-Chuck I was nursing, but we heard readings from Carmin (a very touching poem about someone's entire life, from sexual awakening, to separation, to reunification and eventually death, as well as the prologue of her novel, which to me sounded very much like an Epic poem, she had a great reading voice too), Rita (an incredibly hilarious passage on her current book, about a poetry club in a boarding school for girls - she has great intonation and comedic timing, it was extremely enjoyable to listen to, I adore her sense of humor), and Chris (who read different poem series, one based on the days of the week and the other about compound words, like blowjob, which were actually very dark and insightful and beautiful - I am always amazed by men who write beautiful poetry, because it always seems so unlikely, so unexpected). Needless to say, I want to read their stuff when they come out in press right away (as much as I want to have all the artists over as visiting ones at school).
Aimee showed a video that delineated her process of paper-making, which is extremely amazing, complicated, almost miraculous (imagine a transparent goop that turns into a two ply paper through a series of very specific steps using very basic materials, like a bamboo sheet and string), and we all asked questions about the history and purpose, which were so interesting (the kind of paper she makes - she's the only person in the US making it, she has a print shop in Ohio - can be used for both utilitarian purposes, such as wall and floor covering, and sacred of fine art needs, which I find fascinating, and makes me think of the materials one can use in art, and the repurposing a lot of Detroit artists undertake. Charlie showed us his work from his site, a mixture of sculpture and responsive objects, but also incorporating prints and images with processes he's invented. Of all the people here, he seems to have worn so many different hats (scientist, journalist, photographer, now artist), although it could be that he just talks more openly about it than the others (though during the meal I learned all kinds of stuff from the people: Cobi growing up in a mobile home in California with a swamp cooling system, Marisa spending her Junior year in Israel, Chris and Carmin living on a boat at the Hudson as crews to an educational program, Ellen being a yoga instructor, Aimee a Fulbright Scholar, etc). I asked Charlie if we could go to the place where his work will be shown (a 360 articulated planetarium set up with 7 point surround sound) and he said he'd arrange it, which should be another fun field trip for us all.
The last act at the room was live singing/performing by Marisa. She is such an interesting character, go figure I love spending time with her, my Jewish envy acting up again? She is so witty and serious at the same time, but totally lets her hair down. She sang three sounds while playing her guitar in a rocking chair. Her chords and voices so soft and strong, there was such an emotional outpouring from her, the whole room disappeared, and we were all in silence, a smile on our faces, at times I was on the verge of tears - three-buck-Chuck long gone, real emotion here. I am always in awe of people who can play instruments and make beautiful sound with their voices, because I cannot do either and secretly wish I could. Voice and singing is just a lost cause with me, being that I am completely tone-deaf and perhaps just a bit deaf in general (right year mostly). But her stuff was good too. When she sang it was as if a spot light shone on her, and in response, her light bounced on us. I really wished I had video taped it. Even though she is here as a writer, she decided to perform her music for us, and save some writing for later. We were all glad she did.
Unfortunately I was left to be the last person, and that was a tough act to follow. I completely felt and still feel that I am the least interesting and talented person here, and being over my wine edge probably did not help either. I showed them what I was doing in the studio at home, and how that would relate to the stuff i am doing here. Then I showed them two older pieces that are similar in form so they can understand how the drawings will interact with the video projection. By then everyone was so tired that we even skipped the Mad Men screening (which we'll do tonight).
It is really an honor to live among such talented bunch, and I feel that because of all this sharing so early in the month, we'll have a better time in all the other complicated aspects of being in a residency. I'm looking forward to our next get-together.
- posted via iPad
Location:Santa Fe, NM
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