I went to MOCA DC gallery tonight to see the Sketchbook Project from Art House Coop. I was supposed to meet my friend Pia there, but by the time I got there, I missed her by eight minutes. Eight minutes is the time differential between meeting Pia and not meeting Pia, because I parked on the wrong street. I got it into my head that MOCA was on 30th St. in Georgetown. WRONG! 31st Street! Two blocks over and a good bit of wandering before I finally realized the error of my ways. So I missed Pia, whom I was so looking forward to hanging out with. So sad... Sorry Pia.
I thought about going home because I was feeling disappointed, but I was intrigued to see what others had done with their sketchbooks and whether I could find mine. Imagine looking through more than a thousand sketchbooks... It's a lot like looking for a needle in a haystack.
I began by looking through random books just to see how other artists used the space. Some were filled with anime, some photographs (old and new), some collages, some drawings, some paintings, some cartoons, some assemblage, some papercuts. One was full of haiku. Some asked for viewers to add something on the empty pages, so it could potentially be interactive. I thought about responding to some of those but lost my nerve or maybe just initiative in the end. I loved the books that children had created... one by an eight year old, another by a three year-old (her nanny took her pictures and put them in the book). So sweet and endearing. I couldn't help but feel warm and cozy when I saw those sketchbooks. Some books were filled in by groups; I even saw one created by the Women's Caucus for Art-St. Louis chapter. Some artists covered their sketchbooks in all sorts of material: bright colors, fuzzy fabric, laminate, collage. Me, I left my cover completely blank, along with hundreds of other sketchbook artists. That did make it harder to find.
I loved exploring how everyone used the space. Each participant received a sketchbook that was 3"x5". The only requirement was that it had to close to that size. Other than that, you could do whatever you wanted to expand the space. Some people ripped out all the pages and created one large piece that then folded back into the 3"x5" cover. One person who did this created a family tree. Another did an oil painting of a crowd of people and folded it accordion style. It reminded me of people lined up along a parade route, or the crowd that cheers on marathon runners.
Some people took the theme, "everyone we know," very literally and drew people they knew, or public figures, or people they wanted to know. Others drew animals. Others wrote about souls and soul connections. Other completely ignored the theme and just created really interesting art books. I noticed that regardless of how many different ideas I saw, there were other books that had similar ideas, or techniques. As different as we all are, there are certain commonalities that keep us connected.
I was happy to sit on the floor and soak in all that creativity. Looking at what other artists do is inspiring to me. It gets my creative juices flowing. Seeds of ideas are planted deep within me.
Eventually, after giving up on finding my sketchbook and going out to talk with Dave about joining MOCA, and in fact doing just that, I decided to go back to have one last look to see if I could find my sketchbook. Throughout the evening there were several artists there who were looking for their sketchbooks. I figured that I didn't need to find mine because I knew what was in it. But then I decided that it would be great to find it and show it to folks there and see their reactions. And find it I did!
People who saw it had wonderful comments about various pages. I felt affirmed by the woman who teaches art who said that she appreciated how honest and vulnerable my book was. And the woman who told me I should do more weaving collages -- "they are the bomb!" One of my favorite drawings in the book is the one where the woman walks on the backs of the men, an image that has stuck with me since I saw it performed by the Limon Dance Company at the Kennedy Center. Someone commented on how lovely my rendition of the woman and her dress was. It floats off the page, she said, so light and airy.
I feel amazingly blessed and inspired. I even talked with Shane and Steve, the founders of Art House Coop, about how much I appreciate what they are doing, and how I love their mission. They are onto something, creating these spaces for sharing of ideas and generating a community of artists. I really felt a part of something tonight. And I even talked with them about the Art House artist-in-residence program. I am definitely coming out of my shell: I'm going to apply. I have my idea. All I need to do is write my proposal and send it off to them.
I'm excited. Life is art. And life is good!
No comments:
Post a Comment