Match Maid

Courtney Reid

In the beginning it’s picture perfect, great on paper, match made in heaven, dare say “soul mates.” Years stretch into decades, experience spans patience and the only souls that have worn are on the bottom of shoes. There are no perfect couples, only relationships; complex and evolving and as alive as each person within them.

A relationship can not define us anymore than any other aspect of what we believe is true about our lives. We can only be guided by something greater than ourselves.

We are born into relationships but adopt many more significant to our lives. What we come to realize is that these matches are made for express purposes and we must set our expectations accordingly. We can not expect one match to be a maid to our every need in life, after all that is why we have many kinds of relationships.

People are human, at different stages of consciousness. No two can possibly sync up all the time. The one relationship that must be in line is the one with our self and our higher power; all others will follow suit.

Courtney Reid is one of my favorite artist who “grew up watching paint get pushed around,” she’s represented by Airom Bleicher. The name of this piece is “7.” For me, it symbolizes a couple on two different levels of consciousness but very closely bound together. I’ve decided the woman on the right is in an inventive, contemplative, spiritual and enigmatic state; as the numbered title suggests. The man is looking to her for guidance. The third and palpable character in the image is their muted relationship.

Special thanks to @2morrowknight aka Sean Gardner for featuring me as a guest post on his blog, you rock my friend!

Mining the Vines of the Mind

Surveying the landscape in our immediate mind’s eye vicinity we can tabulate the terrain. One result is to unearth long-standing debris.

Innocently enough we gently tugging at the surface brush, until the realization washes over us that we are deep within our subconscious yanking at the vine attached roots. We are suddenly on what seems a mining expedition, an excavation project that burrows years, even decades.

Trolley

We visit versions and subversion of ourselves, some scared, others hiding, most of them long forgotten. We remember they are still parts of us and need tending. Just because they are grown over doesn’t mean they’ve grown up with us.

After we clear and tend the soil of our history we can replant a simple and useful garden that is free to grow and flourish or wither and die; all we need is to pay close attention.

I picked up this piece of art at the Los Angeles « Renegade Craft Fair sponsored by Etsy. Trolley draws her inspiration from vintage fashion and pop artist Andy Warhol. The image of Bianca Jagger immediately drew me in and is symbolic because she is well known for her days at Studio 54 however, she is now a social and human rights advocate involved in causes all over the world. An amazing woman who has not let her history dictate her present.

The Renegde Craft Fair is on its way to San Franscico, I highly recommend!

July 4OTO Joella

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The July fireworks have passed but Joella March’s neon curatorial sparks are still lighting up the walls of Bleicher/Golightly this month.  Jumping up and down, chattering your name and running across the floor you’d think the art would give off kinetic energy, however, March’s magical pairing of the work and the music of OTO had an amazingly calming almost hypnotic effect, that left one completely relaxed and at ease in the space.

After taking in the complete sensory experience, one could almost close your eyes and be serenaded by the rest of the musical line up of the evening which included The Year Zero and Familiar Trees.

Stephen Anderson

March keeps her curating close to home, including her partner’s work, Stephen Anderson and others who show with her at the Museum of Neon Art. The work together on the wall exists and mingle like a community.

 

David Brakow

Perhaps my most adored piece in the show was the vibrating man sculpture made of many miniatures childhood toys. I engaged a conversation about whether this was “creepy” or not and for me, it was comforting because the toys brought back fond memories of goody bags from birthday parties long gone. Of course, it depends which decade you call your childhood.

March’s beloved Cabinet piece was a part of this show with an added neon element which complemented the theme, however, I dare say, the Suitcase stole this one. Kyle Chew’s understated blue Suitcase sat unassuming on the floor, until it began to move and literally interact with the audience around it.

March succeeds in engaging her audience and leaving us sated.

“TURNED ON” – A Survey Of Kinetic & Light Based Art will be on display from now until July 23, 2010 @ Bleicher/Golightly.

Kyle Chew

 

Grown Ups

Kathryn Keys - Daddy's Girl

There’s a time when working through childhood issues and living our lives seems mutually exclusive; that time is called adolescence. It’s in our adult life that we realize we can no longer run from the children within us because it’s precisely these little people that are holding us back from the dream of what we want to be when we “grow up.”

When we wake up from the illusion that we can no longer live in the fantasy that we are pretending is our life, and begin to accept our reality, life gets a little easier, less intense and we can begin to breath again.

Come work out some of your childhood issues with me and Kathryn Keys at the UNURBAN now through August 8, 2010. The closing reception promises to be a blast so we hope you will join us August 7th, 6 – 9PM.

Sit Down

Buzzing noises drown out the voices that guide us, vibrating the path beneath our feet. Darkness threatens to doom the progress when deceptively we think the power is still in our hands. We wrestle control, wrench decisions with our hands, ultimately banging our heads against wall.

Sit and think, it shall be done.