Greener grass

I have a solo exhibition opening next week in Chelsea. 

I'm just going to let that sentence hover there. 

"I   have   a   solo   exhibition   in   Chelsea. " 

When it’s all by itself, floating in the emptiness of white space, I'm impressed by it. It's the kind of phrase that if thrown into art circle conversation makes you sound like a serious international artist. People will finally believe you're a legitimate artists rather than secretly thinking you're a waitress/trustfundchild/hipsterfashinist/flakey/sundaypainter. And regardless of postmodern decetralisaton, some may still say I have arrived at the center of the art world.

But… yes I'm sorry there is a 'but'. I wish I could take you on a swooping story of glory, however, that time is yet to come. Instead I’ll give you the honest truth, show you the pro’s and cons, let you see the quiet joy, the hope and disappointments, the labour the love and the mediocre outcomes, as there are asterisks,  clauses and footnotes to this sentence that even David Foster Wallace couldn't compete with.

So lets look at the details:

*The foundation that I’m exhibiting with is called Chashama. They are a not-for-profit group that find vacant properties for artists to exhibit. They’ve been going for about 20 years and are well established, highly regarded and as an entry point into exhibiting in NY it’s pretty solid. Click here for a link

*The space they have found me was previously an art gallery. So as far as vacant spots go it’s pretty sweet. It’s also on Tenth Ave between 28^th and 29^th, so I’m in the gallery district zone.

*except that I’m not in the zone of visability. The windows are frosted, there is no signage and I’m not listed in any gallery guide as a destination. Chances are no-one will notice I’m there.

*It’s a not-for-profit gallery so I do and pay for everything myself; invite and catalogue design and printing and posting, media release, opening night party, and sitting the gallery for 30 hours x 3 weeks. This is just Blah!

*I’m spending most days and nights creating the work, which is very very enjoyable.

*but I’m also slightly conflicted as its art week in NYC and everyone is out and about at the Armoury, Scope and Spring Break fairs, and I’m home cutting stencils.

*This scenario makes me question my intentions. On the one hand it matters that I make work which is fragile and visibly disappears into its environment and mostly I hope for just one person to deeply enter into thinking about the piece. On the other hand I’m here to expand my career so I need the crowds, need the ‘right people’ to come. Therefore there is no harmony between the philosophy of the work – creating works that might be overlooked, and the pragmatism of arts business – look at me look at me.