This weekend I had the opportunity to take part in a wonderful art show provided by the Moses Lake Museum and Art Center. It was such an honor to be among such amazingly talented artists here in the region. And it was my first gallery show. And my first time as a prize winner. I wasn't expecting that aspect of the experience. I was just grateful to have been included in such a prestigious show.
The concept of the art show was Selfie: A Community Conversation on Identity. When I first saw the call for this show online I knew I had to submit. It spoke so deeply to me and it was perfect that I already had my self-portrait printed and framed from earlier last year for Art on the Green. Long before Instagram and the rise of the "selfie" artists had been painting/photographing/sculpting their likeness for centuries. The idea of a "selfie" is not new. And yet it seems to have reached the status of an overwhelming phenomenon in the past five years thanks to instant sharing. The selfie allows us to share the side of ourselves that we want others to see. And through that selfie we comment on who we are and identify ourselves through that image. In the show there were many depictions of personal takes on identity. One artist drew himself as a bull. Another was a collage of vintage cars and Elvis lyrics. Another was a fairy delicately laying on a leaf surrounded by tiny and intricate brushstrokes of color and light. And another was a beautiful colored pencil drawing of a woman with her grandchildren. I loved the different views and perspectives, how some weren't the typical self-portrait and others were the expected full face view from the realistic to the abstract.
I'm grateful that I was able to share my self-portrait that shows the moment I became aware of who I was as a person and who I wanted to be as an artist. This photograph was the turning point in my career and the impetus for all the images that I have created since.
The weekend was such a fun one. We stayed, all four of us for the first time, in a hotel. Erich was able to stay up way past his bed time and chose to sleep in the pack-n-play rather than in a huge queen bed all by himself. Little Eva had that luxury. I had a hard time sleeping for all the excitement. I kept reliving the evening over and over in my head. It's such a joy to see people enjoying my work. And on the drive back home, my beautiful fog made an appearance. We made a pit stop at a rest area and I took the opportunity for an impromptu shoot. I was smart this time and brought costumes with just in case such an occasion presented itself. You'll see the image that came from that shortly.
I am so grateful to the curator and juror of Moses Lake for giving me this opportunity and for choosing my piece as a standout in such a great showing. I worry now though, that I will hit a sort of "oscar effect," that being that now I've won an award for my work I will never make anything good again. We'll see. But it certainly keeps me motivated and inspired to keep going and keep trying. I'm already getting my next image ready for another submission today.