Face to Face

In the last couple weeks I was beginning to think that I will be in the vacuum of my studio making work for a couple years. It's been hard to meet new people with similar interest. After going to an art opening this weekend it was very clear that I will not be in a vacuum after all.  I've been to several openings and it took me about a year to figure out that you must keep attending social events even if you are tired. You may miss the greatest event if you take a rain check. Between home life studio work and keeping all facets of life intact the clouds have parted and  the sun is showing its face.

I had several conversations with local artists about their work and was inspired by the energy in the space. A wide variety of work was displayed. A large sculpture commanded attention in the center of the space as it towered in the air. I thought objects make people talk. This experience created a reflective tunnel in my thought process. This place and what's in it is influential. We all strive for a connection with others; it is what makes us feel a part of something that provides support and growth.  Some places help this happen better than others. This place was open and moldable by the crowd. 

The not so new social media platforms are also considered a space by which relations develop. The relationships fostered in social media are all very real but do they replace real face to face time? Do you meet a person face to face before you friend them on facebook? Would you talk about the same things or say the same things? Is your personality and presence the same? or do you find yourself having two different behaviors towards the means of communication you use? Do we think about the impact of creating a balance between these two worlds or is it one big ball of rubber bands?

These are reflective questions that make me think about my relationships with people.  Theses experiences shape my creative practices in the studio. They fuel my ideas and reveal more questions about objects and the role they play in our lives. Objects that are sculptural or commercial merge the realities of experience and consumerism. What role do the objects I make play in peoples lives? Would I think about these things if i didn't have face to face experiences?

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