Notes From the Cocoon: Teensy Weensy Solo Exhibitions

Several months ago someone asked me what I do and I blurted out, without even thinking about it, "I write about art."

That statement came back to me and continued bouncing around in my head like a little rubber ball. That's what happens when I say or hear something that doesn't sound quite right, like maybe it's just not as true as it could be.

Then it hit me that while I do write about art, it would be more accurate to say that I write about the people who make it. I love hearing their tales, what inspired them and all the thoughts and processes that came to bear on that photograph, sculpture, video, painting, performance or whatever little piece of their soul they've decided to put out there for all to see.

I know that some people think words should not have bearing on one's appreciation of a work.  But I deeply appreciate words and the way people put them together to discuss their connection to what they're making. I feel that even when an artwork is finished, the artist's story behind it may remain a work in progress, a tale that continues to unfold, sometimes even in the telling. I find beauty in that.

So my new feature Teensy Weensy Solo Exhibition will include locally created art works, and some of the stories behind them. It will also include local works that I encounter while at shows or even online, and my thoughts about what that work made me think about, the things that made that particular artwork feel personal to me. Sometimes I may include both my thoughts and the artist's story, which may be completely different than the tale I imagined in my head as I viewed the art. 

I'm not accepting submissions for this feature, as I like the idea of each one being something I happen to encounter, and something that personally touches me in that moment ... even if I can't initially fully explain why.

Each work will be posted individually, hence the name Teensy Weensy Solo Exhibition.

My first such feature will be posted early this afternoon. I will run these regularly, but not on a specific schedule. I plan to soon gather them all into one spot and make them available as a little online collection ... an ongoing group show of sorts.

I'm pretty excited about the Teensy Weensy Solo Exhibitions. I hope you like them too.