One year down, or a promise fulfilled

Being able to breathe is rather a nice luxury. The semester ended, and suddenly, *gasp* I had the time again. Let me tell you, having time to do laundry and clean the apartment....ahhhh, it seems like there's nothing better! With the end of the semester comes time to post the entry that I've promised several people. I know that some of you wanted to see the end-of-year show that we first year grad students put on but couldn't because you're in a different state. I wish y'all could have come. It was a good show; the work was diverse and ambitious in scale. Even better, I felt that my work was on par with the rest. While that may not sound like much, it means I've come a long way. There seems to be an inevitable artistic crisis that comes with the first year of grad school. Add to that the mile-long list of firsts that I've gone through these last eight months (the first semester especially)... Well, I feel a lot more secure now. And I am very grateful for the support of those who were able to make it out to the gallery. It means more to me than you know.

Here are a few pictures of the piece in the gallery:

Passing (2007), fired and unfired clay, approx. 3" x 12' x 8'

The photo above was taken right after completion; the slip and coils are still wet.
Below are some views of it from other parts of the gallery. (Doesn't that floor look nice? I swept and mopped the whole thing...)





Next we have some detail shots after it had dried some:

Lastly, we have a shot of the coiled "fringe" after someone stepped on it during the opening. One of my professors tattled to me about the first person. The uber-dean lamented it (he really liked the piece!), but I simply smiled. The piece was meant to have a lifespan, be impermanent. That was simply a part of its history.

I had intended to put a second piece in the show, but there just wasn't room for it in the packed gallery. I'll just set it up in my studio and document it there. As it is an impermanent piece, very few people will ever see it in person, which is kind of sad. On the upside, I learned how to mud drywall (which I apparently do quite well), which will be extremely helpful in the future.

For now I'll just take a couple of deep breaths to prepare myself for an exciting summer. Look for me back home in just a few weeks for a short visit. I can't wait to see all of you that are there!