Monday 31 October 2011

hang em high



i arrived at the gallery at 12 noon, the appointed time
having trotted bravely through horizontal rain with work in tow
the wind was so strong that my wheeled bag blew out horizontally behind me from time to time
the sort of weather in which you could ride a skateboard uphill
if you didn't mind becoming utterly sodden

fortunately i had the good sense to invest in some cutting edge fashion whilst in my beloved Vermont
where [at the Fairlee Feed Store, an excellent establishment run by delightful people where you can buy all sorts of really useful stuff] i equiped myself with a pair of muckboots, an oilskin hat and a cheap but extremely effective waterproof coat.


when adorned in these treasures i resemble Worzel Gummidge

i may well reprise the outfit tomorrow evening after the opening
- should be perfect for trick-or-treating

but i'll spare you the full catastrophe. i have, after all, many others to share.

back to the gallery, where the previous exhibition was still in place
somewhat unexpectedly
[perhaps the pre-Halloween parties are really good around here]

luckily however i had nothing else to do on my rainy sunday afternoon in Halifax, as the Port Campus [where my studio is located] is only accessible with a swipe card and i didn't fancy hanging around in the rain trying to convince a passing student of my bona fides.

in any case, the Anna Leonowens Gallery is nice and warm
and looks out onto the street
where the occasional dripping wretch can be seen tottering past
[better than television]

i apply myself to drybrushing marks on the wall and offer thanks to Silver Harris [set designer and founding Director of the Adelaide Festival Centre Gallery] for teaching me this useful skill some several lifetimes ago. Ben Webster kindly plays [on the batfone] while i reminisce.



we discover the letter 'r' is missing from the signage
good thing it wasn't the "o"


they find a spare and the exhibition title makes a little more sense. if only other gaps in my life could be filled so easily


i get on with hanging the show


at left 'windfall map' at right 'anywhere is walking distance if you have the time'


'cloudland' [I,II,III]
a reference to Aotearoa that some might recognise


'worn'
a piece of two parts



and a couple of details
[the gold is from onionskin, for those who are wondering]



a draught from a gap in the door proves perfect - gently rotating one of the garments as though mechanically created for the purpose





and there are nice marks on the ceiling



i manage to hang the show quite quickly, then spend two hours staring at it
some of you will recognise the work
it was after all shown at the Katherine Nash Gallery in Minneapolis earlier this year
since then it has been sleeping in a box
in San Francisco
and one or two of the pieces have found homes in various places
if Qantas doesn't get its act together, i might be sleeping in a box in San Francisco myself shortly
but
i'll cross that bridge when i come to it

meanwhile
it's 5.24 pm local time and i haven't yet had breakfast
attempts to coax cash from an ATM have failed
so
i'm off to thrash the credit card and take supper at the Five Fishermen

27 comments:

  1. Ah it all looks so lovely, I love the way it is all suspended and seems to glow (those onion skin dyed cloths are especially glowy).

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  2. I just might go and rob some bank and buy one - or two - of your dresses!!
    ;)

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  3. I love 'windfall' and 'walking distance' .... but I'm kinda disappointed (in my perverse, backwoods/backwards humoured creek-girl way) that the 'o' didn't go missing along with the 'r'.... (if only for a moment... )

    mucho luck winging your way (and not on a qantas jet)

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  4. I'd love to walk amongst those draping cloths, beautiful. And can't say enough about mucboots... I have a similar pair, just the bees knees if you live in a forest in New England, or anywhere where a taxi isn't right at hand.

    Hope you find a comfortable box in SF if that's where you end up, though maybe the airline will get you home. Safe travels.

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  5. First of all, I almost spit my tea out with the musings on the missing r versus a missing o.

    Second, your work looks so evocative! I do hope you'll consider a trip up to Alaska when you plan your west coast trip. We'd so like to host you here.

    take care!

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  6. love your work

    though i'm curious as to what

    mapping a cuntry might entail

    and what that work might look like too.

    best of luck. it's all quite beautiful.

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  7. This wil be a beautiful exhibition!! Shame that I live to far far away for a visite! Have an exceptional good time. hugzz...peebee

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  8. Well, India, you did a great job (after being soaked in the rain) hanging your exhibition!!! Looks goooood!

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  9. ahhhh
    art and ben
    perfection
    slow waltz then?

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  10. Geez, didn't your ma never tell you to always carry at least a penny? No wonder it is p...ing down on yo, must be all those dogs in heaven.

    Quantas is being a right royal pain in the Quant . . ass.
    We are all missing you hers . . .

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  11. your newly reworked word, plus the decorative items on my post yesterday make quite a pair.
    wish i could see the show--

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  12. The show looks wonderful! I'm sure it will be a smash! Love the boots, and they were just the right thing for the weather yesterday. We got our first snow before our freeze!

    Happy to teach you about skeet shooting.

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  13. oh, to wander through this path...
    thank you for braving the storm so that we could have a glimpse.

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  14. Beautiful to get an early glimpse of the show.

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  15. Your show is amazing..I am so proud of you. Your works look amazing in this intimate gallery...at least it looks intimate from the photos. Enjoy every minute! Happy Halloween! Peace, Mary Helen

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  16. All SO beautiful, India! Question for you ~ how are you hanging pieces from the wall? I like that soft drapey look. Thanks so much.

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  17. Had to look up Worzel but knew the boots...'cept yours are way spiff. I've 3 pairs in various states of collapse and holiness. They went on about 3 weeks ago and won't get put away till about May. But...I digress from the splendidness of this show - many CONGRATS. It looks a beaut! Wish I could see that draught spinning that frock.

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  18. ;) the contrast of the peaceful beauty of your work and the tumult of your day, without gloating at your misfortune(!), is a joy to read.



    (led here by
    http://burnedthumbblog.blogspot.com/)

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  19. thanks for swinging by folks...

    in answer to one of the technical questions - stuff pinned to the wall [with those pins that usually hold up drawings]

    the one about mapping i'll leave to those with fertile imaginations

    but what i'm most pleased with, looking at it today, is the good eye of my imaginary friend who was standing over by the wall while i was up the ladder with the pushpins
    telling me if the bits were more or less straight
    and
    they are. thank goodness for imaginary friends...

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  20. Your beautiful work looks very majestic in its new setting. Beautiful. I hope your exhibition is a great success. penny

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  21. It looks stunning. How I wish I could see it in person. How long will it be up? I have and aunt and cousin living nearby. At least I can send them to see it. Best of luck with everything.

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  22. Ha...good old Worzel Gummidge! that bought some memeries back from when my children were little!
    Your show
    looks stunning..one of these days l am going to be able to see one ot the..fingers crossed.
    Good luck with the show and hope your journey home is uneventful and calmxxlyndax

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  23. imaginary friends shall always save us
    and my dark gray webster is in joy for your musical installation
    india. it's all smashing

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  24. I could do damage with my credit card on your dresses! Wow! Exquisite.

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  25. I laughed at the potential for a missing O - my my what would they have done? I love the draping and the warmth of the pieces; they look so right.

    And did you know the batphone has a spirit level app? Ridiculous Iknow but an extra help if the fairies are off playing somewhere!

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  26. Funny as Indi! It all sounds a bit random and haphazard, but nothing you dear Indi-ana cannot take in stride especially in your new gumboots. So many adventures this year. It does sound rather exciting. I love the boats going past the windows, the big river or harbour outside. I love that sense of space. Heaving pieces of water do that for me. Lots of sky or ocean. Aotearoa. Of course.

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