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7 & 1/2 Acres |
2002-11-16 - 10:28 p.m. Alright so I did it. Got that drawing done and made it to the opening. I went with Leonard who is actually a she and who was my former professor. Her name is not actually Leonard. I dig Leonard. She and I are very different but it is very nice to be around this person. She's definitly an Artist, with a capital A. This is defined by the leather pants and orange Nikes with the special compartment for the big toe. She is, of course, New York born and what's the word? Not prudential...I do know this word though it ain't here right now, maybe it'll come later. (means-- of the belief that New York city is the only place in the world of any kind of importance or worth). Anyway, she's spacey and scattered and keeps her schedule together on sheets of xerox . She used to recieve (presumably) important calls from galleries and such while leading class or critiques and have to excuse herself. And she's every bit spacey and scattered. She lives here and in New York and travels constantly back and forth. She once asked me if I make the things that I make because I am poor (because I was, at the time using found objects in my work and wouldn't buy new materials). I love her. She's sincere and honest and has a classic foot in the mouth syndrome. I love this. When she met a friend's father who is an allergist in Arkansas, she asked, "Oh, are there alot of allergies in Arkansas?" And though she's interested in her career and does things to keep the funds a comin' she's the farthest thing from an academic. She does it in a respectable kind of way instead of this hustling to ass kiss (which I witnessed a bit of this evening---ugh!) Leonard ain't that way and this gives me hope. That and that she lives with this older (like 80s old--Leonard is 62) Christian Fundamentalist woman. And they're friends. Leonard doesn't deny anything, they both know the truth about the other but they're good to each other and are genuinely friends. Yep, I like Leonard. She didn't get tenure though and this'll be her last year here in these parts. The program is gonna suffer. So, it was good for me to go to this thing tonight. For one, I think it showed my appreciation to the folks who took a risk on me to have my work in the show. And for another, I got to hear lots of compliments and flattery--which ain't always a bad thing (though, I'll warn you, it can be my death). But also, I think I realized that when you--me--when I actually get out there, it often ain't so bad. I mean, I could of smoozed or gotten drunk but instead, I think I was just a nice guy. I thanked the folks I shoulda thanked and said hey to those that I wanted to say hey to and was polite to those I didn't care much for--though there weren't too many of them tonight. I think what's important for me is there ain't some head trippin' going on here, some self critique. It was just a good evening in public. Reckon that''s all folks. I went and picked up this three day old dead dog up the road today. Frances and I'd see this dog sometimes and say there's our dog's cousin so we just didn't think it right to let it rot on the roadside. Sorry to leave ya on that note. I'll say this though, it kind of doesn't bother me once the animal is dead--I get infuriated in the instant or at the fact that somebody hit that dog and didn't pick him up themselves. That shit bothers me--or that most folks let their dogs run loose in and out of the road around here--that pisses me off too. But that this dog is now laying in the pasture and going to rot out there in the grass and be a part of things--that part I got peace with.
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