3 Learnings from My First Collaborative Group Art Show
Joe and I recently collaborated on a small group show entitled Above / Below. The show was inspired by the west coast of Haida Gwaii, and the experience of submerging into the rugged, underwater world. It was originally a photo-essay published in Northword Magazine in May 2017, and it has since evolved into a series of abstract paintings and photographs. My 5 abstract pieces are heavily inspired by the contrasting movement, changing geometry and blue colour palette of the waters of Haida Gwaii.
Creating this series was an incredible learning experience, for a non-art student artist like me. Some of the lessons include:
New Mediums
First off, I used a lot of new mediums. I experimented for the first time with spray paint and oil pastels. What I learned: spray paint dries fast and can be challenging to spray the way you want it to. Like in straight lines. Pastels smudge and need to be applied with a fixatif like this to be preserved. Which was actually a bit challenging to get on island - since it's highly combustible and is considered hazardous cargo.
Patience
Secondly, these pieces tested my patience. With some of them having many layers, I'd apply one layer and have to wait hours, if not a day, to apply the next layer to prevent them from smudging or bleeding into existing layers. A sometimes challenging task when I was eager to execute my creative vision. And since I'd have to assemble and disassemble my "studio" which is essentially the space between my living room and kitchen.
The Art of Framing (& Curating)
Thirdly. Framing is hard but worth it. A well framed and hung show brings it all together. I had a vision for these pieces to be framed and I'm pretty luck that Joe took that vision and made it a reality. Though we both realized pretty quickly that this seemingly simple task was a lot harder that we initially thought. From measuring to biscuit joiners, to plaining and sanding, all within a time crunch, if we had to frame them again we may do it a little differently.
Joe and I have a real, new, love for curating and hanging art shows. We've worked together a few times now and are starting to figure out a rhythm. When the pieces are sprawled out, it can be daunting to see how they will all flow together. Some of them clash, some compliment. It can be a tug of war of ideas, wall space, lighting and time. Joe is micro, reflective and precise. I'm big picture, rapid and vocal. Which ends up working out so that I take the lead on laying it out, and he takes the lead on framing/hanging. Knowing these strengths (or weaknesses), makes the whole process flow a lot better.
Overall, it was an incredible process to work on these pieces and collaborate with Joe. My wheels are already spinning on how I want to expand on this concept, keep exploring certain mediums/techniques/hues for a bigger series. Yay!
The series is at Queen B's Cafe for the month of July.