Photographer and videographer Eric Minh Swenson was here on Monday, shooting me working in my studio. I even made some good progress on my last pieces during the shoot. I thought I was going to have to fake it (pretend to paint), but I really was painting. I did this while talking to him about the scenes in the work, since they all originate from photos.
He posted what he has so far on Instagram, and I’ve received a lot of nice feedback. Lots of views. More than I usually get, which isn’t much. This is just the first part of the final movie that will be cut with another one of me walking around the gallery after I install the show in May. I’ll be talking about a few of the pieces, kinda like a walk-through, and it will all be edited together. Eric is an amazing editor and really knows what he’s doing. He makes it look easy, but it’s not.
I’m so close to finishing all the artwork for my show, and I’m going to be prepared way ahead of time. I usually am not this prepared, so it feels a little weird, but it’s a good weird.
Down to the last two paintings, both are very close to the finish line, since I’ve been working on them simultaneously. I decided to change the title of the one with the sunflower wallpaper to A Dangerous Frisbee Cake, which I think is better than plain ol’ “Frisbee Cake.”
Other than painting, a lot has been going on. On top of physical therapy and all that, I decided to put together a small panel of arts people/professionals, including myself, in lieu of a formal artist’s talk. It’s going to take place midway through the show’s run in June. I’m calling it Queering the Family Album: A Panel Discussion. At least, I’m pretty sure that’s what I’m calling it. For now, that’s what it’s called.
The date is a little up in the air, and I’m still waiting on a confirmation from one of the panelists, but it will be on a Saturday morning, either June 6th or June 13th, at the gallery. Craig says 11:00 AM, so at least I know the time of day.
There will be four panelists, and I’m considering adding a fifth. But who? I have Margot Anderson, the founder of the Laurel Foundation. She works directly with trans youth, families with HIV/AIDS, and other at-risk youth, and can speak to the effects of family dynamics on the identities of trans youth. I’m compiling the questions I’ll ask each panelist, and I feel they’ll be a key part of the event. It’s important that I ask the “perfect” questions.
I’ll also have Holly M., Director of Adult Public Programs at LACMA. They can address many of the formal aspects of LGBTQ+ issues in the broader art world, and perhaps how my work fits into that context.
Then, there’s Phil Anderson, a writer and contributor to Carla (Contemporary Art Review Los Angeles). I think I’d like him to speak on the subject of narratives in art, specifically mine (ha!), and how these stories impact viewers and general audiences.
In the coming weeks, I’ll start writing more about the show, and its meaning—to me, and to the community. I need to ask myself what I want out of the show. What’s its purpose? What hopes I have for displaying this work in public? Where on earth do I have the nerve to do it?! Those kinds of questions are usually hard for me to answer. The answers are in my mind, but they feel so abstract right now. That’s why writing about it will help me get clarity. It usually does.