applegate Art recently had an exhibit at Capital Coffee and Desserts in Carytown, Richmond, Virginia last November and December, 2008.
We have had exhibits before, but this one proved to be a very enlightening one. Due to how people sit at this coffee house, almost community style and the fact that there can be a lot of coffee drinkers there at one time, it gave us the opportunity to be the fly on wall.
Speaking for myself as an artist, the opportunity is rare when I get a chance to see how viewers of my art interact with it. If someone looks at my art while I am present, they could say anything (and have). Or, as is usually the case, my art hangs somewhere, while I'm somewhere else, wondering how people are reacting to it.
At this exhibit, what happened unintentionally, was I'd be sitting there drinking my coffee, when suddenly I'd hear the people next to me discussing my art. So I looked around at other people and noticed almost everyone at some point, would spend some time looking at the art and discussing it with whomever they were with. One time I even had a person sitting next to me start a discussion with me unknowing I was the artist!
The bottom line was a great experience. People were trying to interpret symbolism I used in my art, what was the painting/assemblage trying to say, etc. Sometimes their discussions would then blossom into bigger discussions and so forth.
As I have said in previous blog entries, my art is my voice. During this exhibit I had the rare opportunity to hear my own voice being heard by others.
I was a very happy fly.
Seventh Annual SPCA
