I lay on the floor of the empty gallery, fairly drunk, savoring the evening, my first serious one-artist exhibition opening. I had stationed myself behind a painted screen with peek-holes and watched the crowd come through, walk along the row of paintings in which was inserted several live tableau – the Sappington twins dressed as elegant society woman and bag lady, Dan Basso in green face and tux sipping martini, Jesse Robertson Altman, at his feet, as housewife in red face, all on pedestals a la Gilbert and George.
Prior to entering this room the viewers encountered art opening food and drink and the first of the chronologically ordered paintings (above). An audio recording, consisting of layered, echoed readings from various of my writings, provided sound track for the experience. The seriousness and obvious respect which greeted the exhibit had my tender ego soaring in triumph.
So is this it? Is life a series of mostly mundane daily experiences dotted here and there by major and minor triumph and humiliation? Probably yes, if the ego is allowed the role of dictator. But dissolve ego in the alchemy of awareness and stand indifferent to outcome, whether success or failure but rather bask in amusement at the fleeting earth dance and the enjoyment of simple being… and in the celebration of creativity.
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