Thursday, April 29, 2010

Lightness of Being

A few weeks ago, I went to (yet another) gallery talk by artist Andy Holtin, half of Causality Labs, about the duo's exhibition at American University's Katzen Art Center. (I guess I am making up for three years of almost never going to these things by now going to lots lots lots.)

I really enjoyed Holtin's talk; his presentation combined the best aspects of casual conversation with high academic discourse. However, what I've been turning over in my head ever since is one particular phrase he use at the beginning of his talk. He described himself as "trying to be an artist" rather than beginning with the assumption that he already was one. I am really enjoying thinking about the implications of this phrase: that this is an identity we can put on and take off; that identity as an artist is not fixed; that an artist is never fully developed, always growing more fully into his or her practice.

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