It is my great honor to bring Anonymous Ancestors to City Gallery at Waterfront Park in downtown, Charleston, SC. It was also a challenge on several levels. First, the space is extremely large. Second, the space is divided by sectional walls into three distinct areas. Third, the space has a very contemporary feel to it.
It was my job to conqueror these challenges and I'm very pleased with the results. I'm also quite happy that Steve and I were able to install inside of seven-and-a-half hours! On Thursday, we packed the van with more items than we've ever brought for one of the earlier exhibitions of this work. This is the first time the two folding screens and the empty bird cage were part of the show despite the fact that they were always part of it (at least in my mind!)
I needed these extra things in order to transform all three areas of this big gallery. I also had to spread out some of the other furniture. In past shows, at least one or two chairs and the marble-topped table were actually on the Oriental carpet ... not just "near it"! My goal was to make all three, contemporary spaces look and feel as if a parlor in a stereotypical, Victorian house where walls are hung with family photographs.
City Gallery at Waterfront Park has two levels. Back in 2010, my Decision Portraits occupied both levels. (Click HERE for a blog post and lots of images of this giant gallery! That show was called Personal Grounds.) Because of this earlier opportunity, I knew the gallery space well ... especially the center section. It is a totally open, soaring, two-story space. Back in 2010, I had access to a Genie lift and hung 45 two-story long, sheer chiffon banners. Without a Genie lift, I had to carefully figure out where to suspend the two Sculptural Garments ... where I could tie a wire around the banisters of the overhead walkways.
The second floor will soon be used for a juried show called Homegoing, artwork inspired by Yaa Gyasi's 2016 novel by the same name. According to the call-for-entry, "Homegoing follows the parallel paths of two sisters, split apart by the slave trade, and their descendants through eight generations." In my mind, the themes are intertwined. My anonymous photos pose questions about heritage, identity, passing time, and family memories. I think the two exhibits will create a very thought provoking experience for visitors.
Yet, Anonymous Ancestors will be open three weeks before Homegoing. The opening reception for my solo show is on Friday, October 28th. The other show doesn't open until November 18. Both close during the last week in January 2023. It is nice that a big gallery like this staggers openings and closings, allowing each exhibit to shine on its own as well as to provide joint considerations.
After Steve and I finished installing, I took the photos posted here and also a video. (CLICK HERE to view the video on You Tube.) Then, we counted the number of pieces on the walls. The grand total is 309! All but two small piece were hung ... including four new ones.
I've tried to stop making more pieces for The Wall of Ancestors. Seriously, I don't need more than 311 of them ... but ... I can't help myself. Often, I see an anonymous photo at Bill Mishoe's auction house and it seems to be crying out for me to "rescue it" by "turning it into art." My mind instantly composes a flash fiction statement, something that the picture seems to suggestion. Those words are easily collaged onto the image.
This past week four anonymous photos were transformed and framed. They are all hanging now. For some strange reason, I only snapped photos of three of them. They are at the bottom of this post.
The Grid of Photos has never looked better than now. I'm sure it has to do with the amazing quality of light in this side area of the gallery. The gallery lights are aided by all the natural light flooding in from the waterside park. The shadows are amazing!
The shadows were an intentional feature of this artwork. It is obvious in the statement I wrote for this piece when it was stitched in 2013.
Each snapshot is a frozen moment in time, a single second on life’s timeline. To stand in front of The Gird of Photos is to remember a not-so-distant past. It triggers a sense of familiarity and common ground. It is easy to envision one’s own family and friends, holidays and special occasions, former cars, and hilarious fashion trends. Yet, these are anonymous photos. They come from yard sales, auctions, and abandoned locations. Who are these people? Who knows? We stand in the present; they look out from the past; too soon we will all be the shadow on the wall.
I would really like to stitch another Grid of Photos, something that could be hung "in the round". I certainly have enough anonymous photos to do it. Perhaps the time is coming for me to start fusing them to unbleached muslin in preparations for this!
Of course, I don't have another exhibition scheduled for Anonymous Ancestors ... but I've written that before! And, I am still drawn to the concepts, the photos, and the lives that seem to say "more is always better!"
The photo above shows all the things Steve and I unloaded from the van ... before we started installing the artwork. It is hard to believe that it all fit into the van. It is scary to think that it will all need to return inside the van next January! Below ... three of the four new pieces! Enjoy!
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