Today Jesse Hayward is meeting me for a studio visit. But this time around he is the curator. It’s kind of exciting for a peer to invite you into a small group show that has tooth from day one. In fact, it’s the way I curate in the first place, it is firstly peer-based, less about the balance of power - of course, part of that has to do with the fact that I am not directly associated with an institution. That potentially makes the role less scary to some of the participants. You see, when the tables were turned about a year ago, I met Jesse at his studio to look at his work a few months prior to his inclusion in the Oregon Biennial and subsequently in his solo show at Chambers Gallery. And as I remember it, the show I curated for Guestroom Gallery last year was originally intended to simply be a three person show (I dreamt of including only Hayward, Anna Fidler (I love her new site) and Scott Wayne Indiana). The show was meant to be a real freeform, expressive, colorful show…but alas, scheduling didn’t provide the right timing, and that happens, and I am more than satisfied with what turned out in the end.

That said, I remember the exchange we had in his work space, adjacent to his home, somewhere in north Portland. His gloppy work had turned to stripes, and super-vivid colors and the overall experience was like entering an eye popping candy gingerbread house of bric-a-brac psychedelia. Now that the shoe is on my foot, at least I have a clean large space that he can peruse. But my personal aesthetic for making is completely polar to his. In some ways the work is perceived as ultimately pretty stoic, clean, about lines and repetition, the silhouetted shape. Even some of the street photography I do has a sense of collected chaos and restricted gesture. It will be quite fitting, though, for his upcoming curatorial (debut?) in The Hook-Up in June, which will be part of the New American Art Union’s ongoing series (five in all). He’s got some interesting artists lined up for this as he disclosed to me, and of them I am the sole unrepresented independent. He intends to present a very interesting concept that he first discussed with great lilt when we met for our visit last year, and then, in turn, invited me to participate back in January.

Good thing I painted and cleaned. The space is significantly brighter than depicted. I’m going to open the studio and let him loose.

This entry was posted on Saturday, March 3rd, 2007 at 11:52 am and is filed under Personal, Sights. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.