By novel idea / Nfinit Foundation Arts
Ready...
And then there was the question, "Do you wanna be in my show?" Something like that; that's my memory anyway. Margaret, co-founder of Art Shape Mammoth, was probably more articulate than that, but it felt just that casual and friendly. What she couldn't have known was my complete terror of being asked to do what I was indeed ready for, and that she was one of the first to ask me that question. After years of working on the Naked Layers Project... Kyana Brindle, my creative partner and I had discussed wanting to exhibit it as an art installation: film, photos and text. In fact we had, some years previous, shown a photo series, HerStory, at Free Candy Exhibition Space in Brooklyn (an Elaine Hargrove curation), but not our whole project.
Set...
And so we said yes, thus the terrifying realization that we were gonna have to put some work into pulling everything together, but also realizing how the question "do you wanna be in our show?" forced us to look at ourselves as artists, indeed to face that we are.
Go!
(Kick that Bear in the Butt! Slay the Interminable Beast!)
The moment when existing in doubt is compromised. You're on the roller coaster and there's no turning back! "And you can just stay with us at Joan's house." Joan's house, which just happened to be the home of the accomplished artist, Joan Harmon, with her incredible view of the Hudson: deck side, late night deck talk with the sound of the mighty Hudson as our soundtrack. All this after what was, to us, a seamless load-in. Margaret had made it all so easy, so open and accessible. This was no small show, but a beautiful exhibition, in an incredible space, with exciting fellow artists, and we were a part of it! But I suspect that's what Margaret and Art Shape Mammoth are about, to make it all, "art", the makers and the viewers of "art", feel at home in the mutual sharing of an experience. Yeah, that sounds about right.
Novel Idea, M.A. / Exec. Dir. of Nfinit Foundation Arts
Novel Idea and Kyana Brindle are founders of Nfinit Foundation Arts , an organization in process of Non Profit status with the end goal of artist support. They are also opening a gallery space in Brooklyn called BAS | brooklyn art store. This is in appreciation of the gracious friendship and help from ArtShape Mammoth, which has served artists communities, and is a wonderful example of hospitality.