waiting

On Saturday, October 8th from 2pm-5:00pm,  I'll be unveiling my latest artwork in the company of two other artists, Holly Everett and Toni Losey at Swoon Gallery in Hammonds Plains.   So, I thought it timely to share a few of my thoughts on art openings.


Different artists feel differently about art openings - some love the socializing and some love to be in the spot light.  Others would simply rather hide in their studio or maybe a handy broom closet.  In spite of their diverse feelings about openings, I think most artists are just a little nervous about showing new work... ok, maybe a lot nervous.


Put yourself in the artist's shoes for a moment... after investing huge amounts of time, thought and energy, anxiety, indecision, angst, even sweat, into expressing an idea, (for the most part in isolation) and then showing it to friends, strangers, family and other artists...  all at once... in one fell swoop... there it is... all over the place... everyone's looking at it...  well... you can't take it back!


You can't hide it under a rock, throw it down a well, set fire to it.  It's too late.., everyone can see it now.  It's quite like bounding stark naked into a crowded room, yelling "Look at me! Look at me!" in your best Scoobie-Doo voice.  Once you're there, you can never go back.


So... if you've never been to an art opening... go!  It's a great opportunity to connect with another person's ideas in a novel way.  There are no expecations - you dont have to buy anything.  You don't have to stand around being all art-knowing or anything.  Its a party.  It's a social event.  It's fun!  And, keep in mind that it's OK to point and comment but not if there's a naked person in the room.




Now, on that note, here's some of my art for my new show along with my artist statement.  Hope to see you on the 8th!

Happier, mixed media, 36"x24"

Please Take a Seat, mixed media, 24"x36"

WAITING
Deborah Nicholson - Artist Statement


Wallpaper patterns from childhood memories of my home-made barbie playhouse have become my backdrop for Waiting.


As a young girl waiting for grown-up things to happen - a grown-up body and a gown-up home
to accessorize with grown-up things and as an adult, waiting - for boyfriends, for girlfriends, for
renovations to be finished, for meals to be served, for things to get better, for doctors, for guests to arrive, for interviews, for people to change, for children to come home, for good news, for bad news, this new series of paintings is about the links between waiting to grow up and the waiting that's done as a grown-up.


Threads of repeated visual and behavioural patterns pull back to memories of my childish playing at the business of being grown up. Everything seems to have come full-circle. When I used to play with barbie, I always felt as though she and I were waiting together and now that I'm spending time with her again, I see that she really does seem to be on the edge of her seat. I wonder how my time spent in pre-adolescent play with barbie-dolls has affected what I've waited for and expected throughout my life.





Until next time,
Deborah