I keep kicking myself because I’ve known that art and I were supposed to have a relationship for many years, probably since I was 16. No earlier, since I was five. Since I watched a girl in my kindergarten class (a girl that I became friends with during elementary school) make a drawing, and I saw the teacher commend her on her work. Since that day I’ve wanted to make drawings that people liked. As it turns out, I’m working with photography (although I do like to draw still) and fabric, but the basic dream is still the same. It took me a long time to accept this. Also, I care very little about whether or not people like my art now…except black people. I want black people to like it.
I’ve been scouring the interwebs for images that come from a very specific time in my life – a time when I made lots of art, unselfconsciously, without having to name it as such. After graduating from the University of Virginia, I continued to live in Charlottesville and play art with several friends. I can’t say that I knew what I was doing at the time, because from the ages of 22 to 24 I pretty much constantly stayed some form of intoxicated. I was trying to run and hide from some fears. As described precisely in the book Art and Fear, “…the fear that your fate is in your own hands, but that your hands are weak.” To deal with this I drank and smoked, and causally made art with friends.
One of those friends I played art with during this time was Mary Pumphery. I posted several of the photographs she took of me many months ago. I remember this relationship fondly, and wonder what happened to the video we made of me trying to win a stuffed toy from one of those claw machines. It was for a school project.
Another friend I played with was Andy Wilkinson. Andy is a cartoonist/animator. He hit it big a few years ago after a series he co-created got picked up for consideration by Fox. I’m not sure if anything came of it, but if I am not mistaken he’s living in LA. I’m sure he’ll be a success, just give it time.
I swiped these sketches he made of me from his website (see link above for more of Andy’s awesomeness). I guess I’ve never really been shy about getting naked ( I am wearing underwear in the sketches below…in fact, I still have those underwear. Gosh. Maybe I should get rid of them.)
This is totally my body. Neat.
I’m so happy that I’ve gotten to play with so many talented people. More evidence of past art play to come.
Love and Enjoy!
