We've been doing shows of one kind or another for decades. We take great delight in getting out of the studio and coming into direct contact with the general public. Its always more than a little blurry as to what and who is on display - us, the work, or the cavalcade of humankind passing by. Likely all of the above.
All of us who have done shows, exhibitions and gallery openings have memorable experiences occasioned by the volatile mix of art and the general public. These experiences can be sweet, enlightening, inspiring, silly, hilarious, infuriating, insulting, criminal and people simply being stupid in public.
With all the weighty topics in these forums we're taking a short break. This is your invitation to pull up a chair and share some of your favorite show stories.
We were at a craft show last Saturday when a middle-aged woman walked up to the booth. Its an outdoor show and this is Southern California. So it is pretty warm and the woman is drinking a coke from a large container. She spends a fair amount of time looking over the pieces on the table, and finds a bracelet that catches her eye. Picking up the bracelet she slips it on and proceeds to admire it on her wrist. Turning her wrist over to get the bracelet's full effect the woman deftly dumps the entire container of coke she is holding in the bracelet hand all over herself and our display. Without saying a word she put the bracelet on the table and walked away. A classic example of singularity of attention.
Its odd how the same event can elicit amusement and anger.