07.04.06
Narrow minded reactions.
Misinterpretation and narrow mindedness can scathe a mans soul. I have always suspected that the work I decide to produce ends up being a little challenging and disturbing. Today I was talking about art – I pushed the conversation in that direction because everyone else was talking about football and sports and I couldn’t really contribute to that. So I pushed things in my favor by saying “How they hell can you tell me you don’t know who Richard Serra is yet you seem to know all about (insert some footballers name I never heard off.)” Well – one thing lead to another and they wanted to know what installation art was, so I gave a description of changing the environment to become a work of art. The person listening got stuck on the word environment – I had to do some re-explaining. He wanted an example, I gave him mine, I made a work in college about being a foster child. The center piece was a baby crib made out of rusty barbwire spread over with a cottony diaper material. The walls of the room were burnt paneling with scratch marks going to the ceiling. I sprayed the room with beer so it smelled like old smoke and stale beer. I thought it was a pretty powerful piece – but it was an absolute flop in college. Barely anyone went to see it and those who did dint seem to care. But I used that as an example – the person jumped to a conclusion that I was advocating putting babies into cribs made of rusty barbwire.
Well – it is a valid interpretation I guess, but one that is so far off the mark I didn’t think that anyone could be that simple minded. The person really jumped to that conclusion – I tried to explain that that’s not what it was about and that he should go to my website to see other examples of my work and then judge for himself. He said no, he didn’t have to, that that’s why we have the fourth of July. A jab at me telling me he already had my number, that I was a child abuser and all my work was about that, and he didn’t have to see it because he was a real American that wouldn’t stand for that type of work, me, or my website.
I don’t know how it got that far. I am not sure what I am supposed to learn from this event. I don’t know if I should not talk about art to save misinterpretations and totally wrong ideas, or if I should learn to stay away from peoples feelings. I don’t think I will do either – I think I am going to keep making what I feel needs to be made – and let narrow minded thinkers wallow in the shallow pool of stagnation. I mean – the man could have asked why right? He could have asked to see more information right? I am having a tough time dealing with that harsh of a conclusion based on little evidence and even lesser thought. I am having a real tough time with people jumping to conclusions on little thought. I hope I don’t do the same things. But maybe I did with football at the beginning of the conversation. Maybe I started it and then asked for it. I wonder if I bring this type of reaction on myself – I wonder if I really do want it sometimes.
