Thursday, January 17, 2013

A Rose by Any Other Name; T-65 Days


Time to settle on a title for THE SHOW. I thought I had one, but I was given a short lecture (in a good way) on naming a first solo exhibition. My first ideas were too wordy, and I'm glad someone was helpful enough to tell me.

   Time out for an Old Testament reference. In Genesis, God names man,
                                                      and man is His.
   It’s a principle that is used frequently; you name it, you take    
   responsibility for it. God changed Abraham’s and Sarah’s names from 
   Abram and Sarai, and makes them his. Man gets to name the animals, 
   and takes dominion over them. 

You get the gist; I name the show, it’s mine. Have I put this off intentionally? No, but maybe subliminally.   Advice I have received includes: two words is best, have the title should clearly represent the works so potential visitors know what to expect, include my name in the title (as Alyson Stanfield writes, "Your name in the title screams Solo Show!")

Also, because this is my first full show in my new hometown, I should use it to not only introduce myself to the region, but particularly to local artists. WOW! That is really good advice that I had not considered.  After all, the arts community is one of the reasons I moved here. I am forming personal relationships, and some artists have seen some of my work, but this will be their first chance to see a professional presentation of my work. Noooo pressure.

Your help is requested (as in, PLEASE HELP!), help me brainstorm. My 
current plan is to show some really old and sort of old work that relates to 
my new work, to illustrate the progression. The really old (you know, 
35 years) I'm including I see as a prologue; it's important to the story, but 
not of the story. I will have lived here 6 months at the opening, so I can still consider myself a newlywed who can unashamedly share hew wedding 
photos, or in my case, the story of how I chose Sainte Genevieve from the 
whole world. So, the story is about how I came to be here and what I've done since my arrival (most have the river as an element) with a little 
background as an amuse bouche.
Your turn now. My best thought is,
Suzanne Thompson
Getting Here

Please share your ideas. Thanking you in advance...

2 comments:

  1. When your name is two words it's hard to get a two word title that references the work. :-) Given your background, subject matter and status how about Pilgrim's Progress.

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    1. Oh! That might be fun. I have had the suggestion that I only show new work. The gallery director has suggested a really monumental piece referencing the Mississippi River, one that might meander thru the space. I'm definitely going to do the River work, so there may be no room for early work.

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