The other night I was lucky to attend “Look Before You Leap” a new exhibition of work from Black Mountain College at the ICA. You can see more details about the exhibit here.
The pieces included images and models of Buckminster Fuller’s geodesic dome, works by Elaine de Kooning which I had never experienced, and a handful of de Kooning’s which I’ve never seen in such humble settings (if you call the gallery at the ICA humble).
The exhibit brought me back to my freshman year at Alfred University learning about John Cage and using his methods to create art. At first I thought I was going to enjoy it – explaining to my mother Cage was a man that wrote blank sheet music while rolling my eyes. In the 8 years since I’ve left college my art, which I feel lucky to still be doing, has definitely catered to monetary necessity. I take jobs that primarily will pay me well and secondarily allow me creative freedom.
The entire Black Mountain exhibit is creative freedom and experimentation.
It makes me yearn for an artist collective, a mentor, giant canvases, a community of people working together to cook meals, paint philosophies, and live in their art. I miss this. And after all these years feeling that I am not an Artist, it is lovely to know that I would so much still like to be one.
That is to say you should go see the show at the ICA and enjoy the stories for yourself.