Jeff is doing painting, prints, and a very elaborate installation (as well as brilliantly designing the catalog and postcard). Jamie is an amazing photographer as well as furniture maker. Rhoda is doing "precious" little pots (her words) in clay, functional mixed media pieces as well as truly heroic architectural sculpture. I am exhibiting painting, prints, ceramics, sculpture and furniture as well.
It is a renaissance, not just because we are different from each other, but because we each do such an extraordinary range of work with mastery. In this age of specialization, our commitment to being individually "renaissance artists" is totally subversive. This is the most important thing for people to get their head around. Many times dealers have told me, "Adrian, just paint flowers (or portraits or landscapes etc.). That would be so much easier to market." What we are trying to do is exactly what I was taught in art school was impossible- being a generalist..and a master, not of one thing but many. This would make perfect sense to a 15th century Florentine. Why are we not allowed the same latitude as artists in the 21st century?
Adrian
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