1. We headed in to Philadelphia to go and visit the Institute of Contemporary
Art in West Philadelphia. It was a bright, but chilly, Sunday and my dad, twin,
friend, and I were all feeling pretty curious about what we were going to see.
Perhaps primarily my dad, who has never visited a gallery before.
2. Our first exhibit was Nicole Eisenmein, it is called Dear Nemesis. This
painting, Brookly Biergarten II, caught my eye. I was surprised at how much I
responded to Eisenmein’s work, her people look like characters and the way
she stuffs them into the painting is this strange juxtaposition of cohesion and
clutter. However it works.
3. Many of her paintings hung on this wall, with several commanding attention
and others shying away, waiting for you to come up to them and examine
their subjects. There was a huge list of the works on the side. These works
have been created over a 20 year span. Seeing them hung in this fashion was
very awe inspiring.
4. This was another of her pieces I was drawn to. I felt a connection to
Eisenmein’s work and through this piece realized this was something I myself
would do. Her work became more personal as I made this connection. I did
not expect to find myself within another artist today at the ICA, but I really
did enjoy Nicole Eisenmein’s paintings.
5. Next we ventured up a long hallway into darkness, where a projector played and led us
into the room exhibiting Moyra Davis’ work. I didn’t make much of a connection with her
work. My dad, being a mailman, took note of the stamps she used. I ended up going on a
search at home to see the ones she picked. One of them is called Wisdom and the other is
simply American Clock, I wonder if she thought about the stamps in any detail. I like how
she made this as a book, to be held in a gallery.
6. Then came Alex Da Corte and Jayson Musson with their exhibit
Easternsports. What a truly enthralling room. If I had seen this several years
ago I might have been frightened at the strangeness, the way this room
seems otherworldly yet on Earth. But now I was mystified, the lights and the
music took you somewhere you have never been. Somewhere maybe in your
dreams.
7. The room is this blend of “I’ve been here before” and “Where am I?”, at least
in my perspective. These are all things I know, chairs, carpet, walls, but they
are also thing I don’t know. The pinkness of the room made me want to sleep
there. It was a calming exhibit and very memorable.
8. Ridykeulous’ Readykeulous exhibit was my all time favorite. Her anger as a
feminist was something I can relate to, which is why this piece up here was
my favorite. I love it. The snark is beautiful. As a feminist who is often very
angry with media, I am all about this.
9. I love this letter to the Future Art World where she discusses the way the current art
world views, sells, and buys art. Her opening line is “Perhaps you do not know who I
am, which means I fucking failed STILL haven’t been recognized for my genuis.” I’m
in love with the honesty and intelligence of her work.
My favorite line of this letter is:
“You may recall this as capitalism, a problem I assume you have solved”.
10. It was a very interesting experience overall and many pieces and artists will stand in
my memory for a long time. My two favorite exhibitions were those by Nicole
Eisenmein and Ridykeulous. I enjoy the way Eisenmein paints and the way
Ridykeulous thinks.
