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February 15, 2007
So Long, Joe
I've known from the start that the gallery show would end, and that with it, so would the wall version of Man Joe. I had harbored a fleeting hope that Carla (owner of the gallery) would be so moved by Man Joe that she would allow it to remain untouched, living in eternal harmony (or perhaps discord) with the other works of art hung in future shows.
Alas, Carla handed us a spray bottle of windex and some sponges and told us to get to work. And so we did.
Robbi had painted with washable gouache, which washed off pretty easily once wet.
We used a lot of Windex.
It was not much fun to wipe away something that Robbi had created.
Little by little, the painting disappeared.
Until only Joe himself remained.
We shared a private moment.
And said goodbye.
After which I sprayed Joe in the face with Windex.
And euthanized him.
Until he was no more.
All along Robbi had pretended not to care about the wall painting, insisting that she would feel no pain when the time came to wipe it away.
But as she stood gazing at the newly empty space
Her true feelings became apparent.
Just after suffering the soul-crushing realization that one's first ever wall painting and Idiots'Books gallery show was gone forever, we learned that there will be an encore. Carla has invited us to participate in the follow-up show to the Next Generation. The yet-unnamed show, which will feature many of the same artists as this one, will be in January of 2009. If all goes according to plan, we will be working on volume 24 by then. Perhaps there will be another wall painting. Perhaps there will not. But the mere possibility is a beacon in these dark times.
Posted by bogenamp at February 15, 2007 12:25 AM