Jane also organizes a nice Denver dorkbot event along with the Denver Open Media crew live broadcast on community cable channel 57 and on KGNU. she invites me to do an hour talk/presentation on whatever—networking, projects, community activism—live. interesting dynamic, I’ll get a copy of it at some point. Mark Hosler from negativland does the hour after mine. later there is a small party upstairs.
A chaotic night, as it was also Dona’s photo exhibition opening at Sliding Door Gallery, only a block away. Very strange coincidence as I practically never had any engagements in Denver, ever. It was a First Friday street night, and the neighborhood was packed. Very nice to see such civil activities like that in the US, maybe there is a cultural renaissance about to fire up. Maybe in response to the collapse of consumer capitalism in the developed world. Folks had consumed enough of all that consumer crap on credit on loan on mortgage on plastic (now, is that hydrocarbon plastic we’re talking about?).
Dona had some photographic print work along with Camilla Briggs and her organic textile set-pieces. Dona’s images of the Dalai Lama which impressed themselves into works about Light were distracting, perhaps because of his iconic status, but more basically, to have a human form entering the field of radiative holy-ness of Light, well, either redundant or simply not necessary. Or maybe too obvious. Dunno, precise problem can’t be circumscribed without seeing all the images again. Were these stills from a movie? Why not. Fluid seeing. It seemed to miss the regularity of decisive format choices — sizing and positioning. A smaller panoramic cloud sequence, while not astonishing for those of us humans who fling ourselves about in metal tubes high in the air, was moving in its internal brilliance. Abstraction helps to refine expression of aesthetic. Unless the figuration is more personal — the opposite of iconic. Any body would do. Any body is holy enough for Light to play with.
Camilla’s wax-sealed rose petals needed intimacy, something played out right there in the middle of this civilian crowd. they needed to be touched, to be touching the participating humans in the room. the patio behind the gallery was funky.
And, otherwise, I especially enjoyed the DOM folks, lead by Directrice Ann Theis, and their real passion for what they were doing. Haven’t run across that too often—the last time, in Latvia, at the Cultural/Historical Museum dance party in 2001—and especially not among US cultural-industry sector folks. Usually there is a desperation and even irritated defiance in the air.
I was too distracted by observing the social scene and having rather intensive conversations and interactions with others. Very dynamic evening. Enjoyable.
Bravo!