20 December 2005

Oh, Mike Kelley (for art's sake)

Okay, back east, just in time to catch the closing of the Mike Kelley exhibition at Gagosian. Very opportune since his installation/musical "Day is Done" recreates photographs from his high school yearbook. Not the same as our current project, but a similar sentiment to my "tourism of the past."

So, thought I was going to miss the exhibition and was happy to have gotten back in time to see it. Or so it would seem. I'm told I operate on brinkmanship when it comes to time, deadlines, etc. Sometimes it works out (most of the time it does), sometimes it doesn't. This wasn't the former: I literally pulled up to the gallery door as they were ushering people out. I parked where I was, ran to the door, and pleaded (whined) my case to the guard. As it turns out, he was going to let me sneak in--then I ran into the second guard. While the second guy was also sympathetic, he was clearly afraid of some woman inside who had threatened him should he let anyone by. I was the one who then felt sorry for him. I dropped my head, snuck a peak through the doors as people exited, and spent the next hour sulking my way out of Manhattan.

In total, I spent nearly six hours driving (back and forth), $45+ in gas, and $22 in tolls, all for the possibility of seeing Mike Kelley's work. Yes, all my fault, but the rush of nearly seeing art: priceless.

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