slightly wonky

So, I did a bit of a crazy thing.  I signed up to have my “portfolio” reviewed by professionals in the local art world…gallery owners, curators, etc.  The Cambridge Art Association has organized this.  Each artist gets three, 20 minute conversations with three different reviewers.  This seemed like a great idea when I signed up.  Now, I’m panicking.

I realized, after signing up, that this is a very formal interview.  Think of it as a job interview for artists.  I thought that I could casually bring a pile of my work, and just talk about what seems to have potential.  This is NOT what is supposed to happen.  I am supposed to have a clear, coherent portfolio of around 8 works/images to discuss.  I am presenting myself and my work, as if I was trying to get them to offer to show my work.  This is…serious.

As a result, I am in a bit of a panic.  What am I going to show them?  Which one of these varied things is going to be my “thing”…my “artistic vision”?  My vision feels blurry right now.  I now believe that I must create something BRILLIANT in the next couple of weeks.  When I puts this kind of pressure on myself…a kind of paralysis ensues.  I’m freaking out.  I also realize that I CANNOT mention this blog, lest they read about my panic.  That wouldn’t be very professional, I think.

So, I somehow have to get my act together very quickly.  I do wish that I could miraculously come up with some brilliant things in the next week or so.  I have a feeling that’s not reasonable.

Sigh.  Now, onto other matters of panic…

I’m taking a collage class.  This also stresses me out.  In graduate school, I took a collage class.  It was traumatizing.  I think that I have mentioned it before in a previous post.  Anyway, I am hoping that this class is more relaxed, and doesn’t make me break out in a cold sweat every time I see a glue stick.

Here are the random things that I did in the last class:

We were supposed to do a collage about ourselves…in 20 minutes.  That’s what I came up with.  Hmmm…I won’t explain.

This is the next collage, where we had to use one entire page of a magazine to make the collage:

I kind of liked that one.  This next one was supposed to be an “all text” collage.  I was in a rush, as I ran out of time because I was chit-chatting with my classmates. 

Kind of silly.  This was sort of refreshing, though, as our collages in grad school ALWAYS had to be rectangles with clean edges.  Yawn.

Here is the other color scheme of that lino print from before.  I’m disappointed with it. 

Okay, pay attention:

Has anyone out there done an “artist interview”?  Any words of wisdom?  I know.  Don’t panic.  Seriously…besides “not panicking”, anything else to think about?  How do you decide what to present, when your work is so varied?  Don’t say, “avoid participating in interviews”, or “get your act together”.  That’s obvious, and not helpful. 

Maybe I should wear a disguise and use a fake name…KIDDING (I think).