Sunday, March 7, 2010

Maybe They Just Didn't Like The Mountains



Tell the truth, does that look like a "suspicious gathering" to you? Because according to the cops, that's how the caller described us. Thankfully we had all our papers in order, and the police were very polite and understanding, so our Nora Herting: Free Sitting party continued out in front of the gallery until a wee-but-reasonable hour!



With this lovely backdrop, Nora created found families, posing anyone who cared to be posed alongside anyone that cared to be with them. The shots ranged from the sublime to the surreal, and the night was filled with a mix of gallery regulars, first time visitors, and even a few innocent bystanders. Everyone was having so much fun that it was impossible for anyone to feel shy.



Nora's project is designed to explore the feeling of those awkward family portraits that once were part of the American dream, bringing total strangers together to play the parts. She's previously carried out her Free Sittings elsewhere, including a wonderfully successful stop in Chelsea late last year. Her seasoned ability turned Saturday night into a chance to play with the idea of the portrait, both through Nora's deliberate direction or by simply letting the models position themselves. Some shots were awkward, some were sinister, some were just plain funny, and one or two even made the onlookers say "awwww".



You can read a little more about Nora's project right here. Of course, while that was going on, we had a little event of our own happening inside.



Saturday's ultra-rare advance preview of our upcoming show, The World We Live In, The Worlds We Create was a mix of the sculpture and drawing that all us Spicy people have very excited about. You can see an advance sneak preview on our sneak preview page, but don't think that we're giving it all away this early! Why do you think we're being so coy with these shots? All you get now is a little taste, because the real opening night is Friday, March 12th, and we want YOU to be there! Maybe you'll even get to talk to some of the artists, such as the wonderful Jessica Stoller (center, in the hat).



Additionally, RSVP now for the next installment of our Monthly Dinner Series, The Worlds We Ate on March 20th. You'll be having a delicious dinner surrounded by the work itself, and you can enjoy meeting the artists in person! Previous dinners have been amazing, so reserve your place!

But that's a story still waiting for us in the future. The fun we had on Saturday was all because of Nora Herting.



Great job, Nora! We can't wait to do it again.