Hi Jen,

Another very interesting review but maybe curiously split between two venues with the latter maybe getting somewhat short shrift, I presume accidentally, because the Asian thing may have a way of holding the lead. The tie-in between the two venues seems to be a theme on ways in which artists are executing the concept of transcendence. Words and concepts are cut from the same cloth as is the very stuff of our thinking and awareness. Word meaning and therefore reality are forever multiplexed in a kind of word fog that sometimes seems to let us see and yet forever hides the ultimate prize drifting in the haze. The TARL evening was full of alchemy beginning in a household's backyard in the light of a bonfire surrounded by a substantial ring of art folk. You and I were there to drink the substance of that evening and the essence of those young art people. And, yet, you are one of the young ones, aren't you?

I was curious if your notes on that tiny note pad of yours taken in the dark of night a couple of weeks ago would show up in an article. It has showed up sort of tacked on the end of more extensive text on the Asian thing and a bit in its shadow. All's the pity, maybe.

I wondered what would be impressing you on that evening as I clearly had responses of my own. My experience was working on several levels. One was my continual possible false memory (fitting here) of a moment in Ingmar Bergman's film, Wild Strawberries, were the old man is in the presence of a couple of traveling youth who are ever so caught up, as youth can be, in discussions about the deeper questions about life. The ring of people around the evening fire featured a fixed minority of males delving deeply into the meaning of life for the artist raising many of the themes that one finds in the most recent decades of contemporary art including questions about the significance of the object and the act of showing the work. From my old perspective I found it kind of funny but have serious respect for the young men and their talk. There's a time in our lives when we seem more prone to such energetic discursions and I'm sure it's a foundation for the production of art regardless how it is tied to it. I also was deeply moved by the humanness of the community, the presence of a very young baby of a couple, and the comradery and intense commitment to art within this crew

I was surprised that no women spoke up and expressed themselves about the art issues. There are plenty of women capable in the art world and ready to speak at the drop of most anything. So I then thought of whether there was a social gender issue going on here. It was so funny that just these young men were going on and on and no women were part of it. And I thought of you (because you are clearly a woman) and wondered if there is some kind of role thing or gender difference in these matters. This, I know, is very dangerous territory for me to mine but it is always interesting. In the sixties one wouldn't dare suggest there are differences but we seem to have become more nuanced about the possibilities. I wondered if your writing was female in some way-not lesser- and a voice within said, "wow, interesting, but stay away from this one." Our culture has a great problem with this subject and I certainly think of your writing as being equal to anyone. But why was it guys only? Interestingly curious. Your writing is importantly discursive, I think. Is it unisex? Is it an open question? Can we even go there? You do point out that, "certain dominant metaphors and rhetorics connected to the concept of transcendence are easily coopted by those with very different intentions from the ones you have." Is there traction here?

As to Rob Smith's show in the understated basement with the prominent furnace in place, I tended to marvel at it. What a people's gallery space! I was impressed by how this art community was carrying on art in the humble basement of a private home and reaching out to significant artists they embrace. The impulse reminded me of that breakthrough Whitney show so many years ago when the curator actually went out to the artist's sanctuaries and discovered what they respected and recomended. Here was a show that seemed highly non-commoditized. Some kind of art SOUL was at work. This includes the possible history of the venue. There has been talk of "a new kind of family developing here" and I was blown away how this community was respecting art and keeping it alive even without the Royal trappings of the traditional gallery market scene. I was told this group of people is somehow connected to a provenance with the Craw Space gallery in which serious artists support other artists who are carefully selected.

Yes, I was impressed with Smith's display. One thing that struck me was the use of physical tension in his pieces. Speaking of metaphors, it kind of reminded me of the use of tension in the work of Sol Hashemi's and Jason Hirata's use of bungee cords at Greg Kucera's. This use of physical tension intrigues me. You probably know of many examples of this but I'm kind of out of that great knowledge loop. On top of this was a whole night of magic realism, not just in the basement gallery, but around the bonfire and with these wonderful young people keeping art alive and well. In magic realism there is the wonderful tension between the modern world and the primitive. A bonfire and tribe surrounded by a restless contemporary metropolis.

As to transcendence examined or visited and deflected, the doing of art today can be quite remarkable considering art's history. Coopting the essence of things by way of different intentions than the ordinary certainly can reveal something new. In this sense contemporary visual art often reminds me of poetry and its renewal by examining the everyday to find new awarenesses. Controlling the language, visual or not, often reminds me of riding bucking bull.

I was going to keep it short, but damn, you know!

@GWFinholt, thank you for your thoughtful musings, support and for making the trek to the TARLhouse! Please come again.

I wanted to quickly address why no women spoke at the fireside chat. It was designed to be artist Rob Smith 'in dialogue' with Matt Browning and Rebar Niemi, 2/5 TARL founders. In the future, we will be more clear about the intended format of our conversations.