Art-The Moving Thread
I have always been fascinated by the idea of an artist’s salon, a coming together of minds and personalities, such as the famous gatherings orchestrated by Gertrude Stein. I’ve hungered for a space in which accomplished artists could create a conversation that would both enrich and challenge. Could there ever be such a thing in today’s frenetic world? I think so. In my imagination—yes.
Art - The Moving Thread is my attempt to explore how such a salon might actually exist in the 21st century. I invited the first woman onto the Thread and then it was up to each subsequent artist to suggest another nationally recognized artist—I asked that these invitations be personal in nature, so that the artists would be connected by more than artistic admiration. The Thread grows this way, from artist to artist, gradually forming a constellation of influence and inquiry: a virtual salon, perhaps.
In one way, I became Gertrude Stein: I’m the only one who had the privilege to spend time with each of these extraordinary women. (The Thread wasn’t initially intended to be gender-specific, but as it turns out these particular artists kept recommending other women; a perhaps unsurprising turn of events, given the integral role of women in fostering salons throughout history.) They all gave of their time so graciously, and now I’m hoping for a little more: my final goal for this project is to get all these fascinating people into one room for an evening where they can celebrate and relish each other’s presence. It will then be a true salon.
