Stuff Seen - Exhibition of Jack

Howdy!



A+

Absolutely brilliant and wonderful. And now let me tell you how I really feel.



Patricia Pink has been running an Art Gallery for gosh, I don't know how long, maybe 20 years? Maybe more, maybe less, but longer than I'v been running Zeke's. I've been meaning to get down to her place for the longest time, and had always been putting it off (being without car does have its drawbacks). Last week I finally made it down (thanks to someone with a car) and I've been kicking myself ever since as to what I must've missed.

Basically when we were there, it was a show dedicated to her father. Jack Pink (who I never met) had dabbled in painting, but more importantly touched a whole whack o' folk who were and are very artistic. Ms. Pink (Pat to you and me) got artwork by twelve people who had been touched by Jack and put 'em up.



Obviously in a show such as this, the absolute quality of the work is going to vary greatly, but just as obviously in a show such as this, it ain't being done because of the quality of the art work. It is being done because of the sincerity, earnestness and absolute depth of emotion in each and every piece. And that sincerity, depth of emotion and earnestness came through loud and clear here.

I had previously joked with friends and family about what I wanted once I was dead. And for the most part it varied from the most ostentatious and humongous mausoleum (when I was but knee high to a grasshopper and feeling particularly anonymous) to a full blow Irish Wake (even though I have not a drop of Irish blood in me) to insisting that I was going to live forever or die trying. However after seeing what and how Pat did for Jack, I now have decided that there ain't no way anybody can top something like that, so I have become even more convinced that I need to live forever.



But to talk about the art, which is to talk about Jack, which is the point of the whole gosh darn exhibit is something that you should do. If you're like me, and didn't know Jack, then you're gonna have to talk with Pat about the art. And each piece has its own special story, the one I remember right now is Darren De Genova's Puzzle of Jack. Although later today I could just as easily remember the story of Gregory Loudon's Lying in a Bed of Roses or Sara Day's Jack (in the Kitchen). Whatever you do, be certain to ask Pat about her pieces, I screwed up when I was there (because I was so blown away) and from looking at Pat's stuff, I am fairly certain that even though everybody else's stories (and by extension their Art) about Jack is good, given that her Art is better, I betcha dollars to doughnuts her stories are too.

Despite the invite saying that the show closed last weekend, when I was there, Pat said that she was going to extend it, I don't know for how long, and I don't know if she in fact did, so I suggest you give her a call before heading down. But you better head on down.

[Update February 9: I just heard from Pat and she says that the show has been extended until March 12, now you have no excuse for missing it.]