IT’S HARD TO LEAVE WHEN YOU CAN’T FIND THE DOOR
Organized by Tom Sanford and Ryan Schneider
Works by Nina Chanel Abney, Justin Craun, Rene Holm, Tom Sanford, Gretchen Scherer, and Ryan Schneider
On View: April 14th - May 19th, 2012
Opening Reception, Saturday, April 14th, 6-8 PM
I go to parties sometimes until four,
It's hard to leave when you can't find the door
The lyric congers up a familiar scenario. Well, familiar to us at least. Long nights, numb on intoxicants, loitering near the beer stocked refrigerator at a house party, the beer stocked garbage can at an art opening, or in the darkest corner of a beer soaked bar. Talking about painting in a way that others argue about sports. Gossiping about other artists, luxuriating in the folly of the late hour, delaying the inevitable cold realization that if you want to get to the studio at a decent time tomorrow, you should be making your exit soon. But for some reason, the door cannot be found, anywhere. Well, fuck it. You sit back down with your friends, order another pitcher, make one more veiled trip to the bathroom, add one more comment to the now indecipherable discussion. Hey, the studio will be a little rough tomorrow, but you will be there. You'll be there because, what else are you going to do? Where else would you actually go? There is always so much to get done, no matter how tragic you feel.
We asked a group of painters whose work we respect and admire to join us for this exhibition. These are artists with whom we have spent or would like to spend a long night. We told the artists the title of the show, and asked them to paint us a picture or two. This is the result. Painting as disjointed and harmonious as a sunrise ride home in a blurred taxi. Late nights, becoming mornings, becoming another day, becoming another night, becoming fodder for another painting. Then we hang them on a wall, and that's that.
I mean, if you do actually find the door, you never know what you're going to miss, so why even look?
Cheers,
Ryan and Tom, April 2012