Garage Collage
I didn't wake up and think, "I will have an art show in my garage tonight." Instead, I stayed in bed a little longer and read Anne Truitt's Daybook. It's an intimate look into the journals of an artist. That morning I was reading about her morning routine, which guides her toward her work in the studio. Her words compelled me to move my body out of bed and into the studio.
Along the way, I picked up a book about collage. It inspired me toward the medium in my making. At first, I thought I'd walk the neighborhood foraging for pieces of trash for my design, but I craved being in the a studio quicker than that type of excursion would allow. So, instead, I made my way, coffee in hand, into the garage.
I don't spend much time in the garage. It's mostly a forgotten room of storage for tools, camping supplies, and junk. I imagined it might have what I needed to complete a collage or two. Three hours later, I had six collages made from what I found digging in my garage (five are pictured). Each is composed of cardboard from a TV box, grout bags, various tapes, old paint, glue, sandpaper, and other miscellanies from the previous home owner.
As I finished an image, I hung it in the garage (with masking tape). How nice it was to brighten up the dank space with artwork! It's incredible what a small cardboard canvas with layers of refuse can do to a desolate area. It was then that I thought to invite my wife into my ad hoc gallery. She suggested I make a sign and invite the neighbors. Why not? I made a small cardboard sign that said "art show" and put it in our yard. My neighbor Jim, who's in his seventies, walked by. I asked him if he wanted to come to an art show later (not thinking he'd take me seriously). But, he did. Jim and his wife Patsy arrived at 7:00 sharp. They looked at my art for a few moments, made a comment or two, and then sat with us in our driveway. They stayed for an hour or so chatting about the history of the neighborhood. It was the first time that Megan and me and Patsy and Jim hung out together (we moved in over a year ago). Our friend Steph joined as well.
Like I said, my intention that day wasn't to host an art show. If anything, my only impulse was to express the energy I felt bubbling up inside of me that morning (which I experience most mornings). Art is a lovely channel for that force (so is my garden). And, that's all I hoped for from my garage ventures, to release my internal buzzing.
But, what was self-directed eventually became other-directed when Megan suggested that I share the results. Admittedly, it was a little scary. I mean, I'm a 35-year old guy inviting 70-year-old neighbors to an art show in my garage. Moments like these are what I like to call a Mr. Rogers moment. It's a sliver in time when we let our inner kid take the lead. Good things always happen as a result, like connecting with your neighbors/neighborhood on a more profound level.
Invitation to the neighborhood
Jim and Patsy visit the gallery
Much needed fellowship among neighbors and friends (while practicing social distancing).
You don't have to have an art show to create moments like these, but I encourage you to try it out. It's so simple to make a collage with found materials around your house. Anyone can do it. The action is also a cathartic exercise in times like these when everyone is a part. Collaging puts things back together. It reminds us that, if we look, abundance around us, even in the garage.
So, follow your inner kid, open your garage door, and let the neighbors in! Let me know how it goes.