My work in the Studio Without Walls, my first outdoor sculpture show, has been vandalized. Total bummer!
My (original) piece was made of three 1 yard wide pieces of printed/painted/stitched and stiffened fabric, that were being held together with gardening stakes and heavy cable ties. From the photo my mother-in-law sent me yesterday afternoon, it looks like someone cut the center section off the installation, and removed it, but it's hard to tell. A fellow artist in the show is going to send me pictures soon, and I'll try to get in to Brookline, MA to see it myself ASAP.
Maybe I should fix it by filling in the empty spot with a real piece of construction fence. Or, better yet, maybe I should put that yellow crime scene tape around it. In all seriousness, I might just leave it there as is, since that's sort of (unfortunately) what happens to actual construction fences.
Another bummer about the vandalism is that I just submitted an application to show this piece in another show in another city. I do have a red version I could use, if I'm fortunate enough to get in. I'll know more on or around June 18th.
This is what my piece used to look like.
While I can't remember the exact number, I think there have now been five pieces in the show that have been vandalized to date, and three artists have completely removed their work. At the moment, I don't think I will do that. Why anyone would take pleasure in cutting, breaking, bashing, and toppling art, as they have been, is beyond me.
Thank you to my mother-in-law and my husband for gently alerting me of the bad news, and to friends and family members who have given kind words of support. I very much appreciate it.
One of my cousins wrote the following on my facebook wall, which I found comforting: "Like the tree to which it is attached, it may be damaged or removed, but its spirit lives on within any and all who beheld it and appreciated it." His words especially warmed my heart.
