My friend S contacted me: Congratulations on the extended run. I hope you’re selling lots of genitalia. Does that make you a pimp though??

No, pimps only rent it. … must say the comeback was from my most retort-worthy friend, GZ.

Left up to me, I’d go off on this diatribe of my huge wish/hope/desire/longing that I lived in a world where every single person would have full control over their own and to never rent it without full choice, never be in a life situation where they are forced to rent, where any activity would be consentual completely through and through. and through. forever. and ever and ever.

But S, you meant the question lightly. So I’ll stick with GZ’s witty response.

MissionMission enjoyed both the crochet show at SOAP and the embroidery show at Benders.

They’re also garnering some comments that go back and forth, as this art tends to do.

I really like this blog – very open, considerate, and community minded.

I’ve never lived in San Francisco but LOVE visiting it pretty much anywhere. I’ve learned my way around the Mission because of the art galleries I’ve shown work at. There is So Much Good Stuff Here!!!

I was just at a gathering last night after gallery sitting for my show at SOAP. The Million Fishes Artist Collective hosted the dorkbots group. The speakers were Very Interesting and the group was such an eclectic collection of curious scientists, engineers, artists, creative people!

I LOVE the Mission!

The day before my show opened, I participated in an unrelated community collaboration / brainstorming event.

I was paired with a Filipino woman and we were to talk for a few minutes about what was alive for us.

Having just come from putting the finishing touches on my first solo art show, I told her about it.

Me: It’s about addressing secrets, taboos we hold emotionally in our bodies that contort us when we can’t be honest about them and let them out.

She: Is it paintings, photography?

Me: Wellll, I do it through provocative doilies.

She: Oh? Tell me the worst doily you’ve made.

I considered the gorgeous onyx and gold cross around her neck.

Me: Really?

She: Yes, tell me the worst one, the worst message.

Me: O … kay … well, I made a cock that’s big enough to go over the back of a chair … I demonstrated with my hands flowing over the back of my chair. She was already laughing. Encouraged, I added the next detail about the spray and she was doubled over in her chair with more laughter.

Me: I’m curious exactly what part is funny for you.

She: You don’t look like someone who would do that!!

Me: Well, I was considering the cross you were wearing and wasn’t sure it would be a good thing to share this.

We laughed many more times that afternoon as we passed each other to join different groups. It is not lost on me that I was having my own stereotypically-tending brain blown just like she was. How pleasant.

Two young guys walked into my doily show while I was gallery sitting.

One sauntered into the middle of the room, laughed, and proclaimed, “Now this is my kinda show!”

I asked them how they found out about the show.

We were just walking by. Trying to go to the gun store but they were closed.

Then we saw all these interesting things in here.

Sorry you were second choice to a gun store … but … their sign was bigger.

SF Weekly’s Janine Kahn reviewed my show and called it “bizarre but endearing”.

Funny ’cause this all feels so norrrmalll to me.

She’s not the only one to respond that way though. I’m getting used to it.

Slideshow here.

Thanks, Janine!

One young woman came up to me near the end of my opening reception. In a quiet gentle voice told me she enjoyed my work. I thanked her and shook her hand and asked her her name. She said, quietly and a bit hesitantly, Emily, but I got the feeling that she didn’t really want to tell me so the name I’m using here is not the name she told me.

I asked her what she enjoyed about it or why she enjoyed it and she gently referred to growing up with doilies and … her voice trailed off. I think she rolled her eyes ever so slightly or shook her head a little. I read that to say that these gave her some relief.

As I related this story to a friend of mine, my friend responded, Emily is probably re-examining a lot of choices and possibilities as we speak. Let us all.