Since coming from a professional modern dance background, I have always worked in a group, a pack, and herd. Always felt most comfortable working alongside other artists, while also having very strong projects of my own.
Many years later that yearning continued here in New Orleans, creating an artist collective Catalyst Collective New Orleans. There I was hoping for much collaboration to happen among its members. Unfortunately not all artists work collectively, which was evident when we disbanded.
Curator David Breslin, from the Whitney in New York recently singled out my collaborative spirit in my approach to portraiture, and my models, in the recent Louisiana Contemporary Show at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, which he judged. He saw my practice as exciting, and emblematic of Louisiana’s community of artists in general. He praised the welcoming, open, and multi-disciplinary sharing that he found in much of the winning work.
Continuing with my collective spirit, I asked Moira Crone, a painter, a well-established writer and dear friend, if she would like to work collectively on a project for PhotoNola 2019. Thankfully she said yes and the past eight months have been transforming. Looking at all the images on the gallery wall in various configurations had us both amazed, as we continue on our collective path.
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