small world

      Recently I went to the LAL opening for the Right Here Right Now exhibition. Which was quite good and I would recommend for all who have not gotten a chance to see it, to see it.  Darrell and I both have works in the show as well as a number of Georgetown affiliated folks. (And hat tips to Boris for all of his work on the Board over there at the LAL.)
     But what I wanted to talk about was the humor found in how small the art world is. As I was walking around the show looking at nice work after nice work and came across a nice print mounted to panel (image above). I looked at the tag and it was by the artist Jenn Manzella. I laughed out loud and then proceeded to pull out my phone, snap a picture and then call my good friend from graduate school...Jenn Manzella. Jenn and I both were in the printmaking program at UGA myself graduating in 06 and Jenn in 07. It was so striking to see a such familiar name from states away (Jenn still lives and works in Athens and teaches at Gainesville College) in my own backyard. And to be in a show together was just so funny. We actually worked on a collaborative exhibition called "Things of that Nature" at the Lamar Dodd School of Art Gallery a number of years ago but I have not really talked to much to her since. It was great to catch up and laugh about the crossed paths. Jenn is a super interesting person as well, from Philly, never been in a wal-mart or k-mart in her entire life, rides a fixed gear bike with chopped handlebars so she can pass between cars in traffic, and doesn't believe in social networking outside of a phone call. But I regress.
      The art world in which we exist really is super small and everyone seems just one friend away from every other person.  It is always fun to rediscover friends and see where they are and what they are making, to see how much has changed and how much really hasn't.