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Scroll down to the bottom for an update and picture for 7.14.11
Final Update, a view of the show, here
BOSTON--Today was drop-off day for the Chain Letter show here. The hosting gallery: Samson Projects at 450 Harrison Avenue in the South End. Here's a captioned visual report:
The gallery was due to open at noon. At 11:45, artists were already making their way with wrapped packages
Samson Projects
The beginning of the line
At 11:48 the doors opened
The first artists entered
. . . and kept entering
. . . and kept entering
. . . and kept entering
. . . and . . .
. . . and . . .
There was a lull so I asked artist and frame maker Stephen Halley to show us what he was going to put in
Then the stream picked up, this time with kids who seemed eager to participate
. . . and . . .
. . . and . . .
All of these arrivals came in just under 10 minutes
You notice you haven't seen anyone exiting. In that first 10 minutes the only movement was in. That's because most of the artists went downstairs to hang their own work. I left to go jury a show across the way and returned at 4:45 to see what had transpired.
4:45 p.m. That's Camilo Alvarez, owner of Samson Projects, in the plaid shorts, with Anthony Greaney, owner of the neighboring gallery that bears his name
"There's about 700 pieces up here," said Alvarez, "and about another 400 downstairs. It seemed like a conservative estimate. In addition to the artists streaming in all day, I'm told FedEx and UPS had made multiple deliveries. Alvarez seemed surprisingly calm, given that the show will open on Saturday at 5:00 p.m. (until 8:00)
Packages in the back room. You walk through the back room to get to the stairs . . .
. . . which take you to the lower level . . .
. . . where artists had been installing their own work. The work here and below is on one long wall
This is a portion of the opposite wall
More
And still more
For this view I walked way to the back and turned around to shoot where I had been. I expect the walls in the hallway, already filling, will be completely covered
Too late. It was just before 6:00 pm when I took this photo. The gallery was already closed.
The show will be installed by Saturday, and I understand that artists will be allowed to retrieve their work after the opening--which would then effectively make it a closing. Nothing about this show makes sense. I guess that's part of the point of it.
Update 7.14.11:
This Photo and report in the caption comes from Linda Cordner (thank you!) who has a studio in the same building as Samson Projects:
"I took this photo through the front window. Looks like he [Camilo] got most of the room hung today--in a controlled chaos sort of way. Seems to me that this is just a way to create a big party at a gallery since it is one night only. I guess there's nothing wrong with that."
I can add that the large installation in the center of the gallery, with the image of Richard Pryor barely visible on the back wall, is by Todd Pavlisko, who has a solo show (with a little company) through July 16.