Hint: It involves a lot of sleep.
I've been in recovery mode since I had my exhibition at the end of July, I never realised how little sleep I had in the lead up to the opening, until it came time to recover.
On the 24th / 25th /26th July 2015 I had my very first ever exhibition 'Product of New Zealand?', at Seventeen Tory Street, and what a great experience it was!
Gruelling, but great. Currently I am working on a larger blog post about how it all went, but for now I just wanted to do a little post about how things have been post-exhibition.
The lead up to the exhibition was hectic, a real trial by fire. I have never put together an exhibition before, let alone hosted my own solo one... hell, I had hardly been to any exhibitions at all in the last 5 years! I look back and realise that I had existed in a state of constant adrenal highs, followed by deep dips, short naps, and another burning high. I did not get a lot of sleep, and I was borderline manic in my preparation and creation of work, but somehow I still enjoyed it. I think I just was relishing being in an artistic realm again, I was buzzing on ideas, creative fires burning when nothing else was. Unfortunate events struck in the two week lead up, in the form of diabolical vomiting et al (contracted by my son and spread to myself and three others of my household), and then an outright case of chicken pox in afore-mentioned son. I couldn't do much by scream WHYYYYYYYYY NOW, and to be honest, I would not have made it through without the help of my mother and sister, who stepped up and cared for my son when I was absent and creating.
Which leads me to the purpose of this post, a forum for thank yous and aroha:
I could not have completed this undertaking without the help of many wonderful people. Thank you all who have helped me along the way, and who have supported me and given me so much love and encouragement.
Kauri – for being an understanding son.
Mum and Dad – for everything.
Mum and Maria – for doing the bulk of the caring for Kauri in the vast absences that have resulted from my study this year – I couldn’t do it without you.
Dad, Mata, Hannah, Teresa, Mark, James, Maulu and the rest of the family – for also helping take care of Kauri, always willingly and with so much love.
Maria – for always being a willing model and co-collaborator in my weird plans.
Mark and Mata – for willingly letting me use your words and images
Sierra – thanks for being a great cheerleader and telling me to take this path, and to the rest of the whanau, thanks for being awesome!
Ana – thanks for everything and also being the best cheerleader ever
Mel, MJ and The Photoschool crew – for encouraging me back and supporting me every step of the way.
Steve – thanks for your great mentoring, and opening my eyes to what photography can be.
All my fellow students – thanks for being great support and inspiration
I am bound to have forgotten people, it’s currently 4am. Please forgive me!
Other thanks go to:
The Concerned Citizens Collective, Leilani and the Kava Clubbers, Letting Space, David Cook, Whitireia…
I would also like to acknowledge the late Prof. Tony Whincup – your passing has left such a great hole. I cherish the time I did get to spend studying under you, it may have been short but it was immensely rich and I learnt a lot, even in that short time. Fa’afetai lava.
And that's all for now, honestly, I didn't realise how much recovery I needed after this sort of outlay. I am only now finding the energy and head-space to start thinking critically about how the exhibition went and what I can get out of it for moving forward.
More post exhibition debriefing to come.
x Leala