52 (Extra Credit)

52

On December 7th I visited the Riverside Art museum to see Sue Mitchells exhibit “52”. Mitchell was born in ’52, has 52 favorite trees, and just finished a 52-week art sabbatical. Sue  took her 60th year off in hopes of jump starting her long delayed artistic career. The resulting exhibit, "52", is a two-gallery show that reveals the final outcome and process of her self-directed year of study. Entering into what Mitchell refers to as her “Third Act,” she experienced a growing need for a deeper sense of fulfillment and personal exploration. In the first room of the exhibit there was her actual art pieces, they were solar etchings of the 52 Montezuma Bald Cypress trees that line her favorite part of Riverside’s Fairmount Park.

 

This room-size diary, journal, sketchbook, scrapbook is really amazing to see, very rarely do you have the opportunity to see nearly every detail of what someone was thinking or doing while creating artworks. It amazed me that she did so much more than study 52 trees within the park. She examined the animals, the rocks, and even the recurring visitors who wanted to help keep the park clean and safe. The one section of the journal room that really caught my eye were the pictures of the animals that were dead. It made me realize I don’t visit a place in nature enough to witness any distress or horror, which to me is amazing because I have lived in oregon my whole life and have always thought of myself as a kind of “tree hugger” but obviously i didn't pay attention to the details. Sue really loved this place within nature to be there to witness all nature has to give… and take. I noticed while walking through that same room that under each month there was a ziplock baggy that held small tokens, weather it be a pencil, a credit card, or even coins. It made me wonder what significance it had on her during that time and how those materials may have helped her along in her journey.

I had the chance to talk with Sue about her art work and the journey she took to create this exhibit. She told us that this “art thing” wasn’t what she always wanted to do, she had other plans. She started by majoring in biology and hoping to be a teacher, but she soon changed deciding that her life was moving in a new direction and she wasn’t one for the competitiveness of the fellow biology majors. Years later she ends up creating art that inspires people to open their eyes, to not close themselves off to just what’s right in front of them. Sue told me that this journey was really for her, she wanted to make herself look harder, even over examin what was surrounding her. Sue Mitchell gave me inspiration for not only my future endeavours with my art but for life, she told me to keep a “journal” much like she did, not just during the time i am trying to make artwork but all the time. I love the idea of being able to retrace your steps, weather it be words, pictures, drawings, or tokens. Memories are a luxury that people often lose, so why not record your life the way you want to be remembered and the way you want to remember it?

(Photo taken by me at the Riverside Art Museum)

(Photo taken by Sue Mitchell)

(Sue Mitchell in the “Journal” room of her exhibit)

(Us at the exhibit- Jasmine left, me right)

(Sue in Fairmount Park)