The Emo Show: Jasmine Wahi, "Curating as a Stream of Consciousness"

Julie Heffernan, “Self Portrait as Dead Meat II”; 2006-10; Oil on canvas; 68 x 57 inches

As a curator I have always had a semi-secret aversion to ‘formal critical theory,’ which I view as a narrow construct that has been developed to explore art of the Western world. So I was, understandably, thrilled when Jaishri Abichandani invited me to participate in an experimental exhibition that not only allowed, but actually demanded, that the curatorial development be prompted by emotional response rather than academic or critical analysis. It has been not only refreshing to select works based on basic human instinct, but also eye-opening. I have realized through this process of working in an instinctive (versus academic or conceptual) manner that often our industry/academic/formal understanding of art comes second to our shared instinctual or emotional understanding of it. 

Jaishri’s concept for the exhibition references the Hindu theory of Rasa (literally translated in Sanskrit as ‘essence’ or ‘juice’), which acknowledges the essential power of emotion in defining both the creation of and response to multi-disciplinary arts. I spent the majority of my childhood and adolescence as student of Kutchipudi- a form of classical Indian narrative dance, which, like this exhibition, was founded on the concept of Rasa- or the emotional flavor that tints every story. I’ve developed a nostalgic connection with this exhibition because of my history with dance, and have translated my fonder memories of performance into the emotions that I picked to express in The Emo Show. The four rasas- Love, Wonder, Humor, and Pride- all come from the rose-colored end of the emotional spectrum. Several of these emotions overlap in the works that I picked, as they often do in life.  

Love: Hiba Schahbaz  
A recent life-defining revelation that I came to is that true love starts with self-understanding and appreciation. One can only truly demonstrate the ability to love if she is capable of loving herself. This is not a devisive idea that I’ve come up with alone- it’s a simple fact. A famous drag-queen (RuPaul) often says ‘if you don’t love yourself, how in the hell are you gonna [sic] love somebody else?’ With this in mind I selected three self-portraits by Hiba Schahbaz to express love. Artist Studio is a very literal expression of self-devotion and self-love in both the carnal and emotional state.

Humor/Wonder: Samira Abbassy  I think collectively people have a strange fascination with those weird and creepy things that don’t fit into something comprehensible or pretty. Some people react with fear, or anger, others react with bewildered amusement. The latter camp is most likely comprised of people who enjoy the occasional zombie cult-classic or are obsessed with those wrinkly Pug-creatures. Samira Abbassy’s explicitly sexual, quirky characters straddle the boarder of obscene and adorable, which make them, by default, absolutely hilarious. Each figurine is a collaged body created out of parts that once belonged to something beautiful- the disheveled body made of a taxidermy bird of paradise, the phallus fashioned out of a dolls arm, the smile made out of lost children’s teeth. Each statuette is so odd, but unapologetically so, that one can either laugh with them or simply melt into tears. This collection of misfits (literally miss-fitted parts) is like a happy family of weirdness. One may laugh out of sheer confused bewilderment and discomfort or, like me, laugh out of pure joy.

Valor/Humor/Wonder: Julie Heffernan  Julie Heffernan’s self portraits have always reminded me of old European narrative paintings that are shrouded in beauty and whimsy on the surface, but are filled with darkly humorous complexities as one peels back the layers. Self Portrait as Dead Meat II evokes three emotional responses- pride (or valor), wonder, and humor. The sense of valor comes directly from the war/knight figure and the subsequent battle scene in the farther background. The combination of her palate with fantastical narrative that begins to emerge reminds of the fairy tales filled with knightly honor and extravagant castles and witches- juvenile sensibilities that are associated with valor and pride. This sense of grandeur and valor dissipated the more one engages with the work through the subtle and strange details. The humor of these details is borne from their strangeness- in the same way that the grotesque nature of Samira Abbassy’s figures is what makes them so enjoyable. It is hard to explain exactly what tickles me so about the iconography- the hermaphroditic figure (with two faces) or the violent battle in the background juxtaposed against the peaceful cornucopia scene in the foreground.

Pride/Valor: Petros Pappalas  My choice to use Petros Pappalas’ Martin Luther King jr. portrait requires very little explanation. King is not only a hero of mine or of our nation, but also of the international community. When I first encountered this work, which is part of a larger series of iconic international political figures, I was immediately moved. I was shown the work shortly after the untimely and unexpected passing of several family members, and took solace not only in the subject matter but in obvious reverence with which the artist had created the portrait. I am still not sure if it the subject or the method of painting that I take solace in, but it is a feeling that has stuck with me since engaging with this piece.