A Fierce Heart is a Tender Heart: Robyn Love's Fun House of Vulnerability

Entrance to the gallery space - two curtains with a video projection.

Unravelling... 

Back story:  this took about four tries to record in a somewhat decent manner.  It was very tricky to get the lighting correct so that you can see into the hole and it wanted to shift around during the unraveling so that it would unravel and reveal...the bridge of Lucy's nose.  Also, cranky teenage helper's litany of criticisms throughout was not so helpful.

Lucy's eye, ten feet wide!

Do you feel vulnerable yet?

I didn't get any photos of the security guards but they would pop into the room I was in now and then to tell what fun they were having, hugging people.

The first room is SpinCycle, recreated here from its debut at The Brooklyn Museum almost a year ago.

A bike was donated for the project and we made it work here, which still seems miraculous to me.  I was performing (that is to say, spinning) during the opening last night.  

It's all about the mirror...and the story prompts.

Am I allowed to say how much I love this project?  It blew me away when I first did it - how much people shared and how intimate the space in the mirror became (we can see each other's face, but not our own).  It was no different here.  People started telling their stories (they pick a story prompt card if they can't think of one on the spot) and they just open up.  Often it is the person I least expect who starts telling me things that are so poignant and beautiful....yes, I love this project.

The next room is called Draw the Line.

Everyone, artist or not, is invited to draw a line, any line.  They can bring it home or pin it up on the wall.

Leading on...around a corner...

The Utopia Tent, which you may remember from last summer in Saskatoon.  Re-created here, indoors. Remarkably, it maintained its magical quality that caused people to just want to sit and hang out and chat.

Still had to wash your feet, however!  Apparently, many people were very shy about the state of their winter feet so there was some embarrassment about it.  I had not thought of that!

 And then...

 The Hall of Mirrors.  Yup, over 1500 mirrors and could have used more.  It is still a pretty amazing space in there.

 And I was extra pleased to see that the project made it onto the front page (!) of the local newspaper.   It actually drew some people to the opening, so that was extra great.  One person even said, "I have to start coming to art galleries more often..this was fun!"  I didn't want to tell them that most art galleries are probably not quite as fun as this one in its current incarnation, but who knows, maybe they will become diehard art lovers.

Are those irony quotes?

The installation will be up officially until May 16th but rumour has it that they will keep it up through the summer.  So...should you be in South Dakota...please drop by.  Lincoln Gallery, Northern State University, Aberdeen, SD.