Page One of Two

Click on an image to see more information about that image.

This page is the beginning of what we hope will be a lifetime collaboration in art. To do art side by side is not only a way to understand ourselves, our relationship, and our world, but a way to understanding something else which remains intangable to us both, but is nevertheless deeply and completely there. We are working toward this goal with abandon, not fully understanding where it will take us or how exactly it will complete itself (if ever), and we remain a couple. Realizing that couples mirror each other and teach each other is only part of it. We frankly need the competition to keep from getting lazy and stuck in our ways. (Of course, it is only the other person who really needs that, and I will go along with it for him/her.) That's right folks, we are normal, and kinda abnormal, kinda funny, and kinda real, but absolutely a couple.

We wanted to answer some of the questions you have had right off:

Q. Why did Alex pick the left and Bethany the right?

A. Alex is left handed and Bethany is right handed.

Q. Why do you have a line down the middle?

A. Because we are two individuals and the line makes it distinct who did what. It works with a call and response style. Also, there is a tension created by the split canvas, which is similar to the tension we experience daily by simply finding ourselves in separate bodies.

Q. I noticed that the lines between your work are not always exact.

A. In a relationship, you're two people, but the exact lines of separation are never there-it's always a little blurred.

Q. How much art schooling have you had?

A. A little highschool, a little college, which is about the same level of information most people have entering a relationship. Nobody teaches you how to do your relationship because no one really can. They can only offer suggestions and hope for the best. You just look around, observe, and wing it from your internal impulses. We felt that we needed to start the work from the same place we would start relationship, otherwise it wouldn't really be authentic relationship art. For us, when things go bad, that's when we go to art school. Similarly, if your relationship doesn't work, you might go and get someone else's opinion. Since we are the first ones we know of who are doing this kind of work, we should rely on our own instincts

Q. How would you know it had gone bad?

A. We would be dissatisfied with some aspect of what was happening on the canvas.

Q. I noticed you are picking up on a lot of styles of other artists.

A. Oh yes, it's very important to keep up with the neighbors.

Q. You said that one person starts a canvas, and when that person is done, it is like a call for the other person to finish the other side of the canvas. Why did you pick this call and response way of painting?

A. That's how couples get together. It's a very ancient and natural way of going about the work.

Q. I noticed that sometimes it is like the first person starts the story and the other person finishes it.

A. Yes. We talk that way too.

Q. Othertimes, it seems your choices are very different.

A. We disagree a lot.

Q. Why did you want to do this together?

A. We do practically everything together. It made sense.

Q. Have you learned anything about your relationship through doing this?

A. Yes, we learned that we are still learning.

The Dance/Yang Influence
Finish Dates:
4-09-03 / 4-12-03