"Day Job" Exhibition @ the Drawing Center

Pasquale Cortese, "Untitled" 2009

This past weekend, I visited the Drawing Center in Manhattan to check out their show "Day Jobs" which closes on Feb.3rd. I had the refreshing pleasure of seeing art done by working folk who do all sorts of jobs, some related to the art world, others not. My favorite artist (self-taught) of the exhibition is Pasquale Cortese who is also the oldest artist of the show (he's about 60). The ink drawings of patterns are so gorgeous; I just want to reach out and touch those lush textures!

See more of his work here.

It was great to see that the curator included works from a diversity of working people like an air pilot and an electrician (the occupation of the guy I just mentioned) among other types of jobs. And it was also interesting to read about how people consciously or unconsciously connected their personal art with the process, products, people and materials are related to their day jobs. There was definitely a pattern of repetition, meditation, discipline, skepticism, escapism, wonderment, exploration, collection as themes/processes in a lot of the work. I wonder if these were conscious themes on the part of the curator.

It made me realize how I don't refer to my job in my own work, mostly on a conscious level. Though I have been seriously thinking about doing a longer-length narrative comic about it in the near future...but that's another story.

Mostly, I draw during and after work hours as a way to meditate and deal with all the waiting (for meetings to end, for phone calls to finish, or for phone calls to come). Yet drawing is also a way of keeping mental notes as I'm listening to other people. Or I'm just super fidgety and need to keep my pen moving on paper.

This drawing was not done during a day job. However, it was completed over a period of time when I was on the phone with various potential employers  when I was looking for a full-time job five years ago. Funnily enough, it was drawn on the back of an acceptance envelope to the teaching job I'm still doing today. On another note, one benefit of doodling during meetings at work was getting a sketchbook as a gift from an observant 'secret Santa' at my job! Sweet! I totally needed one at the time.