Working and Playing Together
Interview with artist Peah Guilmoth, Essay:The Movement of Our Irregular Spirits, and our next show in Brunswick
“The last portrait I made is of my mom holding a spider web I gathered from an apple tree. That weekend I spent with my parents I was hoping to tell them I was in the midst of transitioning, but never found the right moment. After developing the portraits of them, I saw how their gazes were attempting to figure me out: why was my skin so much softer, why did I suddenly look younger, was their offspring something other than what they had known her to be.” –Peah Pauline Guilmoth
Peah is looking for beauty and escape in her surroundings, above all else. Within the harnessing of beauty is resistance to a world at odds with joy and perpetual growth.
Maine Arts Journal –The Movement of Our Irregular Spirits
Before our eyes open there are dreams in which we first see the world not as it truly is, but as we imagine it to be. By these passing lights and shadows we conceive the many games of our lives.
As a child I woke and ran out into the morning yard to gather the lights of the dew on the grass as so many gems scattered by some traveler passing in the night. I explored the location of the hidden jewels but could not locate their gleam. I found only dampness. The illusion of treasure faded but would return many times in other forms as fugitive and mutable as the light itself.
It is in the character of play to wander. Children bored with the rules of their games invent others and outgrow their toys for serious industries. By whatever shrewdness responsible we find our lives speeding in directions no one can predict. The sparkling company of play will follow us if we are lucky or able to conjure it. But there are times when play abandons us at school or on the job and labor takes on dimensionless weight and leaves us with the unendurable drudgery of daily life. On these occasions we may easily become traitors to our own dreams. Any discipline we can muster remains unfruitful and our halfhearted endeavors are meekly diagnosed as “good enough.” But even at these moments when we are lost and confused, overcome by shifting nausea, the trickster play is hiding and waiting for the right moment to lighten our burdens…
– Reed McLean
Our next show ‘the House support itself’ opens January 11th at Fort Hall in Brunswick, Maine
Lights Out Gallery presents the House support itself, a group exhibition of 11 artist couples living in the state of Maine. This show shines a light on the invisible forces that hold these pairs together, shaping both their personal and creative lives.
In the poem “the Props assist the House,” poet Emily Dickinson writes about the true staying power of a carefully constructed house, suggesting that the structural integrity of a finished home can be traced back to the scaffolding erected at the outset. Similarly, it is the unseen labor and support systems of these artist relationships that provide shape and strength to their creative households. Inevitably these dynamics leave imprints upon the art they make. In showing their work in close conversation with that of their partners, we hope to catch glimpses of the contours and complexities of the worlds they’re creating together.
There’s an undeniable bravery to their choice of putting all their eggs in one, risky art basket. The art market is notoriously fickle, and success can be fleeting. Attaining financial stability might force tough questions like: who gets to take creative risks and who has to be the bread-winner? All while navigating an emotional tightrope of simultaneously raising each other up while also pursuing their own individual growth and distinction. Though the challenges may be many, in their view it’s the upsides that are the glue. There’s a distinct advantage to finding a life partner that’s also your muse, art crush, trusted critic, challenger, collaborator. Perhaps most importantly, each understands the deeply personal experience of the artist’s journey, which helps them transcend their struggles and find safety and care in a life built together.
– Curated by Ian Trask, produced by Lights Out X Fort Hall