Installing

I would have gotten more done, but I had to do the dog and pony show with the board today, showing the Carter drawings. I'm to go-to-guy on this work right now. After a late lunch I start hanging the Modernist show. I spent the morning doing the math on several walls, and I'm able to hang 15 paintings, taking an occasional smoke break with Sara. The paintings look great on the walls, and the spacings are perfect. I mumble, because I usually call the numbers out loud to D. Working by myself, I'm much slower, checking the math twice and doing both jobs. At times I'm a little nervous, but nothing I can't handle. Anthony calls, to see if we're to meet for a pint, and I agree we should, to talk about the croquettes. Christy joins us and we discuss dipping sauce, decide to do a trial run tomorrow. It's just finger food, but I have standards, and I'm also busy hanging the show. Anyone could do finger food, but hanging a show we want a certain precision. I'm good at this, I don't know why, all those years in theater maybe. But I'm exhausted and go to sleep without posting. Today I start work early and hang a lot of paintings before noon. Make a mistake, finally, and stop for lunch, clear the brain of short term memory. Too many numbers. Anthony comes over, dons white gloves, and helps me hang few pieces. I'd already affixed the hardware for them, but couldn't hold them and reach around behind to make the attachment. We get petty cash and walk over to Kroger, to get the makings for a batch of croquettes. The first few are too loose, but we correct that by adding breadcrumbs and some flour. They're very good plain, but with the dipping sauce (horseradish, mayo, lemon juice, black pepper). Anthony forms them with the two-spoon trick, I roll them in more breadcrumbs, he fries them, at 375 degrees for one minute, I take samples around to the staff, then we run a batch over to the pub. Everyone wants the recipe, and we've made notes; but we already want to make some changes. A really fun day. Cooking with Anthony was a hoot, enjoying the company and the conversation. The finished shape of the croquettes, is, of course, an oblate, two-bite thing, that is a product of rolling a delicate dough in breadcrumbs. A perfect two bites. I just ate some more I brought home with me, They microwave fine. We have to work out details about getting them prepared ahead of time, but I'm confident, now, that we can do them for the opening. Focus on finishing hanging this show tomorrow, I can do that, a few pieces D will have to help with on Friday, then he and Sara can light the show on Saturday while I get the labels done. The whole concept of Modernism is so confusing there needs to be more information, to guide the viewer through. 1900 to 1950 there were a great many responses to not being strictly representational. Color, line, field, everything was up for question. The Armory Show, 1913, called every ingrained answer into question. What do you see? What does seeing mean? Getting the paintings up off the floor, into the light, is a revelation. This is a spectacular show, and I'm hanging it, luck of the draw, where you end up eating mashed potato croquettes, wondering what the king is doing tonight.