Last night was the opening at Waterfall Arts for their two exhibits this fall: Dudley Zopp and a group show: Re:sourcing: Sustainable Inspiration organized by Abby Sadaukas. My and Karin's collaboration piece was also on exhibit as a part of a third item, The 3rd Annual Belfast Poetry Festival. The fact that our piece, "Message in a Bottle" was part of the Poetry Festival was kind of lost as the Festival doesn't really happen until October 13. In fact my name is incorrectly on the list of artists in the group show! The other funny thing is that Karin and my piece involves a "recycling" garbage can and bottles, so it is very easy to think that it is part of that group show. But for me the most difficult part of creating our piece is how I as an artist respond to compliments as to the success of the piece. I mean this artwork depicts those who have died from the insanity of our country's war enterprise and it's purpose is to affect viewers into becoming aware and active. I suppose that there would be happiness should people feel that they had gained more determination to affect change after viewing the piece, but somehow, within the convention of art and exhibtions, there is an inability to appreciate true vitality. Viewers look for superficiality, boring sensations that fit conventional art structures. They do not expect or welcome change and relevance outside of art structures that might speak to real life social change. For me if art is to survive the forces of commodification it has to cut deep, tackle life and draw out the subconcious. An appropriate resonse might then be..."Wow, that work of art is horrible, thank you for creating it."