Branded!
Prior to
In Vivo Gallery, William Adkins formed a group called the Indianapolis
Artists' Forum. As with the other groups, Bill was the little engine
that could, while the rest of us went along for the ride. “We”
were a group of artists currently in Indianapolis. I believe it
included Steve Paddack, Brian Fick, Ed Sanders, Becky Wilson. I had
just moved back from Texas, so it must have been around 1990.
In our first meetings, we grilled Bill about the name,
specifically, about the “forum” requirements. Just what do we
have to do? What sort of forum? Bill kept explaining that it was
informal, no expectations, just that we get together and talk about
art...We still didn't get it.
Finally,
an exasperated Bill threw his hands up and said, “You don't have to
talk about art, it's just to present ourselves as a group who talks
about art!”
We found
this hysterical. Every meeting afterward began with some shtick where we pretended to talk about art.
Such
branding is so pervasive now. I'm not sure others will understand how
comical it was at the time.
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