Interventions

It has been a tough week. As many of you know already my dear friend Brett Foster died last Monday after roughly a year-long bout with cancer.  I may write a small tribute to him later in this blog, when I have the strength to do it. 
In the meantime there have many moments of grace throughout the week, both big and small. I wanted to share this one with you all. I was surprised to come into Adams Hall, where I work, to discover this intervention done to a series of my paintings which are installed in one of the landings. The Mario-themed work was done by a student, as part of an assignment in which students created vinyl cut-outs for site specific installations throughout the building. I was not asked beforehand if this was "ok," and I am so thankful for that.
In spite of my grief I've just had to smile every time I pass this. In fact I confess I have changed my normal routes at times just so I would go up this staircase. It is both playful and surprising. An ekphrastic artwork responding to,  or conversing with, my work. It is a reminder that my work is a living thing, that it continues to speak to others, and that an anonymous student felt some compulsion (even grade/deadline induced compulsion) to respond.
I thank you, whoever you are.