alex sheriff

hey toronto,

I Can Because You Do is opening this evening, Thursday May 5, from 6-9pm at PARTICIPANT INC. in the Lower East Side. It is my graduating class’ thesis exhibition, and the culminating event of our last two years in Parsons MFA Fine Arts Program. Messages of this sentiment often include something comparable to “two years just flew by so fast!” but this doesn’t feel like that. Instead, it feels like over the last two years, at snail pace, I’ve clumsily learned how to walk. Over drinks a few weeks ago, a colleague who graduated last year was talking to us about life after MFA. He described the program as puberty, and I can relate to that metaphor too. “Everyone has to go through it, its gross and uncomfortable. Then your work takes off really fast and you come out looking back at how weird, anxious and awkward you were.”

I definitely forgot at some points, but I’ve been spoiled. I’ve had the chance to meet with amazing international artists, critics and curators of huge acclaim and variety. I had my own studio space to do or make pretty much whatever I wanted in it. I had tons of people to run ideas by at any time. I’ve had to do readings and meet deadlines and work under constructive (and just plain shitty) stress. I’ve had the MoMA, The Brooklyn Museum, Chelsea, The MET, The New Museum, The A Train…

It was a valuable creative climate and I can confidently say that in the last two years I have grown a great deal as an artist. My friends have too and I’m quite proud to show my work with peers I’ve come to admire. There is already so much success and potential for greatness among this group of seventeen people from every continent. I look forward to watching us continue to move further and deeper into the art world (and also the regular world).