The Art of the Conversation

Going to The Sculpture Center’s art opening was a transformative experience for the brilliant work by two artists, Sarah Hahn and Rondle West then meeting an art enthusiast. Many may disagree with me that I enjoy attending events alone. For one, I don’t have to worry if the person that I came with is bored and wants to leave before I’m ready or I might want to leave when they’re not ready.

I, therefore, see the art opening and/or networking event as a new challenge. By that I mean, when I go alone I have no preconceived notion that I will be entertained and/or be bored out of my mind. Hence, I walk into an event with an open mind; this gives me a chance to meet new people and broaden my horizons. Most times I go into a gallery and find nobody to talk to that is approachable or creating an “in” to develop a conversation out of nothing. If that is the case, I exit quietly and find another gallery. This past Friday was different.

I was standing in front of a piece where the artist represented three portrait photographs: First, a woman was smiling; Second, the same woman was frowning; Lastly, the woman was holding a gun. I read the description of the piece and I said, “What a powerful piece that can be discussed for a long time.” There was this guy standing close by and he said the same thing. “I was also disturbed when I read the last caption, woman with gun.” That was the start of a very long, interesting conversation about the piece, which then lead to other art venues in Cleveland. I learned that this individual was originally from  Los Angeles where his job led him to Cleveland.

What can I say, I will talk to anyone and everyone anywhere? I enjoy meeting new people and learning what makes them “tick.” Honestly, I have to be in the mood to allow myself to make these very daring conversation starters. For example, in the photography piece, if the guy wasn’t lingering in exactly the same time I walked up, our conversation probably wouldn’t have happened. Definitely not.

I call this approach the “art of the small talk.” I can usually come up with a conversation starter that might begin with the weather, Cleveland sports, or about the venue where the event is housed – the museum or local eatery. I might boldly ask, “Have you ever been to this event before?” Or, what do you think of the Cleveland Museum of Art’s new atrium. These are very basic easy questions.

When you ask your question, two outcomes will happen; first, the person who I direct the question to will be interested and give a detailed response– they are interested or they will give you a basic, five word response. Hence, I have to fight with myself to find other related questions to ask. My opinion is, this is not a conversation when the person (me) has to find all the words to keep it going. If the latter happens, I gracefully exit the conversation and find someone else to talk to. Life is too short.

Sometimes I instinctively see someone and I begin to talk to them. I am not sure if it’s their body language that initiates the conversation or not. For example, I went to a Cleveland State Alumni event at the West 25th, The Market Garden where I just finished the Brewery tour; I was ready to go home. The room was very crowded and a guy was standing by himself and his eye caught mine. The only thing I thought to say was, “Did you go on the brewery tour?” His response was, “No, but I do want to go on it.” I remarked how informative it was how Market Garden makes the beer that he is currently drinking.

One thing lead to another and we both graduated high school during the same year - I went to Euclid High School and he went to St. Joe’s before they changed their name. I have fond memories of the rivalry between the two schools. “Yes,” he responded; he hung out with the same kids in my class. The coincidence doesn’t end there, Not only did we grow up in the same neighborhood but he works at the same law firm that my parents used. What a small world I thought. If I didn’t approach this guy, we wouldn’t have had this profound, enlightening conversation.

My advice would be; attend a networking event or venue where you don’t know anyone and strike up a conversation. Look for those individuals who might catch your eye or who stand alone looking like they need a friend. Both of these scenarios are the easiest ways in start a conversation. It’s not fool proof, but you never know who you might meet that could enrich your life. The possibilities are what you make it - destiny.

What happened with my new friend at the Sculpture Center? We exchanged cards and we talked further about another installation titled, “MozART” In actuality, I liked the piece more that we “deconstructed” it per-say. Therefore, I had an enjoyable time because of the art discussion that wouldn’t have happened if I was alone. Sometimes it is worth taking a chance and “throwing yourself out there.”

The Sculpture Center has two wonderful art exhibitions
www.sculpturecenter.org

Sarah Hahn, “Of Gods and Demigods, Relics and Souvenirs”

The artist takes mythological, and classical sculptures and reinvents them into our current iconic, pop celebrities such as The Kardashians and Justin Bieber, just to name a few.

Rondle West, “MozArt”

An entire room filled with sculptural interpretation of Mozart’s “The Magic Flute.” The artist used found objects, and put them together in a visual presentation; he painted them one color (bright blue, gray, and pink). My opinion is for viewers to focus on the objects instead of the varying color.

The Market Garden - Brewery & Distillery
http://marketgardenbrewery.com/