Smarsh

Adages, inkjet, 6 in. x 6 in., 2005. Sarah Marshall. Used with permission. No stealing!

Taking a break from buying $2500 worth of school library books (harder than it sounds) to say hey it looks like my friend Sarah got a new press! She's a master of printmaking (mistress?) - you should go soothe your Friday eyes with her nice art. She has a verging-on-unhealthy interest in Houdini and insects and body parts, but what printmaker isn't obsessed with these?

I don't think I'm violating her privacy any by saying she lives in Alabama - although judge for yourself, this story illustrates the tininess of the world. So you probably know her already. Anyway, Sarah lives in Alabama. Teaches at University of Alabama.

Birmingham Museum of Art (in Alabama, are you getting this?) was a client of mine once, and I went there to meet with them. Really nice folks, really interesting collection. Big fucking statue of Vulcan.


Vulcan at 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis.

When I got to Birmingham, I asked the museum registrar where the University was - I mean, I don't know Alabama from my ass - and mentioned that "a friend of mine" was teaching printmaking there. The registrar said, "Well, the university's not in Birmingham, it's in Tuscaloosa, but you should give her a call. I bet she'd drive here for dinner with you - she's pretty homesick."

Ok, maybe there's only one printmaking professor at 'Bama, but still! And maybe the Alabama arts community is relatively wee, but still! Oh, well actually that's probably my point. We never did get together that trip, but she's still my favorite printmaker friend. And her ma's a librarian, you know, quality comes from quality.