Journal of the Movement of the World

The Round Robin Collective's exhibition, ECSTATIC falls under the category of Things Our Very Talented Friends Do. RRC is a group of thirteen artists—because they don't buy that triskaidekaphobia BS—working in Brooklyn to create and promote cooperative art outside commercial galleries. The exhibition is being held at the eerliy-classic-cool St. Cecilia’s Parish in Greenpoint from Saturday March 13 (no fear!) to April 4. But kicking things off is an opening party Friday night from 7-9PM, complete with opening party music by the also talented Donny Hue and the Colors and Irvin Morazan’s “Musical Chair Performance,” an homage to Saint Cecilia, who just happens to be the patron saint of musicians.

As Round Robin puts it:
"For four weeks, The Round Robin Collective - along with a group of invited artists - will populate the four-story maze of private rooms, living spaces, stairwells, and alcoves previously occupied by nuns. Taking varied approaches to the installation of their separate rooms, individual artists and collaborative teams will present recent works or will respond directly to the building, imbued with its unique history and sacrosanct aura. While some of the participating artists’ work deals directly with notions of ecstasy, the title of the show does not allude to an overt theme in the work presented; rather, it refers to the process of making and encountering art and the results produced from inspired relationships. Like the mental transport or rapture that can exist in the contemplation of the divine, the experience of creating and considering art can trigger moments of ecstasy."

Though we're not fortunate enough to be familiar with all of the artists, one of the 13, Deirdre McConnell, is both one of our favorite artists and one of our favorite people. A mad talented painter and multi-media artist, Deirdre creates pieces that we find beautiful, breath-taking, and wholly original. Last year, in desperate need of snazzying up our way-too-bare walls in our Brooklyn floor-through, we asked her to feed our crow/raven obsession and commissioned an original piece by her (detail above, out-of-focus mums in the foreground). If the other 12 artists are half as talented as her, we'll be impressed. Regardless though, we encourage you, fine reader, to hustle on over through the pending doom and gloom to the opening event tomorrow. And if you can't make that, be sure to check the RRC site for other date-specific events they're holding throughout the four-week period. Get you art on!

Below, the former convent's parish, where Morazan's "Musical Chair Performance" will be held. You can see a little more of Deirdre's work here, specifically the geometric fabric piece in slides 1 and 4 at the bottom of the page, and the piece in slide 10.