PEGGY LEVISON NOLAN — The Playing Field is Always Level

Memory Cult Visiting Artist Series Presents

Peggy Levison Nolan

The Playing Field is Always Level

ARTIST STATEMENT

Got married raised seven kids lived in the projects stayed home cooked and cleaned dreamed of making art started photographing shoplifted film learned to print shot a lot of pictures stole more film moved out of the projects went back to college shot more film studied hard got a job shot more pictures got divorced got pierced up worked harder graduated from college stole more film got some grants got some attention not really enough shot more film made more and more pictures got a better job went back to college graduated from graduate school kids grew moved out of the house shot more film got more grants got more attention still not enough calmed down stopped stealing film slowed down some started thinking more shot better pictures calmed down slowed down still thinking still making pictures.

Romance

Why must we perpetually reinvent ourselves?  Whatever could the next new best thing be? What if repeating the same path over and over, making coffee each morning, looking out the window for birds, feeding the dog and the cat, peering into the bathroom mirror…what if all these reassuring repetitive acts bring us closer to our beating hearts so that every falling strand of hair could be at once old and new? 

I never remember dreams of flying or falling from great heights or losing my teeth.  I remember dreams of looking for car keys, running my fingers over dusty furniture, making coffee and feeding the cat and the dog, looking out the window for birds.

Peggy Levison Nolan, 11/2008