Getting My Artist On

Recently I decided to participate in a game of artist's telephone.  The event was hosted by an artist's troupe called "Satellite Collective" based in Michigan and New York City.  I'd never heard of them but I saw several friend's posting about the game on Facebook and decided to apply.  I was accepted and already had an idea for an artwork after I successfully pulled off our Family Christmas Photo.  I knew I wanted to do an image about The Fall using my Sister and her husband, exploring the dilemma in partaking of the fruit.  Sometimes I just have to get my artist on, you know?

When I got my assigned artwork that was to inspire my piece, I knew it would totally mesh with my Adam and Eve.  It was a poem by an artist from London about transcendence, personal journey, and obvious use of chiasmus:

I had a month to complete the artwork.  I spent most of the month taking a little time here and there to research and flesh out my ideas in order to communicate them.  You'll see influences of Mormon theology and cultural ideas, traditional Adam and Eve narratives, the Arnolfini Wedding, the Smithsonian George Washington Statue, and Ka Statues of Ancient Egypt.  I scheduled with my models (Sister and Brother-in-law) and photographer (my Dad).  I made lists of everything I would need to borrow or buy or collect to have in the photo.  I tried to plan out everything so the day of would go smoothly.  Art for me is a sort of problem to solve or puzzle to piece, and doing these sorts of photographs gives me a lot of satisfaction in completing and getting as close to what I have in my head as possible out in the physical world. 

Serendipitously, the lesson in Relief Society yesterday was on the fall and creation and the teacher shared this wonderful quote by Vida D. Scudder: "Creation is a better means of self-expression than possession; it is through creating, not possessing, that life is revealed."  My art and my religion have always gone very hand in hand.

It took most of the day, much like my Christmas photo, but I'm 91.7% happy with the results.  For a perfectionist, I think that's a good level of satisfaction.

I emailed the photo this morning, the day of the deadline, and the head curator emailed me back very happy with the results:

Dear Megan,

Wow! This is absolutely splendid! What a beautiful interpretation of the work that you were assigned and such a great translation of the message contained in the piece preceding your own. Bravo! Seriously, this kind of made me tear up a bit and I think you'll be blown away when you see the originating message (many messages before your own).

We'll be certain to keep you updated as Telephone continues to make progress but, for now, you have our very deepest gratitude for playing with us.


Highest regards to you,

Nathan Langston

The little artist teacher's pet inside of me was very, very happy.

Special thanks to my husband, my parents, and my models.  Here's my latest artwork, titled "Adam's Dilemma" and is an allegorical depiction of the moment after Eve decided and partook of the fruit, but before Adam did.

"Adam's Dilemma" by Megan Knobloch Geilman

"And now, behold, if Adam had not transgressed he would not have fallen, but he would have remained in the garden of Eden. And all things which were created must have remained in the same state in which they were after they were created; and they must have remained forever, and had no end.

And they would have had no children; wherefore they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin.

But behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things.

Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy."  -- 2 Nephi 2:22-25