Dr. Oddbird's Bad Medicine Show (s)
Warning! Novel Incoming! Lost of rambling too! So, My OCD, overly-poorly-medicated, stressed, fed-up 6th year art student self was doing the typical thing and waiting to the last minute to submit a concept for my senior thesis in photography. I was about to submit some half-assed-high-concept thing that sounds something like a photo student would do, that would be passable and play the part; a gallery show with crackers, a fruit platter and cheap wine and stella; black frames with crafted images would be up for a week in a poorly attended gallery and an artist statement with some “deep meaning” 10 or 20 people would sign the guestbook with pithy praise, maybe a few may sell then I’d graduate. Simple formula. Then I decided that was bullshit and did the complete opposite. I wanted to poke the bear when it came to the performative attitudes of artists and the mechanisms of fine art. I wanted to have a train wreck, I wanted an epiphany. I developed the character of Dr. Oddbird a snake oil salesman, and basically used that platform to mock, challenge and enlighten my colleagues at ECU. I made collectable ephemeral propaganda, I held an art show to promote my art show, I held a gallery exhibition of thrown away work in a mens restroom, I had bad critiques, I gave away prints, I served tacos out of the back of my car, I got in trouble with the dean, then got him to participate, I pissed off a lot of people, I also had a lot who jumped onto what i was selling, by the end of the 6 month train wreck All my work had been acquired by others spread widely and I graduated with an art degree in photography without actually doing any photo work in my senior thesis. I got the glorious imperfect trainwreck and had fun doing it.
It checked the art show boxes, All the art was sold or stolen, food was served, I created a brand and there was a visceral reaction. Was it a success? i don’t know. who cares? I got to do this post college too, as it kinda caught on. Ive had many Dr. Oddbird workshops and art talks, and in 2023 I am still working on new projects stemming from this really bad idea for an art show.
