Dakotah Savage at Freddy

Artist: Dakotah Savage

Exhibition title: Dreams Galore

Venue: Freddy, New York, US

Date: July 2 – July 30, 2016

Photography: Harry Gould Harvey IV of Newport, all images copyright and courtesy of the artist and Freddy

Without risking too much we could quietly speculate within a private conversation about anything we want. If we speak of anything – say a memory of mine or yours, we would still be safe. I’m sure I’ve never told you about hiking with Maia to the upper pond at Steelhead Ranch – it’s not even an interesting story, nothing happened. But there were just flies and blackberries and Geoff’s old horse Silver. I could tell you this pointless story and maybe give a sense of that special beauty and the edge of fear that was also present. We could theorize too, which as you know, I am guilty of loving to do. I think it would be fun and, again, the stakes are low because we’d just be making something up and not even proclaiming or if we did proclaim it wouldn’t be totalizing because who are we? Just people – it doesn’t matter. There’s no grand defense or rock solid position. I don’t want to expose you or be exposed, not that there’s so much badness to hide – don’t know, it’s a feeling. It’s not a science neither of us are sociologists. Want just to talk and not like be held accountable for what we say. And maybe pick it up next time, too, and work from there, I mean we definitely would. To me it’s not nice to be associated with an idea, it’s very reductive. On the other hand, I do like the sensation of being credited. I’m not against ideas! And mixed with mental images and just sights from the present scenery and then those are used as illustration or just montage if it’s a looser moment, is so lovely. Here I go again with the theories, but it seems like the process of describing is like asking another to dream, but as you dreaming. I picture your story and follow the picture and feel it. I feel your dread and hilarity – unless, for some reason, you are boring to me and I just don’t care. But obviously for you I care deeply. I love you, I love you so much and I love to envision you feeling happy and inspired and at peace.

Dakotah Savage (b. 1988) is an artist currently living and working in NYC. Her work has been included in group exhibitions at U.S. Blues, Brooklyn, Rear Window, New York and The Hole, New York. She co-curated “Can I Get A Witness?” at ART BLOG ART BLOG, New York (2011). She has had two collaborative Exhibitions with Tisch Abelow, “IF” at Lana’s, Brooklyn and “Perky Brach” at Essex Flowers, New York.