I had the great pleasure of seeing Ann Hamilton's latest installation, The Event of a Thread at the Park Avenue Armory in New York City. It would be an understatement to say that this exhibition has and will continue to influence me. At this point in my Graduate Studies this installation answered some questions I have been contemplating in my studio, mainly how to invite participation in an authentic manner. I appreciated Hamilton's utilization of her audience and their uninhibited willingness to participate. The body is a beautiful thing on a swing. It is self sufficient in it's mechanics and elegant in it's movement. On a swing, children and adults alike get wrapped up in play and behave in a utopic way, one that perpetuates sharing and collaboration; each participant pushing their friend for ultimate excitement, and then alternating roles. Swinging is an activity that most of us are familiar with or are capable of learning immediately. This installation gave the audience a purpose. They activated the work, initiating the movement and flutter of the glowing white curtain.

As my two classmates and I left the installation, we were all in agreement that art is, or should be MAGIC.