Much more than a red tin shack: WORK

Walker Waugh and Emily Driscoll moved to New York in December '06 with the dream to create a community of under-represented artists of uncompromising vision.
They found the red tin shack in February '07, which used to be a mechanics workshop, and fixed it up to have their first show in May of that same year. The show was a great success: about 100 pieces and an audience of local artists and laymen.
In November of that same year, Emily was tragically hit and killed by a car on her way home on Tiffany Place. Through the shock and pain, Walker has continued the work they had both moved to New York to accomplish.
I strongly recommend taking the time to visit the gallery as they are currently showing Driscoll's work, which the artist described herself as: "My work is as much about self-fashioning as it is about relative identities".

What is the most challenging thing about being a gallery owner and curator?

Building a solid clientele. Everyone loves a good party, but most folks are happy to leave simply with the resonance of seeing and experiencing beautiful artwork. My challenge is to put on exhibitions that enrich people to the point that they want to make the work a part of their life. Art as necessity, not luxury.

You have traveled extensively, how do you compare the artist's experience in Brooklyn from the rest of the world?

The Brooklyn Arts Council just gave me a bunch of grant money so, you know, this borough is the cat's meow as far as I'm concerned.

Do you think you would have even more success if you were in Manhattan, or in a hipper area of Brooklyn such as Williamsburg?

I think WORK has been a success exactly because it's not in Manhattan or Williamsburg. The charm of the red tin shack is the charm of the neighborhood: that feeling of walking down union street toward the water in the evening and seeing the dinosaur cranes silently brooding; catching a glimpse of a light on at the end of the land. and that light is a fire burning inside a 40-gallon oil drum, and chances are marshmallows are being roasted. That's the dream I'm selling.

Walker, what are your favorite things about the CSWD?

The community feel, the isolated neighborhood, the waterfront, the cranes at sunset.

What is missing?

A place to get some food late at night.

Has the neighborhood changed since you first moved here?

There is momentum, things are happening.

What's your favorite hang-out?

The Coffee Den.

Upcoming exhibitions at Work gallery:

Meleko Mokgosi and Matthew Watson
March 27 - April 20, 2009

Mokgosi's layered paintings on PMMA and Watson's hyper-realist portraiture on copper are united by an examination of figurative surface as site of provocation. Without will also feature site-specific installation drawing and text by the two artists.

Outdoor-multimedia-danceParty - Curated by Nini Ayach
Saturday, April 11, 2009

Brigitte Bouquet
TRAILS
April 25 - May 25, 2009

Trevor Babb
DISASTER KIT: This Show Could Save Your Life
June 12 - July 13, 2009

WORK | 65 Union Street | Brooklyn, NY 11231

Gallery hours Thu-Sun 12-5 & by appointment

More info on WORK, here.