Adore

from the Groupie Feminism art series

Attributions

77" x 31 1/2" tall, 1 1/2" side


Assembled in 2020

Door from the Chelsea Hotel

Lot 0044 from Guernsey's at Live Auctioneers, 4.12.18

Pastel lights

Oil pastels in pale gold No 112, and Black No 23, for room number plaque (Sennelier pastel a l'huile purchased across the street from the Hotel Chelsea in 2012)

Upper right to left, then left to right, and repeat

Mailing address to me from delivery of Chelsea doors
Red and white checked diner meal packaging
Peacock feather with sparkles
Gold wrapper for chocolate bar
Red heart confetti in druggie bottle

Pool access card from the Riot House
Fabric tulip
Rhinestone strand

Red sparkle heart card from my mom, Lucretia Baldwin "Teka" Ward, for this art project
Drugstore paper bag

A fortune from a cookie that reads: "A letter of great importance may reach you any day now. 06 16 25 39 40,  19"

Hotel Chelsea writing paper (courtesy Aime Elkins McRory)
Coffee shop coaster with a pencil line through "De" in "Decaffeinated" so it reads "caffeinated"
Riot House napkin
Hotel room key envelope
Guest check
Pink note paper with flower border from my mom, Lucretia Baldwin "Teka" Ward
Days Inn note paper
Sparkling juice cork wrapper, gold and silver
Sunset Marquis writing paper
Silver candy pleated cup
Chateau Marmont note card
Groupie Feminism perfume
Dark chocolate candy wrapper, "I'm the One for You!"
2 fabric flowers, light blue and pink
Folded paper
Coaster with embossed flowers
Heart note, pink and folded open
Beverly Hills Hotel and Bungalow writing paper

Sex Detector
Folded coaster with embossed flowers
2 scalloped notecards
Cootie-catcher fortune-teller I made during pandemic 2020
Grey "Privacy Please" card
Folded lined notebook paper with doodles of heart shapes and music notes
Heart-shaped lined note paper xo, from my mom, Lucretia Baldwin "Teka" Ward
Lace paper doily
Fabric flower hair clip, black rose
Silver gum wrapper
Red candy wrapper
Gold tissue paper
Valentine's Day bag, transparent with inscribed hearts pattern
Music note paper, 2 sheets
1 fabric rose, dusk blue
Embossed wedding paper

7 hearts of chewing gum in different colors (red, pink, white, blue, green, black, yellow)

Artist Statement

Adore is the first idea I had for an art assemblage about groupies. The idea came in 2010, when I read an interview in Angry Women in Rock, Volume One (1996), by Andrea Juno with the musician, Jarboe. (I actually first read the interview in 1996, when I bought the book, and have read it several times since.)

During the interview, Jarboe describes a night she spent at a hotel when she was on tour with her band, Swans. A rock band was staying at the same hotel, and she noticed folded love notes from fans and groupies adorning that rock band's hotel room door. I fell in love with the idea of love letters on a hotel room door. I realized the connection of the word "adore" with love notes on "a door."

I began accumulating items I thought a fan or groupie might want to attach to the musician's hotel room door, and, in 2018, purchased an actual door from a hotel renowned for its musical and artistic provenance. When I stayed at hotels that had a music groupie legacy, or dined at their coffee shops/restaurants, I asked the front desk and the employees for swag (note paper, privacy cards, pens, napkins, matchbooks). It took a decade to gather the items.

The devotion music inspires is wild and tender. I want to honor with my art the lovers of music.