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Raechel Wolfe
311 Plays4 days ago
Raechel Wolfe is a multi-disciplinary artist based in Portland, OR, whose work spans film, writing, modeling, and Creative Direction. She made waves by creating FINK, the world’s first Instagram-exclusive short film, and was a founding member of the core team behind Buckman Journal. Raechel continues to push creative boundaries, now adding curator to her dynamic portfolio.
Featuring co-host and model/artist Jenny Peterson.
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Transcript
Introduction to the Podcast and Guests
00:00:02
Speaker
You are listening to Something Rather Than Nothing. Creator and host, Ken Valente. Editor and producer, Peter Bauer.
Introducing Artist Rachel Wolf and Her Exhibit
00:00:17
Speaker
This is Ken Vellante with the Something Rather Than Nothing podcast. And I am really pleased to have Rachel Wolf here. Artist. um Well, you do a whole bunch of things, but artist and curator um of a recent exhibit um that ah was in Portland called For Your Eyes Only.
00:00:40
Speaker
And I have a special ah guest host. why don't you say hello, guest host? Hello, guest host. This is Jenny. We have ah Jenny Peterson. And um so special, special
Discussing 'For Your Eyes Only' Exhibit
00:00:55
Speaker
episode. And um just just wanted to kind of get into talking about um starting with like your exciting exhibit for your eyes only. um ah I really want to ah like open it up open it up to you um
00:01:15
Speaker
ah to to tell to tell us about where the idea came from. But just right before that, I just wanted to mention just like one of the impacts on me that like made me think as as soon as I saw the description, which was...
00:01:31
Speaker
private um sex, private photos um that ah you normally seem private. ah the spade publicly, anonymously, but in ah yeah and in an artist, in a gallery type of setting. So there's so many like big questions that were going on in my mind with it, just the very idea of the show.
00:01:54
Speaker
um Before I go on too much about it, but could you could you tell us about where, a bit more about um the exhibit and how how it came about in your work on it, just like in a very open-ended fashion.
00:02:12
Speaker
Yeah, of course. And thank you so much for having me on. It's my first podcast, so ah very exciting. I can add that to the list.
Inspiration and Personal Experience Behind the Exhibit
00:02:23
Speaker
um and Yeah, so the idea for For Your Eyes Only um came Early last year, so early 2024, was um recovering from a pretty hefty breakup.
00:02:38
Speaker
And I'm a woman in my mid forty s ah And thinking, oh God, can I just reuse my old sexed photos? Or do I have to take new ones? Or like, I'm so out of practice out of shape.
00:02:55
Speaker
I was talking with photos. Yeah. listen What's the ethics around that? um And like, you know, I have tattoos, so it's going to be fairly obvious if I use older ones, because they'll be like, wait, where's that?
00:03:08
Speaker
Where's that one tattoo? but so um But yeah, i was talking to a girlfriend about it. And um i was kind of showing her some of the photos that I had in mind.
Private Photos as Art: A New Perspective
00:03:20
Speaker
um And she was like, those are really great. And she started showing me some of hers. I was like, these are so good. We should be in a magazine or like on a gallery wall or something. These are like, you put a lot of effort into these photos.
00:03:36
Speaker
um You know, you're thinking about, you know, like the context in which you want to be seen, you are doing, you know, sometimes like hair and makeup, definitely wardrobe or non wardrobe lighting is huge, you know, location, which angles you're going to use. Are you going to use a filter?
00:03:57
Speaker
Like there's so much that goes into creating these images that, you know, are sent off to hopefully arouse your, your, your paramour. ah So I'm just thinking like it's, it's a real shame that, you know, they get viewed by one person and, you know, forgotten, you know, and into the archives somewhere when like, they're just so beautiful.
Growth and Impact of the Exhibit
00:04:27
Speaker
you know,
00:04:28
Speaker
So I had this idea to it and largely started out with just me and my friends thinking like it would be like fun to do it ah just like in a small space somewhere.
00:04:40
Speaker
yeah um Not very big at all. And i I went to a um show opening, i think for Bobby Adams at ah Purple Door Gallery.
00:04:54
Speaker
And while I was there, i was talking to Chelsea, who i I had no idea she was the owner of the gallery at the time, but I was just like, yeah, i have this idea of looking for a space.
00:05:07
Speaker
And she really, really latched on to the idea and was a huge supporter and was like, yes, let's do it. um So then I was like, oh shit, like I'm in a ah legit gallery, not like a, you know, some warehouse space or like somebody's basement. So yeah, then it kind of struck me that like, oh, this is kind of a, it's kind of a big deal and people are really, you know,
00:05:37
Speaker
they're really connecting with the idea and really getting excited about it in a way that I, you know, I thought it was a good idea. i think most of my ideas are good ideas, but like, I, you know, you you're just like, I don't know, maybe I'm tooting my own horn or something and like people aren't really going to get it or it's going to be it's like too sexual or whatever.
00:06:02
Speaker
Well, one of the things I wanted to just jump in, not to interrupt, but like, with Jenny and I being in the audience on at that opening, you know, um kind of seeing the reactions and, you know, like from the different vantage points, um there was a lot of excitement and like laughter and like,
00:06:24
Speaker
very appreciative. It had just, I don't know, had a really good energy to it. So like just from our side to it. And um I thought it was wild. And i had seen a couple pictures of you, but I could just tell, you know, kind of way you presented yourself in your role. I'm like, oh, she's the one who's running it. And so it was is a really great energy. It was crowded, which i you know, I think it's so, great if you're there at an opening, you know, crowded, right?
Audience Reactions and Engagement
00:06:51
Speaker
Like,
00:06:51
Speaker
It was exactly how was supposed to be. And, and like Ken said, i liked, we kind of walked through and saw what we could, you know, with the crowd there. But then we walked through a couple more times and I actually liked kind of standing back and listening to people, um, and hearing their reactions and hear them talking about the different pieces.
00:07:11
Speaker
Um, and the little different rooms, you know, there's a lot going on in all those spaces. Yeah, yeah. Well, well done. and we just wanted to, I just wanted to jump in at that point, you know, talking about when you mentioned ah the reactions of folks. And so it was, you know, you're probably going through a big jump right there, right? Because you had a certain scale or maybe space for where this would be. And it's in this gallery now, and then you're at the opening and people are like vibing and excited, right?
Submissions and Diversity in the Exhibit
00:07:41
Speaker
It was, well, I think the first, it was, well, yeah, it was terrifying because like the way that I got the images i was i posted on Instagram um that I had the show and, you know, a little bit about what it's about.
00:07:58
Speaker
um And I opened up, I designed the website and, you know, got that running. And for, i think i I launched the submissions in like early November, right?
00:08:10
Speaker
Um, and for like four weeks, I maybe got like one or two submissions and I was like, oh shit, it's going to be a lot of me in there. like Oh no better get snapping.
00:08:27
Speaker
Uh, but then yeah, towards the holidays, um, people, I guess, you know, they were off of work, they were talking, they were sharing, they were at parties. Mm-hmm. whatever. um And I ended up getting, i think it was like 67 different artists um submitting 143 different images. So, and then the final show was 98 images. Yeah. I was wondering how many, I, I was so impressed by the volume.
00:09:00
Speaker
um Not that I didn't know what to expect, um but I loved seeing these full walls. Yeah. It was, i it was incredible. And, you know, really, really, really proud to say that, you know, um all genders, all sexualities, um you know, multiple races, we do live in a very white city. So unfortunately, i didn't have as many BIPOC people represented as I would have hoped.
00:09:32
Speaker
but um But yeah, it was it was ah lots of different body sizes, shapes, styles, everything. It just was like absolutely stunning.
00:09:43
Speaker
And you know then there were the blurbs that went with each piece which you know i i got like some resistance from the artist you know like write something about this piece but i think it went a long way to um keep this show from objectifying the artists and and humanize the experience right there's a story behind them yeah yeah yeah I wanted to um and wanted to ah bounce between the you know the what's what's happening there and in that great exhibit and talk some more about
Rachel's Artistic Journey and Childhood Creativity
00:10:23
Speaker
it. But I also wanted to um ask you about you as a creator and artist, some thoughts about like some some big questions. um one of the One of the questions I really enjoy asking is...
00:10:36
Speaker
um Was there a moment you saw yourself as an artist? Like, was it, aha, have you always felt like an artist or? Yeah, I think I've always been creative. You know, and as an artist, I think you learn what is called art as you get older. You know, as a child, I did a lot of drawing. I did a lot plays.
00:11:07
Speaker
for anybody who would pay attention to me. ah i would um play dress up, you know, i all like all sorts of things, um making like little sculptures out of clay and whatnot. um But I think that's just being like a child and having the support ah of people who encourage, you know, play and creativity.
00:11:31
Speaker
um As an adult,
00:11:37
Speaker
I'm still always creative. i made a short film in New York for under Michelle Gondry, who's the director behind ah Eternal Sunshine, Spotless Mind and Be Kind Rewind.
00:11:53
Speaker
um He had this really excellent exhibit that I was so, so fortunate to go to um where you got to make it was like a little um like workshop or like um science experiment kind of a thing where you go in and you it guides you through this process. And when you end, you have a short film ah with a title and a cover image and everything.
00:12:27
Speaker
um and And so that was the first time that I got to like kind of do something and we were featured in his book. So I was like, really. So cool. it's Very excited.
00:12:39
Speaker
yeah yeah no doubt but yeah so that was the first time as like an adult that i was like oh i can do this it doesn't have to be for money ah does it doesn't have to be you know whatever i can do whatever because you enjoy it exactly yeah well last i wanted to ask you as well um and i think uh I thought about this question a lot with um your exhibit, right?
Exploring the Definition of Art
00:13:08
Speaker
Because there's a shock maybe for like common values of like a sext and, you know, it's elevation or presented as art.
00:13:17
Speaker
you I'm a big fan of comic books and like underground kind of literature, pardon me, and zines. huh And just seeing all that ah different, different, all those different types of, um,
00:13:32
Speaker
and of expressions. um ah ah Some folks would look at it and say, oh, you know, is this art? You know, what what is this, you know, being shown? And I began to wonder that what what your thoughts were about what is art or whether you felt, you know, your exhibit like interrogates, I think it interrogates that question, but what is art?
00:13:57
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, okay, art...
00:14:03
Speaker
I've had many discussions about art and craft and which is art and which is craft. um Art for me is a vehicle to communicate.
00:14:13
Speaker
um And if it's art, it is successful and communicating. And if it's craft, it's not. um So if you go and see a painting in a coffee shop,
00:14:28
Speaker
that was bought from Ikea and to you it moves you, then that's art. And if you see it and it's just something on a wall that is taking up space, then that's craft to you. But it is very individual.
00:14:44
Speaker
And I do believe that your, your tastes can change as you grow older and your, you know, sophistication expands, but yeah, it's like, as an artist, you, what are you, it's a, it's a vehicle for you to communicate with people in ways that maybe you can't in other ways, you know, I'm not so great with the written word, but I, you know, i can take a hell of a picture, and which, you know,
00:15:15
Speaker
We discussed in some of the the different um events that we had around that is like, why you know why is it easier to send a picture than maybe you know communicate and use words to convey that same desire and feeling and and whatever?
Body Positivity and Cultural Impact
00:15:35
Speaker
um But I think as on the whole, the show was successful because all of those pieces and it was art. It is art. um All of those pieces successfully conveyed the message to the intended audience. and you know, even this broader audience that we opened it up to, they all felt that message as well. So yes, it is art.
00:16:03
Speaker
so just to And as, just an aside, why is it that nude image of Kate Moss taken by, you know, Mario Sorietti or whatever it you know, can be in a gallery in London and sell for millions of dollars.
00:16:23
Speaker
But like, you know, your nude can't. That's bullshit. Like, no, we self portraiture is art, nude self portraiture, just because the intention is a little bit saucier.
00:16:40
Speaker
But what nude isn't intended for that you know you go to the Louvre and it's packed with dicks and tits like come on now that has always been a the most human thing we can possibly do yeah even cavemen we're most we're most obsessed at looking at ourselves naked and looking at other people naked that's just our human nature it's what we're supposed to do exactly so yeah no I yeah it was it's a beautiful show I'm very proud of it
00:17:11
Speaker
Yeah, it was. Well, there was something, you know, I think ah that's very helpful around this whole discussion. And I wanted to, like, connect it back to um ah Squirm, Kels and Tess, and ah who um who would do. We had talked to them on the podcast. And it was really helpful because we talked about our experience using their, um,
00:17:38
Speaker
the cards that were prompts. I love that deck. It's so fun. and Yes. Yeah. And it was just, well, it was really good. It was, it was good to talk about it. And, and, and ah Jenny and I having discussions about that and saying, Hey, like,
00:17:57
Speaker
use these prompts is sometimes it feels difficult to like ah prompt a subject or you're exhausted or something. And um so it was really nice to talk to them about that. And, you know, ah you have some connection with them. I'm going to ask you about, but just, I thought it was just very helpful being in that art environment because I would even say as a private ah thing that I didn't even communicate to Jenny is,
00:18:26
Speaker
Even still, like I grew up in the 80s, right? So like I'm an 80s male, which it it feels so ancient, some of the ethos around that, but the paranoia around male bodies that that I grew up around the culture. And like it i still experience like just some of the impacts of that, of like shame or should I look?
00:18:49
Speaker
And I think there's an immersion within that because... My early young experience was obviously adverse, silly, stupid, and like there's a lot of negative components to just that level of discomfort.
00:19:05
Speaker
And it's just it was very helpful because it was really... and Not to sound cliche, but like celebratory, like fundamentally celebratory of like being here's my body. Who's I am like who who I am. Right. Which is kind of like an art question. Like, who are you? Like, this is this who I am. This is who I fucking am. Like right here. You can see me.
00:19:26
Speaker
And um so it's important. like It's not just so cool to look at and have a feel and be electrified of looking at bodies in that private way, public way.
00:19:40
Speaker
It's the fact that being like, It's all right. It's all right, human beings. It's all right to look into whatever. And I just want to say, like, in the same vein with the healthful part squirm, I think that's a connection back to ah what you did.
Inclusivity and Challenging Traditional Norms
00:20:01
Speaker
but um So I just wanted this, I wonder if you had any further comments on that or, Anne, talk about the how squirm comes about in in this whole project.
00:20:12
Speaker
Yeah, so i I really love that you brought um the the topic of like cishet men um being able to look at other men's bodies because that was very purposeful.
00:20:23
Speaker
yeah um You know, i in the beginning, it was going to be a feminine events, you know, and then I was like, wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute.
00:20:35
Speaker
Like, the people who need this inspiration the most are cishet men, because i can't tell you, like, you saw from the show, especially from like, um homosexual or bisexual people, like, they're not just displaying, you know, a downward,
00:20:56
Speaker
ah view of their dick. Like there's abs, there's butts, there's arms, there's, you know, curvatures of your body. And like, it's really beautiful to see men in that way. You know, I think women...
00:21:10
Speaker
want to see men in that way, because men's bodies are just as beautiful as, you know, women's bodies, and all bodies are beautiful. i So, but, you know, i was very mindful of like, okay, how am I going to like,
00:21:27
Speaker
pepper it in and prepare the audience for the dong dome. So right but so the back room for the audience here ah was where we had all of the, we'll say genital forward images i know where if a child goes forward yes where if a child wandered in, perhaps like they're not going to be. Wasn't the first thing they saw. Yeah.
00:21:52
Speaker
Yeah. But I was, yeah, so I was mindful of making sure that like, you know, it was maybe traditionally more sexy, like those, like the the traditional, I guess, sort of like um body image, but beauty standards that are pushed upon us by like ah capitalism and patriarchy.
00:22:18
Speaker
We're all at the front just to get people into the door and like kind of soothe them a little bit. like Okay, this is exciting. And then as you move forward and you're surrounded more and more and more with like different kinds of bodies, different, you know, whatever,
00:22:36
Speaker
you are perhaps a little bit more desensitized to it before you get to the dumb dumb.
Empowerment and Future Endeavors
00:22:43
Speaker
And so you you go into the back room and like those images are just as artistic and beautiful as the ones up front, yeah but they are a bit more challenging for, you know, a lot of people. So um yeah, it was very,
00:23:01
Speaker
very mindful in the way that we tried to kind of shape the experience for people. So it wouldn't be just so absolutely jarring whenever you entered. um But I did have so many CISHET attendees coming away and saying like, I've got some really great ideas now. Like I never thought to...
00:23:23
Speaker
arch my back in this way or a like right do my butt this way or whatever. And I think because it was also surrounded by beautiful fems and thems, you know, like it was okay to glance because you're glancing at everything. And so it did like it did make you feel safe and like you weren't going to be shamed or anything for staring at a dick pic.
00:23:48
Speaker
yeah know Well done. Yeah. well um Well, and I think like just one like one piece on that too, I think I was thinking of Robert Mapplethorpe and how like pivotal it was for me to know of, come in contact, understand the scandal there culturally at that time um you know with the male body. But it's like out of that where it was almost like
00:24:18
Speaker
so forbidden to see like culturally ah in where an artist breaks through that and say, no, no, this is, this is, this is art. This is like, this is, this is good.
00:24:32
Speaker
This is. And I'm beautiful and I'm worthy. And I mean, it's empowering, you know, like all of these images when, ah when someone is taking an image or taking as a self-portrait of this nature, you know, you are always envisioning yourself as your most desirable, your most powerful, right? Because you're like, I'm trying to lure somebody in. I'm trying to like get them hot and ready for me, right? So you're not going to view yourself as...
00:25:04
Speaker
unworthy because that's completely or you're probably not taking the picture like exactly exactly these images are are all about empowerment they're about courage they're about you know self-worth it's it's such a beautiful medium and um I'm frankly quite surprised nobody's done it yet maybe they have I don't know but like not around here they haven't so uh yeah you might need to do it like annually Rachel who knows um maybe I know they I I've I might do one this fall we'll see it's uh it's kind of exhausting but we'll see we'll see where we go
00:25:50
Speaker
Well, Jenny's the zine editor for the podcast. So that might be like even behind on that even a zine idea. yeah Yeah, yeah. We definitely want to do, i say we, it's me.
00:26:01
Speaker
I definitely want to a a coffee table book and I would love to take it international. I think that the idea that am so curious about is to see like what cultures and what, you know, even like microcultures,
00:26:19
Speaker
Do in this medium, like, you know, are, are Brazilians all about butts and like, uh, do French people really get hot and heavy for clavicles? I don't know.
00:26:33
Speaker
That's an answer we can find out though. So I think it's a great question. and Take it on the road. Absolutely. Yeah. It'd be fun. Hey, Rachel, uh, uh, about the, uh,
00:26:46
Speaker
Squirm, the workshop. How did that go? Tell us about what it was and in in how how it went. Yeah, for sure. So a Squirm came about because I was, i had known Tess,
00:27:02
Speaker
very lightly. ah i was at her house a couple like almost a decade ago ah for New Year's Eve, and that's how I know her. um And I ran into her in a maker fair at Holman's parking lot and was just like, oh, hey, what's going on?
00:27:24
Speaker
and started to kind of explain what the show was and what I was working on. And she got... really excited and said there's a lot of um synergy between the two. So, um you know, if I wanted to collaborate and I definitely was thinking, you know, at that time,
00:27:44
Speaker
I didn't have all the events figured out, but I did know that like I wanted to have events in conjunction, a to get more people in, but B, to like foster conversation around, you know, ah consent and bodily autonomy and sexuality and all of these things.
00:28:06
Speaker
um And also,
00:28:11
Speaker
you know, selfishly, I would love to learn how to talk sexy because I am not a sexy talker. i And I thought, wow, this is really great. You know, ah they know like they can help people with their sexting language and then I can help them with their sexting images and yeah all around we can just level this medium right on up.
00:28:38
Speaker
so yeah ah So, yeah, that's how it came about. That's awesome. Yeah. ah Pretty amazing. um What's ah ah another conceptual question. What's what's the role of art? Like, what is it supposed to do what's it supposed to do for us?
00:28:56
Speaker
I mean, you know, going off of my sort of concept of what art is, I would say its role is to connect connect and
00:29:12
Speaker
Galvanize people around ideas and
Art as Communication and Emotional Exploration
00:29:14
Speaker
emotions. um So, you know, music, getting angry, at like punk rock, for example, you know, art form, beautiful. And it's amazing.
00:29:27
Speaker
and both in its music and in its adornments. I love punk rock so much, but like yeah you know its whole point was to be subversive and to be angry and to...
00:29:41
Speaker
to Get that anger out. You know, they a lot of people were living under Margaret Thatcher and like all that like nastiness. And, you know, we're going through very similar times.
00:29:55
Speaker
I would love to see more punk rock these days. It needs be more punk rock. Yeah. Get it out. um But yeah, I think it's it's it's a way to like communicate and ah can connect people is that's what art is always all about and what it's always been about.
00:30:14
Speaker
Yeah. I wanted to ask you the big question ah titular to the show on something rather than nothing podcast is why is there something rather than nothing Rachel Wolf?
00:30:28
Speaker
Yeah. You know, I knew you were going to ask this question and I really struggled with it. And i The most honest answer is I don't care. You know, I like that. I got to tell you one thing. The first thing that I thought is... might my favorite. Sometimes sometimes when there's a pause on this question, there's one time I had... um I was a big American Gladiators fan, the show, and I had Ice Lori Fetrick on the podcast. And I was, well, let's just say you very excited by this. She can take a hot selfie.
00:31:08
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, yeah. do oh Now, Lori, if you're listening, um hot selfie, please. I'll leave the mic hot and open for a while. So, um, so, ah so anyways, I was, uh, I, I was, I think it was maybe the only guest I've done almost 300 episodes where I gave an out on the question.
00:31:32
Speaker
And I said, you can tell me, to fuck off for asking it. And she kind of answered it and then said, fuck off. And it was, it was, it was, it was fun. So that was a highlight. And, um, I don't care is as legitimate a stance as I can imagine.
00:31:52
Speaker
I just feel like it's not for me. Like, I don't know why, you know, they're like i I feel like humans get so fucking wrapped up in why and a little bit less kind of like concerned about like, how do I feel about this thing?
00:32:16
Speaker
Like, I don't care that there's kombucha bottle on my table, but how do I feel about it? You know, like, why is there, why is the sky blue? I don't know, but does it make me happy? Like what, like, i want I'm more interested in like the internal. How's it impacting you right now? Exactly. And like, I think, you know, getting real intimate with your emotions and how you experience them and how, like being,
00:32:43
Speaker
you know, emotionally intelligent. Like, let's get back on that. Let's be philosophers again, for fuck's sake. Like, I don't, we, science has its place for sure. And I am not anti-science by any means.
00:32:57
Speaker
But I do think that like humans need to start fucking thinking about shit like deeply again. And I, yeah, like,
00:33:09
Speaker
Maybe it's because I'm on a sabbatical right now that I'm just like super introspective. And I'm like, man, why am I why am i feeling a type of way right now? And I'm like, oh, well. The times are screaming. The times are screaming for philosophy.
00:33:26
Speaker
For real. sures in And I don't know what. But I think there's a lot of energy around that. And it's wonderful to hear you're on sabbatical. Yeah. I get excited when hear that word. More people need to take sabbaticals. Oh, a thousand percent.
00:33:42
Speaker
A thousand percent. Step back and see what's going on. It's so helpful. Well, Venus is also in retrograde. so that There is that. i'm such I'm too much of an astrology girly these days. I almost didn't do the podcast because it's Mercury retrograde right now.
00:33:59
Speaker
Oh, wow. So this, so you're coming in you feel you're coming in hot off the skillet, hot hot off the skillet cosmically. Um, you know what, like on this show, I, I, uh, I talk a whole bunch. Um,
00:34:15
Speaker
I wanted to hand over the mic to Jenny. Yeah. Yeah, I did. That's nice. Yeah, you know, she shit she has to hear me talk like all the fucking time.
00:34:27
Speaker
So um one of the things ah one of the things I thought was really cool was um ah Jenny is my partner and Her connection, you know, as as a woman, you know, as a mom, as an educator, like as a whole person with like who she is in her body.
Personal Experiences and Affirmations
00:34:49
Speaker
And it's a really amazing thing. And I've been around a lot of ah ah women like through my work and in in life and know how. difficult uh that is and so gotta say like from my mind it was just wonderful uh an experience with jenny to see like um the idea of of her on the wall uh in in in as as a model as ah photographer the affirmation of those type of things and to um
00:35:26
Speaker
again, use that word, celebrate it. There's a reason for the word because it's like, yeah, you know this is really good. So I'm saying kudos to you for the opportunity and us being able to sync with that art vibe.
00:35:42
Speaker
ah But also um also ah for Jenny. Jenny, i I was wondering i was wanted like a bit oh just like about your like experience as an artist and, you know, just connecting and, you know, hearing from Rachel and be able to see this exhibit and your experience, your art experience.
00:36:04
Speaker
Yeah. I, thank you. ah I mean, I was blown away just seeing the opportunity, Rachel. And again, it was connected, I think on Instagram, um the call for submissions and it came,
00:36:19
Speaker
I don't remember when I submitted, like how early in the process, but ah it came when I was wanting to put myself in front of the camera more, like intentionally and in front of other people's cameras, even though taking pictures is what I like doing. And I'm a lot more comfortable with pictures of myself when I've taken them. yeah um But the idea to submit those types of photos, which in the past I've only shared,
00:36:49
Speaker
you know, with my intimate partners um or with myself. You know, I've looked through my camera roll when I was submitting and there's a massive amount of photos of that nature in my camera roll is what I would say. And only a small percentage gets seen by whoever. Yeah.
00:37:10
Speaker
I love that. A lot of it's for me, though, you know, like in those moments where you're feeling confident and wanting to see the most of yourself, I guess. Yeah. um So i I have some that I share and some that are just for me.
00:37:25
Speaker
um So the idea that I could put those on a wall and kind of put myself out as an artist, like Ken said, um was a double whammy. So thanks for that opportunity. It was really good Of course. But like, I'm so curious.
00:37:39
Speaker
How did you feel? Were you, be nervous were you nervous? I wasn't, well, uh, did you want to shout from the rooftops? This one's me. I was shocked. I, but I, I did consider putting it out there a little more boldly, like, Hey, go check out. And this is which number I am and like, check it out. But yeah,
00:38:00
Speaker
Um, one of my close friends went with some other friends and she tried to guess. So that was hilarious to me because she like went through this whole list of different numbers and I'm like, nope, nope. But that one was hot. Like, uh, I love that you think that was me, you know, but no, it wasn't.
00:38:19
Speaker
Um, yeah, yeah, it was cool. Uh, I'm wearing the cardigan that I had on and the picture that you, uh, yeah. so it beenway yeah um I don't know. Where was I going with that? no just yeah just your experience like like like with it. was like how you know You tripped out with it? or Yeah, it was an honor. um I'm very much like ah in the in the background type person where Ken's more in the for forefront. so
00:38:52
Speaker
Even leading up to that opening, um we had different things going on in our life. and There was like a snowstorm going on. Yeah. Yeah. So like we wanted to get up there, but there and and there was this idea that maybe I'd show up feeling like the star, you know, among this group of other stars, because we're all like putting ourselves up on this wall. Thanks to you. um But also just felt great to stand there and be in the presence of all of that and know that I was part of it.
00:39:26
Speaker
Right. I don't know. I don't know. It felt pretty powerful. Yeah. Yeah. I would say that. That's cool. And that's why it's nice to talk talk to you about it. And, you know, like from the you said early on, just talking about the different perspectives and like how you see it and what's going on, like you're planning.
00:39:45
Speaker
for the, ah what was the name he gave that room with the penises in the back? It was poetry. It was poetry. you had it What was it? Oh my God. I can't take credit for that. Somebody. That's amazing. You should put it in neon.
00:39:59
Speaker
The dong dome. Yeah. I couldn't remember. So I'm sitting back here trying to do the interview. I'm like, dong cave. yeah like i couldn't I knew everything that I came up with was wrong. So then I was like, yeah, I can either say it and make this a mess talking out loud or not.
00:40:18
Speaker
Kind of like the Thunderdome. When you do the coffee table book, you can have the chapter. like The Dongdome? Oh, my god and um That's hilarious. Yeah. i i I love how unserious it is because, yeah, I think that, man, so there's couple more
Challenges in Curating and Societal Issues
00:40:38
Speaker
points. Like, I i wanted to make sure So in my normal day-to-day, i am HR my company, which is...
00:40:49
Speaker
Difficult. Whatever you're putting on a show of this nature um to like be mindful. i did have several coworkers come. And as you know, there was a full frontal nude of me with my face.
00:41:07
Speaker
I was not so anonymous, but I did that on purpose and it was terrifying. I was really, really. Scared to do it. um mainly because um yeah because of my work and like having any kind of like potential backlash from any of that. um And you know i it wasn't anonymous, because you if you know me, you know that was me.
00:41:36
Speaker
um But I really wanted, there were so many people who submitted their faces in the art. And I was like, what, they're gonna go they're going to go and do their face and I'm not going to like be in the ring with them. I'm not going to like as be part of it.
00:41:55
Speaker
Like I want to feel that too. You know, i don't want somebody to be doing something that I'm too scared to do of myself. So I did really push myself to like make sure that ah that i was stepping up to the plate and um pulling pull my weight or I don't know, any other sports or physical analogy wanna throw in there. i The other thing that was, i found really, really interesting, and there were conversations about this at some of the events were, we didn't get any submissions of vulvas.
00:42:35
Speaker
or female genitalia, or trans genitalia, for that matter. So, you know, I hope for future iterations to get some rising.
00:42:49
Speaker
I think there's just a lot of shame around, you know, are way easier, and more ah palatable in a in a broad societal and viewing than perhaps, you know, labia.
00:43:04
Speaker
So I think that, you know, I hope that that changes. I hope that people can view and see that art and, you know, get comfortable with their own bodies.
00:43:18
Speaker
You know, you could see it on porn for sure, but also like that's so like, it's just so,
00:43:29
Speaker
fake. oh You know, I want to see real bodies. I want to see. Yeah. i Well, that's maybe that's your next show. ah Just vulvas. Yeah, just vulvas.
00:43:41
Speaker
That's the name of it. That's the name of this. Yeah, I'll have some t-shirts made. Yeah, so we just do the podcast and just yeah, we're recording the brainstorming session.
00:43:51
Speaker
ah Rachel, wanted to ask you. ah I wanted to ask you for before we let you go. We know you do like um do a whole bunch of art things, and I wondered if you could talk about like some some art projects you have, or Well, I would say, and haven't talked to a lot of artists or as many artists as I'd like to this 2025. And just like, you know, what are you doing in art or what do you think like art can do right now? And like trying survive and wild times and what you're vibing on and in in and doing and all that.
00:44:39
Speaker
Mm-hmm.
Art Beyond Capitalism: Cooperative Approaches
00:44:42
Speaker
outside of like the For Eyes Only universe, as far as like what I'm doing there, I am starting to work on feature-length film um tomorrow. Actually, I'm meeting with my collaborator. So we'll be doing some...
00:45:03
Speaker
some ideating, some conceptualizing, ah hopefully getting into some treatments later in May. And I would love to be shooting like late summer. um But I think right now that the most exciting thing for me is how can we strip out capitalism from the art world and be subversive. Like how can we have, you know, co-op galleries or how can we do you know, one huge lesson learned for me um as the curator of this show is I,
00:45:46
Speaker
Next go around, i will start out with a silent auction and just have all the pieces up for auction the entire time. I think if we had done that, you know, at like from the very get go from, you know, opening, all the pieces would have been sold. We would, it would have been much more accessible to people.
00:46:07
Speaker
I think we have to recognize the fact that if we want art in the working man's hands, which is where it needs to be, and we need to make it accessible.
00:46:18
Speaker
i So, you know, however we can do that, and, you know, community support for artists and um artists making sure that their their art is affordable, you know, whether that's making smaller pieces or, you know, just figuring it out, like,
00:46:38
Speaker
We deserve to have art too. And also artists deserve to eat and you know continue to do their art. So I'm really excited to see what comes out of that you know in the film space, you know not relying on these major production studios and doing instead like more co-op-y production.
00:47:01
Speaker
um for the art sake of it, you know, for just making cool shit, like being really anti, anti-capitalist in the way that like your stuff is not pretty imperfect and polished and AI glossy.
00:47:17
Speaker
It's, yeah it's raw, it's dirty. It's, you know, bring back filth, bring back, not running ads and getting sponsors and you're not out for the pay.
00:47:29
Speaker
You're just out to make some art. Just make the art. Yeah. Be punk rock about it. Yeah. Yeah. We need more punk. That's all I'm saying. Yeah. yeah Any cool art you've been looking at and that's like been blowing your mind lately?
00:47:44
Speaker
Yes, I love Pace Taylor. Are you familiar with them? So this um beautiful piece behind me I've been staring at it.
00:47:56
Speaker
Yeah, Pace Taylor is fucking incredible. And I would say out of all the artists that I know currently in Portland, they're probably the most set to go international big time.
00:48:11
Speaker
and kind um I also love um Jeremy O'Keefe. Instagram is everybody. i like instagram is right that down everybody And I have the worst memory for names. Let's see.
00:48:30
Speaker
Jeremy Okai. i Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous work. um My friend Brayden. That's Brayden's actual last name. Yeah.
00:48:44
Speaker
Cox, C-O-X. Brayden does incredible like like deep paintings that kind of look like nebulas to me.
00:48:54
Speaker
and sure I'm sure Brayden would call them something else, but like for me, every time I look at one of her paintings, I'm just like, it's nebula, it's earth, it's essence of life for me.
00:49:05
Speaker
um but yeah, I'm like Gaga for Pace. Yeah. Mary is a, is a, I can't say her last name. So I'm going to have to like spell it for you.
00:49:19
Speaker
um is a photographer and she was in the show. She currently has her own show. Nice. I'm going to, I'm going to massacre her last name, but I think it's Lucecki L-U-C-Z-Y-C-K-I.
00:49:35
Speaker
l u c z y c k i and Okay, Mary. Mary. um But she's a phenomenal photographer. um God, there's just so much good art and so much creativity in Portland right now.
00:49:50
Speaker
Yeah, it's bursting. It continues to be a Mecca for that. I mean, we're just blown away every time ah where we're in the city, taking it in. There's new shit to see everywhere we go.
00:50:05
Speaker
Yeah. No matter which part, which part we're find for me, like, I'm a comic
Closing Thoughts and Podcast Wrap-Up
00:50:10
Speaker
book junkie. And like that, like, all all of that, there's enough there's enough go for a long time just on that.
00:50:17
Speaker
Yeah. Like said. It's incredible. And then you've got people making board games. You got people, you got teens out here doing like generator shows.
00:50:30
Speaker
You've got like, I just, I'm so, so inspired. And like, you know, I lived in New York. I i grew up in Dallas, Texas.
00:50:41
Speaker
um I've been, you know, in LA, I've been, a lot. ah But like, I feel like Portland, it's kind of one those places where you're like, hey, I have an idea.
00:50:53
Speaker
and people are like, fuck, yeah, let's do it. You know, case in points, I had never curated a show before in my life. And here we go. you know, ah with my very first gallery show at Purple Door, which is an incredible space. So amazing yeah, you can, I think it's just like, decide what you want to do and do it.
00:51:15
Speaker
Like Google, we live in a time now where there is absolutely no excuse to not do like you can google anything you can youtube how to build a car you can do what ever you put your mind to like do it yeah you know we we are so incredibly lucky right now and i think just living in the moment being present yeah there's a lot of fucked up shit going on in the world but there always has been you know um so i think just doing your part to like bring beauty and connection into the world that's that's how we fight
00:51:52
Speaker
It's the best way to fight it. Yeah. Yeah. Awesome. Thanks. good on Yeah. Thanks. Thanks, Rachel. It's great. It's great to chat with you. I wanted to mention, um, and we can splice some of this extra stuff in there too.
00:52:07
Speaker
Um, not so formal. Uh, The one thing I wanted to mention was prior to going to For Your Eyes Only and even know even afterwards, I had a touchstone in my head of like what I would expect. and for me, the image that the image in and I'm not going to know the name and image, but I'm going to describe the was um I saw it in a museum years ago, and and when I've seen it each time, it just struck me. It is ah a bit of an oversized photograph, a bit grainy, Polaroid, gorgeous,
00:52:52
Speaker
um beautiful woman, blonde woman, long blonde hair, topless, in like in front of a motorcycle. in front of a motorcycle in There was so much about it that was like just i don't like raw and inviting in and exposed you know with like the desert. Wasn't it from the 70s too? It that that It had a 70s kind feel to it.
00:53:22
Speaker
And so like that prominent image, it just stuck in in my head of it being in the high desert was part of it, too. It's like, wow, like there's an incongruence that I just was like, oh, man, that is such a Like, I shouldn't see this photo, like that that piece of it. like i yeah Yeah, that type of thing. so Well, no, I mean, that, yes.
00:53:47
Speaker
yeah No, I mean, yes. i I think, you know, the the medium of these being sexed photos Nobody has seen these except for the lover.
00:54:02
Speaker
Right. And like you get to see them now. So like people were like very excited to to go. It's like, you know, looking at somebody's diary, you know, looking.
00:54:14
Speaker
It's so intimate, but it's also I think because of the blurbs, too, it was like. oh, this person was, you know, ah healing from domestic violence or this person, ah you know, had just had top surgery and we're transitioning or this person um like this is their first time looking at their body, really, you know, it's just like it is so incredibly powerful.
00:54:44
Speaker
And I'm so honestly, it feels like an out-of-body experience even though like I like nearly killed myself pulling this shit together but like it doesn't feel like I put it together like I feel like sort of a conduit for a greater purpose if that makes sense like I just it feels bigger than me uh honestly and it made me a little bit um maybe uncomfortable
00:55:18
Speaker
like receiving praise for this, not because like I'm not proud of it. I'm certainly proud it. It's a it's one of the best things I've ever done, for sure. But it just feels like I shouldn't take credit for it because it doesn't feel like it it feels like I was just the hands of something bigger.
00:55:39
Speaker
so i am excited to like continue to bring this to more and more people. There, there's no way I can't people were literally like, when's the next one? i I wish I had known, and I want to send you my nudes right now. like, please don't come in next year. I mean, yeah, I mean, it's,
00:55:59
Speaker
Now that I've got the formula down and I can ask for help, I think, ah you know, it's it's definitely rough replicatable. But also for anybody out there, don't give a shit.
00:56:12
Speaker
Do it. and Do it in your city. You're the most connected in your city. take Take the idea and do it on your own. I have no... tie to this capitalistically. Like I'm not trying to trademark this. I think that like, it's a great idea.
00:56:29
Speaker
Go do it in Amarillo, Texas Tulsa, Oklahoma or Chicago. Like do it. Yeah. If you need help, I'll help you do it.
00:56:40
Speaker
But I think that it is definitely something that is, is needed in this world. People need to feel like, beautiful and powerful cishet men, trans people, you know, i lesbians, like everybody needs to feel seen and beautiful and appreciated. And this is a really lovely medium for that.
00:57:05
Speaker
So i hope that it does spread. I hope I'm not the only one out here doing it. Somebody reach out to me. Let's, let's get this popping. Exactly. Bring it worldwide.
00:57:16
Speaker
yep yeah Love it, man. Tapping really into our vibe. ah ah Rachel, it's been really great to talk to you on a something rather than nothing podcast and everybody.
00:57:28
Speaker
ah Rachel Wolf and in in. Could you well leave your handles there, Rachel? So for folks, you know, they're going to have to see some visuals a little bit of ah where to find the. um For Your Eyes Only or maybe some of those photos or Instagram? So um my Instagram handle is our underscore the r__wolf with an E at the end.
00:57:54
Speaker
um And then you can look at foryoureyesonlyart.com. um And I will be posting you know updates and stuff there.
00:58:08
Speaker
Eventually, once I have ah another location secured and we're ready to start accepting submissions again. um But yeah, it's I cannot thank you enough, Jenny, for your your courage and your trust in being and submitting and being a part of the show.
00:58:25
Speaker
It's so incredibly important. beautiful And i I am forever grateful for you for you and your submission. and and And you should take the compliments because it wouldn't have happened without you, even though you served as this conduit.
00:58:45
Speaker
ah for myself and others to put themselves on a wall. It wouldn't have happened without your idea and without you speaking with Chelsea, right? It's all very kismet. It does feel very... It all just came together. Yeah, I love it. its It's spooky.
00:59:01
Speaker
but And Ken, next time, are you going to submit something? Yeah. um i i I would actually. found, you know what? You know, so here's one thing. I've ended up doing stuff you know, grew up in Rhode Island, Catholic in Rhode Island. I'm 52. I have, you like of.
00:59:26
Speaker
ah of ah of a particular time but i don't know like i've changed i've changed and developed and been more comfortable and immersed myself a lot of it up in the pacific northwest like i've been here 14 years um uh would never have thought about like being naked publicly hot tub or at um what's the place in portland there the We've gone to all sorts of places. ive i've been I've been an influence, Rachel. No, the house, Everett house. Oh, yeah. yeah yeah we I mean, we were sunbathing all summer, too. Yeah, Jenny's been a big influence. No, no, obviously huge influence. but even
01:00:06
Speaker
But just like taking like taking that step and going out this, what it, Rooster Rock oh this summer. Cock Rock. Cock Rock, yeah. Man, I love Cock Rock all day long.
01:00:20
Speaker
ah That place is the coolest. it's it's It's important to be free in yourself. And that that's what we're getting at, including these middle-aged cishet men, you know?
01:00:32
Speaker
You got it. Your bodies are beautiful too. you are made of stardust. Oh, it's it's um I've I've told Jenny because she treats me this way before, but it's even on ah for what women can feel comfortable sharing as well. Like I've remembered like partners and and when they said like words like beautiful or like about like my body, it's not an easy thing to say like all around. And I think sometimes like guys can be like, what do you mean? That's more of a.
01:01:03
Speaker
a girly word and you know, like, and, and so I know, i know. so, but I'm saying it's, um, it's noticeable. Like I can notice it and receive it, um, really well. And, um, no, it's, it's been a process of liberation. Even this podcast, I've done it for like six years for me. you know, I, I, I'm a but labor organizer and do all the labor stuff. So like,
01:01:30
Speaker
We can do, hey, labor and HR sitting here, we can do the podcast together as well. It's like, this is unbelievable. Like, you know, like people talking about this. But, um, no, it's, uh, it's Jenny's, Jenny's really, uh, really helped me a whole bunch in environmentally. Um,
01:01:49
Speaker
There's a cool vibe I can't put into words that exists in Oregon that I'll never be able to put into words. It's weird, mysterious. I can't figure it out. It confounds me, but I love it.
01:02:03
Speaker
Yeah. It's true, though. Yeah. Yeah. It's a little Swiss family Robinson. like we're all We're all just scrapping things together and trying to have a good time, you know? Yeah. That makes sense. That makes sense. And making some weird art while we're it. Yes.
01:02:22
Speaker
Yeah. Oh, well, you guys, it has been an absolute pleasure.
01:02:34
Speaker
is something rather than nothing.
01:02:43
Speaker
And listeners, to stay connected with us and our guests, visit somethingratherthannothing.com. Join our mailing list for exclusive updates and access to guest-created art.
01:02:54
Speaker
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01:03:09
Speaker
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01:03:24
Speaker
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01:03:36
Speaker
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