Photo by Wanda Jackson. J.J. McCracken discusses her work at the "Thirst" opening at the 39th Street Gallery in Brentwood. In the background is "Thirst and Martyr," a photo of an endurance performance about the lack of access to a precious resource, water.

Published on: Thursday, January 26, 2012

By Wanda Jackson

Artist J.J. McCracken’s solo show, “Thirst,” at the 39th Street Gallery explores her ideas about access to resources. The show raises questions about scarcity and abundance, both locally and globally.

“Thirst” runs through Feb. 18, with an artist talk on Thursday, Feb. 16, at 7 p.m. at the gallery.

“I built this piece to examine my own water consumption,” said McCracken, “and I find it noteworthy that we flush our toilets and take our showers with drinking water. I want to be more mindful of my own consumption.”

Most of McCracken’s work has been performance installations involving clay. “Thirst,” however, involves no performance from the artist. It continues the conversation about scarcity and abundance. It pushes viewers to concentrate on the artist’s concepts, rather than the performance aspect.

“Where the (artist’s) performance allowed for a passive reception, ‘Thirst’ places performative responsibility on the audience. Viewers are required to keep their attention fixed upon their senses, movement and personal spaces,” said show curator Claire Huschle.

McCracken transformed the one-room gallery space into several rooms to exhibit her work. When walking into the main entrance, viewers face two large photographs on the right wall. Each photograph depicts moments from McCracken’s endurance performance, “Thirst and the Martyr,” which she performed at last year’s (e)merge Art Fair in the District of Columbia. Viewers will see two women attached by leather straps, struggling against each other trying to get water from opposite ends of a platform. While the two women pull against each other, they are hindered by the weight of many clay bowls and cups. A close-up of one woman’s blindfolded face shows the struggle to get a drink of water from a spoon — merely inches away.

In another room, viewers are surrounded by cracking and peeling clay-covered walls. The slanted floor is covered with brown grass that refuses to grow. Walking into the room, visitors are met with the musty odor of stagnant water, but there is none in sight. A hint of water is the overhead sound of water running in a shower. Standing in the small space, visitors may recognize different moments in the bathing process, from the squeak of pipes when turning the water on to the draining of water at the end of the shower.

A small opening in the left wall allows the viewer to glimpse into an unattainable area. The view is partially blocked creating the sense that this place and the items inside are beyond your reach. In the opening, you see an enclosed space where water images play repeatedly on a TV and empty clay bowls, like those in the performance installation, hang from the walls and cover the floor. In this moment, the exhibit provokes the viewer to ponder the idea about scarcity and need that they might not have otherwise experienced.

The 39th Street Gallery is open Thursdays and Fridays from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m., and by appointment by calling 301-864-3860, extension 3. Visit the gallery online at www.39thStreetGallery.com. The 39th Street Gallery is located in the Gateway Arts Center, 3901 Rhode Island Avenue in Brentwood.