Prospect 2 Spotlight: The Pearl

I have to admit: I’m sad this is my last post about Prospect 2! Writing about the various exhibits across the city has been thought-provoking and an amazing experience, overall. For my last week, I chose to visit “Constant Abrasive Irritation Produces The Pearl: A Disease Of The Oyster! – Lenny Bruce,” a collaborative exhibit organized by John Otte. Visual projections, sculptures and two-dimensional works can be seen and experienced throughout the large farmhouse known as The Pearl, located at 639 Desire Street in the Bywater. It’s fitting that I chose this for my last article, because it was definitely the most intense experience I’ve had so far – we are “going out with a bang,” so to speak.

John Otte was involved in Prospect 1 and this exhibit is an outgrowth of his previous project. He met the owner of The Pearl, Jay Poggi, a few years ago, and was impressed by the overall feel of the property. Rather than clearing out space for his exhibit, he instead built the art exhibits into the space, so that you wander through the five buildings that make up The Pearl in search of the different pieces. He worked with many of the participating artists on previous projects, and wanted to be certain to incorporate projections since they are evolving as an accepted part of many artists’ portfolios. He describes exhibition as having a “very feminine flow and ease” as a direct result of the strong women artists he invited to be a part of this collaboration.

Walking through The Pearl was a full-sensory experience: you hear voices, soundtracks, and the sounds of the house itself; you’re visually bombarded with stimuli; you can literally feel the energy in the air. As I looked at a deconstructed weight bench in one of the rooms, a realization hit me: there is such a thin line between what we label as ‘art’ and what we view as objects, and with not too much effort, we can view everything presented to us as art, thereby enriching our lives and (hopefully) making them more meaningful.

My friend Zoe, an artist from Brooklyn, was visiting New Orleans and went along with me, and she absolutely loved The Pearl. She described The Pearl for Prospect 2 as “an organic space for the art to be presented in, making it more carefree and playful, but also making you work to understand what you’re seeing. It was very intellectually interesting.”

I asked John Otte what he hoped people would gain from this experience, and he told me that he is looking to reconnect art to the world and eliminate the detachment he sees. He described The Pearl (and New Orleans) as a “Pantheon of sorts, in which a multitude of Gods live and coexist.” Please take the time to go check this exhibit out for yourself. This upcoming weekend is the last one it will be open, or any Prospect 2 exhibit for that matter – the ending date is January 29. The Pearl is open Saturday and Sunday, 5-9 p.m.

One last thought – I asked Otte my favorite, million-dollar question: “What do you love about New Orleans?” His answer: “There’s a great sense of openness and community here. It’s complex and accepting of complexity. It’s still alive.”

Many thanks to John Otte for being so gracious and willing to speak with me!

This article is part of a series on Prospect 2. You can also read about exhibits at The Art House on the Levee, The Hubbell Library, The Ogden, New Orleans Museum of Art, Contemporary Arts Center, New Orleans African American Museum, and the now-closed Music Box.

Tagged as: Art, Bywater, GoNOLA, Jay Poggi, John Otte, New Orleans, Prospect 2, The Pearl