Catalog Entry from If These Walls Could Talk Exhibit, Neill-Cochran House 2020:

“When I learned that our college-aged son was adept at online poker, like any good mom, I freaked. When he won success in European, Australian, and Las Vegas casinos, we made sure he engaged a financial advisor and a spiritual advisor. I, in turn, pored over too many websites on addiction, etc., and finally found Leonard Cohen’s Stranger Song, where he muses about the “holy game of poker.” The quiet camaraderie of the game was also visualized by Paul Cezanne in his paintings of card players made in the 1890’s. Learning that Cezanne was devout, and considered card playing to be a metaphor for art making, I studied those paintings. Sometimes we see what we want to see, but I think there is a good chance that Cezanne, the most irascible of artists, gave us a sacramental activity.” The back of each card hosts a different joker design. Sometimes these are shown all mixed up, or inside the hat. For If These Walls Could Talk, we hung the hat on the hatrack and displayed the cards and chips alone. Versatility, you know.