How To Fall To Earth

How To Fall To Earth by Andrea Bogdan

I have “How to Fall to Earth” in print form in my studio downtown. It’s not on the site because the original scan went bye-bye in a computer meltdown and I’ve not found an acceptable back up file. Fingers crossed I can introduce a larger run of prints because I think this piece is really special.

It’s inspired by a visitor of my studio. Someone who is an acquaintance who I like a lot who I occasionally see around. The gist of it is this: I referred to them as a “her”, not realizing that a gender transition was underway, and when my studio was emptied of people, they told me that probably this was the first time they would be telling somebody that they’re not going by “her” anymore, and we talked about their name and how it will shift, and overall it was a sweet and quiet conversation without any tension.

That said, when I think about what if that were me or how would that feel to tell somebody a secret which is not a secret, or claim my identity – one with an outside and an inside that not my inside nor my outside… well, my feet feel like they’re leaving the ground and my stomach flips a little bit. Like a free fall might feel.

This was three or more years ago, and I finished that piece a little bit before the pandemic started, so I got to spend a whole bunch of time alone with it during 2020. I love it.