The Art of Showing Up for Yourself

Title:	Showing Up
Watchable:
Director:	Kelly Reichardt
Writer:	Kelly Reichardt, Jonathan Raymond
Lead Performances:	Michelle Williams (Lizzy), Hong Chau (Jo), John Magaro (Sean)

What does it mean to be an artist if no one sees your work?The film "Showing Up" by Kelly Reichardt presents the question indirectly through Lizzy's detailed finger tracing of her ceramic sculptures which creates a sense of pressure throughout each scene.

Michelle Williams plays Lizzy through her controlled facial expressions which show her growing anger and reveal her building inner tension. She hasn't showered in days because her landlord Jo, also an artist but one with two simultaneous gallery shows, won't fix the water heater. Jo spends her days installing backyard tire swings which she enjoys with the same joyful attitude as someone who thinks art exists to create happiness. Lizzy observes the scene while her arms hang listlessly from her oversized clothing as she displays the drained state of someone who overthinks everything because they fear others will dismiss them.

The story spans across one week in Portland's artistic district which houses many artists but only a few manage to reach professional success. Lizzy performs administrative work at the art college which her mother operates while she creates sculptures in her garage studio during her free time. The artist creates ceramic women which reach heights of one foot while their rough textures appear unpolished at first glance but show their beauty when viewed from afar. The process of observing her artwork showed me that artists must have complete faith in their creations yet they should also doubt how others will perceive their work.

The discovery that Lizzy dedicated her entire being to art while losing her human identity became the most painful revelation for me. The cat injures a pigeon which she discards outside before Jo saves the bird from death. The scene reveals her actions stem from emotional needs rather than cruelty. She only has so much care to give, and she's already given it all to her sculptures, these women she calls her "girls."

Hong Chau delivers her performance as Jo with effortless charm which explains why Lizzy both depends on her and feels angry toward her. Jo presents success as if it requires no effort at all. She creates art through yarn repair which she presents as installation art but Lizzy dedicates herself to perfecting every aspect of her work. The wounded pigeon serves as an ideal metaphor according to your perspective. This broken thing that needs tending, that both women claim but neither really wants the responsibility for.

The final scene shows Sean who appears to have schizophrenia or extreme sensitivity to the world as he appears at Lizzy's art gallery opening. John Magaro delivers his performance with authentic vulnerability which reveals Lizzy's fragile condition to the audience. "The requirement for presence exceeds basic attendance because it demands more than physical presence. The process requires you to understand your need for things and your right to experience both strong emotional investment in unimportant things and letdowns until you discover what brings true worth.

The last image stays with me because it depicts wings and flight and liberty. Can you be an artist without success?You need to show concern for others while keeping your individuality intact. Reichardt presents these questions as objects for examination instead of providing direct answers through her work. She examines these questions through a process similar to how Lizzy handles her sculptures.
Maybe that's enough. Showing up at the scene might be enough to fulfill my obligations. Though I'm not sure Lizzy would agree.