2001 Brian Eno

Back when I worked at SFMOMA

They commissioned Brian Eno

To create an installation

For an exhibition...

It was spring of 2001

::

Staff looked forward

To Brian Eno being around…

And wondered what his installation

Would turn out to be…

::

What none of us anticipated

Was that Brian Eno’s handler…

Would be telling the staff

Not to talk to Mr Eno

Under any circumstance…

When word got out about this…

People started grumbling

Especially since most of the staff

Were artists themselves…

::

Staff also were running errands

To the drugstore around the corner or wherever

Picking up stuff for his installation

With little direction, if at all…

Purchasing holiday lights, plastic blow-up palm trees, anything…

When they dropped stuff off

People saw what was going on

Then more gossipping…

::

It isn’t going well up there…

Brian Eno’s installation sucks…

He doesn't know what he's doing…

::

That was back when I organized

Music shows

And would often stay late

To use the printer and copier

And that was back when the offices

Were located inside the museum

::

One evening after leaving the office

I forgot something

And had to run back

When I got in the elevator

I heard a man

Shouting hold the door hold the door

I pressed close door, multiple times

The doors started to close

I was relieved, I was in a hurry

Then the man put his hand in the door

And the doors reopened

It was Brian Eno

::

He asked if I heard him shouting

I said no, I heard nothing

He may have mentioned there were no other sounds

Except for him shouting...

I said I heard it isn’t going well up there

He placed his hands on his head

And asked if I was referring to his baldness

I said no

I meant your installation, upstairs

I know who you are...

I heard it isn't going well up there…

Then the elevator stopped at my floor

And I ran out...

::