A ceramic artist named Lizzy sits in her studio, nimbly bending the arm of a clay figurine. She examines her creation, then picks up a fork and scrapes the clay girl's skirt. In doing so, she adds folds to the clothing and makes it look more realistic.
For ceramic artist Cynthia Lahti, this scene, performed by Michelle Williams in A24's new film "Showing Up," is a victory — an intentional moment of concentration between the artist and her art. "I totally taught her that," Lahti says, recalling that she told Williams before filming, during one of their ceramic studio sessions, to "do the fork thing."
Lahti is one of many artists behind Kelly Reichardt's film, which showcases the ordinary albeit dramatic and intertwined lives of those in the Portland, Oregon, art scene. "Showing Up" follows sculptor Lizzy as she prepares new work for a gallery show. Trouble comes when she grapples with family issues, subtle quarrels with an artist friend who is also her landlord, and a fussy, misbehaving cat.
