"So limitless in capacity is man’s imagination to disperse and burn away
the rubble-dross of fact and probability,
leaving only truth and dream." - William Faulkner
WEDNESDAY, JULY 8: Studioplex hosts its monthly Second Wednesdays Art Walk. Above: Phillip Hua, Eternally.
Things are slowing down over the holiday weekend, but look out for a few surprises toward the middle of the week! And keep checking here every Friday for new art events!
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Michi Meko, various mixed-media works. Several, including the "gourds" above, feature a sound component: Embedded speakers play an audio mix prepared by the artist.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
—The Declaration of Independence [emphasis mine]
I love the Fourth of July. Then again, I admit that in years past I’ve celebrated it with a degree of irony: At times laughter seemed to be the only recourse possible during a regime that did so much betray its own self-asserted patriotism, and did more to curtail the personal freedoms of its citizens, than any in decades. What does it mean to celebrate Independence Day, today? And the “pursuit of Happiness” … what does that mean?
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Joe Peragine, Breathing Tank; an example of sophisticated and contemporary work by a local artist.
Rarely do people set out to be “local artists”—not when the industry has become so highly professionalized, global, and grand. Although there are practitioners who bring true dignity to the phrase, its contemporary usage still carries an unsaid judgment that lingers in the air like an annoying, dull dagger. Embarrassing and often unfair, the assumption is that most local art is simply not as good, nor as important, as that which is manufactured in the artistic capitals of the world.
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I just want to make it known that I could absolutely beat this guy in a corndog eating contest. I would eat him under the table. No one comes between me and a freshly fried corndog.
As one of the longest seeming weeks in my personal history comes to a close, the weekend brings promise of tube meat wrapped in deep fried dough, summer homes, and guerrilla art. So, everyone, make your gallery stops Friday, grab a corndog and music on Saturday, and finish it off by painting some signs with the boys of WonderRoot over at Eyedrum on Sunday. Sounds like a summer weekend well spent to me.
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Vicki Kelly, standing in front of a poster for the Old 4th Ward Art Walk.
My friends and I, we started in Savannah, we moved to Atlanta, and then a lot of them moved to New York. It’s harder in New York. The art scene is dead there. So they move back down here.
I think art needs to be out of the gallery, which is something you can do more easily in Atlanta. I think people need to see it. You know? Like on a daily basis. Just in passing too—90% of the population doesn’t understand anything about art, so just having them exposed to it constantly—that can make a big difference.
—Vicki Kelly
Vicki Kelly was the principal organizer behind Showtime, a mini art walk which took place in the three buildings on the corner of Edgewood and Boulevard. Organizing several art events around Atlanta, Kelly seeks to reimagine the process of viewing art. Additionally, Kelly is an accomplished sculpture finishing her final year at SCAD in Atlanta. I sat down with Kelly a few weeks ago to discuss her art, and how she interacts with Atlanta.
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Angelbert Metoyer and Charlie Koolhaas, Global Static: D London, 2009. All photos courtesy Sandler Hudson Gallery.
The collaborative show by Angelbert Metoyer and Charlie Koolhaas at Sandler Hudson Gallery threatens to fall apart conceptually (which could also be a trademark of good art?). The exhibition centers on the premise that this motley collection of collages, photographs, drawings, and paintings depicts Global Static. Static is unintelligible noise, insofar as it fails to muster the minimum amount of information to convey a message. And when I say message, I mean any message—visual, rhetorical, or anything coherent enough to comprise a whole.
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Cathy Byrd
Cathy Byrd quickly became a household name in the Atlanta art scene when she arrived in 1995 and began writing for a number of our beloved publications, including Creative Loafing, ART PAPERS, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. From there, she went on to become the guest curator at Agnes Scott’s Dalton Gallery, where she spearheaded a number of the gallery’s most memorable exhibitions. Her last seven years in Atlanta were spent as the Gallery Director at Georgia State University’s Welch School of Art and Design. Cathy is also the co-creator of Le Flash, the one night art extravaganza that debuted last year. Last month, Cathy flew north to become the Executive Director of the Maryland Art Place in Baltimore. I have been corresponding with Cathy about upcoming projects, plans for this year’s Le Flash, and what she is leaving behind.
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FRIDAY & SATURDAY: Brian Dettmer appears in a group show at Saltworks, opening Fri., and will give an artist talk Sat.
I’ve been thinking about the future lately, in light of the spectacular feedback we’ve received after GATHER Atlanta. It seems we’ve hit a nerve, in more ways than one.
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This Saturday, a new Atlanta bike race combines alley cat racing and photography. The race takes place in streets which have not been closed to car traffic; bikers make their own routes between checkpoints while teams of photographers take their portraits at each stop.
The race organizers have released an “Art Lover’s Guide to Photo Cat” and a “Spectators Guide to Photo Cat,” both designed to make it easier for non-racers to experience the alley cat. No word yet on whether outside photography will be allowed at race checkpoints, but please get in touch with Stewart if you’re interested.
Le Flash 2009 invites proposals for experimental site work and performance by independent artists. Accepted projects will be installed/performed from dawn to dusk on October 2, 2009.
Proposals must center on light. Le Flash asks artists to:
Imagine light as a solid, a liquid or a vapor elemental to your project! Think of light through an experimental lens, as a reflection or as a projection. Show us how you can animate and energize one space or a whole neighborhood!