Close Look:

William J. O’ Brien at Atlanta Contemporary

Sorry, looks like no contributors are set
Installation view of William J. O’Brien’s Shame Spiral at Atlanta Contemporary. (All photos by Erin Jane Nelson.)
Installation view of William J. O’Brien’s Shame Spiral at Atlanta Contemporary.

There is no dress code inside the tent. No choir, nor a bulletin. But the congregation is energetic and fully participatory. Presbyterian, Baptist and Methodist… this is a place to reach the lost, those with tender hearts. Under the big top is a transient group who have come to the revival to be filled with the spirit, to experience something beyond this immediate world. Chicago-based artist William J. O’Brien created this exuberant sanctuary for his other-worldly parishioners, fetishistic and ritualistic figures empowered by the glory.

from the accompanying text
Installation view of William J. O’Brien’s Shame Spiral at Atlanta Contemporary.
Installation view of William J. O’Brien’s Shame Spiral at Atlanta Contemporary.
Installation view of William J. O’Brien’s Shame Spiral at Atlanta Contemporary.
Installation view of William J. O’Brien’s Shame Spiral at Atlanta Contemporary.
Installation view of William J. O’Brien’s Shame Spiral at Atlanta Contemporary.
Installation view of William J. O’Brien’s Shame Spiral at Atlanta Contemporary.
Installation view of William J. O’Brien’s Shame Spiral at Atlanta Contemporary.
Installation view of William J. O’Brien’s Shame Spiral at Atlanta Contemporary.

William J. O’Brien’s solo exhibition Shame Spiral was on view at Atlanta Contemporary through Sunday, August 4.

Related Stories

Blueprints for the Visitation

Ghost
In our inaugural release of the GHOST theme, Valentin Diaconov traces the practice of larí garcia, who utilizes objects within their installations as a postscript to loss and grief.

Call for Artists: July 2025

Call For Artists
Our monthly round of opportunities includes a resident artist program for craft artists in Penland, a residency in Knoxville, and an open call for installation-based solo exhibitions in Miami,