Tuesday, May 25, 2010

"New Works by Gary Hudson" at the Madison-Morgan Cultural Center


Lyrical abstractionism. Color field paintings. Abstract Expressionism. These artistic movements may not have much significance to the average person, yet from the 1950s forward, this method of art making was very influential to Gary Hudson, an artist born in New York who eventually settled in Madison, Georgia, after many years of working and traveling. He was a vibrant individual with a knowledge of art history that he applied to large-scale canvases with radiant color blocks. Hudson wrote, “I decided definitely that I was going to be a painter when I saw my first Jackson Pollock.”

Before his death in 2009, Hudson corresponded with Georgia Museum of Art Director William Eiland about his artwork in relation to his life experiences. From a peacetime accident in 1956 that resulted in paralyzation and honorable discharge from the U.S. Marines, to being in social environments with people like Andy Warhol and T.S. Eliot in 1960s New York, Hudson lived life to the fullest. His breakthrough came in 1969 when his painting Red Rim showed at the Whitney Museum’s Biennial. His style emerged from his desire to show the artist’s hand in the work. He used non-traditional devices to apply the paint, from spatulas to muslin on a stick soaked in paint. One can see in his art the allusions to the upbeat tempo of jazz and avant-garde artists in New York with the shifting lights and darks as well as the relationship between the organic and linear marks.

Hudson and his family, including wife Christie, moved to Jefferson, Georgia, in 1988 to find rest and healing. His interest in historic preservation and small-town America blossomed, and eventually they moved to Madison. In the last years of his life, he enjoyed watching SEC with friends or daydreaming on his front porch with his Jack Russell Terrier Roz. He did not paint as much during this time, but when he did, he created dialogues where “mysterious questions can be posed.” Hudson profoundly wrote,

“Painting… is a reference back to those little tiny fleeting moments in our short lives when we see something at a glance, a ray of light, a color of a flower in its particularity, not its whole, moments in time which register on our eyes to our brain and give a start. The painter in me wants to recall ... those tiny flashes of recognition.” (http://bit.ly/axSkZI)

Please plan a visit to the Madison-Morgan Cultural Center in Madison, just 30 minutes south of Athens, to see “New Works by Gary Hudson,” on view through July 9, 2010. While in Madison, take a stroll along the shaded sidewalks to experience the town like Hudson did. For more information, visit http://bit.ly/aVwsZg.

Flavorful Art



Art for your appetite? Yes. Well, maybe?

Artist and writer Tim Etchells explored the taste of art in his exhibition with a video performance piece “Art Flavours.”

This project originated in Italy where Etchells set up a meeting between Italian gelato expert Osvaldo Castellari and Italian curator and critic Roberto Pinto. The pair worked to translate conceptual exhibition themes into confectionary ice cream flavors.

Pinto began by first briefing Osvaldo on a few areas of study in contemporary art that he hoped to explore such as: The Body, Memory, Spectacle and The Archive. From there, Etchells filmed as the pair worked and noted, “It was so great to see Osvaldo in his element, adding fruit for flavourings, whisking up the gelato. And great to hear his reasoning for the choices he made in the flavours too.”

Of the actual flavoring process he said, “In my mind The Archive was always going to be the tricky flavour of the four […] for me the idea of a taste somewhere between dust and yellowing book pages I wasn't finding […] the most appealing prospect.”

At Manifesta 7, the 2008 European Biennial of Contemporary Art in Italy, the debut performance of “Art Flavours” included ice cream samples for the public.

“Art Flavours” was recently on view in the spring of 2010 at Gasworks in London.

Although many artists and patrons may be understandably skeptical about the ability to taste curatorial concepts, this project has complicated art criticism. Next time you buy a painting you may want to stop and ask yourself, “But, would I eat it?”

Monday, May 24, 2010

Behind the Scenes at GMOA

Museum goers have spoken and we have been listening. We know you want to know more about what goes on behind the scenes at GMOA, so copied here you will find an example of the sorts of conversations that take place during an average day at the museum. The subject matter was the appropriate term for a particular type of exhibition space within the museum. Immediately after our reopening, the space will serve to display video art, but will also be used for informational films that correspond with a featured exhibition and may even be used as exhibition space for the new latest and greatest medium that is bound to come down the line one day. So, we thought it might be interesting for our readers to get a sneak peek inside the thoughts of GMOA staff.

Copied: Email sent by Georgia Museum of Art Pierre Daura Curator of European Art, Lynn Boland


Basically, the term "new media" or "new media art" incorporates anything non-traditional and, well, new. This includes but is not limited to video art, virtual art/internet art, sound art, biological art, etc. A subset of "new media" is "time-based art," or so-called "TBA." "Media art" is another term in use, but that typically refers to art using the materials of mass communication.

On the subject of showing educational films in a gallery, here are my thoughts:

In short, I say "gallery" and make it an exciting "flex space" that's geared towards and equipped for new media art, but also serves as a didactic space for larger, temporary exhibitions when needed.

Here's my rationale:

I've never met a curator who has a problem with showing an educational film in a gallery space provided
a) it doesn't detract from the visitor's experience of the exhibition's art, and
b) it directly informs the exhibition with which it is planned.
Since we commonly stage exhibitions in multiple galleries, then there shouldn't be any problem with the space being a gallery and using it for educational films sometimes, in fact, it's perfectly suited for doing so.

Calling it a gallery also gives us the flexibility to use it for anything else. Video art, other new media, yes, but also installation and who knows what else? What is the lighting in there? It could work well as an information room sometimes. It would probably also come in handy for art "overflow" from time to time, or for an occasional small or even single-work show. Just thoughts...

Thanks for asking,
Lynn

Summertime in the Gardens


Start your summer off right with a visit to the Atlanta Botanical Garden! The summertime is a great opportunity to visit the garden, with its lovely views of the city and the “Concerts in the Garden” series, which starts June 25. You can purchase tickets in the Garden Gift Shop or online at http://bit.ly/bX8F0b starting May 31, unless you are a Garden member, for whom tickets are already available.

While visiting the gardens, check out the “Blown Organics: The Glass of Cohn-Stone Studios” glass exhibition (May through October) featured throughout the new Edible Garden. These hand-blown glass sculptures are oversized replicas of their fellow fruits. From apples to peaches, these gems are sure to sparkle in the sun and shine in the rain. In their Bay-Area studio, artists Michael Cohn and Molly Stone get inspiration from their onsite Mediterranean/California style garden.

Please visit http://bit.ly/cTzha7 for more information on the exhibition and garden and for directions to the gardens. For information on Cohn-Stone Studios, visit http://bit.ly/bH6d6B.

Old Building, New Look



Please join the Athens Clarke Heritage Foundation’s Athenaeum Club for a tour of the Urban Sanctuary and Spa on Thursday, May 27, 2010, from 6:30 to 7:30 pm. During the tour, you can see and learn more about the historical building.


The Urban Sanctuary and Spa, located at the intersection of Chase Street and Boulevard in Athens, was renovated recently to its current state after becoming run down from disuse. The building, which houses the spa, was built in the 1930s as a Sunday school annex for the Young Harris Memorial Methodist Church (presently located on Prince Avenue). Chris Peterson, board member of the Friends of the Georgia Museum of Art, bought the building after the exterior had been improved and continued to work on the interior renovations.


With a changing history, this building makes for an interesting landmark in Athens’ timeline. Plan to meet at the main entrance a little before 6:30 pm; from there, the tour will go throughout the building, with Peterson in attendance to answer any questions. Happy-hour drinks will be provided following the tour.


Please RSVP to the event by emailing athenaeumclub@gmail.com. The event is free to ACHF members/ $10 for non-members. Call Jan Levinson at 706.542.5788 for more information.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Robert Weingarten: The Portrait Unbound




From Finance to High art, literally, Robert Weingarten abandoned a successful business career in favor of a full-time commitment to photography, which landed him a current exhibition at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, The Portrait Unbound.

Unlike traditional portrait photography, Weingarten’s series incorporates layers of imagery that reflect specific interests, achievements or moments within the subject’s life while digitally incorporating visual biographical information. This expression of nostalgia also functions as an ode to things past—personalizing portraiture in a dynamic way.

He calls these works, “translucent composites,” a title he chose wisely “in order to highlight the difference between them and more traditional collages or montages in which each of the elements is opaque. Here each of the layers of the composition can be seen through to the layers underneath.”

The exhibition features twenty-one images of individuals representing the arts, science, politics and sports. Weingarten said, “My criteria for subject selection was based on whether who they are and what they have accomplished would likely be known in 50 years,” and added “I tried to avoid ‘celebrities’,” favoring longevity over the often unwarranted hype of socialites and fashionistas. Those featured include Jane Goodall, Dennis Hopper and Colin Powell.

A film by Neal Broffman, showcasing Weingarten’s artistic background and innovative methods, accompanies the exhibition and adds another visual component to the idea of the documented self.

The Portrait Unbound will be on view at the High until May 30, 2010.

For more information and a brief interview with the artist go to http://bit.ly/cBAZZc


Come Shop with GMOA!



Show your support for the museum and take home some cool stuff! GMOA is having a shop sale this Thursday and Friday, May 20 & 21, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Visual Arts Building on Jackson Street. Browse a wide range of unique items, including jewelry, scarves, bags, books, children's gifts & toys, pottery, stationery, home decor and more from the Museum Shop's inventory. Everything will be discounted, with some items as much as 75% off. Email millera@uga.edu for more info.

GMOA online shop discount today!



To celebrate International Museum Day, with the Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD), GMOA is offering a discount in our online shop today.

To receive a 20% discount off your total purchase, enter the coupon code MUSEUMDAY when prompted at checkout. Click here to visit the museum shop.

Since 1977, International Museum Day has been celebrated all over the world with a new theme each year. The themes are chosen by the Advisory Committee of the International Council of Museums (ICOM). The 2010 theme is "Museums for Social Harmony." Click here for more information.

Monday, May 17, 2010

Call for Artists


The movie The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, directed by Terry Gilliam, instantly came to mind when I learned about the first annual Moonlight Gypsy Market, presented by Mr. Blank’s Carnivale of Black Hearts, which takes place on Friday, August 13th, 2010, at Little Kings Shuffle Club in downtown Athens. The movie features a traveling sideshow troupe with mythical illusions and bright colors in the form of an imaginary world that takes place in the doctor’s mind.

With further research, I learned that Mr. Blank’s Carnivale of Black Hearts is an Athens-based variety sideshow complete with “musical, scary, strange, odd, gross, hilarious and entertaining acts” (according to http://bit.ly/cGExNi), perhaps not unlike those in Doctor Parnassus.

Mr. Blank’s Carnivale of Black Hearts is calling for artists of all sorts to participate in the market place. The show and market start at sundown on Friday and continue into the early hours of Saturday morning. If you feel your artwork and crafts are considered “outsider”, erotic, macabre, weird or dark, please submit your work! Go to http://bit.ly/cBss5X for information on the submission process, securing a table and payment options. Remember, the show is juried and the deadline for entries is July 18th, 2010.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Etch A Sketch art

Artist George Vlosich started creating masterpieces on the Etch A Sketch when he was 10 years old on a family trip to Washington, D.C. His current pieces take between 70 and 80 hours, are extremely detailed and must be preserved once finished.

As a child, Vlosich Etched such characters as Batman and Spider-man and then moved on to athletes and celebrities, and his work is definitely a process. After all, as he works with one continuous line, he has to start over after a single mistake.

Before doing any Etching, Vlosich first plans and designs images in his sketchbook. Once satisfied with the design, he moves to the Etch A Sketch and gets the line work in. After this, he shades everything in, the slowest part because some lines must be gone over 20 to 30 times before they go from light to dark.

Once the Etching is finished, Vlosich makes his work permanent by carefully removing the aluminum powder and the stylus from the Etch A Sketch so that the image cannot be shaken away.

Vlosich has an edited YouTube video posted of the creation of one of his pieces, which has been viewed more than 2 million times.

For more information and to see more Etch A Sketch art, go to Vlosich’s Web site.

Can Video Games Be Art?



Roger Ebert said no, at great length, on his blog fairly recently. But we're not so sure about that. For one thing, as he freely admits, "never" is a dangerous word to throw around, and then there's the question of what constitutes "art," something we're not prepared to get into here. Ebert contrasts "art" and "games" fairly well:
One obvious difference between art and games is that you can win a game. It has rules, points, objectives, and an outcome. Santiago might cite a immersive game without points or rules, but I would say then it ceases to be a game and becomes a representation of a story, a novel, a play, dance, a film. Those are things you cannot win; you can only experience them.
You could say, however, that this is cheating. If a video game ceases to have a clear objective and becomes an immersive experience, then he no longer defines it as a game, which means it can be art (according to his definition), but many contemporary games offer exactly that kind of experience. What is the point, really, of something like Animal Crossing? And many people spend time just tooling around in Grand Theft Auto's rich environments, wreaking havoc rather than bothering to solve puzzles and complete tasks. Even if a game theoretically has an objective, you don't have to play it that way, so does Ebert rely on the game's designers or the people who play it to make his determination.

And then there's Deluxx Fluxx, the New York (and previously London) art installation highlighted on the New York Times's "The Moment" blog and pictured above. Is it about the games, or is it about the experience? And does it count as video game art?

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Big Print Event!


Hello! My name is Margaret George and I am a new intern with the department of publications at the Georgia Museum of Art. I am a fourth-year Printmaking major in the Lamar Dodd School of Art at the University of Georgia, and I look forward to telling you about exciting events and news in the art world.

An inspiring event will take place this Saturday, May 15, 2010 at the Atlanta Printmakers Studio from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The idea is to make an impact with printmaking in a big way using an old steamroller to make large-scale woodcuts. With help from community art centers and local college students, the 4-by-8-foot woodblocks will be transferred to fabric banners and later hung around the city at food venues. As the theme of the event is
"Deep-fried & Delicious: Big Plate Specials from the Deep South", the imagery represents the iconic food relating to southern culture such as fried chicken, Krispy Kreme Donuts and southern-style vegetables.

This family-fun event encourages people to watch, learn and even participate. Everyone is welcome, and if so inspired, you can also become a member of APS to continue your support and love of printmaking!


For more information and directions to the Metropolitan, location of APS, please visit http://bit.ly/bhW0Wm.

Calls for Entries

We've got three here with deadlines coming up soon, so if you're an artist seeking places to put your art, take a look at the following.



The Morton Theatre in downtown Athens is accepting submissions of works celebrating the Morton Theatre, Hot Corner or "the culture, heritage and community which comprise Hot Corner" for the Morton Theatre Centennial Art Show and Sale until Thursday, May 13. Submissions will run you $20 each. Call 706.613.3770 or email centennial@mortontheatre.com for more information.

This Saturday, May 15, is the deadline to register for a booth at the third annual Five Points Art Fest, scheduled for June. Booths are $50 each and you can download a registration form as a pdf by clicking here.

Finally, the Georgia Center for Continuing Education, on the UGA Campus, is always looking for local artists to exhibit. Here's some information from them:
In an effort to promote the talents of local and regional artists to our community, as well as our national and international visitors, The Georgia Center is pleased to invite artists from your organization to submit applications for display of works of art in our temporary exhibition space, The Hill Atrium. Exhibitions of two dimensional works are displayed for a maximum of one month. Predetermined holes are located in the walls of the Hill Atrium for your convenience and will aid you in determining the number of works to submit for exhibition approval. Applications must be submitted a minimum of 90 days prior to the desired start date of the exhibition; will be reviewed and rewarded on a first-come, first-served basis; and exhibition content is subject to approval. Artists are encouraged to provide supplemental materials for distribution to visitors for the duration of the exhibition. In addition, wall labels, with pricing if works are for sale, is permitted. Artists may also choose to book a reception in conjunction with the exhibition. A public event provides artists with a chance to invite the community, university, and friends to view the exhibition, as well as answer questions about their work.
For an application or if you have more questions, please contact Jenna Chambers at jenna.chambers@georgiacenter.uga.edu or 706.542.9334.

Monday, May 10, 2010

Awards



We are pleased as can be to announce that the Georgia Museum of Art's exhibition catalogue "The American Scene on Paper: Prints and Drawings from the Schoen Collection" has won the Eric Hoffer Award for Excellence in Independent Publishing in the Academic Press category for 2010. To see the full list of Hoffer Award winners, click here. To purchase a copy of the book, which retails for $55, click here to visit our online shop.

Friday, May 07, 2010

Construction Updates from Holder

Here's the update from Holder for the week ending today (Friday, May 7, 2010):

Current week - Activities/Issues:
New Gallery / Connector
• Wood floor sleeper system has started
• Started terrazzo in the connector
• Setting restroom tile and fixtures

Existing Building Renovations
• Continue painting existing walls
• Carpet and millwork started in existing building
• Hanging doors and hardware

Storage Bar
• Completed hanging drywall on 2nd floor
• Repairing fire proofing on 2nd floor

Site / Sculpture Garden
• Poured final wall section
• Installing irrigation system / electrical rough in below grade
• Installing topsoil

Next week - Activities/Issues:
New Gallery / Connector
• Continue wood floor installation

Existing Building Renovations
• Start roofing / gutters for the east alternate entry
• Continue to finish and prime paint on walls
• Continue to install millwork and finishes

Storage Bar
• Hang and finish drywall in the 2nd floor

Site / Sculpture Garden
• Continue to excavate cistern tank and water pump tank
• Pour concrete pavers
• Spread topsoil

Connector terrazzo tile installation

3rd-floor carpet installation

1st-floor café-area renovation progress

Art Around Athens (and Beyond)

The Railroad Arts District folks are right. This is actually a relatively quiet Friday (and, indeed, weekend) for the visual arts in Athens, probably due to its being both graduation weekend and Mother's Day.

On Sunday, however, Visionary Growth Gallery in Danielsville is having an opening reception for its Mother's Day show. Click on the invitation below to see more details and visit the Gallery's site for directions, etc.



And, over at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia, there's an opening reception for an exhibition by watercolor botanical artist Linda Fraser at 2 p.m. Sunday.

Wednesday, May 05, 2010

Elephant Parade 2010

Image from the Daily Telegraph: http://bit.ly/aytdpE

260 colorful elephants have invaded London. Elephant Parade has begun.

Elephant Family, the only charity dedicated to protecting the endangered Asian elephant, is sponsoring the event to fundraise and increase awareness. This year is the first for Elephant Parade to occur in London. The event has previously been held in Holland and in Belgium.

The event includes hand-painted, life-size elephant statues by artists including Marc Quinn, designer Diane Von Furstenberg and Lulu Guinness, which have been placed in such landmarks as Buckingham Palace and Parliament Square, making the capital an “urban jungle.” In July, they will migrate together to another outdoor location for an exhibition.

Sotheby's will auction off the elephants at what will be “the party of the season.” Funds raised by Elephant Parade will go toward purchasing wildlife habitat to give Asian elephants a better future, as they are now facing extinction. Funds will also be used for community and education projects in Asia.

Elephant Family not only promotes conservation in Asia, but has also worked to make the event itself eco-friendly. All elephants were delivered to artists and designers on a sustainable basis and artists must use eco-friendly paint for their works.

Louis T. Griffith Student of the Year



It's probably because our wonderful interns have been in the middle of finals and around less than usual, but we totally forgot to post about our annual Louis T. Griffith Student of the Year presentation, which was held early last week. The museum not only serves many students on campus, through its academic emphasis and resources, but we are also served by students to a large extent, and our student volunteers are a huge part of that. This year's Louis T. Griffith Student of the Year was Jennifer Mayer, from the public relations department, whose name you have no doubt seen at the bottom of many a blog post. She had to cut the cake, but all our other fabulous students got to eat it, and this event always serves as a way to express our great appreciation to all of them for the work they help us accomplish. Enjoy the slideshow above.

Tuesday, May 04, 2010

Reserve Now



If you're looking for something great to do next Tuesday (May 11), from 4 to 6 p.m., come check out "Drawing in Nature--Illustration in the Garden," a free workshop organized by the Georgia Museum of Art to be held at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia, which is cosponsoring it. The images above are from last year's version of the event, also featuring artist Toni Carlucci as instructor. Space is limited to 15 participants, so call 706.542.6156 to reserve your spot. Kids over age 8 only, please.

Monday, May 03, 2010

Two Minutes of MOMA



We first saw this on Culture Grrl, but we keep going back to it. If you need a two-minute break and want to have art from MOMA's collection flash before your eyes faster than you can intellectually process it, we highly recommend you click above to play.

Construction Updates from Holder

Here's the most recent construction update from Holder, dated April 30. As you can tell from the info and photos below, they're doing a lot of interior work and tiling at the moment.

Current week - Activities/Issues:
New Gallery / Connector
· Wood floor sleeper system started
· Started terrazzo in connector
· Started restroom tile

Existing Building Renovations
· Continue painting existing walls
· Completed repairs to existing brick

Storage Bar
· Completed low roof installation

Site / Sculpture Garden
· Poured final wall section
· Installed water vault
· Installing irrigation system

Next week - Activities/Issues:
New Gallery / Connector
· Continue wood floor

Existing Building Renovations
· Start below SOG vapor barrier at the east alternate entry
· Start roofing / gutters for the east alternate entry
· Continue to finish walls and prime paint
· Begin 3rd floor millwork

Storage Bar
· Begin 3rd floor millwork
· Hang drywall in the 2nd floor

Site / Sculpture Garden
· Continue to excavate cistern tank and water pump tank
· Pour concrete pavers
· Spread topsoil

Restroom terrazzo floor tile

Restroom ceramic tile

Connector terrazzo mud bed