1708 Gallery

July 10, 2006

The 21st century has ushered in new social structures that call for a re-envisioning of activist models. This is the premise behind the online exhibition, Extrapolations, curated by Humberto Ramirez and hosted by Wigged.net. Ramirez’s curatorial statement very eloquently lays out the postmodern constructs and real conditions that prompted 20th century protesters to base their actions on a model that pitted peripheries against centers. His argument is that alternative forms of behavior and mobility were made possible within the ‘fringes’ of society. After political and economic decentralization, and the now constantly-shifting nature of power, those wishing to challenge authority might do well to relinquish their embrace of marginality. This new approach is embodied in Extrapolation’s eight internet-based projects, by artists Eteam, Deva Eveland, Peiyun Lee, Lana Lin, Jason Nelson, Arzu Ozkal Telhan, The Yes Men & Patrick Lichty, and Jody Zellen. Many of their works deal with the kind of multiplicity of interpretations afforded by abandonment of either/or, inside/outside perspectives. You might want to watch them multiple times.

Angela Moreno

http://www.wiggedproductions.com/html/extrap/curatorial.html

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Well … It does feel very peaceful when you crawl inside Greg Kelley’s newest piece – The Root Room – which is a well constructed pod with soft sides and floor on the inside, perfectly dark, and all but sound-proof – save the occasional murmurings from the folks at the recent Closing reception and a slight purr from the fan that is cleverly fixed somewhere in the apex of the pod.

This piece is one of five featured in Greg’s most recent show, Radical Peace at ArtSpace Gallery, where Greg and his wife, Suzyn Dee Hutton Kelley, exhibited their most recent work as an “artist couple.”

Greg Kelley – born of his own pod
photo by Jay Paul

Starr Foster is the leader and creative force behind the Starr Foster Dance Project, a contemporary dance company based in Richmond, Virginia. She creates all the choreography for her company’s productions. Starr is also a parent, a spouse, a professor of dance at VCU and serves on the board of 1708 Gallery. I met with Starr over coffee the other day to ask about her upcoming projects.

This summer she and the 9 amazing women who make up the Starr Foster Dance Project are rehearsing for three performances at the Grace Street Theater that will premier October 5, 6 and 7^th, 2006. There will be performances of two new dances, “Drowning” and “Clutch”, and a re-setting of the SFDP’s critically admired “Alice”. Based on the book Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, the 55 minute dance is the SFDP’s most well-known and popular work, comprising 12 dances and 16 dancers. Starr commissioned One Ring Zero to compose and record the music for “Alice” and the costumes were designed by Karl Green.

“Drowning”
In 6 dreamlike vignettes, the dancers will explore metaphors relating to the overwhelming emotional burden of death. Marc Langelier of Rattlemouth will compose and perform the music on a Native American flute for the performances.

“Clutch”
Starr choreographed “Clutch” to three compositions of the Brooklyn based string quartet Ethel. The performance starts as a duet and becomes a quartet of dancers. She described “Clutch” as being a “tense and disputatious but not quite violent” exposition of the way humans tend to hold onto things too hard and what happens when they do.

These new projects and the revival of “Alice” have led Starr to an awareness of the growth and maturity that her choreography and artistic vision have undergone in the past 6 months. I asked Starr if she would be dancing in the performances and she replied that she is stepping back from performing in her productions this year so that she concentrate on the process of creating the entire dance from the vantage point of a choreographer. She continues to dance every day (except for Saturdays) when she is teaching at VCU.

Of special interest to those involved with 1708, the Starr Foster Dance Project will be performing for Wearable Art:Über in 2007.

Veiled 2 by Anne Savedge

Anne Savedge, an artist board member at 1708 Gallery, will have work in 2 shows this summer and if you are traveling to NYC or Lynchburg, VA you should check out her shows.
“COOL”,at the Riverviews Artspace in Lynchburg, features work by Anne Savedge, Cameron Ayers and Sharon Shapiro. The show runs from July 2 until August 13, 2006. Click the link below for more information and times.
http://www.riverviews.net/NewFolder/Exhibitions/CTGallery/CTGallerymain.htm

Anne’s work is also included in “Wish You Were Here”, a group exhibition of postcard sized artworks at the A.I.R. Gallery in New York City. http://www.airnyc.org/

Jill Downen’s artwork is featured in Overflow, at 1708 Gallery, running from July 7th until August19th, 2006 and she is the first artist to be interviewed in the new series of Artist Insights planned for the blog. You can see more of her work at www.jilldownen.com.

Installation view of Jill Downen’s sculptures in Overflow…

Q. Jill, what do you see as the boundaries of your art practice? Is there a way it begins and ends in your life?
A. The boundaries of my art practice exist within the conceptual framework that I choose to investigate. The symbiotic relationship between the human body and architecture is the foundation of that framework. However, the boundaries are flexible and permeamble, allowing for the natural evolution of ideas. I rarely think in terms of begining and ending.
A continuum exists in my practice which takes turns, reveals cycles, and continually moves along with my curiosity and questions.

Q. What is your biggest challenge personally as it pertains to making your work?
A. Installation art is physically demanding. Keeping up with my workouts is essential to stay in shape for the challenges it presents.

Q. What has been your most overwhelmingly aesthetic visual experience?
A. When I saw “Sans II” by Eva Hesse for the first time, I got weak in the knees
and almost fell down. I call this an artgasm.

Eva Hesse, Sans II, 1968, 38 x 86 x 6″, fiberglass and polyester resin

Q. Who most inspires you?
A. Construction workers, philosophy, and knowing that things exist that can only be articulated in visual and physical form.

Q. Why do you make art? For whom do you make it?
A. When a person finds her life’s purpose and begins to live it out daily, it has potential to create harmony, energy, and what Luce Irigaray calls “breath”. (see her book “Key Writings”) When this happens, I believe that the people who are connected to that purpose are enabled to meet, relate, and communicate. My hope is that my practice of making art, which is part of my breath, will allow me to meet the people for which it is intended.

Martin Bromirski at anaba has been spreading the word about The Black Factory’s national tour and its first visit to Richmond at the ArtSpace/Plant Zero/Artworks complex. The performance/happening will be from 1-5pm today, Thursday, July 13th, 2006.

The brainchild of artist William Pope, The Black Factory is an interactive performance art installation on wheels, the goal being a playfully intense discussion of difference and democracy.

According to Pope, “The Black Factory does not make blackness, it makes the opportunity – the chance to imagine the future we’d like instead of the one imposed on us. The factory is a conversation piece on wheels, It’s a chance for folks to open up their hearts and minds, laugh and talk freely, maybe even disagree about what brings us together as well as what divides us.”
You can visit The Black Factory website: http://theblackfactory.com
You can also visit anaba, at http://anaba.blogspot.com

Everyone is invited to bring an object that symbolizes any sort of blackness to you to the event for the Black Factory to photograph, transform and perhaps center a skit around.

Travis Fullerton had a really good idea about having artist insight interviews on the blog. He sent me the link to a DC blog that features very honest and interesting interviews by artists with other artists. All you artists out there should check it out and submit some probing questions. Anyway, I loved the idea and promptly sent Jill Downen and Charles Gick some interview questions. I will post them as soon as I get them back (it’ll be a while for Charles, as the lucky man is in Rome, Italy, but it will be well worth the wait…).
While you are waiting, visit this link: http://thinkingaboutart.blogs.com/art/

Working closely with Francis Thompson and Anne Cook from Capital One, gallery board members Chuck Scalin and Alyssa Salomon and gallery staff members Maria Dubon and Aimee Koch organized the premier 1708 Gallery exhibition at Capital One Headquarters.
The show, titled 1708 Travels West for the Summer, will run from July until September.

The artist board members and gallery staff in the show are: Jennifer Van Winkle*, Tommy White*, Robert Walz, Jane Ware, Sara Thompson, Rob Tarbell, Gordon Stettinius*, Mary Scurlock*, Chuck Scalin*, Anne Savedge*, Diego Sanchez*, Alyssa Salomon*, Amie Oliver, Cindy Neuschwander*, Jeff Majer*, Aimee Koch, Travis Fullerton*, Pam Fox*, Bill Fisher*, Maria Dubon, Daniel Calder* and Gloria Blades*. Many of the artists in the show also have work in the Capital One permanent collection (their names are *’d). The artists will be featured in a brochure, generously provided by Capital One.

Warm thanks go to Francis Thompson and Anne Cook of Capital One for being enthusiastic supporters of the arts and of 1708 Gallery. Oh, and stay tuned for the date and time of a guided tour of the Capital One art collection for artists and board members – you do NOT want to miss seeing this stellar collection!

Jill Downen’s architectural intervention and Charles Gick’s projection and Water Witching in the foreground.

Fiona Ross adds another beautiful angle to Jill Downen’s gorgeous installation…
Thursday’s preview really floored us all…

Even more
(can you tell we are just a tad excited about this?) installation views of the Overflow show that opens to the public tomorrow night.

Jill and Miles are installing Uneasy Opposition. Charles, Alida, Miles, Maria and Robert Walz are installing Water Witching.