Ars Poetica

Curator of Exhibitions Jay Heuman will be a regular contributor to Ellipses. Below are his thoughts about speaking with artists.

Nothing replaces meeting and talking with artists face-to-face. Since September, in my role as the Art Center’s Curator of Exhibitions, I have enjoyed visits with numerous artists in their studios and during Salt Lake’s monthly Gallery Stroll. Though many visual artists feel their artworks should stand independently, that the spoken or written word neither “explains” nor “replaces” an intense gaze, I still recommend talking with artists. I ask artists about their experiences and outlooks, their media and techniques, their short and long-term goals. Unlike mass-produced goods, artworks are often unique and are as often linked to a story. Maybe this is the artist’s first oil painting or first etching? Then again, maybe the artist revisits their palette and canvas, etching plate and inks, chisels and marble block as a spontaneous conversation with an old friend. Maybe their artworks are inspired by introspection or observation, a stroll along the ocean, a novel or sonata or … so many possibilities. There is poetry in life – sometimes soothing, sometimes a jolt – with which a visual artist may imbue their materials. But do not overlook the poetry found in a gracious handshake, a mischievous grin, and a delightful tête-à-tête.

Art Speak - David Kimball Anderson

The image above is of a piece in David Kimball Anderson's exhibition currently on display in the Salt Lake Art Center Street Level Gallery entitled Spring Flowers (Strawberry Flowers) 1, created in 2007. He's written some words about his experience here:

The Salt Lake Art Center is one of the best kept secrets of the west. It is a fine museum with a smart and warm staff.

My work currently on exhibit is highly decorative and could have easily been dismissed as only such. However, the substance of the body of work is the result of research and and care taken to respect the life work of Morris Graves. The curatorial and support staff recognized the greater scope of my endeavor which is evident in the wall texts, installation and lighting.

The costs to mount an exhibition can be difficult or prohibitive for an artist. The Salt Lake Art Center gave me financial support without hesitation. With this assistance I felt the work was genuinely appreciated.

Yours,

David Kimball Anderson (And the Jazz played a great game against Cleveland!)

Don't forget - Art Center staff will be wrapping gifts at the Gateway Barnes & Noble today from 11 am to 3 pm. Come and visit!

Wrappin' Up 2007

Salt Lake Art Center staff members will be at the Gateway Barnes & Noble tomorrow afternoon, Wednesday, December 19 wrapping presents for tips. Drop in from 11 am to 3 pm to finish up your Christmas shopping, and stop by our table to wrap it up and leave some love behind!

Art Center @ Sam Weller's Tomorrow

Art Center employees will be reading in Sam Weller's "living window" display tomorrow afternoon from 1 - 3 p.m. Come in during those hours and mention the Art Center to receive 10% off your purchase. At the end of our session, the Art Center will receive the sum of the discounts offered to our friends in the form of store credit!

Come out and get a gift for a loved one or stuff your own stocking while supporting the Art Center!

Art Center School Registration Begins Today!

Registration for Art Center photography and ceramics begins today. A listing of offerings and prices can be found on the Art Center website. Classes begin January 8, 2008 and the semester runs through May 1, 2008.

For more information, call 328-4201.

SF Recycled

SF Recycled is currently on display in the Art Center's Main Gallery now through January 26, 2008. Eight artists were chosen by exhibit curator Jim Edwards; all have participated in the Artists in Residence Program at SF Recycling and Disposal, a waste and recycling facility in San Francisco, California. During their time in the program, each worked in studio space on site and had access to the trash and recycling waste that is brought to the facility for sorting and transport. They have each taken objects from "the Dump" and transformed them into works of art.

The image above is of Andrew Junge's Pandora's Box, made with an old toolbox and neon in 2005. Andrew has said: "Objects have power, they are invested with meaning and purpose by their makers. They carry with them sotries of past use, past users and often a history we, as their temporary custodians, can only guess at. This point becomes ever more poignant in the face of our capitalist/consumerist culture. We throw so much stuff away. Cool stuff."

If you've visited the show, leave a comment about your favorite piece or your overall reaction to the exhibit. If not, write about your own recycling experiences and practices.

Visit the Salt Lake Art Center tonight as a part of the Salt Lake Gallery Association's Holiday Gallery Stroll from 6 to 9 pm. For more information, visit http://www.gallerystroll.org/.

David Kimball Anderson: To Morris Graves

Sculptor David Kimball Anderson has created a series of works in response to flower paintings by artist Morris Graves (1910-2001). Working in metal and glass, Anderson has reinterpreted Morris's more ephemeral, two-dimensional images. Much more than an appropriation, these sculptures represent a re-imagining of beloved works in a different medium, and are very much an homage to Graves.

The work above is entitled Winter Flowers (Rosehaws) 1 (2007). By incorporating paint in his own way, Anderson makes the weighty flower vibrant; one can almost imagine it truly curling and bending with a breeze.

The installation of this series in the Art Center's Street Level Gallery is unique, inviting viewers to ponders each piece in a calm, almost meditative environment. One might get the sensation of having walked into a strange garden, with each piece arranged just so and lit theatrically to highlight its form.

If you've attended the exhibition, please leave comments about your experience. If not, can you think of other examples of artists incorporating the images of other artists into their work? Have you ever been inspired by artwork and let it guide your own creative process?

Masters of West Coast Assemblage and Collage

In anticipation of the holiday Gallery Stroll coming up this Friday evening from 6 to 9 pm, posts this week will focus on the three exhibits currently on view at the Salt Lake Art Center. Masters of West Coast Assemblage and Collage is featured in the Projects Gallery and runs now through January 26, 2008.

The image to the left is entitled Ragtime, by Betye Saar (2005), and was lent to our exhibition courtesy of the Michael Rosenfeld Gallery of New York. It is one of five works that represent exhibit Curator Jim Edward's idea of where collage and assemblage began and how it became so important to the development of art that came after.

If you've seen the show, please leave a comment about what you thought; if not, what do you think of collage? Have you had any experiences viewing or creating it?

Welcome to the Salt Lake Art Center Blog!

Ladies and gentlemen, we present a new addition to the Salt Lake Art Center's online presence - an Art Center blog. Our hope is that this site will be a venue for discussion about the Art Center, it's exhibits, mission, and current aesthetic, cultural and social issues. We encourage you to check back often and leave your feedback for us and for each other.

We invite you to come visit the Art Center while you're downtown viewing the lights to see our contribution to the festivities. The Art Center is open Friday evenings until 9 pm, but our lights are on every night to brighten your downtown stroll.

Speaking of strolling, don't miss out on the Salt Lake Gallery Association's holiday stroll, taking place this Friday, December 7, at participating galleries. It's free cultural fun, so bundle up and see what local galleries are offering! Visit www.gallerystroll.org for more information.


photo by Steve Greenwood