SATURDAY: Claude Monet comes to the High Museum!

Curious about the GATHER ATLANTA panel discussion? Click here to download the brochure! The talk starts Saturday at 6PM—so be sure to arrive early to get your seat, and feel free to stay afterwards for extended Q&A! (In between the rest of the art events this weekend … see below for more!)

[NOTE] This week’s To Do List was coauthored by our new BurnAway summer intern, Victoria Munoz. Everyone please welcome Victoria!

FRIDAY: Sergio Garzon's new drawings at Barry Sons Art Gallery. Photo by Ben Grad.

FRIDAY, JUNE 5

Local SCAD-Atlantan Sergio Garzon presents his series of complex and colorful drawings on paper at Barry Sons Art Gallery, located at TULA. The original opening was Thursday at 5:30, but Garzon designated another day for a second “casual Friday” reception—no fancy shirts, just viewing of good art in comfort. (Yay for the power of artistic license!

New photography by Steve Shapiro opens at Jackson Fine Art tonight. The exhibition documents the filming of The Godfather and has some pretty cool behind the scenes footage worth checking out. The show runs through August 22.

And three other events of interest, partly since I know little about them … any clues out there?

- U*Space Gallery opens a new solo exhibition by Stephen A. Webber titled Thanks Fa Lettin Me Share.
- Kai Lin Art (800 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta) presents Pop Circus, featuring artists Marcelo Gavelo, Sir Fred Gear, Matt Maloney, and Marcelo Sgarbi. The collection focuses on detailed craftsmanship within boxes and books.
- Local photographer Kate Crosby is opening her newest show at Jill Celeste Gallery (321 W. Hill St., Decatur) in Oakhurst titled Boulevard: Exploring Atlanta’s Most Violent Street. Her work draws a wavy line between creepy and fun, adding to the message of her photography.

SATURDAY: Kelly McKernan and more at the Artlantis art & music festival, hosted by Beep Beep Gallery! Drop by before GATHER ATLANTA!

SATURDAY, JUNE 6

Featuring the sounds of local bands including Book of Colors and artists R Land, Baxter Crane, and Lucha to name a few, the Artlantis festival is a must see! Organized by Beep Beep Gallery, the festival location is actually Druid Hills Baptist Church at the corner of Ponce and Highland (1085 Ponce De Leon Ave NE). With a variety of artists and sounds for your ears, Artlantis will delight the artist and music-lover alike from 10AM-8PM. (And there will be food.) Check the Artlantis site for concert showtimes and more!

Though it might be a hyperbole, I’ve always wanted to write: Claude Monet takes Atlanta by storm! True, Impressionism isn’t for everyone, but it’s still worth a look. More from the High Museum profile:

The highlight of the exhibition is a breathtaking 42-foot painting that inspires a sense of serenity, meditation, and the infinite. Painted at the end of his life, this series became Monet’s ‘obsession,’ as he wrote in 1908.

But don’t let Monet’s paintings overshadow Richard Misrach’s photography solo On the Beach, which also opens at the High on Saturday. (See also this video over at the ACP Now! blog.)

GATHER ATLANTA—a quest for new ideas, artistic diversity, and collaboration amongst organizations around Atlanta—offers inspiration and a breath of fresh air. MINT, BurnAway.org, WonderRoot, and Thoughtmarker present the first annual “emerging creatives conference.” Click the image at right for more information about our discussion panel, moderated by Cinqué Hicks of Creative Loafing and including speakers Louise Shaw (CDC, Nexus), Matt Haffner (artist), Michael David Murphy (ACP), Rachael Spiewak (Sopo), and Stephanie Dowda!

Youngblood is following in the footsteps of Beep Beep Gallery’s, Southern Comfort exhibition. The exhibition is a traveling show of works on paper from ten artist’s from [5] art gallery in Tampa, FL. After a stint at Youngblood, the exhibition will move to Nashville’s Twist Gallery, which was the gallery which swapped artists with Beep Beep for their exhibition. The opening will be from 7-11PM.

If you missed the opening for the Sunday Southern Art Revival and George Long’s new show, then you have to stop by the cook out at Marcia Wood Gallery this Saturday from 3-9PM. SSAR members George Long, Jesse Cregar, Mario Schambon, John Tindel, and Michi will be hosting the southern food and art spectacular. Bonus to getting there early: the first 30 guests will get a limited edition handmade print.

Philip Carpenter, After Dürer, 2008

At a time when the art world is experiencing a major financial crunch and arts-related news is particularly bleak, Spruill Gallery was inspired to turn a negative into something positive. The result? An artistic stimulus exhibition titled “PLAY.” The exhibit features national and local artists who explore the relationship between art and play. As the viewer walks through Spruill, the artists’ creative enjoyment is palpable. Their energy combines with the viewer’s own curiosity to create an engaging, and at times physically interactive, experience.

Staci Stone, Inverted Umbrella, 2008. Photo by Joyce Youmans.

Inverted Umbrella, detail. Photo by Joyce Youmans.

The artists in “PLAY” explore diverse media. Staci Stone’s Inverted Umbrella uses one of the more unusual materials—children’s drawings cut and then folded into small pieces. This large sculpture is whimsical yet imposing, a quality enhanced by its upside-down installation. The umbrella’s intricately detailed construction is awe-inspiring. The texture and patterns created by Stone’s deconstructed drawings activate the surface, making the work a visual treat. Across the room, cut-up children’s drawings and instructions are available for those who would like hands-on experience folding paper like that used in Inverted Umbrella.

Taylor Davidson's coloring wall, 2009. Photo by Joyce Youmans.

George Long and Mario Schambon, Bembe, 2007. Photo by Joyce Youmans.

Taylor Davidson’s three-wall coloring space presents another opportunity for participation. The artist invites children and adults to color; some have even added their own words and drawings. On the lawn outside the gallery, more interactive play is to be had: visitors can beat George Long and Mario Schambon’s metal sculpture, Bembe, with the provided drumsticks.

John Douglas Powers, Undulations, 2007, and Violinist, 2005. Photo by Joyce Youmans.

Like Bembe, John Douglas Powers’ multi-media machines are in large part inspired by music. Undulations is viewer activated with a switch. When it is turned on, the planks slowly ripple while scraping across a piece of wood. The combination of kinetic visual beauty and auditory irritation animates the gallery space. Undulations’ form and sound compliment the motorized bow of the nearby Violinist, thereby creating an unusual object-based performance within the gallery space.

Dick Robinson performs some wordPLAY. Photo by Joyce Youmans.

In another room, visitors can press PLAY to hear Dick Robinson’s audio experimentation that includes snippets of dialogue and laughter. The result is cartoon-like, making its inclusion in the same space as Philip Carpenter’s drawings of cartoon characters and toys particularly appropriate.

I first thought Carpenter’s works were photographs, and I liked them for their iconic presentation of enlarged toys. They have a strong, somewhat disturbing presence. When I read one of the labels and discovered that these works are drawings made with colored pencil, I was even more impressed. (Well, okay, that’s stating it lightly: I was floored!)

Drawings by Philip Carpenter, wire sculptures by Jeffrey Merritt. Photo by Joyce Youmans.

My favorite drawing by Carpenter in “PLAY” is After Dürer (top of post). The artist pairs a bug-like toy with a drawing of a beetle—his own facsimile of a work by Albrecht Dürer. I appreciate the open-ended dialogue Carpenter encourages by combining a toy and a work of fine art. Although the sources are centuries apart, the two insects resonate and even seem to commune. But wait … Is the toy licking its lips in anticipation of a Dürer beetle meal?

Jason Fulford, Brooklyn, 2006, and Montauk, 2005. Photo by Joyce Youmans.

Though less complex than Carpenter’s After Dürer, Jason Fulford’s stark yet quietly amusing photographs operate in a similar manner: the deeper implications of their seemingly mundane scenes become apparent after a few seconds of study. Brooklyn shows a staircase … completely submerged in sand (rendering the staircase nonfunctional). Similarly, Montauk is a sparse bathroom scene, a literally mirrored image … with wood knots for eyes, and toothbrush holder hands.

John Douglas Powers' simulated workspace. Photo by Joyce Youmans.

Artists throughout “PLAY” prove that everyday scenes and items can be turned into art. Inspiration can come from anywhere, even from something as commonplace as one’s own workspace. John Douglas Powers’ animated short film The Collector proves this: the items on his worktable are the focus. Powers has simulated his workspace in the gallery so viewers can get a real sense of his source of inspiration. They can also use the provided tools and materials to make their own creations.

In terms of video, “PLAY” also includes more than 20 one-minute shorts curated by Avantika Bawa. One of my favorites in this collection is Brian Zanisnik’s Hiding Behind a Brick Wall. In two street scenes, a person stands or lies down while holding a drawing of a brick wall that covers only their upper torso and head. Curiously, many passers by don’t even notice. The reactions of those who do, on the other hand, are hilarious. I also enjoyed Katya Moorman and Karen Dunn’s Bubblicious, with its hula-hooping subject, colorful dissolve imagery, and (of course) bubbles.

George and Sylas Long, Produce, 2009. Photo by Joyce Youmans.

Finally, another of my favorite works is George and Sylas Long’s Produce. The winged wheelbarrows illustrate that, while work can be enjoyable, humans use their imaginations to make drudgery more tolerable. Produce also reminds us that the simple things in life, like fresh produce, can bring great pleasure. Each wheelbarrow is a container garden that will grow and change throughout the work’s installation.

Wire sculptures by Jeffrey Merritt. Photo by Joyce Youmans.

During these trying times that are wreaking financial and psychological havoc on many of us, I applaud the Spruill Gallery’s artistic take on “economic stimulus.” “PLAY” is enjoyable, plus it encouraged me to expand my definition of “play” during a relatively bleak time in United States history. Adventure (a form of play) is readily available and free for the taking.

“PLAY” is on view at Spruill Gallery through Sat. Apr. 25. This Sat. Apr. 4, from 2-4PM, the gallery will host an artist talk followed by a performance by Dick Robinson and Jerry Cullum.