Energy of live creation

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

By Aaron Wallis

Jackson Hole, Wyo.-Full Circle Frameworks and Gallery is selling out. Work in Progress Six will feature local artists creating work during the reception with a theme of wildlife.

When I asked gallery proprietor Rocky Vertone about the choice of theme for the sixth annual event, he said, “This year we are selling out, I just want to hop on the bandwagon and make some money. Everybody else is doing wildlife art so we will too.

“I’m trying to get paid, fo real. Can you believe how much skateboards cost these days, when I was a kid you could pick up a decent deck for $20, now my kid needs like a new $100 board every week.”

Vertone then got this kind of funny glassy eyed look and started mumbling about his mortgage.

Work in Progress is a group show consisting of the finest artists with street cred. The tentative lineup for this year includes British graffiti sensation Banksy, Neo-Expressionists Cecily Brown and Julian Schnabel and performance art and film impresario Matthew Barney. Vertone even invited instillation artist Damon Hurst to create a unique piece with the corpse of recently overdosed NY artist Dash Snow. None of the preceding artists have, as of yet, confirmed their participation in Work in Progress 6. Vertone did say the as-of-yet, not completely determined roster of artists includes: Richard Godwin, Kelly Halpin, Travis Walker, Ben Carlson, Steve Cutter, Remy Lincoln, Erin Smith and local schmuck Aaron Wallis.

Exhibiting artists will show some completed work in the main gallery space, and complete custom works of art during the reception. This kind of live painting can lead to wonderfully spontaneous and unique works of art. At least for the first few hours, putting artists and an open bar together is always a volatile combination. And the result can be genius, or a half- naked painter rolling in paint and chastising other artists for not feeling the paint.

In all fairness, nobody expects doctors, lawyers or politicians to practice their trade in the public eye. Imagine performing a surgery in public.

"Whoops! Did I just do that? Let’s just stuff these intestines back in and pretend that nothing happened. Nurse, bring me another scotch and get yourself some Valium while you’re at it. That’s a good girl."

But artists are expected to execute a finished work of art in front of an audience. In that sense, being a visual artist is very similar to a musician or performer. I had a professor back in college who was fond of saying, “your art is not going to do you any good sitting underneath your bed.” In one sense he was right. Even if art is a self-validating act of creation, it still requires an audience to appreciate the work.

Last year’s show was quite a party with a bar sponsored by Red Bull, Rotating Super Structure playing the parking lot, and hundreds of people watching local artists paint. Previous shows involved painting skateboards or records and can be seen online, workinprogressart.blogspot.com.  JHW

Work in Progress Six is, 6 p.m., Friday, at Full Circle Frameworks and Gallery. 733-0770.


PERMALINK:
Energy of live creation | Planet JH News Article: Arts Beat

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