Last night saw the annual/semi-annual Lloyd Apartments Art Show. Sweet and relaxed, it reminded me of the way art shows used to be: a bunch of art, some better than others, put up on a wall, a couple of kegs and the host’s music spinning (via computer) in the background.
No, this is not a wholesale call for every art show to have a homemade vibe. But on this occasion, it worked. The show felt unpretentious and hopeful; gossipy but without an ugly edge.
Several artists’ work stood out:
John Arvin’s small-scale drawings of ordinary objects leaked a kind of surprisingly feminine pathos that were not without a sort of bleak humor. Shown all together, the pieces (a bicycle, a pair of birds, money and other icons) functioned as a kind of shorthand for his (mis) adventures.
Angelieri, a potter who is also (I believe) the head of the art department at Fletcher showed some raku pots. A pair of cylindrical vases stood out as satisfyingly textural and appropriately restrained.
Chad Landenberger, the fellow who puts on an annual skateboard art show, had some nice screenprints up. But, in all honesty, I am a sucker for the form anyway. Perhaps that leaves my opinion a little suspect.
And finally, Grant Thornton. Initially I was tempted to dismiss his paintings as trite examples of a Juxtapoz-infused neo-monster aesthetic. However, a second consideration left me with the impression that if he can overcome the obvious metaphors in his work, he might make some moves.
Next, a trip to PIE studio was in order, but upon arrival, Barry Wilson’s reception for “Transient Jar” was all shut down. I snapped a couple of shots of the window display but due to the lateness of the hour, and the fact that on that deserted street, my only backup was my 17 pound Boston Terrier, I left without further ado.
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