The Strains Collided
I’ll never forget the faces of my students the first time I showed them the work of Mike Kelley on Art:21. The same faces could be spotted last Friday night at 421 N Market St., some were confused, and some were excited. A few were wide eyed in disbelief, and as always, a few faces were smirked up as they hated between draws on a cigarette, underneath Market Street’s yellow lights.
When I showed Mike Kelley to the kids of Westmoreland County I was hoping to validate any idea that ran through their heads, be it boring, far-out, weird, or pretty. Contemporary art demonstrates that there’s room for it all, sometimes we just need a little permission. When I approached Bohdan and Lauren about showing The Strains Collide to the Wilmington Art Loop, it was my intention to give the Loop a little permission, permission to be a little more far-out.
I’d like to thank everyone who came out and supported the show. Most of all, I’d like to thank Boh and Lauren for reaching out to Gavin Riley to perform as their grown mutant child. When I think of the guests who were drawn in from the street by Gavin’s performance, I become insanely jealous of the experience they must have had. Imagine it… there’s some kid in what appears to be a frog helmet singing, “ I feel like making love”, over and over and over again, more songs follow, and then finally the lights come on ,only to reveal beautifully executed color photographs documenting the early childhood development of little monsters spawned by two strains of HPV.
At the next NWAA exhibition we will have a new President Elect. Will Joe Biden shower love on Lower Market Street? Or will Lower Market Street experience more of the same top down strategies that have made it what it is? Either way, the NWAA will press on with a show curated by Ron Longsdorf, join us Friday, November 7th at 619 N Market Street and experience the work of Jason Ferguson and Ashley Pigford.
-Michael Kalmbach/ The Dr. Dre of NWAA
I’ll never forget the faces of my students the first time I showed them the work of Mike Kelley on Art:21. The same faces could be spotted last Friday night at 421 N Market St., some were confused, and some were excited. A few were wide eyed in disbelief, and as always, a few faces were smirked up as they hated between draws on a cigarette, underneath Market Street’s yellow lights.
When I showed Mike Kelley to the kids of Westmoreland County I was hoping to validate any idea that ran through their heads, be it boring, far-out, weird, or pretty. Contemporary art demonstrates that there’s room for it all, sometimes we just need a little permission. When I approached Bohdan and Lauren about showing The Strains Collide to the Wilmington Art Loop, it was my intention to give the Loop a little permission, permission to be a little more far-out.
I’d like to thank everyone who came out and supported the show. Most of all, I’d like to thank Boh and Lauren for reaching out to Gavin Riley to perform as their grown mutant child. When I think of the guests who were drawn in from the street by Gavin’s performance, I become insanely jealous of the experience they must have had. Imagine it… there’s some kid in what appears to be a frog helmet singing, “ I feel like making love”, over and over and over again, more songs follow, and then finally the lights come on ,only to reveal beautifully executed color photographs documenting the early childhood development of little monsters spawned by two strains of HPV.
At the next NWAA exhibition we will have a new President Elect. Will Joe Biden shower love on Lower Market Street? Or will Lower Market Street experience more of the same top down strategies that have made it what it is? Either way, the NWAA will press on with a show curated by Ron Longsdorf, join us Friday, November 7th at 619 N Market Street and experience the work of Jason Ferguson and Ashley Pigford.
-Michael Kalmbach/ The Dr. Dre of NWAA
2 comments:
Being that I was there, it was a sight to behold. Maybe it took an imaginative or sick psyche (read: sense of humor) to appreciate what was in the show, as well as what transpired, but it was definitely fun.
It's time to break away from "this is art" and get into the mindset of "THIS is art".
Smell me?
Great show all around. HIghlights include the wonderful masks, obviously great photos, and "Feel like making love," "Feel like making love," "Feel like making love," "Feel like making love," "Feel like making love,""Feel like making love," "Feel like making love," "Feel like making love," "Feel like making love," "Feel like making love," "Feel like making love," "Feel like making love," "Feel like making love," "Feel like making love," "Feel like making love," "Feel like making love," "Feel like making love," "Feel like making love," "Feel like making love," "Feel like making love," "Feel like making love," "Feel like making love," "Feel like making love," "Feel like making love," "Feel like making love," "Feel like making love," "Feel like making love,"
-Mike
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