Monday, December 21, 2009
Uncategorized The promises and pitfalls of Atlanta’s art-collecting ethos
Posted by Cinque Hicks on Mon, Dec 21, 2009 at 5:24 PM
Sam Gilliam's "Atlanta 2003" is a massive draped canvas, pinned, tied and hung loosely on the wall like a structure in an advanced state of collapse. Though most likely made in the artist's Washington, D.C., studio, the title is a self-referential shout-out. Its folds and edges are indistinct. Its masses are infiltrated with hidden recesses. It's riven with shocking juxtapositions of color and brilliant light. "Atlanta 2003" is a cipher of the city itself.
This landmark of color field painting is one of the centerpieces of More Mergers and Acquisitions, the Atlanta Contemporary Art Center's follow-up to last year's widely praised Mergers and Acquisitions. The earlier installment was famously curated in a state of emergency when a previously booked show fell through at the last minute. To fill the gap, the Contemporary raided some of Atlanta's most prominent private collections and gallery back rooms. In the end, the institution threw a spotlight on the local art-collecting scene while pulling off one of last year's most thrilling exhibitions.
"It was so much damn fun last time," says the Contemporary's artistic director Stuart Horodner, "and it seemed to have worked so well on a bunch of levels that I shamelessly wanted to do another version."
The current show contains fewer daredevil curatorial flourishes, but nonetheless follows the same method of pulling works out from behind closed doors. In the process, More Mergers and Acquisitions again racks the focus on both the promises and the pitfalls of Atlanta's art-collecting ethos.
As important as the artists' names in the exhibit – Frank Stella, Ron Gorchov, Gilliam – are the names of their respective collectors: Missy and Wesley Cochran, Lauren and Tim Schrager, Yolanda and Greg Head.
More Mergers and Acquisitions is as much about who owns the objects as it is about what they are.
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(Photo by Joeff Davis)
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Chelmer Fine Art was established in early 1999 by the "Classic Design Group" to concentrate on simply the best contemporary Fine Art. We are committed to only the highest quality print reproduction and bringing you the most exciting works by today's artists. Regards. http://www.chelmerfineart.com
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