This Is Us Versus brings the cause to dooGallery

<img src=”https://media1.fdncms.com/atlanta/imager/malformography-by-aesthetic-cataclysm/u/original/3799040/1312394985-malformographyweb.jpg” alt=”Malformography by Æsthetic Cataclysm” title=”“Malformography” by Æsthetic Cataclysm” width=”150” height=”371” />

• Courtesy Æsthetic Cataclysm
• “Malformography” by Æsthetic Cataclysm

This Is Us Versus was founded in 2009 by local artists Richard Robbins and E. Marston to take a stand against the what they felt were exclusionary politics of Atlanta’s galleries and a limited scope of work being presented to the public. When this original collective disbanded without making much of an influence, however, Æsthetic Cataclysm saw potential in the cause, resurrecting the collective.

On August 6, This Is Us Versus is having an art show called This Is Us Versus Your Delicate Fucking Sensibilities. We reached out to Æsthetic Cataclysm for a better understanding of what the show and the collective stand for.

The title of the event says a lot in itself. What does it mean to you and what is it expressing?

This Is Us Versus Your Delicate Fucking Sensibilities is an art show that displays what some Atlanta galleries have been closing their eyes to, and what they’ve deprived patrons of: challenging, visionary, surreal, offensive, sexual, and reactionary art that sits in opposition to the Delicate Fucking Sensibilities of those that would rather close their eyes to it.

The event is about exhibiting alternative forms of artwork. Do you think this problem alternative Atlanta artists face is understated?

The problem is woefully understated. In limiting exposure to the diversity of artists that call Atlanta home, the public is largely unaware that anything exists outside of what hangs at MINT, Beep Beep, Young Blood and the like. A prominent Atlanta gallery manager once told me that “none of us are obligated to show work we don’t like.” Shows like This Is Us Versus Your Delicate Fucking Sensibilities can cause people to question why they don’t see this work anywhere else, and more importantly encourage them to support artists that they’ve never heard of before.

Some Atlanta artists find it more promising to move to another city where they feel their work will be more represented. How do you feel about this attitude of thinking?

In other cities, there are galleries solely dedicated to showcasing the work that the ones here shun. The reason that artists leave is that they will be empowered by other cities that won’t force them to give up because there are no exhibition alternatives. But the solution isn’t relocation. The solution is the success of collectives like This Is Us Versus, and every artist that stands behind them.