Past Shows / Events
2021
the descending castle (5.15.21)
The Descending Castle is the newest offering of drawings and installation by artist James Roo. The show has been referred to by acclaimed interdimensional art critic Smerch the Craamp as “...not unlike a shambling nocturnal rodent, it’s hair matted with the grease of a burned out car engine nestled in the weeds of the abandoned cul-de-sac it calls home, emerging, swathed in the gloaming of dusk, it’s eyes—absurd glittering beacons, guiding it to the nearest turgid swamp to feast on bugs and crawling things under the cover of dark...”
When reached for comment, the artist had this to say:
“I have never had a helpful thought or an interesting whim in my entire life! I am the grey dust that settles on your half-eaten sandwich. “These images were beamed directly into my brain as I knelt paying homage at the alter of the Glowing Heap, my mind awash in the Stygian rays of the Effulgent Dump, all glory and power to the Glimmering Pile!”
When reached for comment, the artist had this to say:
“I have never had a helpful thought or an interesting whim in my entire life! I am the grey dust that settles on your half-eaten sandwich. “These images were beamed directly into my brain as I knelt paying homage at the alter of the Glowing Heap, my mind awash in the Stygian rays of the Effulgent Dump, all glory and power to the Glimmering Pile!”
yard marvels (4.24.21)
For our first venture back into in-person viewing after the winter COVID-19 spike, we put out an open call for all sorts of sculptures. This theme-free community show included pieces by Amanda Vaughn, April Garcia, Chad Hopper, Clay Allison, Dennis Moore, Grant Cross, Jay Maclaskey, Jessica Nixon, Jillian Joy Newman, Josh Ronsen, Lloyd Smith, Megan McAtee, and Tucker Bradley.
VARIETY SHOW WITH A.H.B.J. (3.7.21)
Amanda h. b. Jones, a.k.a. one of the co-directors of Collection Rert, took her first solo show here as an opportunity to revive her zeal for performing. However, given the circumstances of the pandemic, modifications had to be made, and the project was turned into an amateur video-making self-challenge. The resulting collection includes some vulnerability (a peak into the behind-the-camera process), a dance video, some Amanda-style humor, a minor "action" scene, a relaxation demonstration, and a music video involving stop-motion animation.
WHAT IS IT? (1.21)
In this open call show for abstracts & inventions (things that make you go "What is it?"), we received submissions from Lauren Lowe, David Dennis, Sandy Bowie, Dennis Moore, Mark Strelecky, Carol Hayman, Katrin Abel, Chad Hopper, and Karen Woodward.
Before you read each caption, see what your imagination comes up with as to What It Is...
Before you read each caption, see what your imagination comes up with as to What It Is...
2020
My little biomorphic pony (11.22.20)
Visual artist and all-around lovely human April Garcia brought her latest collection of soft sculptures to our gallery and let them play and preen as they would... The resulting installation was a near-to-bursting fun-stravaganza for the senses.
Outdoors she collaborated with Amanda Jones to turn the permanent semi-sculptural ▲ into Fort Rasquache!
For more info about the term "rasquache" check out this link.
Outdoors she collaborated with Amanda Jones to turn the permanent semi-sculptural ▲ into Fort Rasquache!
For more info about the term "rasquache" check out this link.
scales & scorpions (10.19.20)
As this year has been pivotal, uncertain, and brought many changes around the world, it calls to question what new future we are moving into…but in the meantime, we linger here on the cusp.
The show’s title refers to the two zodiac signs which October straddles, Libra (the scales) and Scorpio (scorpion). Someone born on the edge of these two solar signs may inhabit a blend or synthesis of those two energies, much like a chimera.
We have invited our community of artists to explore the theme of cusps, welcoming any and all interpretations.
The show’s title refers to the two zodiac signs which October straddles, Libra (the scales) and Scorpio (scorpion). Someone born on the edge of these two solar signs may inhabit a blend or synthesis of those two energies, much like a chimera.
We have invited our community of artists to explore the theme of cusps, welcoming any and all interpretations.
King of crayons: the art of melvin scott (9.30.20)
Collection Rert's backyard neighbor often attracts curiosity from visitors for his unique and mysterious hand-built home.
And perhaps even more for the eye-catching candy-colored fence surrounding his unofficial plot of land.
This is the home of Melvin Scott, a local in the most specific sense. For decades he lived around the corner, in a similarly
quaint tiny home behind the residence of his foster mother. He cared for her in her old age, but when she passed away almost a decade ago, he was left with no resources or place to live except his non-running gold Volvo. Some opportunities to work and live elsewhere popped up over time, but he always felt a strong pull to return to this neighborhood. Now he has made his home here and when he is not doing odd jobs for neighbors, he can often be found melting crayons into the abstract masterpieces you see below. As the first photo below, of the incomplete collection of his work, shows, they probably number in the thousands. Although he is a very private individual, he welcomes art-loving strangers to approach him about viewing and purchasing pieces from him.
And perhaps even more for the eye-catching candy-colored fence surrounding his unofficial plot of land.
This is the home of Melvin Scott, a local in the most specific sense. For decades he lived around the corner, in a similarly
quaint tiny home behind the residence of his foster mother. He cared for her in her old age, but when she passed away almost a decade ago, he was left with no resources or place to live except his non-running gold Volvo. Some opportunities to work and live elsewhere popped up over time, but he always felt a strong pull to return to this neighborhood. Now he has made his home here and when he is not doing odd jobs for neighbors, he can often be found melting crayons into the abstract masterpieces you see below. As the first photo below, of the incomplete collection of his work, shows, they probably number in the thousands. Although he is a very private individual, he welcomes art-loving strangers to approach him about viewing and purchasing pieces from him.
Selections from the Abstract Series
Selections from Coloring Pages
anthropomorphic (9.19.20)
In our second installment of pandemic outdoor-only gallery viewing,
we hosted the collages of Andrea Alfaro and the drawings of Chris Martino.
Together they offered us many reasons to smile and reflect, with riddles coexisting and colliding
and wrapping our brains in mysterious splendor.
The dynamic duo provided us with this map of what to expect:
horses riding cats
myth
cats riding horses
tarot
imaginary wilderness
anatomy
cats talking on landlines
obscurities
cats and horses
Below is the semi-complete documentation of that exhibit.
we hosted the collages of Andrea Alfaro and the drawings of Chris Martino.
Together they offered us many reasons to smile and reflect, with riddles coexisting and colliding
and wrapping our brains in mysterious splendor.
The dynamic duo provided us with this map of what to expect:
horses riding cats
myth
cats riding horses
tarot
imaginary wilderness
anatomy
cats talking on landlines
obscurities
cats and horses
Below is the semi-complete documentation of that exhibit.
Blessed: the many visions of lloyd smith (8.16.20)
Next in our SOLO VERTUAL series, we are delighted to bring you an up-close look at some of our neighbor Lloyd Smith's
many creations. If you've spent time at the Vortex, Butterfly Bar, or the new restaurant on Manor Road, Vic and Al's, you
may have seen his handiwork and not known it. In addition to taking care of many of the plants at these establishments,
he provides custom installations of his unique sculptures and assemblages.
Lloyd is a lifelong artist who got a lot of his early crafting experience from tagging along to his mother's
Girl Scout troops (she was a troop leader in addition to a registered nurse). His father was in the military,
so the family moved a lot. Lloyd attended 17 different schools, including some time in Korea.
There he learned "not to be obedient, but the meaning of obedience."
"I got so many punishments for being too independent.
I would teach people how to do things that I had never learned how to do.
I've always been a champion."
In true Sagittarius form, is often running in multiple directions taking care of multiple projects and
sparking new ideas along the way. He says "I'm not under any pressure, except for thinking" (pointing to his head).
"That's why I have to continue. I do something for somebody every day; I give every day."
"When I had my accident, it took me 20 years to forgive myself. But I met Him. I learned love.
Everywhere I go I’ve got a place for me. Some people are outcasts; I’m an uncast - I fit in anywhere."
To purchase some art from Lloyd, find him at his headquarters on E. 22nd St. @ Maple Ave.
(across from the back of Eastside Commons)
many creations. If you've spent time at the Vortex, Butterfly Bar, or the new restaurant on Manor Road, Vic and Al's, you
may have seen his handiwork and not known it. In addition to taking care of many of the plants at these establishments,
he provides custom installations of his unique sculptures and assemblages.
Lloyd is a lifelong artist who got a lot of his early crafting experience from tagging along to his mother's
Girl Scout troops (she was a troop leader in addition to a registered nurse). His father was in the military,
so the family moved a lot. Lloyd attended 17 different schools, including some time in Korea.
There he learned "not to be obedient, but the meaning of obedience."
"I got so many punishments for being too independent.
I would teach people how to do things that I had never learned how to do.
I've always been a champion."
In true Sagittarius form, is often running in multiple directions taking care of multiple projects and
sparking new ideas along the way. He says "I'm not under any pressure, except for thinking" (pointing to his head).
"That's why I have to continue. I do something for somebody every day; I give every day."
"When I had my accident, it took me 20 years to forgive myself. But I met Him. I learned love.
Everywhere I go I’ve got a place for me. Some people are outcasts; I’m an uncast - I fit in anywhere."
To purchase some art from Lloyd, find him at his headquarters on E. 22nd St. @ Maple Ave.
(across from the back of Eastside Commons)
BIRDWATCHING (7.25.20)
After 4.5 months of no in-person art shows during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, we made adjustments and "reopened," albeit in a different form. For our Birdwatching show, audience members signed up in advance for appointments, then viewed art from the windows and in the yard. Simultaneous viewings were capped at 6, and audience members wore their masks and stayed spread out. Binoculars were available for an extra dimension of seeing.
Participating artists offered beautiful, reverent, abstract, philosophical, spontaneous and humorous homages to avian creatures of the world. These artists self-selected to participate through an open call:
Participating artists offered beautiful, reverent, abstract, philosophical, spontaneous and humorous homages to avian creatures of the world. These artists self-selected to participate through an open call:
|
Lloyd Smith
Josh Ronsen Kate Abel Chad Hopper Amanda Jones Rene Perez Robert (Bob) Jones Johnny Villarreal Kathi Herrin Mei Pantuso Stephanie Reid |
Aerica Raven Van Dorn
Richard Samuel Amanda Vaughn + Travis Byargeon Linda Wandt Jason Brooks Eric Jordan Katherine Vaughn with Malika Boudissa Douglas Laustsen Linda Kelsey-Jones Leah Smith + Chris Skinner + Chad Allen Molly + Twyla Rhode |
Twyla Rhode: Portraits and other work (6.18.20)
Twyla Rhode is a 15 year old artist living in Austin. This is her first solo show (outside of Instagram) and she is excited to be sharing some of her work and passion! Involved in the arts from a young age, in the last year or so her painterly work has jumped to another level of amazing through her dedicated daily practice.
PALIMPSESTS & ITERATIONS (5.28.20)
Linda Kelsey-Jones is an accomplished artist, educator, and curator living in San Marcos. Her work incorporates photos (original and archival) plus digital techniques as well as traditional and experimental media, often creating layers of texture and nuance within an overall rhythmic composition. It's not hard to see in her work how Reflections Create Possibilities...
THE PERMANENT COLLECTION (4.25.20)
While we are all sheltering in place, we decided to document a large part of our personal art collection for you to look at and enjoy. We counted approximately 64 artists (including a few collaborations)! Some of the artists are on our walls more than once, but we chose just one piece from each artist for now.
Below is a list of artists in our collection along with (work-in-progress) website links or instagram handle if available.
|
Adam Young
Amanda Jones Amy Tetcha Basil Andy Miller Antonio Vazquez April Garcia Bill Ivey+Jason McDonald+Lance McMahan Bill Jeffery Boone Graham Carl Smith Chad Hopper Chris Martino Chris Skinner Corinne Loperfido David Pratt David Taber Debangana Banerjee Del Wieding Dennis Hodges Don Nedobeck Eric Jordan Erin Parr Fernando A. Flores FFTwinz George Zupp Grady Roper Grady Roper+Amanda Jones Haley Haden Henna Chou Ike Eichenberg Jamie Panzer Jeff Dahlgren |
Jennifer Jarding
Jessica Nixon Jessica Tracy Jieun Beth Kim Joe Jack Talcum Jonny Hyrns Kambiz Shabankare Kevin Pope Lace Durant Lance McMahan Leah Smith Linda Kelsey-Jones Lindsey Verrill Lisa McPike-Smith Lloyd Smith Mark Strelecky Megan McAtee Melvin Scott Michael Abelman Michelle Proksell Molly Rhode Raquel Bell Scott Porter Silky Shoemaker Toto Miranda Trevor Lewis Rieck Twyla Rhode Viktor Scot Vincent Martinez Wendy Rhode Zoe Darsee |
THE PARTS UNKNOWN (2.15.20)
Luchador004.png and El Margo Amargo Present: The Parts Unknown
[Dax Norman + Bill Byrne]
The Parts Unknown are a tag team of multi-media artists and musicians who will be in the squared circle with your brain.
They play a punk rock meets electronic psychedelic that recall Suicide and early Butthole Surfers. Their performance is an
experience with mind-melting animation performed alongside their music. The Parts Unknown are made up of visualist, singer
and acrobat, luchador004.png and electronic musician, vocalist, and bad dancer El Mago Amargo.
Their visual and performance art is a world built from the personalities of professional wrestling. The merchandise the Parts Unknown create is artwork derived from their unique personas that come in the form of comic books, t-shirts, posters and other collectibles.
So, do you have what it takes to get into the ring and put over The Parts Unknown?
[Dax Norman + Bill Byrne]
The Parts Unknown are a tag team of multi-media artists and musicians who will be in the squared circle with your brain.
They play a punk rock meets electronic psychedelic that recall Suicide and early Butthole Surfers. Their performance is an
experience with mind-melting animation performed alongside their music. The Parts Unknown are made up of visualist, singer
and acrobat, luchador004.png and electronic musician, vocalist, and bad dancer El Mago Amargo.
Their visual and performance art is a world built from the personalities of professional wrestling. The merchandise the Parts Unknown create is artwork derived from their unique personas that come in the form of comic books, t-shirts, posters and other collectibles.
So, do you have what it takes to get into the ring and put over The Parts Unknown?
PIECES AND PIECES OF PIECES (1.11.20)
Group collage show! With 20 participants and opening night sound-collage performed by Epop Nivek.
2019
black clown, except it's not a clown (12.7.19)
Black Clown, Except it’s not a Clown is a body of work that is inspired by Langston Hughes’s “The Black Clown” poem, the dichotomies between performance and reality, depictions of the clown archetypes, and the tarot card The Fool. In this series, ideas of how the clown archetype can be embodied as a metaphorical representation for black expression is explored.
Working with the notion of clowns being allowed governance to traverse their own polar-emotions, my work investigates the role of the Black Clown as a manifestation of the reclamation of one’s own identity, rather than being portrayed as a negative stereotype as seen in Hughes’s poem, and in many other media portrayals.
Diane Campos is a 4th year undergraduate student double majoring in Studio Art and Mexican American Studies with a minor in African and African Diaspora Studies at The University of Texas at Austin. Being queer and Afro-Mexican, they work with painting, print-making, transmedia, and mixed media to emphasize different black identities that exist throughout the diaspora. As they explore different black identities within the art context, they challenge the historical canon of black visibility within Latinx spaces. They also conduct research on Afro-Latinx identities using their own and others’ works of art as a basis for understanding.
Website: dianec.work
Insta: @sir.dica
Working with the notion of clowns being allowed governance to traverse their own polar-emotions, my work investigates the role of the Black Clown as a manifestation of the reclamation of one’s own identity, rather than being portrayed as a negative stereotype as seen in Hughes’s poem, and in many other media portrayals.
Diane Campos is a 4th year undergraduate student double majoring in Studio Art and Mexican American Studies with a minor in African and African Diaspora Studies at The University of Texas at Austin. Being queer and Afro-Mexican, they work with painting, print-making, transmedia, and mixed media to emphasize different black identities that exist throughout the diaspora. As they explore different black identities within the art context, they challenge the historical canon of black visibility within Latinx spaces. They also conduct research on Afro-Latinx identities using their own and others’ works of art as a basis for understanding.
Website: dianec.work
Insta: @sir.dica
gay dregs: Archive rejects (11.9.19)
FFTwinz (Beth Cita and Lex Vaughn) filled our gallery with the "didn’t make its" of the gay archives. (Although, for the record, all of it was created for this show.) Delightful knick-knacks, ephemera and wearables gave viewers a humorous and engaging immersion into issues/experiences concerning lesbian identity.
The unforgettable opening night party featured a pop-up bar ("Tassy's") which was an installation unto itself.
The unforgettable opening night party featured a pop-up bar ("Tassy's") which was an installation unto itself.
SHOW US YOUR FEARS (10.19.19)
What gets your heart racing and your palms sweating?
What do you avoid to the point of inconveniencing yourself or preventing your own growth?
Fears come in flavors rational and irrational, light and dark.
Fifteen bold artists mustered up their courage and responded to our open call for work about fears, including--
Katrin Abel
Andrea Alfaro
Jason Brooks
Justine Crosby
Adam G.
April Garcia
Chad Hopper
Jonny Hyrns
Chris Martino
Todd Mein
Jessica Nixon
Joseph Noderer
Dax Norman
Sean Thornton
Del Weiding
What do you avoid to the point of inconveniencing yourself or preventing your own growth?
Fears come in flavors rational and irrational, light and dark.
Fifteen bold artists mustered up their courage and responded to our open call for work about fears, including--
Katrin Abel
Andrea Alfaro
Jason Brooks
Justine Crosby
Adam G.
April Garcia
Chad Hopper
Jonny Hyrns
Chris Martino
Todd Mein
Jessica Nixon
Joseph Noderer
Dax Norman
Sean Thornton
Del Weiding
grown up baby time (9.7.19)
Grown Up Baby Time was a once-in-a-lifetime interactive art experience for all ages which involved coloring, 15 second game shows, food games, a giant thirsty baby, potions, neck photography, magic, a time capsule the size of the gallery, and much more. Audience members were treated to absurd skits and scenarios, care of Chad Hopper (mastermind) and the ensemble cast including: Andy Miller, Emily Summerfield, Kevin Pope, Amanda Jones, Michael Aaron, Chris Martino and Julia Bond. Behind the scenes help was provided by Jessica Nixon and Chris Skinner, and the time capsule "art-ifacts" were created by the audience members themselves.
"Hilarious, actually!" - Matt
"Hilarious, actually!" - Matt
Beyond language (7.27.19)
Beyond Language: new works from Chris Skinner
(digital prints, mixed media paintings, and 3 channel video)
The work that I'm doing now has a through-line of obfuscation. Like the limit-experience in critical theory as seen by Foucault & Bataille, the visual language is explosive and erratic from a continual critique of its own self-consciousness and existence. To further explain, the limit-experience could be seen as an event of extreme psychic weight that pushes a person towards madness or, oppositely, towards revelation. Seen by Foucault & Bataille, the limit-experience is that moment when comprehension and, by extension, language breaks down due to a recursive loop, a moebius strip, of understanding imminent within the subject. Language/thought breaks free from its moorings and turns toward itself pointing to its own limitations to communicate, even just within the subject, as in the situation of talking to one's self. This is a moment when the subject (ie. the audience) is faced with the prospect of obtaining some power over their own comprehension through transgressive experience.
Chris topped off the evening with a live performance, bringing the audience closer to the limitations of verbal language for the living body and mind.
(digital prints, mixed media paintings, and 3 channel video)
The work that I'm doing now has a through-line of obfuscation. Like the limit-experience in critical theory as seen by Foucault & Bataille, the visual language is explosive and erratic from a continual critique of its own self-consciousness and existence. To further explain, the limit-experience could be seen as an event of extreme psychic weight that pushes a person towards madness or, oppositely, towards revelation. Seen by Foucault & Bataille, the limit-experience is that moment when comprehension and, by extension, language breaks down due to a recursive loop, a moebius strip, of understanding imminent within the subject. Language/thought breaks free from its moorings and turns toward itself pointing to its own limitations to communicate, even just within the subject, as in the situation of talking to one's self. This is a moment when the subject (ie. the audience) is faced with the prospect of obtaining some power over their own comprehension through transgressive experience.
Chris topped off the evening with a live performance, bringing the audience closer to the limitations of verbal language for the living body and mind.
LINE TIME (6.29.19)
We put out an open call for artists to pick a date from the past, present, or future and to create a piece of art (any medium) connected to their chosen date. Nineteen participants submitted artwork (including two interactive pieces!) and a thread was strung around the room connecting all of the pieces in chronological order. Viewers could then take in the art and contemplate past, present and future... time traveling without the usual hassles.
The captions of the photos indicate which date(s) each artwork was referencing.
The captions of the photos indicate which date(s) each artwork was referencing.
WHAT REMAINS, RISE AND FALL (5.11.19)
Conceptual artist Jieun Beth presented her new works, a diptych of a flower bouquet interpreted in layers of gradual decay and a collection of nine lenticular prints showing the motion of change of the flower as viewers walk from left to right. Alongside those, a few works from her past series, "Always Saying Goodbye" and "Being" were on display.
This exhibit revolves around Jieun Beth's continued interest in the idea of Personal Identity; the influence of a body and the memory (mind) on one's perception, inquiring the effect of the Life's impermanence on one's psyche.
"Bloom and fade,
time passed away.
No movement stays the same,
only flows away.
End hasn't been tasted,
though flesh knows it's there.
Look away, no other way.
Mind ascends, body sheds,
What remains, rise and fall."
---------------------------------------------------------------
Artist Bio:
Jieun Beth (b. Texas) was born in the U.S. and lived in twelve different cities, diverse influences motivating her artistic direction. She graduated with her MFA in Studio Art at the University of Texas at Austin in 2013 and received her BFA in Painting at the Savannah College of Art and Design in 2009. She explores the idea of Personal identity and examines the influence of the body, memory and transience of life on the understanding of one’s identity. She is the Exhibit Coordinator at the Austin Central Library.
In 2017, her works have been part of multiple group shows nationally and internationally, including New York City, Austin, and Bulgaria. Her collaborative public art project, "The Dwelling", was fulfilled by the City of Austin’s Culture Alive grant at the Elisabet Ney Museum in Austin, TX and the project was relocated to Colorado Spring, CO in 2018. Her Solo shows were exhibited at the Czong Institute of Contemporary Art in Seoul, South Korea, at the Big Medium in Austin, TX , and Midland Community College in Midland, TX in 2018. Her upcoming shows will be at the Collection Rert in Austin, TX and at the ARTIFACT gallery in New York, NY in 2020.
This exhibit revolves around Jieun Beth's continued interest in the idea of Personal Identity; the influence of a body and the memory (mind) on one's perception, inquiring the effect of the Life's impermanence on one's psyche.
"Bloom and fade,
time passed away.
No movement stays the same,
only flows away.
End hasn't been tasted,
though flesh knows it's there.
Look away, no other way.
Mind ascends, body sheds,
What remains, rise and fall."
---------------------------------------------------------------
Artist Bio:
Jieun Beth (b. Texas) was born in the U.S. and lived in twelve different cities, diverse influences motivating her artistic direction. She graduated with her MFA in Studio Art at the University of Texas at Austin in 2013 and received her BFA in Painting at the Savannah College of Art and Design in 2009. She explores the idea of Personal identity and examines the influence of the body, memory and transience of life on the understanding of one’s identity. She is the Exhibit Coordinator at the Austin Central Library.
In 2017, her works have been part of multiple group shows nationally and internationally, including New York City, Austin, and Bulgaria. Her collaborative public art project, "The Dwelling", was fulfilled by the City of Austin’s Culture Alive grant at the Elisabet Ney Museum in Austin, TX and the project was relocated to Colorado Spring, CO in 2018. Her Solo shows were exhibited at the Czong Institute of Contemporary Art in Seoul, South Korea, at the Big Medium in Austin, TX , and Midland Community College in Midland, TX in 2018. Her upcoming shows will be at the Collection Rert in Austin, TX and at the ARTIFACT gallery in New York, NY in 2020.
STREET SEEN(3.30.19)
For STREET SEEN we gathered some favorite photos from photographer friends old and new. The roster included:
Gretchen's selections happened to have been in a larger body of work she did on "Messes", so her fantastic artist statement for those is included below...
MESSES by Gretchen Phillips
How do we respond when we see inside things splayed outside? For example: feelings that are supposed to be kept to ourselves, or perhaps mattresses on the street? How do we respond when we enter someone's home and it's a mess, messier than our own? Do we have judgments? Do we want to clean up this mess? Or do we want to escape quickly before we're asked to clean up this mess? What if it's a pile of stuff that's just been dumped in public, like, "Here, I've pulled this crap out from inside, now you deal with it. I simply can not deal anymore." When I see a mattress in the rain placed next to an insufficiently small waste bin, I think, "This is as far as they could interact with this unwanted thing."
A hot dog dropped and left on the floor of the Ikea elevator is somewhat amusing. Homes and hotels in former Yugoslavia bombed and ransacked and left to the elements as reminders that people can be so cruel to each other are not.
My father was a hoarder and my mother is a neat freak. Both of those compulsions live inside me. If I want to clean up my messes I need to take the time to actually sift thru their contents, feel the feelings that seeing the objects elicit, and discard what's no longer useful. Ideally I do this with another person present so that I needn't feel totally alone with what a hot mess I am.
Ultimately I find it comforting to see how messy and imperfect people are. It's like, You mean it's not just me?
- Gretchen Phillips
- Melissa Seely with Molly Richardson
- Brad Marcum
- Tomas Fierro
- Amarachi Ngwakwe
- Fernando Flores
- and Steve Landry
Gretchen's selections happened to have been in a larger body of work she did on "Messes", so her fantastic artist statement for those is included below...
MESSES by Gretchen Phillips
How do we respond when we see inside things splayed outside? For example: feelings that are supposed to be kept to ourselves, or perhaps mattresses on the street? How do we respond when we enter someone's home and it's a mess, messier than our own? Do we have judgments? Do we want to clean up this mess? Or do we want to escape quickly before we're asked to clean up this mess? What if it's a pile of stuff that's just been dumped in public, like, "Here, I've pulled this crap out from inside, now you deal with it. I simply can not deal anymore." When I see a mattress in the rain placed next to an insufficiently small waste bin, I think, "This is as far as they could interact with this unwanted thing."
A hot dog dropped and left on the floor of the Ikea elevator is somewhat amusing. Homes and hotels in former Yugoslavia bombed and ransacked and left to the elements as reminders that people can be so cruel to each other are not.
My father was a hoarder and my mother is a neat freak. Both of those compulsions live inside me. If I want to clean up my messes I need to take the time to actually sift thru their contents, feel the feelings that seeing the objects elicit, and discard what's no longer useful. Ideally I do this with another person present so that I needn't feel totally alone with what a hot mess I am.
Ultimately I find it comforting to see how messy and imperfect people are. It's like, You mean it's not just me?
TEARS AND LAUGHTER THEY KNOW ABOUT: PORTRAITS OF JUDY (3.2.19)
Multi-media artist and performer extraordinaire Silky Shoemaker chose to transform the space into an homage to one of her many idols, Judy Garland. Here is what she had to say about it:
"June is the 50th anniversary of Judy Garland's death. She was 47 at the time and gay lore has it that her death was the catalyst for the Stonewall Riots that erupted in the nights that followed. Whether or not her passing had an actual effect on those events is questionable, but it is interesting to consider her significance and symbolism as an enduring icon at the start of the gay liberation movement.
She once said "I try to bring the audience's own drama - tears and laughter they know about - to them." I think it was this unique ability to convey her own pathos and humanity, delight and devastation, which so resonated with queer audiences across decades. Her music as a body expresses profound longing for love, a desire to find oneself embraced and accepted, against a cold world. Her live performances were characteristically intimate and raw, a rockstar singing showtunes and ballads. In Judy, queer culture found an avatar who gave voice to their pain, but also their wildness.
Considering Judy, I think of the queer lore surrounding so many old Hollywood celebrities, the stories about them passed along in the outskirts of popular culture. These acts of mythologizing are often campy, frivolous, sometimes salacious, but they also serve as a serious way to make sense of a world that often alienates queer people. It is an essential action. It is a pathway of access to mainstream culture.
In this show I wanted to investigate "Judy", the icon and human, and to consider some of the queer lore that surrounds her legacy. The pieces shown here were all created in the past month (except for one) as an attempt to understand her, formally as a subject and culturally as a torchbearer. I also included some paintings of other Hollywood icons who have held a place in queer mythology and I’ve tried to interpret via my paintbrush some stories about them that persist in our oral history.
Working so intimately with this iconography has been a way for me to connect to my queer ancestry and to find a place within the flow of these never ending stories/histories.
I hope you enjoy!
-Silky Shoemaker"
Opening night featured an intimate candle-lit performance of Judy standards by J.C. King and Molly Fischer.
"June is the 50th anniversary of Judy Garland's death. She was 47 at the time and gay lore has it that her death was the catalyst for the Stonewall Riots that erupted in the nights that followed. Whether or not her passing had an actual effect on those events is questionable, but it is interesting to consider her significance and symbolism as an enduring icon at the start of the gay liberation movement.
She once said "I try to bring the audience's own drama - tears and laughter they know about - to them." I think it was this unique ability to convey her own pathos and humanity, delight and devastation, which so resonated with queer audiences across decades. Her music as a body expresses profound longing for love, a desire to find oneself embraced and accepted, against a cold world. Her live performances were characteristically intimate and raw, a rockstar singing showtunes and ballads. In Judy, queer culture found an avatar who gave voice to their pain, but also their wildness.
Considering Judy, I think of the queer lore surrounding so many old Hollywood celebrities, the stories about them passed along in the outskirts of popular culture. These acts of mythologizing are often campy, frivolous, sometimes salacious, but they also serve as a serious way to make sense of a world that often alienates queer people. It is an essential action. It is a pathway of access to mainstream culture.
In this show I wanted to investigate "Judy", the icon and human, and to consider some of the queer lore that surrounds her legacy. The pieces shown here were all created in the past month (except for one) as an attempt to understand her, formally as a subject and culturally as a torchbearer. I also included some paintings of other Hollywood icons who have held a place in queer mythology and I’ve tried to interpret via my paintbrush some stories about them that persist in our oral history.
Working so intimately with this iconography has been a way for me to connect to my queer ancestry and to find a place within the flow of these never ending stories/histories.
I hope you enjoy!
-Silky Shoemaker"
Opening night featured an intimate candle-lit performance of Judy standards by J.C. King and Molly Fischer.
DOUBLE DATE (2.9.19)
We presented an assignment with one rule to two previously unacquainted artist couples. The rule was: do whatever you want in our room!
The participating duos, Megan McAtee + Kaya Sumer and Liz Gomez + John Moloney, quickly found their areas of common interest, and the idea sparks flew. The resulting piece was a participatory sound installation inviting viewers to play and discover what sounds would emanate from the experimental assemblages.
Since the art medium made hiring a musician redundant, the quartet decided to spend the entertainment budget on a projection artist, Nils Hoover, who provided dazzling patterns and sound-reactive visuals for the installation (inside and outside) on opening night.
The participating duos, Megan McAtee + Kaya Sumer and Liz Gomez + John Moloney, quickly found their areas of common interest, and the idea sparks flew. The resulting piece was a participatory sound installation inviting viewers to play and discover what sounds would emanate from the experimental assemblages.
Since the art medium made hiring a musician redundant, the quartet decided to spend the entertainment budget on a projection artist, Nils Hoover, who provided dazzling patterns and sound-reactive visuals for the installation (inside and outside) on opening night.
2018
PAPER OR PLASTIC (12.1.18)
A self-guided time warp tour through the mind of Chaired!
Chaired = Chad Hopper a.k.a. Palfloat)
"My brain is full so I've decided to empty it into this room. This installation is an homage to all of the things from my youth that inspired me to become an artist...not only the magazines and toys, but also routine trips to the grocery store. In creating an amalgam of all my different bedrooms, I hope to share these inspirations and fill up other people's brains with an interactive experience."
The opening reception featured entertainment by the always-unique Andi Skeemax and the Slow Jams, preceded by a comedy set by Name Secrets.
Chaired = Chad Hopper a.k.a. Palfloat)
"My brain is full so I've decided to empty it into this room. This installation is an homage to all of the things from my youth that inspired me to become an artist...not only the magazines and toys, but also routine trips to the grocery store. In creating an amalgam of all my different bedrooms, I hope to share these inspirations and fill up other people's brains with an interactive experience."
The opening reception featured entertainment by the always-unique Andi Skeemax and the Slow Jams, preceded by a comedy set by Name Secrets.
WE WORK WITH WOOD (11.10.18)
This show celebrated wood and the art that can be made of it when power-tools and sandpaper are in the hands of women.
Participating artists:
April Garcia
Molly Strehl
Megan McAtee
Laura Sturtz
Abby Ruston
Amanda Jones
Jona Burkhalter
Lisa Hubley-King
Shanda Sansing
Terrie-Lynn Bach
& Raquel Bell
The reception featured music by Kenzie Slottow and friends.
Participating artists:
April Garcia
Molly Strehl
Megan McAtee
Laura Sturtz
Abby Ruston
Amanda Jones
Jona Burkhalter
Lisa Hubley-King
Shanda Sansing
Terrie-Lynn Bach
& Raquel Bell
The reception featured music by Kenzie Slottow and friends.
JONNY HYRNS (E.A.S.T. 2018)
https://thehyrnsman.tumblr.com/
"Jonny began art about 6 years back.
So it's abstract collage with a good dose of found stuffs.
Much has to be smashed flat.
Much is made whilst self-medicating.
Another part of the puzzle."
"Jonny began art about 6 years back.
So it's abstract collage with a good dose of found stuffs.
Much has to be smashed flat.
Much is made whilst self-medicating.
Another part of the puzzle."
IN THE DARK (10.27.18)
We asked artists to create something in complete darkness and then to conceal it from themselves for delivery to the gallery.
The creations were not seen by the artists until the day of the show!
Mysterious? Yes.
Difficult? Very.
But we know some very intrepid artists. The results were exciting and impressive, to say the least.
The creations were not seen by the artists until the day of the show!
Mysterious? Yes.
Difficult? Very.
But we know some very intrepid artists. The results were exciting and impressive, to say the least.
Second day of school (9.29.18)
For this open call show, Collection Rert compiled a list of classic school supplies and invited artists to explore and tap into that list with hopes of creating something (anything!) expressing some of their memories/emotions from elementary school.
TOOLS & MEDIA ALLOWED:
- crayons
- markers
- colored pencils
- watercolors
- ballpoint pens
- no. 2 pencils
- highlighters
- erasers
- correction fluid
- notebook paper
- construction paper
- index cards
- spiral notebook
- glue
- scissors
- compass/protractor
- ruler
P.S. Not everyone followed the rules. Such is life. ;-)
visible lllight & rrrabbit holes (8.11.18)
Multi-disciplinary and many-storied artist Viktor Scot, a.k.a. Vic3000, took a holistic approach to occupying the Collection Rert space. Eschewing a previously-planned more straightforward showing of artistic creations, he instead turned the room into a symbolic, 3-dimensional self-portrait. A rainy night and subdued energy matched perfectly the intimate experience given to visitors of a personal tour, counter-clockwise through the room's objects and their significance.
THE BILL AND LEAH SHOW! (7.28.18)
Another tag-team show of friends...
Bill Jeffery, local artist and musician extraordinaire, presents his latest drawings, a body of work entitled "Flip the Esoteric Dog". These particular illustrations, thickly patterned and surreal/psychedelic, were inspired by his memories of all the dogs he has loved and lost over the years, and the positive feelings they stir in him.
Sharing the gallery space will be Leah Smith of LLP https://www.instagram.com/leahland.productions/, with whimsical stop-motion animations and mixed media paintings. Cats, picnics, rare plants, and a manic quilt make up this "Strange Garden".
Opening night reception (7-10pm) will feature Bill Jeffery & Friends playing 3 new songs at 8pm!
Bill Jeffery, local artist and musician extraordinaire, presents his latest drawings, a body of work entitled "Flip the Esoteric Dog". These particular illustrations, thickly patterned and surreal/psychedelic, were inspired by his memories of all the dogs he has loved and lost over the years, and the positive feelings they stir in him.
Sharing the gallery space will be Leah Smith of LLP https://www.instagram.com/leahland.productions/, with whimsical stop-motion animations and mixed media paintings. Cats, picnics, rare plants, and a manic quilt make up this "Strange Garden".
Opening night reception (7-10pm) will feature Bill Jeffery & Friends playing 3 new songs at 8pm!
SMOKE WAS BLOWN. THE PHONE RANG. SOME PAINT WAS SPILLED. (6.23.18)
Painter/photographer/film-maker/musician Raphael Umscheid and multidisciplinary artist Eric Jordan are going to do something different this time. It's not defined at this point. Installation? Sort of. It's looking like some kind of hybrid.
The room, nature, and childhood memories will be calling the shots for Raphael, who may or may not be influenced by the voicemails of friends and strangers which he requested during the creation of many of the rooms works. These voicemails will be playing audibly in the room throughout creation and exhibition.
Eric's contributions were secretly mailed from his base in Portland, OR. Little works that have much in common with their shipping packages. Inventive and fun. Raphael just opened those tonight and was surprised.
Reception Saturday, June 23rd 7-10pm, with live music by Aaron Russell (solo guitar) and Gone To Earth.
The room, nature, and childhood memories will be calling the shots for Raphael, who may or may not be influenced by the voicemails of friends and strangers which he requested during the creation of many of the rooms works. These voicemails will be playing audibly in the room throughout creation and exhibition.
Eric's contributions were secretly mailed from his base in Portland, OR. Little works that have much in common with their shipping packages. Inventive and fun. Raphael just opened those tonight and was surprised.
Reception Saturday, June 23rd 7-10pm, with live music by Aaron Russell (solo guitar) and Gone To Earth.
THERE MUST BE MORE THAN THIS (5.19.18)
Collages by Mark Strelecky
"Do you ever feel trapped, or that the world lacks meaning?
Try having your world restricted to one square foot and having only two dimensions. That's what the characters who inhabit these collages are dealing with.
Come look at them with the the sense of irony that our creator must have when observing us."
"Do you ever feel trapped, or that the world lacks meaning?
Try having your world restricted to one square foot and having only two dimensions. That's what the characters who inhabit these collages are dealing with.
Come look at them with the the sense of irony that our creator must have when observing us."
WET BALL THE MUSICAL / INSTALLATION (4.29.18)
And The Winner Is Wet Ball the Musical, Hold On, Okay, We Think We Made Something We're Still Working it Out, We'll Be Ready When You Get Here ;-) Print On Banners
From the creators of QRSTV, PLAYVISION, and Something Something, Inc. comes another wacky romp through uncharted comedic territory.
This time you get a gallery installation full of mystery and clues in addition to a participatory variety show. Wowee!
Better save the date... It's a Sunday matinee, 2-5pm. Showtime will start at 2:30 pm sharp and run only 30 minutes, so be on time!
This time you get a gallery installation full of mystery and clues in addition to a participatory variety show. Wowee!
Better save the date... It's a Sunday matinee, 2-5pm. Showtime will start at 2:30 pm sharp and run only 30 minutes, so be on time!
OCTO PIECES (4.7.18)
The art in this show came about in not quite the usual way. Collaboration is the name of this game, and as a result, each piece has more than one author.
What happens when you cede creative control and ownership to a group you are also a part of? It's sometimes challenging, sometimes effortless. Artistic statements are made and erased, visual comments coalesce as if by magic, other pieces go through a dozen identities before finding their own special hum. Through this, the artists ride a tender balance between ego and surrender, between boldness and listening.
Participating in this experiment:
Bill Ivey
Wendy Rhode
Vincent Paul Martinez, Jr.
Yamin Li
G. Matt Nicholson
Leah Smith
Paul Baker
and Amanda Jones
What happens when you cede creative control and ownership to a group you are also a part of? It's sometimes challenging, sometimes effortless. Artistic statements are made and erased, visual comments coalesce as if by magic, other pieces go through a dozen identities before finding their own special hum. Through this, the artists ride a tender balance between ego and surrender, between boldness and listening.
Participating in this experiment:
Bill Ivey
Wendy Rhode
Vincent Paul Martinez, Jr.
Yamin Li
G. Matt Nicholson
Leah Smith
Paul Baker
and Amanda Jones
YOU CAN BE HERE (3.24.18)
"Scavengers and Tinkerers Unite!
Collection Rert invites you to rummage through our maze of fun junk and delve into your yard-art-creating fantasies...
Use that burst of energy you'll get when you score a new thingamajig and channel it into designing something unique for our yard or gallery.
Spontaneous and fresh like an emu at a fashion show, it's a fundraiser-yard sale-workshop with potential for laughter and making new memories."
Collection Rert invites you to rummage through our maze of fun junk and delve into your yard-art-creating fantasies...
Use that burst of energy you'll get when you score a new thingamajig and channel it into designing something unique for our yard or gallery.
Spontaneous and fresh like an emu at a fashion show, it's a fundraiser-yard sale-workshop with potential for laughter and making new memories."
MORTALITY IN PLAIN SIGHT (2.17.18)
The first CR show of 2018 was a mixed media installation by Jessica Nixon, presenting viewers with opportunities to reflect on the omnipresent specter of death and the ways in which we both honor and avoid the memories of those lost.
Noticing roadside memorials around the city, Jessica was inspired to recreate her own versions of and reactions to these touching, hand-made monuments and to present them in the intimate setting of Collection Rert for the community to engage with. The work included several meditative paintings, arrangements of artificial flowers, a recreated "Ghost Bike", and a symbolic memorial to loss that was open to audience participation and contribution.
The opening night featured an ambient soundtrack provided by Daze of Heaven and a live music set by Vile Wine (experimental guitar + electronics duo).
Read this review by Eggtooth.
Noticing roadside memorials around the city, Jessica was inspired to recreate her own versions of and reactions to these touching, hand-made monuments and to present them in the intimate setting of Collection Rert for the community to engage with. The work included several meditative paintings, arrangements of artificial flowers, a recreated "Ghost Bike", and a symbolic memorial to loss that was open to audience participation and contribution.
The opening night featured an ambient soundtrack provided by Daze of Heaven and a live music set by Vile Wine (experimental guitar + electronics duo).
Read this review by Eggtooth.
GLANDS OF FISTMITS (12.9.17)
For her first solo show, Bridgette Reed assembled an environment of perverse/cuddly whimsy and crude yet attractive catharsis. Characters from a rabbity alternate universe inhabited the room in the forms of modified mutant dolls and portraits in oil. The cave theme recurred as a preferred setting, with a one-guest-at-a-time cozy replica provided for introverted interaction with some of the characters, such as a tattooed doll, a snake with a woman's face, and a furry eye-less creature with an extra arm located where genitalia are normally found.
For fulfillment of feelings more extroverted, a tiny interactive volcano diorama was present, complete with the requisite chemical ingredients to induce fizzy overflow. Echoes of that messy purge could be seen in the artist's barfing self-portrait, as well as in the two expletive-laced portraits of a certain commander-in-chief, which were symbolically placed just outside of the entrance to the show, perhaps a cue for "It's time to visit another reality now!"
For fulfillment of feelings more extroverted, a tiny interactive volcano diorama was present, complete with the requisite chemical ingredients to induce fizzy overflow. Echoes of that messy purge could be seen in the artist's barfing self-portrait, as well as in the two expletive-laced portraits of a certain commander-in-chief, which were symbolically placed just outside of the entrance to the show, perhaps a cue for "It's time to visit another reality now!"
2017
CELEBRATING LEFTOVERS (11.25.17)
A group show of affordable art for the holidays/end-of-year clearing, this was also our tenth show and did indeed have a celebratory feel. Fifteen artists were represented through 48 pieces in paint, photography, collage, drawing, crochet, ceramic, mixed media and interactive installation.
