What Art Is--Sean's Show at CUAC

The main reason for our Utah trip recently was for an art opening at the Central Utah Art Center where Sean has a solo show up for about a month. The center is located in Ephraim, a small college town in central Utah (obviously) that I've never been to and barely knew existed but thought was a cute little town. Anyway, check out Sean's site for details and pics of some of his art.

UPDATE: New! Click here to read a review on Sean's show!

I just wanted to show you some pics of the opening and perhaps gush a little about my genius husband. First of all, he's basically freaking talented, there's no other way to say it. Secondly, his intention for his art and the explanation of the theme of the show, "What Art Is" is fascinating, intriguing, and noble. I admit I don't always know the meaning behind everything he makes--if there is one. But after I heard his artist speech, I myself was sold. Not only was I extremely impressed but it made me want to buy his art at any price because of the significant value his idea put upon it. I wanted to own something that represented what he said, to have my own declaration of "what art is," and to say, "look at what my genius husband did!"

First of all, here are some excerpts from his Artist Statement. This is, in essence, what he talked about in the artist talk at the opening. He was charismatic, charming, humble, intelligent, and persuasive, to say the least.

****

Imagine two people sitting across a table from each other. One slides
an object across the table to the other, presenting it for the other's
appraisal. Words, if spoken, are unnecessary, "look at this," or,
"hey, this is worth looking at." To me, this is the basic human
interaction that we call visual art.

I think my job as an artist is to make personal endorsements, take a
stand for something, and attach my name to the declaration of
significance for an object. In this way, my work is an exercise, and
a celebration, of individual responsibility. And in world where it is
so easy for individuals to feel entirely unaccountable for their
actions (the magical dissolution of guilt in the fleshless
corporation, the personal anonymity of the internet, and the
alienation of living in a community without a sense of the community's
identity) it seems to me that individual responsibility is something
worth celebrating. I don't know the answers to the world's problems,
but I know that I want to live in a world where people act according
to what they believe.

Part of living in New York City is that I do a lot of walking. As a
visual person, I also do a lot of looking and a lot of what I see is
garbage. Cardboard is not beautiful to me, and whatever cardboard
means, the efficiency it embodies, the purposes that it serves, are
not things that are really transcendent to me. What is meaningful to
me is the idea that someone can take a piece of cardboard and through
the application of their own energy and by putting their own name
behind it, can make it into something that is interesting to look at.
This is what I try to do in my work.

****

And here are some pictures from the show.

Here is Sean installing some art




Just to give you a feel for the space...






Here is Sean giving his speech. It's a little blurry, sorry. The lighting was kind of dim.




Here is a pic of Sean and Adam, the manager of the gallery and a friend of ours.




Here is a pic including Sean's sisters and his aunt and uncle




And...




Here is a pic with some friends




Me and Sean


side note--do i have a lazy eye?


And now for the art!

*DISCLAIMER* the titles below are not actual titles given by the artist but are instead titles i made up myself so as to discern the pieces one from another, which is probably totally unnecessary since the works themselves are already discernable. But, for example, Sean wouldn't have called that one "tire tracks" down there. He said he thought of it as a braid. So just know that these are my own made up titles. Wow, could i have typed a longer and more boring paragraph about this. I really don't know.


Brillo Pads


Red Zig Zag


Three Black and White


Black Zig Zag


Close up


Fruit Crate & Pieces



These pieces are made out of the cardboard of legal pads. Love it!





Tire Tracks


Red Houndstooth