Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Erika Johnson 's farewell to Nashville show at Twist 58 for June 6-27th 2009

accumulata | dematerialization
installation | performance

What happens when objects are let go?

A work about possession(s). Opening reception June 6, 2009 from 6 pm to 9 pm. Dematerialization at 8:30 pm June 6, -June 27.


materials include:

cookie tins
tin cans
coffee cans
canned foods
cereal boxes
seeds packets
product packaging
sticks
stones
thorns
thistledown
artichokes
dried flowers
pressed flowers
nests
eggs
claws
bones
fur
whiskers
hair
skin
discarded exoskeletons of cicadas
jars
vases
broken glass
telephones
lamps
wigs
dresses
skirts
socks
shoes
yarn
yarns
stories
tales
fishing line
fishing tackle
silk flowers
photographs
blueprints
cyanotypes
transparencies
slides
negatives
prints
art show invitations
albums
letters
business cards
postcards
possibilities
doilies
napkins
tablecloths
pill boxes
glass bottles
handkerchiefs
scarves
afghans
little sheaves of paper held together with safety pins
magazines
acrylic sheets
cyanotypes
carnival glass
frog planters
flower pots
felt
handmade paper
marbled paper
marbles
buttons
needles
thimbles
thread
swatches
a jewelry rack
hats
jewelry
milk crate
wooden shelves
drawers
chairs
whiskers
dead bugs
souvenirs
currency
ceramics
bowls
cups
plates
forks
a toaster
a waffle iron
a skillet
a kettle
a houseplant
hens and chicks
items found in the trash heaps of ghost towns
broken objects
useful objects
lenses
happy meal toys
dictionaries
story books
history books
handmade books
books of instruction
cookbooks
phone books
address books
blank books
novels
poetry
wallpaper
wire people
plastic toys
porcelain dolls
picture frames
old windows
wooden boxes
hanging baskets
billiard balls
business forms
pads
pens
pencils
file folders
memoranda
memories

Laina Seay at Twist 73 for June 6- 27th 2009


Bio:
Laina Seay was born in Tupelo Mississippi, 1986, and raised in rural western Kentucky. She has recently graduated with a Bachelors of Fine Art from Western Kentucky University, studying ceramics under Tom Bartel. In 2007 she spent the summer working for the Alexandria Virginia Commission for the Arts doing research on public art programs resulting in a collaborative report submitted to the National Endowment for the Arts. Her work has been shown nationally including at the National Convention for Ceramic Arts, which awarded her the Regina Brown Fellowship grant for Undergraduates. Currently, she is attending graduate school.

Artist Statement:
The physical properties of clay allow me to exploit its nature in both raw and fired forms. Using video I am able to utilize the ephemeral nature of clay in an unfired, raw state by documenting the material as it dissolves in water or other liquids. By working in this manner I satisfy both my need to create objects and the requirements to capture the event. Other methods of working I use include multiple object interaction and installation.
Working in this manner I am able to combine what I make with my interests in politics, current events, and the human condition. Themes I often explore include individualism, consequences of authoritative power, and the role of citizens as a check of governing power. Events surrounding the last four years directly fuel my art as our country deals with war, economic crisis, and political expansion. The ultimate question I ask is what is in and out of our control as individual citizens both in our domestic government systems and on the global stage.