In a city where art is everywhere but exhibits aren't as frequent, local artists say they are happy to have a show dedicated to contemporary art at the Albuquerque Museum.
Blake Gibson, a UNM art teaching assistant, has a piece in Albuquerque Contemporary, a regional art exhibition at the Albuquerque Museum.
His "Contiguous Painting" is a 41-minute video that plays on a painted TV monitor.
The video is footage of a previous painting performance in April.
"For this performance, I had a delineated space in a gallery in which I interacted with roughly 30 gallons of acrylic and latex paints and mediums and about 60 wooden planks of various lengths," Gibson said. "The intent of the performance was to make my physical interaction with these materials the primary focus, and to allow the audience to witness this in real time, with no script."
Soon after Chad Person, another UNM photography teaching assistant, rented a home in a gated community, he noticed there was something strange about living there.
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"As soon as I moved here, I noticed there is more to it than first appears," Person said. "I got fascinated with my environment and the more negative aspects of living in a gated community."
So he materialized these thoughts into art, creating two pieces, which will also be in the show.
The exhibition, now in its 15th year, showcases local artists who work with a broad variety of media, including video, paint and photography.
Person spent eight months constructing a photographic model of his community sub-division by snapping every detail of the neighborhood, including stop signs, mailboxes, houses and trees. He then built a model that is almost like a 3-D puzzle, he said.
Out of the 39 artists included in the show, there is a strong UNM representation.
"This show is a testament to the fact that there is a real wealth of talent at the University,"
Person said.
The Albuquerque Museum is one of the larger venues in the city, and both artists said they appreciate the chance for their work to be seen by a bigger audience.
"Of all the places to have your work shown in Albuquerque, you get the most exposure there," Person said. "It's nice to make art, and it's nice to share it with other people. The more people that see my art, the happier I am."
Although exhibits like Albuquerque Contemporary and other related shows bring forth creative work to the public, Blake said there is still not enough support.
"It's lacking a lot. There's no real contemporary art scene here, except for a few independent and not-for-profit galleries," he said. "It's up to young artists to change that."
The Magn°fico Honors show is dedicated to artists who have been active in changing the scene. Held in conjunction with Albuquerque Contemporary, the exhibit at the Magn°fico Artspace Downtown is honoring three seasoned local artists ― Kim Arthun, Anne Cooper and Jim Jacob ― for their creative leadership and vision in the contemporary arts community.
Who: Magn°fico presents Albuquerque Contemporary 2004
When: Through Sept. 5
Where: The Albuquerque Museum at 2000 Mountain Rd.
Info: (505) 242-8244
