(Tom discusses one of the pieces with one of the models)
(art lovers at the bar)Most artists and galleries would cringe if someone touched the art, but Tom Suhler encourages it on several of his pieces at his Exposure Gallery located at 777 Shady Lane just off 7th Street in Austin, TX. It's all part of the East Austin Studio Tours that kicked off today and tomorrow and then again next weekend. 11 AM - 6 PM.
If my schedule permits I will check out another loccation next week.
The new pieces are part of an ongoing series of photographing his subjects who happen to be dancers, underwater. There is an array of colors that make you think of so many things. When I first look at art I just look at it for what it is. I'm not trying to find any deep meaning because sometimes there isn't one. Being an artist myself I understand the purpose of art is to make people think. If that doesn't happen then you haven't achieved the ultimate goal.
There is one piece in the gallery that looks as if it needs to be touch and several people including myself made that mistake and touched it. Perhaps the artist should consider changing it to move.
It was quite interesting when I was putting the piece back on its hook, someone walked up to me and said I did the same thing. So I made the next person I saw try to move it comfortable by letting them know they were not alone.
With each exhibition, Tom Suhler moves forward in making his work interactive. This show was linked in with an app in which you could engage in selective pieces in the gallery. Creating work that could also be construde as controversial is also the job of the artist. That's usually always the case when the human body is visible without anything to hide the nakedness. People still have an issue with the human form despite how beautiful it can be if captured in the right way.
The array of colors and the display of the art brought many internal thoughts that soon came out amongst the people in the gallery as well as the artist himself. Artists have this issue of always feeling the work is never complete. That something else could have been done.
I listened in on Tom talking to one of the models and asking questions of whether or not the conditions could have been better. How this project came about would be a great documentary or book. I do recall three years ago when I went to Exposure for the first time there was a video of the work that was on display which was shot in the studio.
(I'm always creating art within art)It's always interesting the directions that conversations go in and yet you come back to the art. The colors reminded the artist of Mardi Gras from one image as there was purple and gold hues. There was one image that made me think of Dante's Inferno. There was a striking blue tint that just set one picture off that I found to be very intriguing.
Politics was discussed briefly with a few people that had come to the gallery on several occasions and I shared an idea for a project I've been working on with a few people.
(Part of the permanent display from the first show I had seen at the gallery)This evening also made a few people recall how we met and what caused a friendship to form.
Get away from whatever is troubling you for a few hours and check out some art. It's the best free escape this weekend.
As I wrote this entry I was listening to Jean Luc Ponte which was one of the conversations that popped up last night. My favorite song is Individual Choice.
