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Date:
May 23 through June 20,2009 |
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| Exhibit Description: |
| May and June at Zeitgeist |
Zeitgeist is pleased to present three artists with unique takes on identity working in a variety of media.
John Donovan is a sculptor who moved to Nashville from New Orleans. His medium of choice is clay; chosen for its accessibility and familiarity to viewers and also because of the traditional expectations associated with ceramics as a “craft medium.” Unearthed Meaning incorporates his fascination with the innocence of toys and popular culture with timeworn museum objects from Pre-Columbian and Japanese Haniwa art objects.
At initial inspection these pieces appears light-hearted, even reminiscent of dolls or childhood action figures but a narrative thread can be drawn through these pieces, casting characters as warriors, heroes, soldiers, deities and adversaries. The human propensity toward violence and war is one of the motivators for this work, as is my desire to invite members of my community to engage in self-reflection. The work is ultimately to enjoy, and hopefully to make viewers think a bit.
In addition to Zeitgeist solo shows and numerous group exhibitions John Donovan has received developmental grants from the Tennessee Arts Commission, lectured at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts, and has been featured in the 3rd World Ceramic Biennale International Competition, Icheon, South Korea. He is currently teaching sculpture at Middle Tennessee State University.
Tim Hussey’s multi-media work was first brought to Nashville’s attention in 2001 at the Zeitgeist summer introduction show Switchyard which led to several solo shows and an installation at the Nashville International Airport. His latest body of work We Have Met continues his line of inquiry through a series of portraits. Thin layers of distressed paper and drawing transfers feature incomplete figures that seem desperate to communicate but reach impasses as body parts and scripted conversations overlap and deteriorate through broken internal paths, thought and speech balloons, and digestive tracts.
Now based in Charleston, South Carolina, Hussey has had work published in the New York Times, The Washington Post, and Rolling Stone magazine in addition to many other national and international publications. He is a graduate of Rhode Island School of Design, Parsons, and is a former faculty member of the School of Visual Arts in New York City. In 2003 and 2006, Tim was instrumental as a member of the illustration group Picture Mechanics in bringing to Zeitgeist a show of some of the world’s top media artists in the world today.
Terry Rowlett is an Athens, Georgia based-painter who has lived and worked in a variety of locals including Nashville, New York City, and Rome, Italy. His tightly rendered characters are reminiscent of the Northern Renaissance, allegorical full-figure portraits of Jan Van Eyck and play out loose narratives before Italian-esque backdrops. These very formal compositions delicately balance museum-like dignity with wry characters in contemporary scenes playing out timeless scenarios. In each instance, the viewer is presented with an interesting cross section of contemporary personalities that can be read alternately as deep psychological portraits and humorous characters.
For more information, please contact Lain York or Janice Zeitlin at 615.256.4805. Zeitgeist gallery is located in Hillsboro Village and is open 11am to 5pm Tuesday through Saturday.
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