Eyedrum Draw Off; ExLucis 2008

(Photos by Ben Grad)

The Draw Off at Eyedrum. 11 artists labored from noon to midnight with little incentive other than a shared desire to create. It was like the happy bastard child of the county fair and a live painting performance. You didn't get funnel cake, but it was still brilliant fun. (Apologees to folks who were waiting for these photos; all things Ghostmap are running a bit behind schedule.)

This projector gizmo was a big hit. It illuminated almost the entire heighth of the Eyedrum. You could see the artists' hands move as each drawing grew, mutated, and started over as the night progressed. Kudos to Silas Reeves for making it happen. The guy showed real character; he was referred to affectionately as "that crazy guy in the orange hat who just won't give up."

The whole thing made me grin. It was wonderful to watch everything inside just bloom into so many colors and styles. Here's Jon Tindel and Michi deep in that creative "zone," brushing details onto their usual sort of composition. (That close-up of Michi is hilarious!) I love their work, but there's still that old reservation: is repetition a sign of confidence in one style or is it a sign of comfort? In their case, I'm inclined to side with "confidence." Then again, confidence can be its own disadvantage. Still, you have to hand it to them; they made that wall come alive.

Also, don't we know this gal who's painting here??
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I also stopped by Composition Gallery for the last night of ExLucis 2008. For some reason, I just can't get over this vertical photo set. In the detail, you can see she's got a toy machine gun. What a cutie! I like to think of her as a "little red shoot-you-the-face hood."

ExLucis is a photo group based out of Georgia State. This year's show was juried by Sylvie Fortin of Art Papers magazine, and the last night coincided with a poetry reading in honor of International Women's Day. Theresa Davis, a dreadlock wearing, in-your-face slam poet, presented an ironic piece called "Butterflies and Rainbows." The theme vaguely resonated with this photo, which was surrounded by images of war and political turmoil. We'd all love to make art about nice, pretty things, but it's kind of hard when the world is so messed up.

It might be wishful thinking, but I hope there's some sarcasm here. I'm not sure what motivated Sylvie's decision, and unfortunately, the photographer didn't submit an artist's statement. But just look at that bass man's face! There's a kind of surreal, deadpan quality to those forbidding poses. And remember: these are the men that the Governor promised a $19 million incentive last year... They had to cancel their "Go Fish" tournament because of the water shortage. Sonny Perdue is washed up.

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