Between Sky City and Knuckle Sandwiches lives a place that many artists around the area have known for some time. Creases was able to chat with the owner of this gallery, who not only brings in exciting exhibits, but now has one of his own on display for May.
How long have you been running the gallery and what have been the best/worst times there?
I've been running the gallery now for just about two and a half years. I'd say the best times have been seeing the amazing work from the local talent that we have in the area. In all this time I've only had one artist from outside of the Augusta area to show, so the talent is here and available. Getting to see work for the first time before it goes up for the public to see is a blast. The worst times are the few times I've had to scramble to find someone last minute to fill the space, also the slow months of the year that hardly anyone comes through. I hate to see that happen, because the work is always spot on and deserves to have more people see it.
What exhibit has seemed to garner the most attention at the gallery?
The most attention seems to go to the Senior Exhibits I've hosted for ASU/GRU students in the past. They have a lot of family and friends that come to celebrate the end of four years of work. I've hosted one every year since opening and have really enjoyed them. They are involved in every part of planning, set-up, take-down, and are eager to learn at the same time. They're just on point through the whole process and make it an easy show every time. I'm thinking I may just plan to go ahead and expect one for next year since they seem to gravitate to the space.
Who have been some of your favorite artists to host in the gallery?
I can't say I've had anyone I didn't like, and it's hard to really narrow it down. In no particular order: Bailey Davidson, Trilogy Gunby, Leonard Zimmerman, Natalia Bowdoin, Jay Jacobs, and Jacki Mayo are just a few of the artists I've really liked hosting. I could go on with more names, but I'll stop there for now. Some of them I've been familiar with their work for years, others I see for the first time when they come to discuss showing, but all of them, and others not named, have made showing their work a lot of fun and something to constantly look forward to.
Who have been your biggest inspirations from the art world and why?
Most of my inspirations have been professors, peers, and photographers I've admired over the years. The concepts and ideas I've seen, heard, and discussed with many of them have been invaluable to me over the years. Neal Rantoul, who was the head of photography at Northeastern University while I was there was a major influence in working in a series style and emphasizing the value of an entire body of work. I've been influenced heavily by William Eggleston, Robert Frank, Garry Winogrand, Lee Friedlander, and Stephen Shore to name a few. Eggleston especially, with his use of saturated color and use of banal subject matter. I love his quote, "I am at war with the obvious."
For you, what makes photography an important part of human culture?
I think when it comes to human culture I could easily say to look at photojournalism and leave it at that, but there is a far deeper level. That point where photography as an art form meets the documentation of human culture has always mesmerized me. Robert Frank's "The Americans", Eugene Atget's documentation of Old Paris in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, August Sander's portraits of German Population in the early 20th century. Look at the photographs of the WPA by photographers like Dorothea Lange, Walker Evans, and many others that documented the conditions during the Great Depression.The artistry of these photographers and many others are a document of who we were, who we are, and help us to visually record and appreciated this in who we become.
As of late, what aspects of life have been your favorite to capture on film?
| I've always been open to just about anything. I can't say I have any specific thing or idea I'm usually looking for. I do a lot of shooting on-the-fly, so as I was told a long time ago, "shoot film like it's water", but now I guess it's "files". I really just am an avid observer of wherever I am and look for the form and composition of an image non-stop. |  |
What’s your thought process on choosing to shoot a scene in color vs. black & white?
The decision to shoot in color or black and white used to really be determined by what type of film I had. These days I normally just decide how I feel when I go out to shoot. You tend to see things differently between shooting B/W and color, so it affects what I shoot sometimes. A lot of times it's just how the light is cast on something, I visualize something in B/W rather than color. Sometimes, since digital allows the convenience, I just shoot something in both color and B/W so I have both to look at later. Usually, though, it's just intuition gained from years of shooting.
What’s one aspect that the public takes for granted about photography they would be surprised to know?
I think the thing I find interesting is the way that social media, Instagram in particular, has changed public perception of photography. A lot of photographers I've talked to, and even myself, have noticed more people having an interest in photography and it's value as an art form, but it also feeds the assumption of, "Well, I can do THAT!" Many people don't realize the time and effort that goes into producing a good image. That's not to say any person off the street can't produce a good photograph, but more than likely, it won't be intentional or as easy as one thinks. A lot of training, from school or self teaching, in lighting, composition, and theory, on top of just having a developed eye for things goes into producing images that many people never think of. It's a lot like someone looking at a Jackson Pollock painting and saying, "I could do that." Yes, we could all drip paint on canvas, but Pollock had training and theory in his conception of works. The same goes with any photographer and their photography.
What are some of the positive things you see in the Augusta scene?
I've been seeing Augusta "grow" since I started coming downtown in the mid '90's. It's been a slow progression, but a steady one. I think the most positive thing I've seen has been an underlying spirit that I've noticed getting stronger over the past few months. I can't really put my finger on it, but there seems like there is something big on the horizon. Commercially and creatively, Augusta feels like a volcano about to explode onto a region desperate for a creative and commercially viable center. I just hope there continues to be the amazing community feel here that we've had for years. That community is what I live for and I just want to see it grow and develop in a positive way for everyone.
What event(s) would you really love to see happen either in your gallery or around this area?
I don't know that there are any "events" I'd like to see here more than seeing other ones really grow. It would be nice to have something bigger than Arts in the Heart that would bring lots of people to the area. I'm not knocking Arts in the Hear by any means, I love it, but something BIG that would make Augusta a destination would be great. At the gallery I'd love to maybe do a regular open critique for artists. I know a lot of artists who'd love to get opinions from others on ideas, concepts, and current work. Advice and criticism from others is important to a point I can't even explain and I'd love to see it available around here for those who need/want it.
Below are some of the photos available for view this May at Artist's Local 1155 (1155 Broad St, Downtown Augusta), so stop in sometime to have a look at all the photographs there. Plus, each month Peter sets up a brand new exhibit featuring local artists from the area.
Like the AL 1155 Facebook Page to keep up to date on what shows are available!
Like the AL 1155 Facebook Page to keep up to date on what shows are available!
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