Christina Price Washington, known for her photographic abstractions and theoretical investigations, explores alternative interventions in light values, who determines them, and how they are mediated in contemporary printed methods. Her work transcends the mere physicality of a photograph in that she investigates the systems of image-making itself.
By playing with the concept of “white balance,” a commonly accepted tool within the genre, Price Washington challenges how photography has historically evaluated color, lightness, and darkness at an institution tied to white power in the South. Such valuations were aesthetic decisions made in the early 20th century by male pioneers of photography such as Ansel Adams, who developed the Zone System and incorporated the concept of “middle grey.”
In this exhibition, the artist flows in and out of literal imagery, with a devoted interest in process. Presented are silver gelatin prints, photograms, and re-photographs. Some traditional photographs are then scanned and transformed into digital negatives and then reprinted in the darkroom. Expired photo papers are employed to create very dark white balance.
DOCUMENTATION PDF
READ review
MIXED USE by Jess Jones
GAUDI JU-JU by Lillian Blades
January 12 – February 17, 2017
Forward Arts Foundation Gallery, ATL
Both contemporary artists JESS JONES and LILLIAN BLADES are highly
informed by the traditions of Quilting and Craft.
The gallery presents two solo shows in one space, and thus the title-- "MIXED USE "also refers to the way the exhibition floorplan is re-triangulated.
JONES makes what seems like traditional quilts. But, she actually co-creates with anonymous makers whose quilt tops she finds at thrift
stores around metro Atlanta and then adds a layer of transparent fabric on top to create altered artworks. As she completes each piece, Jones considers
those with whom she shares the city landscape. Through the shared language
of quilting, she reads clues in the original hand sewn object, then adds her
own response with an overlay of geographic pattern. Titles like Topoquilt: Krog
Street Market, and Topoquilt: Peoplestown reference places where “mixed use”
developments may cause displacement. Presented are a spectacular array of
large, hybrid quilts that honor and empathize with lost local traditions and the
shifting city landscape.
DOCUMENTATION PDF
BLADES presents a body of assemblage and installation pieces called “Gaudi
Ju-Ju.” Within the artworks are an intense collection of found objects woven together in sculptural "patchworks": baskets,
boxes, picture frames, food stamps, shells, stones, buttons, magazine clippings,
hand-made tourist trinkets, glass, burnt wood from North Georgia. The
artist prefers to leave them “as is” in an effort “to preserve their honesty” and
respect the embedded memory of many anonymous makers from factory workers to nature itself. Inspired by the Central African concept of
Nkisi--that spirits can inhabit objects--Blades conjoins the spiritual with the
vernacular. Crafty aesthetics like quilting, decoupage, and beaded curtains
intuitively tie the artwork together into an architecture of objects. DOCUMENTATION PDF
SUMMER INVITATIONAL
CERAMICS, FIBERS, & FOLK ART
May 31 – August 10, 2018
Forward Arts Foundation Gallery, ATL
This Invitational has been a popular annual exhibition at the Forward Art Foundation's Swan
Coach House Gallery since 2011, selling art that is beautiful, usable and affordable.
Works were selected for sale which employ craft materials and/or
aesthetics. Some are conceptual; others are not. Juxtaposing functional, trans-functional,
and non-functional work from over 50 artists, I’m hoping to express how categories
freely overlap from fine art to ceramics for everyday use--all of which are highly
valuable in a world gone virtual. Artists today do not fall neatly into
categories. Traditionally, their artworks had to fit into either Art or Craft, Folk or Fine, Trained
or Untrained. However, most works have elements of both or more. In this
way, new 21st century hybrids will eventually transcend the old polarizing labels.
There will be a small selection of Folk/Outsider Art from North Georgia. Main Street
Gallery in Clayton, GA--which houses an impressive collection--has generously
agreed to let the Swan Coach Gallery exhibit and sell some work. Additionally,
Tauches added a few artists found selling their work on the country highways.”
Artworks include: cups, plates, planters, pots, bowls, boxes, tapestries/stitchery,
hanging work, glass, watercolor & collage on paper, found objects, sculpture, wood,
and much more. DOCUMENTATION PDF
Presented was a wild assortment of one-of-a-kind objects by over 60 talented makers from our Southeast region. As usual, we aim to juxtapose artworks that represent the full spectrum of what is being created in our community. Artworks range from functional to conceptual, from folksy to fine design. References to animals and nature, vibrant colors and an array of textures unite the wide variety of works in the show. This year, you’ll also notice an abundance of textiles that conflate traditional and non-traditional materials and techniques. Additionally, we included many new artists from the Athens area, as we are lucky to have a close sister city with such a rich community of potters to highlight.
In a special acknowledgement of the hardship brought on by the pandemic, The Forward Arts Foundation—which founded the Swan Coach House Gallery and has a stronghold in Atlanta arts funding— has generously set up a support fund for the participating Invitational artists. Each artist received an honorarium for exhibiting their work with us.
DOCUMENTATION PDF
Michael Jones brings his gritty collage aesthetic to the Gallery to comment on the things Americans like in 2021. His latest series, “Riots & Rallies, Parades & Protests,” conjurs a mood of unrest in the streets. The surfaces of artworks are indeed riotous! Spliced and sampled into multiple layers, viewers will find gesture, portraiture, color, stencils made from found photos, Astroturf, glitter, graphics from printed ephemera, and found objects like furniture and fragments left on the curb.
Known for creating murals the size of buildings, it is no surprise that Jones’ relatively smaller paintings and assemblages pack a punch of energy. The work expresses a point of view rooted in the experiences and observations of a black man brought up around the bravado of Texas nationalism. Living and working in the Atlanta art community for decades, he speaks from a place of love and activism at a time of political transformation.
ARTSatl review by Rita Nicole Leslie
Burnaway review by Maria Korol
ONLINE CATALOGUE (PDF)
ARTIST STATEMENT VIDEO on IG
Science defines Laws of Nature such as gravity and
electromagnetism, but the mystery and wonderment of such forces
remain potent for artist Richard Sudden. In this exhibition, Sudden
shares recent paintings depicting icons such as sun signs,
planets, comets, and stone circles. Additionally, an installation of
twenty-eight cement castings representing the cycle of the Moon fills the main Gallery space. Conjuring the graphic power of ancient
symbols, rituals, and architectural space commonly used in
pre-industrial civilizations, Sudden expresses a deep veneration
for the power, beauty, and the brute physicality of Nature.
Richard Sudden left the city center of Atlanta over seven years ago to set up a sustainable art practice in the woods, on his own terms. He has built a home, studio, garden and grounds, which are ever-evolving examples of high design unto themselves. Travel, solitude and a deep connection to the outdoors directly influence his work. Sudden channels a particular, rustic aesthetic that he has honed over the years into everything he creates. This exhibition is a special opportunity to experience his unique
relationship with nature.
DOCUMENTATION PDF
ARTIST STATEMENT / video on IG
Like the rest of us, Trevor Reese is out there, looking for meaning online. It is in this state of mind that the artist transforms the gallery with an immersive and improvisational installation. He channels feelings of being lost in a sea of information, commerce, and identities.
On display are two exhibitions within one. Visitors first encounter a highly compromised photography exhibition that the artist has designed from the work of his friends. Like a package waiting to be opened, visitors must pull up a plastic window to see each framed piece clearly. Not only are the artworks covered in plastic, so are the gallery's architectural elements, all in an attempt to neutralize the associations of the space--to diminish traditional/ aristocratic design tropes like columns and Palladian windows.
The second exhibition in the back half of the gallery connotes an Ikea-like retail environment. The artist has made two of every item and created a pricing matrix which changes by the week. A collection of carefully selected objects ordered online are displayed here, which reveal a decidedly lost human element.
Lastly, the artist provides a prose poem on a large sheet of plastic: a combination of found phrases and fiction he has written himself.