Sunday, July 23, 2006

Carbonist School's Study Hall Opening Reception, July 15: The People!*

(right) The outside of the Eyedrum Gallery the night of the Opening Reception (photo Cauleen Smith).




(left) A wide shot of Cinqué Hick's graphics for the Opening Reception.






In the beginning there was the word, or was the word an image, and if it was an image was it or was it not a sign, or would the word be a sign? OK enough with the veiled Derridian debates; anyway Nikki Giovanni was working this question out in a different way with The Truth Is On Its Way back in 1971 (the 'fro, the 'fro). In this beginning--The Carbonist Opening Reception-- there was the art, and then there were the people who came to see the art, and the artists who came to see the people seeing their art, and of course to see each other, ya dig? Thanks again to Cauleen Smith for additional photos.

OK Roll Call:
Early in the evening, exhibiting artists Charles Nelson Huntley (also exhibition co-organizer) and Kevin Sipp being hailed and hailing folks (over at the beverages and food spread in the back).







(Left to right) Unnamed gallery visitor, Keith Obadike's very nice mother, Mendi Obadike, Keith Obadike, unnamed person greeting Mrs. Obadike. I wish I had also gotten a shot of Keith Obadike's aunt a statuesque, casually stylish woman with flawless skin; a hair stylist, she's among the artists in their family.













(below) Exhibiting artist and Carbonist School co-founder Cauleen Smith taking a photo as visitors behind her view Chieke's video projection (right wall) and Hall-Smith's video installation (left).











(below, right) Charles Huntley Nelson and wife, Tonia, looking a bit stunned after unbeknownst to any of us, Cauleen Smith and I simultaneously tried to get a candid shot of them with full flash power.













(below, left) Patrons checking out Lil' Big Head (photo Cauleen Smith).













(below right) Sound artist MR Daniel getting ready to interview Atlanta-based photographer Cara Eberhardt Reese [sic?] as part of an audio project documenting responses to the exhibit (photo Cauleen Smith).











(below left) Exhibiting artist Torkwase Dyson and exhibition curator and co-organizer Cinqué Hicks.













(below right) exhibiting artist Kevin Sipp (photo Cauleen Smith).







(below left; left to right) Professor Scott Heath, Torkwase Dyson, Keith and Mendi Obadike.














Artist/professor Tony Bingham expounding on the Carbonist moment, and MR Daniel checking levels while Torkwase Dyson looks on.





(below right) Musician Brian Horton and exhibiting artist and Carbonist School co-founder Cauleen Smith feel the funk.















*For glimpses of The Art! see the entry previous to this one.