Sure: Greater knowledge about a subject
can enhance your experience of that subject.
But: A little learning, as Alexander Pope pointed out,
is a dangerous thing.
Still: Not all good art is so rarefied as to require
a degree in Art History to enjoy the hell out of it.
In fact, some of the most enjoyable art is ripped,
as they say, from the headlines – or ganked from
corporate iconography – or fashioned from the more
ridiculous bits of pop culture and modern living,
which we already know too damned much about in its raw form, n’est-ce pas?
Which is why we recommend a stop at grayDUCK Gallery,
over there near Polvo’s on South First:
Because the current “Candy Cornbread” show features collaborative prints
by Jason Archer, Jaime Cervantes, Satch Grimley, Mike Parsons, Matthew Rodriguez, and Jeffrey Swanson
– along with some of each artist’s more traditional works.
And because this motley crew of mad scribblers, coloristas, and reality-enhancers
has pillaged the worlds of animation, graffiti, graphic design, and street culture
to bring a colorful array of invention to the walls of this elegant bastion of art.
At least until September 25th.
This article appears in September 9 • 2011.