NEW BUSINESS: 2016 CENTER PROGRAM FINAL EXHIBITION

Erika Barber  

Contemporary Art – ART 281 

Jeffrey Austin  

 NEW BUSINESS: 2016 CENTER PROGRAM FINAL EXHIBITION  

Gallery 5 

Jason Judd  

Hyde Park Art Center - Front

Figure 1, Untitled, Back View

Figure 2, Untitled, Back View - Close up 

Figure 3, Untitled, Front View - Close up

  

Figure 4, Untitled, Front View 

Jeffrey Austin  

While taking advantage of a weekend trip to Chicago with my friends, I urged them to follow me to a local art center. (Which had to be free in order for them to comply.)  Not that art is taboo in their heavenly bodies, yet I knew a fee would make them reluctant to join me. We had danced the night into morning and I was going to lift my spirit with culture. The eggs and tea were not effective for me at Chicago Waffles. (Who orders eggs at a waffle house anyway?) I searched the web for art museums near me on my handy smart phone - lo and behold, I stumbled across Hyde Park Art Center.  

Soon I unearthed a fortunate happening. Hyde Park is presently holding its fifth annual exhibition of work from the participants in The Center Program, the Art Center’s flagship artist professional development initiative. "This six-month program is designed for a group of artists who create new works, connect with peers, present to visiting professionals, and culminate with an exhibition." (Dan Devening, curator). This years exhibit features 23 artists of various media. With that news, I was eager to see what unfolded behind the clean white walls in Gallery Number Five, but I had to be sure to keep my honey sticky fingers to myself before I entered.  

Appropriately titled, "New Business" illustrates new interpretations of craft. The stream of artists had much to offer as far as the use of patterns, irregularities, and symmetries that indeed stimulate a unique quality for me. Between the cinematic productions and paintings the artists contribute, I felt an attachment to the piece made by Jeffrey Austin. And no, this gentleman is not from the television show, The Voice. (The reason I say this is so readers won't be mistaken. I had only found information regarding the gentleman from The Voice when I was trying to discover the New Business artists background.)   

Jeffrey Austin is an artist - musician based in Chicago Illinois. Austin primarily focuses his makings through various mediums that include: sound, photography narratives, and other three-dimensional materials. His work explores not one particular theme, but a broad spectrum of thought provoking conviction. Austin's work he has put forth are stimulating. They long to be looked at for a value of your time. Drawing one closer and closer to the picture. Up until one is sticking their nose onto the artwork admiring the detail of textures and limited color.  

At this particular show at the Hyde Park Art Center, I was immediately drawn to this big black board that was braced against a support beam. How odd I thought at first. I approached the funky looking element with curious eyes and an open mind. This board was made of plywood - something that most of our father's have in their garage for no good reason. Such a simple material crafted into something other than its original state, and something I myself have used to conceive ideas once before was nostalgic to me.  

Once the initial greeting with this piece has depleted, ones eyes cannot help to outline the entirety of the work and then close in on the gapping hole strategically placed off centered of the wooden canvas. The collection of drilled holes mimic the stars above our head and the lighthearted spritz of spray paint assimilate a galaxy. The immense crater suggests movement or perhaps conveys continuity before our eyes. For the specimen may be viewed on all sides. This time on the other side of the canvas, one may observe a white board with sharp wooden spikes honing in on them.  

The front of the Untitled piece has movement and space accompany one another in harmony. Austin achieved this affect by drilling a compilation of holes on this board with a conscious mind of where to place each round space. Then he began to condense these fixed gaps by guiding us to an organic obtained window in which we can observe through. As for color, the leading spray paint stain, black, could by chance be solely based on the crater like window. The artist could have wanted us to focus on the missing parts rather than what is being visually performed. We see there are blue, red, and white kinesthetic activity scattered obscurely. However, we identify no symbol of representation being rendered.  

The back of the Untitled piece has a far different experience than what the front has to offer. The cold white panel appears to have wooden spikes coming through towards the spectator. For me, it feels profoundly aggressive. I do appreciate seeing the innards of the material Austin used. I find that interesting and, in such a way, bold. Before we witnessed this poetic sensation, but on this side, we grasp confliction. Perhaps this side suggests balance of opposing arrangements of design, acting as past and future. Presumably, a crowd could conceive this production in many different ways.  

I believe that if this work were to be installed elsewhere, it would have given the perception of sensitivity more justice. The desolate walls and other work took away from this piece in my opinion. (Not to mention the older gentleman's bag laying near it). If it were to be installed outside or in a window of a shop, it would make a far better home than perched against a support beam. (The viewer can see the beam through the finished window). As for the exhibit entirely, I enjoyed every work thoroughly and personally. I was reminded to be conscious of my thoughts and feelings of my experience during the exhibit and Jeffrey Austin's piece happened to cause me to question  balance of opposing arrangements of design, acting as past and future.