CΔCHING OUT @ ArtStreet
The month of February has struck Sacramento with a whopping arts experience. A temporary, warehouse location has become the site of ArtStreet, a multi-disciplinary extravaganza of artists, both local and international, with works accessible and free to the public from February 3rd-25th, 2017. M5ARTS, a new arts initiative in Downtown Sacramento, brought this memorable experience to our community after a year of planning since their first project, Art Hotel, exposed the region to a significant and striking amount of public art. While Art Hotel took place downtown in an abandoned hotel awaiting demolition, many eager visitors were unable to gain access because of the show’s limited running time. This time around, however, guests are invited in for 45 minute increments and can navigate through the warehouse of ArtStreet more freely; that is, until time's up and the profuse amount of stimulating media leaves them wanting for more. Luckily, three weeks and many after-hours special performances provide an insatiable audience with a multiplicity of opportunities to return.
While we could sing its praises (and trust, we do) there is something to be said about the vast accumulation of concepts competing for attention under a single roof. Visually, it is challenging to process an intimate, aesthetic experience from a conceptual work of art and then to move into the next niche with a loud visual and consuming installation. With that said, ArtStreet creates an environment that caters to large scale installations, and traditional two-dimensional works (painting, photography, etc.) alone cannot be digested while co-habitating the same space. This impression of scale importance is noticeable in the main foyer outside the warehouse, where intricate and large installations inhabit the space and street art murals loom over enchanted guests awaiting to enter. As seen upon immediate entry into the warehouse, a photography project and video loop by Bobby Edwards displays different urban landscapes and technology confronting human experiences, but the context is lost. The lighting in the space forces the viewer out of the room and into a finely detailed work by Bryan Valenzuela. His work, entitled Autumn of the Outsider, is one of few that is clearly identified with a distinct label for the viewer. The painting installation is beautifully rendered in mixed media, and the central figure visually creates an interactive threshold by including the same gilded leaf motif on the floor as in the painting. Depending on how long the viewer spends with this work, if you look close enough, you can see that Valenzuela’s tenacity for detail literally constructs the form of the figure out of acrylic paint footprints and layers of text.
Travelling through the hallways, there are works that explicitly expose social issues such as homelessness, sexual abuse, and education. Typically these works were created through organizations, and their impact was more direct when it included an interactive component. This was seen in two works, both exploring issues of sexual assault from a female perspective. Faceless is a photography installation by the organization W.E.A.V.E. (Women Escaping a Violent Environment) that takes up a narrow space, and forces its viewers to face personal and anonymous statements that document the survivor’s path through life after sexual violence. These testimonies are accompanied by nude portraits of women on wood, a sturdy and symbolically relevant medium to support the portraiture. Their faces are never revealed to further emphasize the private and fragile beliefs women carry with them, following the act of violence, as she embarks upon the healing process. The interactive portion is added when the viewer enters and is invited to take a red dot sticker to place wherever they relate or wish to show solidarity. Another work, which calls out blatant sexism and female oppression, is called This Is What It Feels Like; it too, tackles this socio-political issue through an installation in an isolated space and follows up with viewer feedback. The work invites one participant at a time to enter a small, light deprived room and to wear headphones which spew catcalls, slang and demeaning language. Upon exiting, on the wall hang markers which are for participants to scribe insight on what it felt like to hear such profanity blasted into their ears. As women, we are desensitized because this is the reality of our society, and it is not okay; however, this installation was more effective to bring awareness to males who are not familiar with being on the receiving end of blatantly oppressive language.
To reiterate, scale appeared to make all the difference at ArtStreet. Based on their specific location in the exhibition, we would like to conclude with two works that were aesthetically engaging and placed in ideal locations to draw the attention they deserved. Denae Davis’s sculptural installation, Relative Luma, is a commentary on media culture and includes semi-circular, graduated stacks of televisions, found objects, paper, and paint. While some of the screens display white noise, some have pixelated images, others show inflated white gloves with red paint, and still others include recorded images from a hidden camera. All televisions are painted white, and this bleak backdrop creates the ideal stage for a rainbow of paint splatters to emerge and show that, “All colors exist between black and white,” as quoted from the television at center. Unfortunately, it was not clearly promoted as to when Davis would supplement this installation with a performance, but she did blindfold herself and sit for an entire exhibition day. Viewers were allowed to interact with her, as a part of the installation, by applying a range of colors to the space. Davis’s work is a powerful corner for discussion of its formal qualities and its range of content.
While many other socially relevant, culturally informative, and aesthetically pleasing works are displayed at ArtStreet, we would like to finish our discussion with an aerial sculpture installation by Jason A. Silva and Ginger S. Thompson, called Section, that hangs from the main congregating area within the warehouse. The architectural black forms hang from the ceiling and create the illusion of gravity. The stretching rectangular masses are erected downward, which makes one look upward as if you are in its space (the embodiment of the sculpture) and not vice versa. The scale of the installation and the minimalist forms make for a very unique, interactive and visual experience.
Ultimately, we see ArtStreet as an effective arts experience not to be missed! Not only does the event reach a vast audience because M5ARTS opened its doors, but it is such a success because of the community which shows up and takes part in the conversation. We applaud the initiative for identifying a need for public art in the community, and for providing a platform that exposes the public to the contemporary arts in an array of forms. For more information on ArtStreet check out http://www.m5arts.com/artstreet/ online or M5arts on Facebook and Instagram.
While we could sing its praises (and trust, we do) there is something to be said about the vast accumulation of concepts competing for attention under a single roof. Visually, it is challenging to process an intimate, aesthetic experience from a conceptual work of art and then to move into the next niche with a loud visual and consuming installation. With that said, ArtStreet creates an environment that caters to large scale installations, and traditional two-dimensional works (painting, photography, etc.) alone cannot be digested while co-habitating the same space. This impression of scale importance is noticeable in the main foyer outside the warehouse, where intricate and large installations inhabit the space and street art murals loom over enchanted guests awaiting to enter. As seen upon immediate entry into the warehouse, a photography project and video loop by Bobby Edwards displays different urban landscapes and technology confronting human experiences, but the context is lost. The lighting in the space forces the viewer out of the room and into a finely detailed work by Bryan Valenzuela. His work, entitled Autumn of the Outsider, is one of few that is clearly identified with a distinct label for the viewer. The painting installation is beautifully rendered in mixed media, and the central figure visually creates an interactive threshold by including the same gilded leaf motif on the floor as in the painting. Depending on how long the viewer spends with this work, if you look close enough, you can see that Valenzuela’s tenacity for detail literally constructs the form of the figure out of acrylic paint footprints and layers of text.
 | ||
| Bryan Valenzuela, Autumn of the Outsider |
Travelling through the hallways, there are works that explicitly expose social issues such as homelessness, sexual abuse, and education. Typically these works were created through organizations, and their impact was more direct when it included an interactive component. This was seen in two works, both exploring issues of sexual assault from a female perspective. Faceless is a photography installation by the organization W.E.A.V.E. (Women Escaping a Violent Environment) that takes up a narrow space, and forces its viewers to face personal and anonymous statements that document the survivor’s path through life after sexual violence. These testimonies are accompanied by nude portraits of women on wood, a sturdy and symbolically relevant medium to support the portraiture. Their faces are never revealed to further emphasize the private and fragile beliefs women carry with them, following the act of violence, as she embarks upon the healing process. The interactive portion is added when the viewer enters and is invited to take a red dot sticker to place wherever they relate or wish to show solidarity. Another work, which calls out blatant sexism and female oppression, is called This Is What It Feels Like; it too, tackles this socio-political issue through an installation in an isolated space and follows up with viewer feedback. The work invites one participant at a time to enter a small, light deprived room and to wear headphones which spew catcalls, slang and demeaning language. Upon exiting, on the wall hang markers which are for participants to scribe insight on what it felt like to hear such profanity blasted into their ears. As women, we are desensitized because this is the reality of our society, and it is not okay; however, this installation was more effective to bring awareness to males who are not familiar with being on the receiving end of blatantly oppressive language.
 |
| Sarah Marie Hawkins, Faceless |
To reiterate, scale appeared to make all the difference at ArtStreet. Based on their specific location in the exhibition, we would like to conclude with two works that were aesthetically engaging and placed in ideal locations to draw the attention they deserved. Denae Davis’s sculptural installation, Relative Luma, is a commentary on media culture and includes semi-circular, graduated stacks of televisions, found objects, paper, and paint. While some of the screens display white noise, some have pixelated images, others show inflated white gloves with red paint, and still others include recorded images from a hidden camera. All televisions are painted white, and this bleak backdrop creates the ideal stage for a rainbow of paint splatters to emerge and show that, “All colors exist between black and white,” as quoted from the television at center. Unfortunately, it was not clearly promoted as to when Davis would supplement this installation with a performance, but she did blindfold herself and sit for an entire exhibition day. Viewers were allowed to interact with her, as a part of the installation, by applying a range of colors to the space. Davis’s work is a powerful corner for discussion of its formal qualities and its range of content.
 |
| Denae Davis, Relative Luma |
 |
| Denae Davis, Relative Luma |
While many other socially relevant, culturally informative, and aesthetically pleasing works are displayed at ArtStreet, we would like to finish our discussion with an aerial sculpture installation by Jason A. Silva and Ginger S. Thompson, called Section, that hangs from the main congregating area within the warehouse. The architectural black forms hang from the ceiling and create the illusion of gravity. The stretching rectangular masses are erected downward, which makes one look upward as if you are in its space (the embodiment of the sculpture) and not vice versa. The scale of the installation and the minimalist forms make for a very unique, interactive and visual experience.
 |
| Jason A. Silva and Ginger S. Thompson, Section |
Ultimately, we see ArtStreet as an effective arts experience not to be missed! Not only does the event reach a vast audience because M5ARTS opened its doors, but it is such a success because of the community which shows up and takes part in the conversation. We applaud the initiative for identifying a need for public art in the community, and for providing a platform that exposes the public to the contemporary arts in an array of forms. For more information on ArtStreet check out http://www.m5arts.com/artstreet/ online or M5arts on Facebook and Instagram.
 |
| Jason A. Silva and Ginger S. Thompson, Section |
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