The Fayetteville Underground starts 2010 with a bang!
The month of January features two exciting new exhibitions.
Revolver Gallery : Christopher Baber, Michael Shaeffer = Pedigree
"Matters of Consequence"
Christopher Baber and Michael Shaeffer = Pedigreephotographed by Thomas Petillo
After five years of working together; Hot Springs, Arkansas art duo Pedigree will be showcased in the Fayetteville Underground's Revolver gallery. Pedigree is the collaborative art of Christopher Baber and Michael Shaeffer.
In 2004, Shaeffer was living in New York, and Baber was running VS. Art Gallery in downtown Hot Springs. In the Spring of that year, a chance encounter occurred for the two at the Coachella music festival in Indio, California, where they were formally introduced by a mutual friend. Shortly after meeting, Shaeffer came down from the Empire state to show at Baber’s gallery, and a few months later; Baber moved to New York with Shaeffer and the two began working together. In 2006, they were asked to show at the 404b Gallery in Hot Springs. In 2007, they both returned to the Spa City and opened the short lived Nobrow Gallery, a gallery focused on the works of local young talent they felt were not receiving proper exposure from the art community they called home.
“Matters of Consequence”, the latest Pedigree project, will feature solo works by both artists as well as their collaborations. Baber’s work is described as schematics of the human experience; by creating drawings loosely based on time lines and electrical schematics, he creates a visual representation of abstract concepts such as love, jealousy, hate, loss, elation as well as others. The result is jumbled and chaotic, while still being coherent. His work hosts an intentional array of colors, lines, circles and shapes. Each color, line or shape, representing a moment in time, or a connection he has with the world around him.
Shaeffer’s work began as fashion-based illustration dealing with the concepts of personal identity, and the influences of American popular culture within his surroundings. Recently his work has taken a turn to more personal interests, such as the idea of potential within oneself as well the town he calls home. By starting each work with geometric patterns he shows the concept of possible potential and how it can be used for beauty or simple escapism.
The combination of the two leads to what some have called an attempt to create an emotional blueprint, a constant search for some understanding within their lives, and their environment.
Pedigree © 2009Hive Gallery: Nationally Recognized Potter Don Nibert
The glowing works of artist Don Nibert have earned him national recognition. Each elegant pot he makes is a portrait of flame. In addition to many other awards, his work earned him an Arkansas Arts Council Fellowship, $5000.00, in 1995.
“I moved here to join a documentary film company. “We intended to shoot films with anthropological themes, travel the world and only come back to collect the money. “When it didn’t pan out, I didn’t intend to stay. But I fell in love, found people to play music with (I still play with) and discovered this is a powerful place to be.
In a previous life, 1970 to 1973, he was a math major studying computer science at the University of Missouri at St. Louis. Nibert continued college at the University of Arkansas. He wanted to teach elementary school, but once again his plans did not pan out. The class ‘Public School Art’ was a required course, in that class he found his way to the clay studio and his real work.
He spent most of his remaining college hours taking clay courses. His second semester in pottery he did his first show, Natchitoches, La., “I made money selling my Homework”, he says.
Don Nibert has lived in Fayetteville for thirty three years, twenty two of those years as a Studio Potter. He sells at Juried Art Shows all over the country. This upcoming show will be a rare opportunity view and aquire Nibert's work.
Vessel © Don NibertThe Fayetteville Underground is thrilled to bring you the best from the cutting edge Hot Springs' art scene and this rare exhibition of Don Nibert's work and as always there are open studios to tour, work in progress to see, and artists to meet. Also there will be group exhibitions of the talented underground studio artist's in the Vault gallery and the fine crafts you have come to expect in the E Street Gallery. Don't forget to visit the fabulous DDP gallery as well. Once again this is all a part of the cultural amenity that is the visual arts on the First Thursday of every month on the Fayetteville Square from 5-8p.m.
Tell your friends and see you there!
The Fayetteville Underground
Basement of One East Square Plaza
East side of the Historic Fayetteville Square.
Fayetteville, AR
Gallery Hours W-F 12-7pm
Saturday 10-5pm
4 galleries: Open Studios
www.fayettevilleunderground.com
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