Daniel Holland, Bouquet, 2012, Oil on canvas
P
riorities, an avant-garde art publication, will be available in Nashville this spring. Jesse M at h i s on , w r iter, po et , and Nashville native, has creatively curated this dynamic and idiosyncratic compilation of work. Its life springs from what happens when one work is juxtaposed with another. It is about the conversation and the meaning that is developed when a varied group of artists chime in on a central concept. The fledgling issue features Mathison’s poetry and work by local artists Casey Pierce, Ann Catherine Carter, Aaron Martin, and Daniel Holland, in addition to works by Marta Djourina (Berlin) and Eleanor Bennett (London).
Eleanor Bennett, In the Workshop, 2013
Beauty once wandered through open doors as profligates looked on and laughed, rectangular men with jagged thoughts and moldy hearts, their crooked words irregular.
This publication is the result of creative brainstorms Mathison had with his friends Holland and Martin at their shared Chestnut Street studio starting in 2011. They recognized a need for more creative outlets that connect visual artists, writers, and musicians. After he raided his friends’ portfolios and connected with other artists, a collaboration was born. “For this collection, we originally worked around a few ideas: beauty, honesty, selfishness, and what we termed love beyond reason. Having no specific message, no clear border, the work as a whole is uninhibited and also playful. Priorities is in part a commentary on society and also a dialogue of the individual,” shared Mathison.
Aaron Martin, Audrey, 2012 , Pen and ink
The first edition features a colorful array of voices expressed in the mediums of paint, pen, and ink, installation art, photography, and poetry. It is the synergy between the works that is key to this enterprise. Ann Catherine Carter’s work spotlights the recycling and repurposing of the visual experiences of everyday life. Artist and musician Aaron Martin uses pattern and line to evoke a distinct movement and dimension in his pen-and-ink drawings. Daniel Holland’s abstract, multilayered paintings reflect the different stages of the artist’s evolving expression. Each work has an original voice, and the sum total of all the voices expands into a choir. The deadpan expression on the face of a party guest in Casey Pierce’s Kelly’s Ghost enlivens Mathison’s poem on the adjoining page. Mat hison says t hat t he f uture publications will be an ever-evolving and forward-thinking “fine-art-zine” invigorated by new artists and the inspirations that come his way. He honors the way this publication “came together freely and organically with no external pressures.” It represents a novel way to communicate ideas, to inspire thought, and to promote his very talented artist friends.
Casey Pierce, Kelley’s Ghost, Oil, acrylic and carbon on canvas, 54” x 62”
NashvilleArts.com
Priorit ies i s now available a t www.creekspace.com and also at Frothy Monkey locations. May 2014 | 95