ART
By Ben Olson Reader Staff
INCOGNITA: the art of getting lost
If Woods Wheatcroft tells you to get lost, you should take it as sound advice. The Sandpoint photographer and curator of Studio 524 art gallery inside Evans Brothers Coffee Roasters is presenting a show of photographs celebrating the art of getting lost. Wheatcroft has titled the exhibition “Incognita,” which takes place Friday, Feb. 16, at 5:30 p.m. at Evans Brothers. The inspiration for the show came from the many road trips Wheatcroft has taken, many passing through desolate areas devoid of the ubiquitous clutch of technology. “I wanted to make a statement, or more of a commentary on terra incognita, or the land of the lesser known,” said Wheatcroft. “These photographs were gathered from my road trips in the west.” Wheatcroft’s photos share a similar thread of minimalism. One shows an empty basketball hoop in the middle of nowhere. Others show stark, almost drab skies atop a clean horizon of empty space. There are signs without words, views without vistas and empty, naked human forms standing somewhere in oblivion. All photos share Wheatcroft’s iconic commentary that aims not to preach, but to lead by example. “I want this exhibit to be a headscratcher, for me included,” he said “When one chooses to show work that claims the artist has it all figured out, it doesn’t work. I don’t have this figured out, I just choose to experiment.” For Wheatcroft, the exhibit is a way for him to ask important questions. “We’re so addicted to the answers right now,” he said. “We can’t reside with the questions. Think about it, you Yelp the restaurant you want to go to, figure out the route, read reviews of the food. We need to give ourselves a perscription to get lost every once in awhile is what I think.” Wheatcroft, who works for a variety of clients as a commercial photographer, said he has gathered the two
This week’s RLW by Ben Olson
READ
Zach Hagadone, who was one of the three people that first started the Reader in 2004, has an article that printed in the Inlander a couple weeks ago called “From Boors to Shitholers” which is worth reading. Hagadone recently departed his job as editor of the Boise Weekly to enroll in grad school at WSU. The amount of excellent research in such a short article really impressed me, as I’m sure it will you. The Inlander changed the title of the article to “An American Story from Benjamin Franklin to Donald Trump.”
LISTEN
Three of the two dozen images Woods Wheatcroft is displaying at his art show INCOGNITA at Evans Brothers. Photos by Woods Wheatcroft.
dozen photographs he’ll show over the past decade on his many trips to nowhere. “I guess I’m presenting it as these are my tools to get lost: my van, a dirt road, a bottle of tequila and a lot of time,” he said. “Those are my tools.” Check out Wheatcroft’s show “Incognita” at Evans Brothers Coffee Roasters on Friday, Feb. 16, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. The show will be followed by a Chinese New Year party hosted by Evans Brothers as a fundraiser for Underground Kindness. Partygoers are encouraged to dress in festive red and gold and be ready to dance with DJ Mercury spinning. There is a $5 suggested donation at the door.
I love listening to live albums from artists I appreciate. One such EP is Shakey Graves’ “Audiotree Live” recordings from 2013. You can find it on Spotify. Graves has a dynamic, sparse style of perfectly overdriven guitar accompanied by a kick drum and tambourine he hits with alternating feet. His early stuff is amazing, but the last couple of albums seemed to move away from his solo terseness. With a full band, he’s still great, but there’s nothing special about it. But, listen to these live tracks.
WATCH
Netflix has a great miniseries out called “Manhunt: Unabomber” which covers the groundbreaking new techniques developed by the FBI to catch Ted Kaczynski. For those who don’t know, Kacynski mailed bombs to people from 1978 to 1995, killing three people and injured 23 others. The nation-wide crime spree came to a head when Kacynski demanded his manifesto be published or he would continue to mail bombs. Ironically, it was this manifesto which ultimately led to his capture and conviction. This series, starring Paul Bettany and Sam Worthington, is worth the time.
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