Tempus Projects – Things Not Seen Before: A Tribute to John Cage Sat. 1/14 – 7pm-10pm
I have a special place in my art-heart for Tempus Projects, and their exhibition set to open Saturday typifies why.
Things Not Seen Before: A Tribute to John Cage is hosted by Tempus Projects in cooperation with a companion exhibition John Cage 33 1/3 – Performed by Audience, to open later this month at the Tampa Museum of Art. Both exhibits are being presented by independent curator Jade Dellinger as part of the John Cage centennial celebration.
Showcasing both exhibits in such seemingly disparate venues is an extremely smart curatorial call on the part of Dellinger. This comes as no surprise – Dellinger has been behind a number of great exhibits featured in the Bay area. No doubt, John Cage would’ve approved of an intimate artist-run space (trust me, we were tight) like Tempus Projects.
The name of the exhibit is based on a line Cage wrote in a letter to Dellinger as a student in the 1980’s: “I’m not interested in the names of movements but rather in seeing and making things not seen before.” The exhibit will feature several original pieces by Cage including work that’s never been exhibited. Among Cage’s artwork will be trial proofs from his Mushroom Book and a monotype from his “String” series.
An overwhelming list of overwhelmingly imaginative people will also be featured such as David Byrne, Christian Marclay, Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth, Stephen Vitiello, and a gaggle of original(!) Fluxus artists among many others. Check out the full list at Tempus Projects’ site. Additionally, well-known Bay area artists Joe Griffith and Theo Wujcik (my favorite local painter) will be producing site specific artwork for the space.
The amount of creativity Tempus Projects and Jade Dellinger are able to organize and fit into the Tampa gallery is impressive. Considering a little garage in Seminole heights could muster the gumption (or moxie) to present an exhibit worthy of a museum warms the DIY-soul. More importantly, though, it illustrates the importance and potential alternative spaces can have in the Bay area arts community.
I won’t be able to make it on Saturday (please don’t remind me unless you want to see a sissy-man cry). If you’re going and would like to be featured on the blog write about your visit to the show, take pictures, draw renditions, record the ambient sounds, etc. and send it to me at dannyolda@hotmail.com
ART AT BAY 