Abstract Painting Panel at Watkins

NASHVILLE, Tenn, September 10, 2009 -- Watkins College of Art, Design & Film is pleased to announce an artist panel and discussion in partnership with the Tennessee Abstract Painters exhibition at Cheekwood. This panel will be held at the College on Thursday, September 24, from 6-8pm in the Brownlee O. Currey, Jr. Gallery on campus. Watkins is located at 2298 Rosa L Parks Blvd. in Nashville. This event is free and open to the public.

This artist panel follows the Tennessee Abstract Painters exhibition at Cheekwood, which closes September 20. The panelists will present ideas supporting and/or critiquing the discursive nature of abstract painting in our culture, in this day and time.

Panelists include:
· Gregg Horowitz, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Vanderbilt University. Horowitz’s work focuses on the philosophy of art and art history, political philosophy and psychoanalysis. He has special research interests in the relation of aesthetics and cultural theory to critical social theory.
· Hans Schmitt-Matzen, Artist and associate exhibitions designer at the Frist Center for The Visual Arts.
· Jered Sprecher, University of Tennessee – Knoxville Art Professor and 2009 John Simon Guggenheim Fellow.
· Terry Thacker, Artist and Chair of the Fine Arts Department, Watkins College of Art, Design & Film.

Tenn. Abstract Painting Continues

This blog has been created to function as a open forum parallel to the exhibition, "Tennessee Abstract Painting", which continues at the Cheekwood Museum in Nashville until September 20. The exhibition brings together 14 artists from across the Volunteer State working in the territory that can loosely be described as "Abstract Painting". It is hoped that this forum will be informative and enlightening as to the processes and philosophies of this well known but constantly misunderstood "style".

The artists:

Ron Buffington, Dwayne Butcher, Hamlett Dobbins, Melissa Dunn, Richard Feaster, Carol Mode, Brady Haston, Rocky Horton, Hans Schmitt-Matzen, Amanda Rogers-Horton, Jared Sprecher, John Tallman, Terry Thacker, Lain York.

Tenn. Abstract Painting Panel Discussion

Tentatively scheduled for Thursday, September 10 at Watkins College of Art in Nashville.

Each panelist will spend 20 minutes to present an idea supporting and/or critiquing the discursive nature of abstract painting in this particular time/place. Then, discussion.

Places of possible departure(so far):

J. Ranciere, The Politics of Aesthetics and the Nature of the Image
Arthur Danto on Gerhard Ritcher
Sonic Youth on Bob Dylan
Brancusi on Giotto
Crimp

Tuttle at Lispcomb

Richard Tuttle Spoke

The Shamblin Theater of

Lipscomb University

Monday, May 4th 2009

7 pm.

***Link to the 'Tuttle's Thumbs" Post on Color Chunks.

Tenn Abstract Painters on Hamlett's Facebook

Some good photos of the show:

HERE.

The Opening: TN Abstract Painting

The above shots were taken at the Opening of TN Abstract Painting.

A really great night!

Conversation

Horowitz: Is there something about the special in-betweenness of Tennessee that makes the question of abstraction alive for us?"

Buffington: For my part, as a painter I've always thought of myself as engaged in a conversation. I'm reminded of MAK Halliday, who tells us that "language is a social fact." Painting as a conversation is centuries old (we speak with Giotto), making it timeless. Painting as a conversation also spans the globe (we speak with Hiroshige), making it placeless. At the same time, painting is a conversation that is ongoing, and we are all trying to contribute to this conversation today, to move it forward in some small way. Moreover, there are most assuredly interesting pockets of dialogue in any given region; intense collaborative exchanges, regional quarrels, etc. So although I work hard to maintain ties outside the region within so-called art centers like New York or Chicago, more recently I've begun to seek out vital relationships with artists living and working in the Southeast. And my practice has benefited greatly.

In short, abstraction itself lies "in between."