Dave Alsobrooks

OK, another ArtSLAM!

// February 1st, 2010 // No Comments » // Art, Design, Life, Picks

We’ll be at it again this Friday at LabourtLove Gallery! Although it’s really not related, I always think of this when I think of ArtSLAM!

3 artists will create 9 pieces of art in 20 minute bursts. Topics come from the audience. It’s a fun time, especially for hanging out in a gallery. Here’s a link to LabourLove’s blog, where you can get all the details.

Basically, the event will start at 7 pm this Friday, 2/5/10 at LabourLove Gallery in Golden Belt, here in Durham, NC. See you there!

An image from ArtSLAM! v1.0

ArtSLAM!

// December 2nd, 2009 // No Comments » // Art, Design, Life, Picks

Hey, folks. I’m one of three artists to do battle on Friday, Dec. 11 at LabourLove Gallery at Golden Belt in Durham, NC. Basically, audience members tip their concepts into a hat and one is drawn out. The 3 artists will have 20 minutes to express this concept in a visual piece. The pieces will be auctioned off at the end of the night. Should be lots-o-fun. I’ll be sharing the stage with Kelly Dew and Owen Beckman.

Here’s what LabourLove is saying about the event.

One-year Painting.

// October 16th, 2009 // 1 Comment » // Art, Design, Life

I’m starting a year-long painting today. Well, maybe not an entire year. But it won’t be completed until August of 2010. As part of my new residency from the Durham Art Guild at Golden Belt, I’m required to donate a painting. Rather than get to the end of the year and randomly pick out a piece from the previous year’s body of work or select a piece which may or may not sell, I thought I’d give them something that had a hand in everything completed during my time in the studio. The real foundation (literally) for my work.

I had previously assembled a rough tabletop as my primary work suffice when I realized it could actually be a painting. So I’m going to use the tabletop as a workspace and as a painting. Along with collaging stuff I’ll allow my normal working process to contribute to the eventual painting. It’ll serve almost like a journal of the year’s work. It should be interesting. And fun. But my idea of fun is throwing paint and carving letterforms into plywood.

You can come see me in the space (tonight) as part of Durham’s Third Friday event. The studios at Golden Belt are located at 807 East Main Street in Durham, NC. I’m in Studio 138 in Building 3. Cheers.

On the hook.

// October 5th, 2009 // No Comments » // Art, Design, Life

I’m happy to report I’ve started a year-long studio residency at Golden Belt in Durham. Many thanks to the Durham Art Guild and Scientific Properties who awarded the Residency. I’ll be developing a community program and will be required to provide quarterly reports on progress to the Guild. I’m happy to oblige on these points.  : )

I’m looking to expand on the art forms I’ve explored so far. This means I’ll be looking at projections, interventions in public spaces, traditional 2-D forms, sound and video. Not necessarily in that order… and not necessarily any or all of these forms will make it out of the studio door. Is that vague enough? Stay tuned… I’m accountable to progress!

Here’s the press release from the Guild.

The Sketchbook Project

// October 1st, 2009 // No Comments » // Art, Design, Life

Sketchbooks offers a glimpse into an artist’s life, which is why The Sketchbook Project’s goal is to create a publicly accessible library of sketchbooks that people can browse, peruse, and check out. The Project was started by Art House Co-op in Atlanta, whose premise is that this sketchbook collection has the potential to open a new line of communication between artist and viewer, since the experience of making and viewing are both so personal. Before joining our permanent collection, completed sketchbooks will be exhibited at select galleries across the US.

I’m participating in The Sketchbook Project. Check out my blank, pristine Moleskin sketchbook as it arrived. I have to fill it with art and return for a national gallery tour. My topic: Danger, Danger. Should be fun!

The completed sketchbooks will hit Atlanta, Brooklyn, Los Angeles, St. Louis and Chicago galleries before entering the Sketchbook Project permanent collection.

Highway One prints.

// September 16th, 2009 // No Comments » // Art, Design, Life

I was recently asked by a local advertising agency to hang some Highway One work. If you’ve followed the story here, you’d know these images were created with projection in mind. So I stepped back and punted. What I ended up with are 8 x 10 prints on Arches and Strathmore papers. I fixed these and then applied several coats of varnish. These prints are applied to a larger 22 x 15 vertical sheet and a custom Highway One wax seal is applied along with varied hand-stamped ornamentation. Each $75 print is signed and hand-numbered by the artist. I’m doing sets of 5 for each Highway One image — this Flickr set contains all of the final images. Even the ones not in the installation. Contact me if you’re interested.

Sun Ra, currently visiting Earth.

// September 2nd, 2009 // No Comments » // Art, Design, Picks

Pathways to Unknown Worlds: Sun Ra, El Saturn and Chicago’s Afro-Futurist Underground 1954-68 is currently on display in the CCB Gallery at the Durham Art Guild. The exhibit runs through 10/18/09. Drop by — it’s a must-see while it’s here.

Close inspection yields some great results: album covers, original artwork, press-releases, business cards, etc. all show the “hand” quality, regardless of whether the hand happened to be from space or Birmingham. The language used is also entertaining, even though completely serious. Make sure to check out the (ALL-CAPS) press releases and watch some of the documentary running in the gallery space, too.

I designed some artwork for the exhibition. We derived the design from a mask commonly worn by Sun Ra, but turned it into a maze and put in orbit.

And an example of something cool you’ll see… a print block.

The Durham Art Guild is located at 120 Morris Street in Durham, NC.

Unveiling Highway One.

// August 29th, 2009 // No Comments » // Art, Design, Life, Picks

Hey, folks.

I’m projecting the Highway One images tonight and have a prelim. soundtrack ready, too.

I’m pulling off this dry-run of the upcoming installation at the always friendly, always inspiring “Come Out & Play” exhibition in Pittsboro, NC. Come Out & Play has been going on for years and is the brainchild of Debbie Meyer and Eric Brantley. Their daughter, Beckett also adds to the ingenuity these days. Anyhow, it has historically been a sculpture venue, so I’m super-happy to sneak in and provide an alternative medium.

I might show up in the barn or in the garage where the drinks reside. Or maybe I’ll tie up a tarp and project out by the pond. We’ll see… it’ll be fun regardless. I’ll probably start the show near twilight (no vamps, please).

Directions: From Carrboro, go out Jones Ferry Road. From the light at Willow Creek Shopping Plaza, go 5 3/4 miles. Turn left onto Wild Horse Run, a gravel drive marked with a street sign. There will be a banner marking the show. Follow the drive to JimGin Farm. Park on the right — you’ll see it! Call 919-942-3252 if needed.

Here’s an image I’ll project. The sound will be ambient noise from Highway One.

Kooley is High.

// August 27th, 2009 // No Comments » // Art, Design, Life, Picks

Kooley High and Becauseus teamed up yet again to bring you their latest Music Video “Kooley is High.” Have a look see!

Sequencing Highway One

// August 12th, 2009 // No Comments » // Art, Design, Life

Working on sequencing the Highway One slides… the old-fashioned way. Looks like approximately 60-65 slides + ambient sound for the final piece. Think I’m using about 80 images out of the nearly 200 originals to compose the slides. Should weigh in around 5 or 6 minutes with transitions included. Getting audio within the next week or so. Progress!