By Ann Nichols
Staff Writer
In 2007, the Hunter Museum of American Art held its first invitational exhibition. Rather than selecting 50 works by 50 artists, the museum's curators asked a few artists to create a group of new pieces or to expand on a series already in progress for the show.
The second invitational exhibition opens Friday and features the work of Daud Akhriev, Michael Aurbach, Pradip Malde, Lin Parker, Amy Pleasant, Billy Weeks and Sunkoo Yuh.
"Some of these artists are new to the art world and to exhibiting, while others have exhibited for decades and are collected widely, both nationally and abroad," said Nandini Makrandi, Hunter's curator of contemporary art.
She added that what ties them all together is an unfailing devotion to their work, a deep-rooted need to create and a desire for constant exploration and change.
Akhriev was born in the Soviet Union and trained in the classical tradition. However, his work has evolved during the past two decades he has lived in Chattanooga to become a blend of realism, impressionism and surrealism. His portion of the exhibit features images of his friend and fellow artist Cessna Decosimo, who appears to sit calmly while chaos swirls around him.
Aurbach, a professor of art at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, creates life-size installations that reference architectural forms. But within these structures are undercurrents of deception and corruption. He lifts the veil on the hierarchy and outdated regulations of the university system and explores the ramifications of secrecy.
Malde, a professor at the University of the South and native of Tanzania, will exhibit platinum-palladium printed photographs. His prints draw parallels to the ancient and the familiar as he contrasts images of his wife, Rachel, with those of Kouri -- classical Greek statues from 500 A.D.
Parker, a Chattanooga native, is a mixed-media artist who recycles found objects into artist books that are filled with symbolism and personal meaning.
"My subject matter is often religious, not with a mission of persuasion but from the perspective of a curious, interested, often confused and sometimes fearful observer," she said.
Working intuitively, she selects from objects and oddities that she has gathered for years. Tree knots, shells, bones, pods, human teeth, rusted bottle caps -- all have the possibility of becoming an integral part of one of her books.
Pleasant, a native of Birmingham, Ala., is inspired by mundane daily activities such as looking out a window, showering, getting dressed or pushing a stroller. She transforms these repetitive everyday events into human dramas and visual narratives through her drawings and paintings. Often these documentations are obliterated by gray, black or white areas -- forcing the viewer to look beneath the surface.
Weeks, a documentary still photographer who lives in Georgia, wants each of his images to tell a story.
"As a documentary still photographer, I deal in the past," he says in his artist's statement. "I believe that documentary still photography is the best way to preserve the culture of the time."
For his portion of the exhibit, he will display photographs of young boys who live in the Dominican Republic and want to play professional baseball in the United States.
Yuh was born in Korea and constructs whimsical porcelain sculptures of figures and objects that combine eastern mythology, Western politics and pop culture. The genesis for each sculpture lies in preliminary ink and brush drawings that he carefully composes.
The exhibit continues through Jan. 16. A reception will be held Dec. 2 at 6 p.m.
The museum, 10 Bluff View, is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Friday, Saturday; noon-5 p.m. Wednesday, Sunday; and 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Thursday. Call 267-0968.
Contact Ann Nichols at annsnichols@aol.com.