Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Artist Interview: Aesthetigeist




What was the impetus to start an art collective:
Quite simply, Craig and I were frustrated by the lack of exposure we were getting as individual artists, the letdowns from grand promises by mentors and the difficulty of finding reputable galleries to showcase at without paying an arm and a leg to exhibit there.  That was when we realized the power in numbers, hence the formation of Aesthetigeist.

How many members in your group:
At the moment we have 12 artists and 3 performers.

What is the main objective of the collective:
Our main goals are to subvert traditional views and values of art, gain exposure and showcasing opportunities & to give back to the community by sharing our visions.

Are your artists of like disciplines or are they varied:
When we were seeking out artists to be a part of our collective, the three keys we were looking for in each individual were: eccentricity, quality and a variation from the rest of the group.  With that said, I couldn’t be happier with the diversity in our crew.  One thing that none of us are though is safe, and that is exactly what we were trying to stray from.

Do you take new members:
Although we feel confident and secure with the group we currently have, if the right person came along, there is no way we would turn them down.

Do you have art showings, and if so what are they typically like:
We do!  We only formed our group less than two months ago, but recently had our premier exhibition at a horror film festival called Horrible Imaginings, located at 10th ave. theater in downtown San Diego.  We already have our next show lined up with aspirations to have many more in the future.

Is it hard to coordinate with a group of artists:
You know, I’m actually in awe with how smoothly everything is running.  The enthusiasm from our members, the teamwork, reliability, dedication, etc. is so in sync that it almost seems unnatural.  We couldn’t have picked better artists to be part of this collective.  For this reason, I know we can go as far as we want to.  All of the necessary elements are in harmony with each other.

What is the best part of being in a collective:
Getting to work with other like-minded yet highly varied people is a blast.  The fact that others take more notice of us and are willing to work with our group because of our power in numbers is truly motivating and tells me that the stars are the limit.

What are the names of the artists in your collective:
Aurora Malady, Brian Upchurch, Blake Reagan, Chris Bilyeu, Craig Hewitt, Dan Allen, Jessica Johnson, Lucy Cabezas, Mark Nicholas, Michael Ashworth, Ralph GM, Selena Marinello, Teddy Pancake and Thomas Bosworth.

Do you have any exhibitions coming up that you would like to share:
We do!  We will be showing at the Queen Bee Gallery for the month of January.  Our main reception will be on January 8th from 4-6 where our performers will get their first opportunity to perform with Aesthetigeist.  There will also be a wine tasting and Northpark Nights art walk will be in conjunction with our exhibition as well.  We are always looking for more exhibition opportunities! *hint hint*


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