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ART SPECIAL
hv MELISSA LINK
TAPE JOB
Paintings by David Levitt at the Grit.
Upon first glance, nothing seems amiss in
David Levitt’s paintings at The Grit. The
crayon-colored tape that covers up the
naughty bits on sev
eral of these Picasso-
meets-Willem
DeKooning-meets-
Hannah-Barberra fig
ures blends right in
with the artist’s
scribbly style, but
incorporating tape
was not the original
intention.
“The Grit is not a
gallery It’s turned
into a family restau
rant, and [when]
we’ve had art shows
that were pretty
graphic, people
have complained,"
explains Pam
Pecchio, the Grit
employee who
scheduled Levitt’s
work. This is a prob
lem common among
local businesses who
must compromise
between a desire to
offer artists an outlet
to show work and
the necessity of pro
viding their often
conservative cus
tomers with an inoffensive aesthetic environ
ment. “By putting tape over the penises, 1
just tried to make fun of it all," notes Levitt.
Le\itt has earned his fair share of recogni
tion for his artistic talents: his work graces
the cover of the Vic Ph«snutt / Widespread
Panic collaborative album Brute, and his
paintings are in the collections of celebrities
such as Bob Mould, Billy Bob Thornton, and
(surprise!) Pee Wee Herman. Levitt’s paint
ings are definitely
fun to look at. Many
of the figures can be
likened to carica
tures, with bits of
text offering subtle
hints as to the
assorted identities of
these wacky crea
tures. Some of
Levitt’s work, like
“The Destructive
Power of Cool,” hits
way too close to
home in its allusion
to a not-so-bright
statement on the
slacker lifestyle that
sucks the futuies
from young people
who put off finding
“real jobs" while
patiently waiting for
their 15 minutes of
fame.
“I’ve just recently
started putting little
weenies on some of
these things.” says
the artist of the car-
toonily deflated
Vienna sausagesque
pee-pees on his char
acters. “I’m just shocked that anything is
shocking these days. Because sex so perme
ates our society, you’d think we’d be desen
sitized, especially in the wake of all this
Clinton-Lewinsky stuff.” Think again. ©
ART PATROL
by MELISSA LINK
• R. Wood Studios hosts its 8th
annual Fall Sale on Saturday, Oct. 3.
from 9 a.m. !o 4 p.m. at 348 Georgia
Drive. Call 613-8525 tor details.
• The current exhibits at the Georgia
Museum of Art include “'he Life
of the Virgin in Textiles and
Prints.” The video “Masters of
Illusion,” which examines the artistic
as scientific discoveries of the
Renaissance, is being shown ongoing
ih conjunction with this show, and the
Lamar Dodd School of Art Faculty
Exhibition. For more information on
any events associated with the muse
um, call 542-GMOA.
• An opening reception tor new
work by C. Keen Zero will be held on
Friday, Out. 2, from 6-8 p.m. at
Loblolly Frame Shop and Gallery.
• An opening reception for "Sighls-
Seeing' featuring paintings of local
scenes by James Dean and Ella Salt
takes place at Clayton Street Gallery
on Friday. Oct. 2, from 7-9 p.m.
• Shows around town: oil paintings by
M. Herman and photos by John
Brian are up at Gyland’s; paintings
by Royce Savage are up at Aurum
Studios through the end of October;
outdoor sculptures by UGA MFA stu
dents John Raulerson and Rusty
Wallace are installed in front of the
Lamar Dodd School of Art building on
campus, while paintings by Maggie
Taylor and photos by Geoffrey
Aronson are up inside the building
through Oct. 16; 'Anatomically
Correct* is a show of sculpture by
Joni Younkins and drawings and lith
ographs by Andy LeMaster, no . up
in the newly renovated art space at
Strand in Five Points; 3-D wall pieces
by Cindy Jerrell, Rosemary
Mendecino, and Pattiy Torno now
grace the walls of Blue Sky Coffee,
where Karen Sevenoffs work contin
ues to hang downstairs; Five Star
Day Cafe features wo r k by John
McBrayer, Kerry Dalton, Brian E.
Cole, Laurel Kirkland, and Andy
LeMaster; metal works by Alberto
Salazarte are up at the Last Resort
Grill through Oct. 31; still lifes by Roy
Savage are up at Aurum Studios;
and paintings and drawings by
Janella Howalt are up at the Tate
Center Gallery
• The Lyndon House Arts Center
announces ‘Deck the Halls: An Exhibit
of Original Wreaths Created by Local
Artists.* The show will hang Oct. 27
through Dec. 17 in the Lyndon House
Gallery at the Morton Theatre. Prizes
will be awarded to the most creative
pieces. Artists interested in submitting
wreaths (as many as five are allowed)
should call 613-3623 for more info.
• Local businesses want to show
your art! Five Star Day Caf6 and
Jittery Joe's downtown are seeking art
work for monthly exhibits. Contact
either of these establishments for
details.
• Madison County Council For
the Arts announces its annual
Membership Meeting on Sunday,
Oct. 11, at the library at 3 p.m.
Entertainment will be provided by sto
ryteller / musician Pat Shields. Daphne
Helms will read poetry. Refreshments
will be served.
• Good Dirt, the newest ceramic work
center on Thcmas and Dougherty
streets in downtown Athens offers a
varied array of clay classes and
specialized workshops for adults
and kids, amateurs and skilled ceramic
artists. Call 355-3161 for info.
• Chickens, Etc., an invitational
exhibition and benefit sale for Brenau
University Galleries opens Nov. 2.
The university invites local and
Southeastern artists to contribute to the
exhibition / sale. Deadline is Oct. 25.
Call (770)534-6263 for info.
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SEPTEMBER 30, 1998 FLAGPOLE ED