Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Selected Photos from David Franck's upcoming show "American Adventures of the Curiously Bizarre"



David Franck's "American Adventures of the Curiously Bizarre"

      Coming May 28th - June 12th, the Beaufort Art Center will feature New York photographer David Franck’s visual odyssey of grand Americana at its twentieth century peak. Titled American Adventures of the Curiously Bizarre, his work highlights our nation’s more unusual folkloric history through images, multi-media, and installations. The opening reception will be at the Beaufort Art Center, 204 Turner St. May 28 from 2-5 p.m, and is sponsored by Hannah's Haus.
     The show is a culmination of David’s travels throughout the country. It features images of carnival-inspired roadside attractions, outlandish architecture, foreign replicas and eccentric art. The work captures the often forgotten corners that once made hitting the American road truly an adventure.
Reminiscent of an era when travel on planes was considered a luxury most could not afford and the road was still king, David shows just how incredible the American Road Trip really was, and aims to illustrate that this spirit lives on, waiting once again to be discovered by an entirely new generation.
David Franck worked as a photographer and graphic designer in New York City until his recent relocation to the coast of North Carolina. He has traveled extensively and his work has been shown in galleries around the country, as well as reprinted in numerous publications. David is currently working on a book documenting his travels and his love for the American road.
     Show hours are weekends, May 28th, 29th, 30th; June 4th - 5th and 11th -12th,  Saturdays 10-6, Sundays 12-6, Memorial Day 12-6. Thursdays and Fridays the show will be open June 2nd - 3rd  and  9th - 10th  from 10AM-2PM. Make sure to join our event on Facebook!

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Anita Francis' Book Sculptures May 7- 22, 2011

The Beaufort Art Center will be exhibiting Anita Francis' innovating book sculptures May 7-22, with the artist opening from 2pm-4pm on Saturday May 7, 2011.

Anita explains, “I find it an exciting challenge to explore a way to give a relinquished book a new life. The process of remodeling damaged and discarded books into sculptural art pieces has developed over the past several years, stemming from my life-long practice of painting and of crafting objects of art by hand. Through the process of folding and cutting away the parts of a book’s pages revealing its interior, the remaining fragments are still attached to the binding and brought through or around the piece allowing the book to be viewed inside-out. In the spirit of recycling, by taking old and discarded objects and remodeling them for a fresh viewing, I cherish what books have given to me, by transforming their interiors and exposing their beauty in an unusual and ‘out-of-context’ form.”


As Elizabeth W. Jackson, writer for artsee magazine, notes: “…The show illustrates the variety in her work and the possibilities of the medium. Some flow into space while others remain compact, drawing the viewer close to read the text, to examine the intricate cuts and shapes. While some are abstract and symbolic, others offer up the forms already present.”


The May/June issue of artsee will have an article about Beaufort artist and resident Anita Francis and her work in the upcoming exhibit at the Beaufort Arts Center. Copies may be picked up at Handscapes Gallery in downtown Beaufort, NC www.ncartsee.com.


The Beaufort Art Center will be open for this show May 7-22, with the Opening from 2p-4p on Saturday May 7, 2011. The Center will be open: Saturdays 10a-6p, Sundays 12p-6p, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays 10a-2p.


For more information contact Flora Lea Louden at art.beaufort.center@gmail.com or 252-622-8416