It’s So Bright! It’s So Vivid!

A A A Comments By Paul M. Davis Wednesday, Jul 21 2010

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An art show with the theme “let’s chill out and enjoy summer, bro” won’t do much to counteract local stereotypes. Regardless, we can appreciate such a simple and direct pitch: As we enter summer, “Why not kick back and mellow out at an art opening?” makes a pretty compelling argument. Chilling out is more of a state of mind than an aesthetic guideline for the artists contributing to “Ease Yourself and Glide” — curator and photographer Ruth Swanson has better taste than to exhibit black-light paintings of bong-smoking dolphins. Organized using the loose themes of serendipity and release, the work at the show is impressively varied, unified only by its DIY sensibility. This takes on many forms, including the folk art-referencing work of Cody Cochrane, the collagelike drawings of Amy E. Mayfield, the whimsical portraiture of Aiyana Udesen, and the transfigurative prints of Ellie Curtis. Some of the most stunning work comes from Portland, Ore.’s Mark Warren Jacques, whose trippy geometric renderings resemble the final sequence from 2001: A Space Odyssey on a couple of extra doses, and Jason Matthew Vivona, whose skate-rat ways make a mockery of high vs. low art distinctions. Still insufficiently chill? The opening also features mellow audio courtesy of DJ Kyle Field, an exhibiting artist best known as the minimalist folk singer Little Wings.
Sat., July 24, 7 p.m., 2010

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What's happening in town? From underground club nights to the biggest outdoor festivals, our top picks for the week's best events will always keep you in on the action.