The scene & the unseen

?Scene 1: Opening Night

As business hours end and rush hour dwindles, table cloths are spread and wine bottles chilled in preparation for the gallery after-hours. Doors are unlocked, and low lights set the scene. The art opening is imminent. Within the hour, groups, couples and singles fill the space with catty chatter and coy glances.

One female partygoer wears just enough clothing to let the imagination wonder what contours and colors are not revealed. A concerted tan glistens beneath her tank’s spaghetti straps, and a delicious combination of perfumes sends seductive signals through the air like a silent mating call. Her hair, perfectly streaked with blond over amber highlights, feigns messiness caught up in a jeweled clip. Poised to be admired, she is perhaps too vivacious a competitor for the expressionistic nude painted in oil hanging on the wall nearby. Leaning in to her equally primped companion, she whispers, “This is the best food of any of the galleries we’ve been to so far.”

You have to wonder what people attending art events are actually looking at: the artwork, each other or the impressive spread of free food and libations. Weekend art gallery openings and more elaborate art parties are as much about making impressions as they are about viewing art. In Atlanta, the tradition of decorative styles suggests that art serves an important social function. Although art parties are intended to create a more welcoming, accessible atmosphere in which to view art, they also often create enough social distraction so that the art is barely viewed.

This latent duel between the artwork and the socializing viewers is a common phenomenon in a city like Atlanta where the art community is small and social circles easily overlap. Yet, most gallery hosts find art parties beneficial. Owners of galleries as established as the Lowe or Timothy Tew view art openings as a celebratory way to promote a new collection or introduce a new artist. “There’s a decorative tradition of art here that has a more social quality, but the art opening also allows a casual viewer or first-time buyer to go incognito,” says Tew. Opening night is not necessarily when most of the art is sold, since serious buyers will view the work early or return for further contemplation. But the art opening does spark interest in both collectors and novices alike.

In the context of the social event, a neophyte or first-time buyer can hide amidst the crowd, avoiding the pressure of a pushy art dealer. Although the buying demographic may still prefer the traditional gallery etiquette, the young, entrepreneurial crowd sometimes find established venues too sterile. The traditional gallery setting plants a vapid distance between the art piece, hanging there waiting to be judged, and the viewer, apprehensively arriving at a verdict. Instead, the opening night invites the art virgin to taste the gallery’s social energy and simultaneously experience the most exciting climax of the artist’s show.

Increasingly bored by arbitrary distinctions between high and low art, emerging art enthusiasts are seeking out more experimental, alternative spaces. Eyedrum and bluemilk’s Paradigm Art Space succeed in cultivating a cultural atmosphere where emerging artists gain exposure and audiences are not defined by socio-economic class. Bluemilk’s Paradigm Shifts kindle an entire sensory experience around the art with music to move the crowd through the gallery, just enough drinks and snacks to keep oral fixations satisfied and an occasional live nude painted blue to sustain an element of surprise.

?Scene 2: The Performance

Not every art opening pretends to be more about the art than the event. Some are outright art parties. Events devised by Flavourset Productions, for example, are invitation only in order to ensure certain aesthetic standards. The recent Science Friction event at the Contemporary Art Center displayed getups from sleek, silver suits and platinum hair to bombastic brunettes in loud dresses. Awe was the most pervasive expression that night as glamour reigned in every direction. Combining visual art with fashion, music and performance, Flavourset events have been extremely well attended since their inception just a year ago. Massive sponsorship by local restaurants, alcohol distributors, media outlets and major corporations are a testament to the successful promotion and attendance of such parties. Atlantans seem to be craving this kind of party, where they can get as creative and beautiful as the art around them.

The Contemporary’s annual Art Party is also a hyped and extravagant occasion. Says organizer Candice Bennett, “The social buzz and attendance of the event serves to promote and expose the artists.” The event attracts about 3,000 people to a marriage of entertainment and art. Music, foods and spirits abound as crowds meander in and out of artists’ studios and gallery spaces, mingling with drag queens and fortunetellers. The night is more about socializing than it is about contemplating the artwork, but the hope is that interests will be peaked and people will return later to focus on the art. For the gallery, the event develops new audiences and members. By creating a fun, festive experience, art parties make the gallery a more appealing destination.

Slightly more subtle are the synchronized art openings among gallery clusters. The seven galleries in TULA Art Center, for example, plan openings on the same night, devising an entire evening in one location, which is particularly appealing to the commuter. The annual gallery crawl incorporates a bus system that shuttles groups to different gallery clusters throughout the evening. Any disadvantage of dispersing the crowd over a variety of galleries is outweighed by the marketing opportunity such an event represents. And because the aesthetic of each gallery is so different, competition for buyers is rarely an issue.

In the shape of a social reunion, the art party is also a networking opportunity where local icons and first-timers can stand on the same plane. The pleasure of mingling, however, carries with it the responsibility of public relations. In fact, the contemporary artist often faces the great task of self-promotion. As contemporary art becomes a magnet for parties, the visual artist is transformed into a social figure rather than an isolated one. The starving artist is starting to look more like a rock star. Needless to say, new entrepreneurs in public relations and promotions are discovering they can link fun work to financial success.

Local nightclubs have seized the staunch craving for more art parties as a way of enticing and defining their desired clientele. It’s likely that the artwork displayed any given night at Nomenclature Museum or Crescent Room will pop up eventually at a local gallery. Contemporary artists like R. Land and Kowalski complement the vibe of these venues, but have also exploded onto the more serious art scene.

Scene 3: After the Curtains Fall

The art party functions not only to ignite interest in new artists and collections, but also to break down the precious and pretentious barrier often perceived in traditional museum or gallery settings. The celebration of art in a social context cultivates a larger aesthetic connection among artists and viewers. Not only does the party alter the way art is viewed, but it also changes the way art is talked about. Instilling the average viewer with more opportunity for discussion, the art party makes artistic appreciation and discourse more accessible.

However, once the evening comes to a close, the crowd that shared such an intense aesthetic experience forks off into different directions. There are those who will actually return to take a closer look at the art that was slighted by an urgent need to acquire the e-mail address or cell phone number of a newfound romantic interest. And there are those who will only make the rounds again when the scene is set. That said, spying at an art party provides some of the most creative entertainment around.??