Clayton Brothers: Inside Out

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MADISON, WI – Clayton Brothers: Inside Out, a new major exhibition at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, presents twenty-six paintings and three mixed-media installations created collaboratively by Rob and Christian Clayton. The Clayton Brothers construct complex narratives that introduce memorable characters and comment wryly on contemporary life. The exhibition, which is organized by museum director Stephen Fleischman, will be on view in the museum’s main galleries from September 12, 2010, through January 2, 2011.

Clayton Brothers: Inside Out is the first museum survey of the brothers’ work. It presents works from the six major series created collaboratively by Rob and Christian Clayton since 2001, beginning with the installation piece Tim House (In Green Pastures)–in the collection of the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art–and concluding with the bold, large-scale canvases of the Jumbo Fruit series. Series titles suggest the disquiet or irony–or often both–that characterizes the individual works. Works in the As Is are connected by the concept of people, like houses or other objects available for purchase, being presented in “as-is” condition, while the Patient series portrays the subjects and ramifications of the medical industry with both humor and dismay.

Stephen Fleischman says the work of the Clayton Brothers has “consistently been informed by vivid color and an eccentric cast of characters.  The result is an obsessively rich body of work that strikes universal chords, but remains deeply personal. Front and center are the unique people, animals, and places that occupy the outskirts of the American psyche.”

Madison Museum of Contemporary Art

Clayton Brothers

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Never a Dull Moment

Anthony Lister _m
White Walls is proud to present Never a Dull Moment, a group show curated by
iO Wright. Never a Dull Moment will transform the gallery into a cohesive
environment that embraces all mediums of creativity from sixteen artists.
Never a Dull Moment features Anthony Lister, Alessandro Zuek Simonetti, Jaybo
Monk, Angela Boatwright, Augustine Kofie, Dave Potes, Jonathan Darby, Ray
Potes, Remi Rough, iO Wright, Erik Otto, Cheryl Dunn, Armsrock, Dave
Schubert, Sam Ash and Clayton Brothers. iO Wright has chosen these artists for
their “get your hands dirty” and “donʼt worry just do” mentality. Without
considering outside forces, they are urged to continuously create and express
themselves. With shared roots in graffiti art, this group has a flare for action,
immediacy, and unpredictability. Never a Dull Moment exposes viewers to the
creative mindʼs raw inner workings and draws distinct parallels between everyday
immediate expression and fine art.

Never a Dull Moment will be a transformation of the gallery space into a chaotic,
organic environment close to the heart of the artistic process. Film, sculpture,
installation, and large-scale wheat paste can be expected from this multi media,
multi talented group of artists. Embracing the connection between photography
and fine art, Never a Dull Moment will meld the two together just as they are in
everyday life. Several artists including Jaybo Monk, Remi Rough, Erik Otto, Augustine Kofie

and Jonathan Darby plan to create a site-specific installation to
accompany their works in the gallery. The installation will no doubt be interactive
and multi sensory, with few white walls in sight.

iO Wright is a photography based artist, writer, and curator. Along with co-
founding the street art quarterly, Overspray Magazine, iO curated Climb in the
Back Window at Shadowʼs Space Gallery in Philadelphia in 2009. Keeping close
tabs on urban art, she has also interviewed such influential artists as Shepard
Fairey and Erik Foss. This exhibition is curated by iO Wright and sponsored by
White Walls, Hamburger Eyes, and New Order Magazine.

White Walls

To The Road Less Travelled – Wishing You Love and Happiness and Curiosity Forever

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To The Road Less Travelled – Wishing You Love and Happiness and Curiosity Forever

A group exhibition featuring: HuskMitNavn (DK), Søren Behncke (DK), Pica Pica (BE), Jesper Dalgaard (DK)Andrew Sendor (US), Benji Whalen (US), Michael Dumontier (CAN), Asger Carlsen (DK), Shane Bradford (UK), Mike Mills (US), Troels Carlsen (DK), Jes Brinch (DK), DearRainDrop (US), Graham Hudson (UK), Misha Hollenbach (AUS), Neil Farber (US), Michael Rytz (DK), Mads Lynnerup (DK), Lora Fosberg (US), Rory McBeth (UK), Clayton Brothers (US), Michael Swaney (CAN), Brian Montuori (US), Johannes Hinriksson (IS), Michelle Blade (US) and Jakob Boeskov (DK/IS).

Opening day: Friday January 15. 2010. From 17.00 – 22.00

Exhibition period: January 16. – February 13. 2010.

The title of the exhibition is lifted from a hand written inscription in an edition of Jack Kerouac’s ‘On The Road’. The full inscription reads like this:

“Laurabelle and Nicolas – to the road less travelled – wishing you love and happiness and curiosity forever- with love, Annie xx”

Jesper Elg: “I actually never saw the inscription myself. It is sealed in paint forever in one of Shane Bradford’s dipped book works. I guess this fact made me even more intrigued and curious about the work. And that feeling is exactly what this exhibition celebrates; curiosity forever. Curiosity as a question mark when too many people agree or disagree. Curiosity as in turning your GPS off and letting gut and chance roam. Curiosity as to what art is or could be. Curiosity as to exploring limits and boundaries. Curiosity as in transgressing limits and boundaries. Curiosity as in meeting the world again. Curiosity as to what will happen when I stick my finger in there. Curiosity as to what are being built in there. All the questions you are not supposed to ask, but hopefully do.”

This makes perfect sense. Curiosity is a key component of life in all its grit and glory. Closely related to courage, stupidity, lust and intelligence it is dangerous and vital, wise and senseless. It can push you into darkness and turn on the light. It can send you down dodgy paths and make you take wrong turns. But it also paves the way for triumph. It can create and destroy. It makes heroes and losers. And can lead to both magnificent mistakes and great thoughts. It made Odysseus stray, but perhaps it also led him back on track. Scientists, artists and prying people in general keep venturing into the unknown instead of resting on given truths that promises them a comfortable life in this life and the supposed next. Paradise was lost. But Freedom was given.

The exhibition features works from 25 very diverse international artists working in different media spanning from painting, mixed media and drawing over sculpture to video. Some are old friends of V1: the prolific Rory MacBeth, the fluorescent rebels Dearraindrop, the influential Clayton Brothers, the Icelandic Brahman Johannes Hinriksson, the devilishly detailed Troels Carlsen and the artistic sniper Jakob Boeskov. And others are new friends: the deliciously quirky Michael Dumontier, the visual wordsmith Lora Fosberg and Mike Mills whose monocle we love to see the world through. Some have kept us curious for years; others have just caught our attention. But all works are projections of our wish to know, see and hear more – and our hope to feel lost and found at the same time.

We can’t think of a more appropriate way of opening the doors to a new decade, than by celebrating curiosity in contemporary art. Jump into the reverse boat and dance around the colorful totems. Marvel at constructions we will never be able to find harmony in and sympathize with the dog whose position some of us envy and other of us fear. Leave the brush hanging and let the fat man find his own – and others – death. Bike next to the exotic beauty in familiar settings and read all the lost signals.

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Troels Carlsen

Dear Rain Drop

Husk Mit Navn

Asger Carlsen

Andrew Sendor

Benji Whalen

Winter Group Show

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White Walls is proud to present the Winter Group Show opening December 12th 2009. No themes or undertones to this exhibit, just the best art from the artists we’ve been dying to see. This massive group show features more than 30 artist from around the US with close to 60 original pieces of art. Please join us for the opening reception at White Walls Gallery on December 12th 2009 from 7-11 pm.

We are excited to show several artists who we are inspired by and admire. Varying from prolific artists who have established careers to those who are just now emerging. This exceptional collection fluctuates between abstract, mixed media, sculpture, urban, folk and contemporary art. The Winter Group Show embodies White Walls’ mission to push the boundaries between lowbrow, urban and fine art and we are proud to exhibit such a diverse collection all under one roof.

Featured Artists: Clayton Brothers, AJ Fosik, Thomas Campbell, Anthony Lister, Mike Shine, Cody Hudson, Katy Horan, Rich Jacobs, Alex Kopps, Kill Pixie, Greg Gossel, Ernesto Yerena, Timothy Karpinski, Nas Chompas, Mark Warren Jacques, Erik Foss, D Young V, Antistrot, Aaron Nagel, Robert Burden, Becca, Casey Gray, Lance Strongheart, Henry Gunderson, Mercedes Heinwien, Phillip Lumbang, Akira Beard plus more surprise guests to come.

White Wall