A friend called our attention to this today:
Shea Hembrey, an installation artist and painter who hails from Newport, is hilarious in explaining how he created his own biennial exhibition of the work of 100 artists — all himself — on this video from TED: Ideas Worth Sharing.
A lot of Hembrey’s work has been inspired by nests and one of the funniest parts of the video is his impersonation of his “little cousin” who introduced him to a friend as someone who could “draw sticks real gooood.” Above is a still from the artwork “Dig Jig,” said to be performance art by a couple creating a new tradition in Eastern Tennessee: to spend a special occasion dancing on where you’ll be buried, to be followed by toasts from friends — like getting to hear your own obit.
The artists he’s created are believable, sometimes stereotypical, visionaries expressing their particular concerns with the environment, etc. The “biennial” is available in book form.
Our friend says Hembrey will be the subject of a New York Times piece this summer. Hembrey is a former Arkansas Arts Council fellow.