Dig Jig

  • Dig Jig

A friend called our attention to this today:

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement

Help to Keep Great Journalism Alive in Arkansas

Join the fight for truth and become a subscriber of the Arkansas Times. We've been battling powerful forces for 50 years through our tough, determined, and feisty journalism. With over 63,000 Facebook followers, 58,000 Twitter followers, 35,000 Arkansas blog followers, and 70,000 daily email blasts, our readers value great journalism. But we need your help to do even more. By subscribing and supporting our efforts, you'll not only have access to all of our articles, but you'll also be helping us hire more writers to expand our coverage. Together, we can continue to hold the powerful accountable and bring important stories to light. Subscribe now or donate for as little as $1 and be a part of the Arkansas Times community.

Previous article Republicans slash spending on needy Next article Friday: The Wicked Good, Iron Tongue, Sound of the Mountain