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Art Center Sarasota show encourages artists to be the subjects of their work
The latest Art Center Sarasota juried show tackles the art of the self portrait. FOX 13 photojournalist Barry Wong takes us there.
SARASOTA, Fla. - When artist Zach Gilliland was working on his sculpture "Head in the Sand," the art revealed itself to him.
"I started playing around with spray foam one day and started drawing with it on here, and next thing you know, this giant face started appearing," Gilliland said.
The foam joined steel, resin, spray paint and concrete. After the revelation, Gilliland thought the piece would be perfect for Art Center Sarasota's latest juried show, "Self Portrait."
What they're saying:
"A self-portrait can really look like anything," Art Center Sarasota Curator & Director of Exhibitions Christina Baril said. "We have a huge variety of mediums and perspectives on the artist as the art. This show really shows a lot of vulnerability in the artists presenting themselves in a variety of ways."
That couldn't be truer for Gilliland, who has ADHD. Lately, the artist has been thinking about how it affects the choices he makes in his life.
"One of the things that come along with ADHD is masking. It's just presenting yourself as you think other people want you to be, and that can cause a lot of exhaustion mentally and creatively," Gilliland said. "For this, it was just a matter of letting go of all that and just letting the art be who it needs to be and not worrying about what I thought it needed to be."
Gilliland hopes visitors take the time to view his piece, one of around 100 on display in the gallery. There's a variety of mediums, including paintings, videos and mannequin-like pieces. Some are snapshots of their artists, while others are more abstract.
"It's really interesting to see self-portraits because, of course, you're coming at the viewing with your own perspective, and it's a way to sort of imagine who the artist is without necessarily talking to them directly," Baril said. "What would be great for the viewer is to sort of try and understand who the artists are but also walk away with a new perspective on what a self-portrait could look like."
What's next:
"Self Portrait" will be up until Sept. 27. It joins three other exhibitions currently on display.
The next juried show is called "Small Works" and will open to the public on Oct. 9.
For more information, click here.
The Source: Information for this story was gathered by FOX 13 photojournalist Barry Wong.