Phase one of the UMOCA Gala is effectively underway. The Silent Art Auction portion of the event kicked off last Friday, and we were there to scope out all the cool contempo content. UMOCA was positively bustin’ with savvy Salt Lakers looking to expand their artistic horizons, and the display certainly didn’t disappoint. The spoils were on display for potential buyers to browse ‘n bid on--the turnout was sensational, but only a few lucky locals will go home with the goodies. Kicking yourself for missin’ out? Fear not, dear reader. You’ve got until the day of the Gala to get your mobile bid in, so snap up your smart phone and get perusin’. You can click here to get the details and to pre-register, which is a fantastic idea for anyone going [cuts your check-in time by more than half]. It's a pretty fantastic setup, kids.
We had the chance to get all caught up with two of the contributing artists with work up for grabs--Amy Jorgenson and Matthew Allred. First on the docket: Mr. Allred, who delights in creating through destruction [just hear us out, it’s rad]. Matthew got into the good graces of the UMOCA by teaching photography for the University of Utah in the museum’s darkroom. As an artist, Matthew leans towards the “experimental/conceptual side of art” with a “heavy science and historical influence”. His primary instruments for creating: homemade pinhole cameras and shotguns. It's intriguing, indeed, the idea of creation via destruction. When Matthew headed to Middle-o-Nowhere, Utah to blow some holes in some stuff, he was delighted to find that the shrapnel ripped through the aluminum, creating a sort of galaxy-like design. Thus, “M11 The Wild Duck Cluster” was born, and with a double entendre of a moniker, to boot [see, name of duck-hunting shotgun vs. actual starcluster]. We dig. To see more of his sensational work or make a bid, click the links below.
Second [but certainly not least] is Amy Jorgensen, a photographer and performance artist from Ephraim by way of Milan. Amy revels in “clean lines, repetition, and simplicity”--and she’s officially speaking our language. Amy’s UMOCA piece, “Institutional Memory #3”, was crafted with care using 81 [by our count] adorably pink marshmallows, and is a sort of homage to the “Marshmallow Test” conducted at Stanford University in the 1960’s. According to Amy, the piece is a study in themes of “desire, indulgence, patience, and gratification.” Says she: “It takes reciprocal participation and collaboration to build a truly creative community. There are so many participants involved in a vibrant art scene--artists, patrons, galleries, museums, institutions, volunteers, critics, educators…” Say we: hear, hear. She's done some fantastically intriguing work, to be sure. To see it, or to make a bid, click the links below, then keep scrolling for some more photos from the fab silent auction.
