The first time I met Amy Garland,
back in 2003, she worked for SECCA
and she introduced me to David Byrne.
That’s right, the Talking Heads frontman
was prepping for an exhibition
right here in the Triad, and I was one of
the three lucky members of the press to
be granted an interview.
Unfortunately, Byrne wasn’t as interesting as I had hoped. He came off like just another pretentious conceptual artist who thought that being confusing and weird was really hip and deep. Isn’t it funny how pretention and affectation always seem to mask a lack of substance? (Thank god Byrne is a pretty good musician and songwriter; otherwise my respect for him would have completely crumbled after the interview).
Anyway, when it was over, Garland, who had arranged the press schedule that day, was kind and apologized for Byrne’s condescension. And thanks to her, my time didn’t seem like a total loss after all.
She was considerate and well spoken, and she didn’t mumble and look at the ground while we chatted, like His Royal Talking Highness. In short, she was professional and honest — just like her Trade Street gallery, 5ive & 40rty. Showcasing the work of emerging artists for the last four years, the gallery is one of the true gems on Trade Street. It’s a small, white box that showcases art in the same way New York galleries do: Instead of cramming work onto every square inch of every wall, paintings and drawings are hung with plenty of visual space around them — more like a museum and less like a retail store.
Garland has also recently partnered with Chris and Blake Livengood of Ember Audio Video. Specializing in highend sound systems, the identical twin brothers seem like good partners and a welcome addition to the gallery. After installing wall panels to soundproof the room, the brothers now have a space that can help them demo the pristine-sounding amps and speakers they sell. When you enter the gallery, it feels a bit like one of those old Maxell cassette tape commercials — the one when the guy sits in a leather chair in front of the speakers and his hair gets blown back by the sound.
On the walls this month, you can also view a new exhibition by a young local artist and graphic designer. Beamer Aston, originally from St. Louis, currently lives in Winston-Salem and has created a nice series of mostly red and mostly abstract acrylic paintings. Hanging above and around the sound systems, and by hinting at wheels and machinery, they really fi t well and seem strikingly appropriate for the space. Titled Subjectivity, the exhibition will hang until
March 27 and is worth a look. Maybe the next time I stop by 5ive & 40rty, I’ll bring my copy of Stop Making Sense by the Talking Heads and get Chris or Blake to put on “Psycho Killer.” On the other hand… maybe I won’t. Maybe I’ll pick something that sounds like the way the current paintings feel. Something that sounds red. A song that moves and spins. !
Unfortunately, Byrne wasn’t as interesting as I had hoped. He came off like just another pretentious conceptual artist who thought that being confusing and weird was really hip and deep. Isn’t it funny how pretention and affectation always seem to mask a lack of substance? (Thank god Byrne is a pretty good musician and songwriter; otherwise my respect for him would have completely crumbled after the interview).
Anyway, when it was over, Garland, who had arranged the press schedule that day, was kind and apologized for Byrne’s condescension. And thanks to her, my time didn’t seem like a total loss after all.
She was considerate and well spoken, and she didn’t mumble and look at the ground while we chatted, like His Royal Talking Highness. In short, she was professional and honest — just like her Trade Street gallery, 5ive & 40rty. Showcasing the work of emerging artists for the last four years, the gallery is one of the true gems on Trade Street. It’s a small, white box that showcases art in the same way New York galleries do: Instead of cramming work onto every square inch of every wall, paintings and drawings are hung with plenty of visual space around them — more like a museum and less like a retail store.
Garland has also recently partnered with Chris and Blake Livengood of Ember Audio Video. Specializing in highend sound systems, the identical twin brothers seem like good partners and a welcome addition to the gallery. After installing wall panels to soundproof the room, the brothers now have a space that can help them demo the pristine-sounding amps and speakers they sell. When you enter the gallery, it feels a bit like one of those old Maxell cassette tape commercials — the one when the guy sits in a leather chair in front of the speakers and his hair gets blown back by the sound.
On the walls this month, you can also view a new exhibition by a young local artist and graphic designer. Beamer Aston, originally from St. Louis, currently lives in Winston-Salem and has created a nice series of mostly red and mostly abstract acrylic paintings. Hanging above and around the sound systems, and by hinting at wheels and machinery, they really fi t well and seem strikingly appropriate for the space. Titled Subjectivity, the exhibition will hang until
March 27 and is worth a look. Maybe the next time I stop by 5ive & 40rty, I’ll bring my copy of Stop Making Sense by the Talking Heads and get Chris or Blake to put on “Psycho Killer.” On the other hand… maybe I won’t. Maybe I’ll pick something that sounds like the way the current paintings feel. Something that sounds red. A song that moves and spins. !
wanna go?
See the First Friday calendar here
