Mark Jenkins in Winston-Salem
August 8-9, 2009
Various Locations around Winston-Salem
With the metaphorical “paint” barely dry on Kianga Ford’s project for SECCA’s Inside/Out: Artists in the Community II series, we welcomed the 5th artist in the program – Mark Jenkins – to Winston-Salem for a site visit. Amidst a busy, crowded closing Saturday of the National Black Theatre Festival and a quiet, but sweltering Sunday (of nearly 96 degrees) Mark received a “warm” welcome to the city he’ll be working in, and with, in September.
Mark has exhibited his packing tape installations around the world, and is rapidly becoming an underground international phenomenon (if you’ll excuse the oxymoron!). He recently returned from projects in Belgrade, Serbia and Royan, France, and his project in Winston-Salem will coincide with a fall schedule that includes stops in Moscow, Tokyo, Seoul and an upcoming solo show in Los Angeles. A bit jetlagged, but with willing eyes nonetheless, he saw a wide spectrum of sites and spaces across our city as I played tour guide (and compatriot in discovery) for the weekend.
Thinking about spaces on Trade St.
We walked the streets, circled warehouses, stared up into vacant billboards and across rooftops, sat at the bus terminal, sipped drinks at Krankies, and took brief sojourns into nature at Reynolda House and Tanglewood Park. Many photos were taken and even more ideas were shared, as the course was set for a September that Winston-Salem will long remember. Here are a just a few photos of Mark exploring our city, with special thanks to Gary and Suzanna Ritz for providing a tour of the Arboretum at Tanglewood.
bright flowers and brewing ideas at Tanglewood
Be on the lookout for Mark’s uncanny figures to begin appearing across Winston-Salem in mid-September, and join us Tuesday, September 22 at 5:30pm for an artist talk (and launch party) at Reynolda House. From hours spent speaking with Mark about the passionate reactions his works produce across the globe, I can promise you that this is a talk you do not want to miss!
Looking forward to the launch at Reynolda!
Same here Sarah! We’re super pumped to partner with you guys to make this possible.
I love Mark’s work, and curators courage in showing it. It is much needed in this community to really be considered “The City of the Arts”. Seeing the overwhelming positive response at Jenkin’s artist talk showed that people are interested in the ‘context’ in which art is shown as well, not just the initial reactions art may conjour up. Writing about his work is one of the assignments I have given my students at WSSU and Salem College and certainly hope they have an opportunity to do so. To rob them of the experience of an encounter with his work would be a shame.
FYI – Some of my students took the city bus from WSSU to Reynolda House on their own to listen to Mark speak about his practice. That is progress! Let’s not squelch it!