ATLANTA – The Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia (MOCA GA) announces the opening of the second installment in the series of the 2011/2012 Working Artist Project exhibitions – Martha Whittington: deus ex machina. There will be an opening reception for Whittington’s exhibition on Friday, July 27, from 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. There will be an Artist Talk by Whittington on Thursday, August 30, at 7 p.m. with a reception beforehand at 6:30 p.m. The Artist Talk is free to the public. Martha Whittington: deus ex machina runs July 28 – October 6, 2012.
ABOUT “deus ex machina” EXHIBITION
In her artist statement, Martha Whittington, says the following about her exhibition: “Recalling the moment when machines became gods and workers became machines, deus ex machina is a precisely constructed environment of obscurely comprehensible machines and devices. Dancers as workers react within the installation, performing tasks for reasons and results that can only be implied by the viewer.” Among the materials included in this exhibition are cotton rope, poplar wood, wool felt, stainless steel, and video. Elements of the installation piece include custom-made ladders; hand-made victrolas; cotton webbing and stainless tool belts; aprons; a rope hook, cotton twine; 11-pound stainless steel orbs; and 6 – 7 performers. Beacon Dance, under the direction of Patton White, has collaborated with Ms. Whittington in designing architectural moves in response to the installation which will be presented during regularly scheduled performances throughout the run of the exhibition.
MOCA GA Director, Annette Cone-Skelton, states, “This exhibition marks the 11th by Atlanta metro area artists under the MOCA GA initiative, the Working Artist Project. This ongoing program continues to result in exciting exhibitions as it encourages artists to expand their oeuvre beyond what they could accomplish without the resources afforded by this award.”
For detailed information on performance dates and times or to request images, please email MOCA GA at [email protected].
ABOUT MARTHA WHITTINGTON
Born in 1963, Ms. Whittington received her B.F.A. in Sculpture from the Kansas City Art Institute. She received her M.F.A. in Sculpture from Tyler School of Art where she studied with sculptor Winifred Lutz. Whittington has been the recipient of artist residencies at the Bemis Center in Omaha, Nebraska, and the Hambidge Center-Creative Arts in Rabun Gap, Georgia. In support of her work, she has been awarded grants from the Office of Cultural Affairs Atlanta and Austin Green. She has exhibited her work both nationally and internationally with shows at Moot Gallery, Hong Kong; Museum of Contemporary Art, Jacksonville, FL; Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia, Atlanta, GA; and the AMOA-Laguna Gloria, Austin Texas. Her work is held in the collections of Jun and Ree Kaneko, Leedy Voulkos Art Center, Susan Bridges, Temple University, The Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia, and Savannah College of Art and Design. Ms. Whittington is a Professor of Foundations Studies at the Savannah College of Art and Design. Photos can be requested by emailing MOCA GA at [email protected].
ABOUT THE WORKING ARTIST PROJECT
The Working Artist Project (WAP) is an award program that was developed by MOCA GA and is funded by a major grant from The Charles Loridans Foundation, with additional support from the National Endowment for the Arts. The Project was designed to support established visual artists of merit who reside in the Atlanta metropolitan area. This initiative provides an unparalleled level of support for individual artists, expands MOCA GA’s mission, and promotes Atlanta as a city where artists can live, work and thrive. For each year of funding, MOCA GA selects three visual artists to receive the award. Among Atlanta’s best and brightest, these artists are supported with an exhibition, promotion, a studio assistant and a major monetary stipend to facilitate their work over the course of the year.
ABOUT MOCA GA
The Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia (MOCA GA) collects and archives significant contemporary works by artists in the state of Georgia. To place its artists in a broader context, MOCA GA’s exhibitions also include artists from around the world. MOCA GA’s programs promote the visual arts by creating a forum for active interchange between artists and the community. MOCA GA is located at 75 Bennett Street in the TULA Art Center. Admission is free to members, $5 for non-members and $1 for students. For more information, please call 404-367-8700, visit www.mocaga.org or email [email protected]. Hours are Tuesday – Saturday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., closed Sunday and Monday.