Size Matters in exhibit of large-scale works at Nova 535
July 8, 2009 at 6:47 pm by Megan Voeller
Tes One’s spray-paint-on-wood painting measures 10-ft. by 11-ft.
You know what they say: when the going gets tough, the tough get…bigger?
Despite the ongoing economic malaise—which seems to find Florida in a particularly compromising position—St. Petersburg artist and art party impresario John Vitale isn’t giving up. Though the muralist and owner of Vitale Studio recently downsized out of a company warehouse that doubled as an art gallery, his response to tough times is simply to take the show on the road.
All the way downtown to Nova 535, that is.
On Friday, his latest exhibition, titled Size Matters, opens with an art-music-fashion affair at the posh event venue. With 23 artists participating (see complete list below), along with two DJs (Mega and Una Slim) and a fashion design group (Wear to the Tear), the show should deliver on its promise of sheer proportion. The comically cocky title is part in earnest—yes, the works on view will be larger than average—and part in jest—intended as an ironic comment on the end of an era of big cars (e.g., the Hummer), big cigars and big boobs, Vitale says.
The bursting of the bubble has also influenced how the artworks will be priced. Three months ago, when Vitale started to plan for the show, the economy looked bleak and business was bad, he says. The experience has been particularly humbling for artists, whose labor is often regarded as a luxury. Featuring all new works—like Vitale’s own 4-ft. by 6-ft. pop art homage to Fast Times at Ridgemont High (pictured below)—with one exception, Size Matters aims to put some stimulus back in the pockets of participating artists.
“I’m not saying everything’s going to be cheap, but we’re looking at things differently,” Vitale says.
The exhibition, which features artists who work in various media and styles—from Frank Strunk III, known for his oxidized metal pieces and kinetic sculptures, to Tes One, whose paintings proudly wear their affiliation with graffiti and graphic design—is also a boon for Nova 535. Save a two-person show of Theo Wujcik and Jay Giroux last year, the beautifully restored space (and its ultra-high ceilings) has rarely been stretched to its full potential as a venue for big work.
And just in time for the event, Vitale may have an excuse to splurge at Nova’s granite bar. His commercial mural, sign and graphics business has bounced back with a call from a major corporate client.
“It seems like there’s a glimmer of hope out there,” he says.
Size Matters, Fri., July 10, 8 p.m., $5, Nova 535, 535 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. St. N., St. Petersburg, 727-821-6682, nova535.com.
Participating artists: Bask, Tes One, Frank Strunk III, Sarah Hutcherson, Ron Pieniak, TW Curtis, Hydro 74, Chris Parks, Chad Mize, Phillip Clark, Hugsmugglers, Andrew Spear, Dolla Bill, Davey Montooth, Terribly Odd, Andrea Pawlisz, Ricardo Hernandez Marquez, Melia, Krystal Ralph, Smilemaker, Joey Vitale, Paul Vitale and John Vitale.
Megan Voeller is Creative Loafing’s visual art critic. She teaches at the University of Tampa and blogs at Artsqueeze.com.
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