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Twin Town High (vol. 8) |
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Mike Dvorak @ Artistic Indulgence
Wednesday 21 April @ 12:49:37 |
 by Valerie Valentine
Go to openings: a guiding principle of any arts writer. By attending gallery nights, you can fit in a whole night out in one stop. Galleries offer a free visual feast, with attendees as entertaining as the new art on the walls. Sometimes music or performances take place. I can meet the artists if I have questions about their work. I may even enjoy the occasional free drink or buffet. Oops, did I just give all the secrets away—my fun is done! Well, no. I hope to see hundreds flocking to all the new openings in weeks to come. Curious droves, come out of hiding! It’s spring, after all.
The opening for Mike Dvorak’s photography series at Artistic Indulgence was a hedonistic hot spot. “Gallery Grooves” was going on. If you’ve heard about this event around town, it’s when a local jazz radio station collides with art, by way of a fancy-pants stereo system. The merge of music with this work was appropriate; Dvorak’s photos feature jazz musicians.
The black and white portraits incorporate the Dakota jazz club as a point of reference. In this study of performance and practice, Dvorak captured individual musicians interacting with their art. Featured faces exude both joy and concentration.
Hard lines of instruments frame the compositions. Just like music is part math, photography revels in a dash of geometry. Dvorak makes isosceles triangles of Charles Lloyd’s flute, arms and chest, and with Barbara Morrison’s microphone and face. Roy Hargrove’s trumpet cuts the frame into two trapezoids. The artist’s care creates tender testaments in tribute to music and its makers.
A large screen holds Terrance Blanchard’s blurred trumpet, his motion captured in a still, as a single note vibrates. Marcus Roberts’ hand poised tautly over the keys also secures a singular moment: the anticipatory space before the next chord strikes. Junior Mance sits contemplating over keys, the piano reflected in his spectacles, perhaps as he reflects on his accomplished career.
The musical soundtrack and general buzz of this opening reception created a gentle facsimile of an actual night in a jazz club. Better yet, this night was free and for all ages. So next opening or gallery night you hear about, check out the new views. From the white fros in sport coats to the girls with pierced cheeks and cherubic grins, people-watching can be the most fun of all. But supporting your local art scene is the most important part, of course. Might as well sip and nibble, while you’re at it!
Mike Dvorak’s photography runs through May 12. Artistic Indulgence, Irene & Mike Menasco, 302 East Hennepin Ave., Mpls. 612-746-4508.
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