Brian Hebert of the Fulton County Arts Council in Atlanta, Georgia says that the years '86 to '88 constitute two years; we say that's three years. We'll have to agree to disagree. Either way, they were banner years for the emergent artform of hip-hop, and now Brian is working with the Southwest Arts Center to examine the impact of that particular moment of culture as it expresses itself visually.
The Center has issued an open call to artists to participate in the juried group exhibition 86-88, and artists have until 13 October to submit work. Brian hopes that artists will take this opportunity to take a non-stereotypical look at hip-hop during those years and the years following. Rattling off names like EPMD, Public Enemy, and Boogie Down Productions, he says he'd like for artists to get beyond the blustery outer shell of such acts to get at the meaning behind the times that spawned them. He tells us he'd like to see more work of "serious substance," and not necessarily just images of people spinning on their heads.
Brian takes all this personally. "We fell in love with something that was real," he says, speaking of those halcyon days. Now he laments the often self-destructive impulse of hip-hop, hoping to reclaim some of its original motivating spirit in this exhibition.
The group show will be juried by Atlanta impresario Radcliffe Bailey. It is scheduled to open 17 November, and one artist will be chosen to receive a solo exhibition at the Center.
