Dirty But Sophisticated IV. The fourth installment of this multidisciplinary art party puts an emphasis on collaboration. For four months, 16 artists in four teams of four have been working together to create the hybrid fashion and art forms they'll reveal Saturday night. Participants include Ivanka Ska, Brandon Dunlap, Ben Chmura, Chris Parks, Marina Williams, Anthony Zollo, Lynda Bostrom, Pyramid Photography, Jay Giroux and Theo Wujcik. For more information, go to myspace.com/dirtybutsophisticated4. Sat., Feb. 2, 10 p.m., Czar, Tampa, 813-247-2664.
Dalí & Film. The Surrealist's deep engagement with moving images provides a jumping-off point for this exhibit, shown previously at the Tate Modern in London and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Comprising films, photographs, scripts and drawings, the show reveals yet another of Dalí's multiple dimensions. Feb. 8-June 1, Salvador Dalí Museum, St. Petersburg, 727-823-3767.
Polaroid Installation. In this homage to a nearly extinct technology, Tampa collective [5]art adorns its gallery inside the West Tampa Center for the Arts with Polaroid photographs amassed through an online call to artists. What the end product will look like is anyone's guess; this may be the ultra-low price point collecting opportunity of the season. Feb. 8-29, with a reception Fri., Feb. 8, 7-10 p.m., [5]art West, Tampa, five-art.com.
Liquid World. Hot off winning a prestigious Pollock-Krasner Foundation grant last year, Elisabeth Condon enjoys a solo show at Bleu Acier. Devoted to the Tampa resident's works on paper — collages, monotypes and watercolor renditions of surreal landscapes — the show puts a spotlight on one of the area's most electrifying talents. Feb. 9- March 8, with a reception Sat., Feb. 9, 6-9pm, Blue Acier, Tampa, 813-272-9746.
Mark Messersmith: Natural Defenses. Floridian Mark Messersmith brings the teeming energy of the state's natural landscape into his colorful, large-scale paintings. In them, an untamed world of leathery gators, fierce cats and majestic birds hangs in the balance between endangerment and savage power. On Fri., March 7, Messersmith gives a slide lecture at 6 p.m. prior to the exhibit reception. March 1-June 1, Polk Museum of Art, Lakeland, 863-688-7743.
Drawing Beyond the Plane. While the TMA awaits the completion of a new waterfront building by Stanley Saitowitz, a temporary home in West Tampa's Centro Español will serve as a landing pad for exhibits with a contemporary focus. Regional and national artists are included in this show devoted to drawing's new and exciting forms. March 7-April 13, Tampa Museum of Art, Tampa, 813-274-8130.
Jun Kaneko. Japan-born Omaha resident Kaneko has earned wide acclaim for his larger-than-life ceramic constructions. Working with industrial kilns in the Midwest, he has created Buddha-like heads and enigmatic lozenge-shaped sculptures up to 13 feet tall, often decorated with brightly colored glazes and geometric patterns. The Arts Center show presents a survey of his ceramics, paintings and drawings from the past 20 years. March 7-May 10, The Arts Center, St. Petersburg, 727-822-7872.
The Second Coming. The gallery and graphic design studio formerly known as Blackout Creations resurfaces with a new name, Pale Horse, and an exhibit showcasing more than 25 cutting-edge artists working in styles inspired by comics, graffiti, tattoo, illustration and lowbrow art. Featuring Kathie Olivas, Brandt Peters, Heather Hannoura, Jarrod Eastman, Chris Musina, SmileMaker, Carrie Ann Baade, Allen Hampton, Bask, Red Labor and more. March 15-29, with a reception Sat., March 15, 8-11 p.m., Pale Horse Gallery, St. Petersburg, 727-823-6202.
Unveiled: Rarely Seen Art from the Collection. St. Pete's MFA opens its new, 33,000-square-foot Hazel Hough Wing to the public in March with a weekend of free admission. Through August, the MFA will use the new space to showcase rarely and never-before-seen works from the permanent collection, including works by Renoir, Pissarro, Matisse, Chuck Close and James Rosenquist. March 22-Aug. 26, Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg, 727-896-2667.
Cameron Gainer. This 30-something New Yorker has made a name for himself by recreating famous hoaxes. As part of his solo show at the University of South Florida Contemporary Art Museum, plans are afoot to install Gainer's fiberglass Loch Ness Monster and furry Big Foot in locations near the university. Coincides with USF's 2nd Annual MFA Graduation Exhibit. April 25-May 24, USFCAM West Gallery, Tampa, 813-974-4133.
Megan Voeller
This article appears in Jan 30 – Feb 5, 2008.
