What’s this? It’s a new, semi-regular feature to FrontBurner. (“Semi-regular” meaning I just did one, would like to do another, have no idea when.) “IM Just Saying” is an interview done via IM, iChat, Adium, or similar software. It may have time relevance, it may not. This first one does. The subject is artist Brian Gibb. He’s half of (Best of Big D-awarded) Art Prostitute and runs The Public Trust, a gallery in Deep Ellum. It is at that gallery this Friday that he will have an opening reception for his exhibition, “Please Believe Me.” That’s a sample of his work at left — the script says, “away from her.” For more info on it and him and Apple computers, check out the interview after the jump.
11:13 AM
Me: Hello?
Brian Gibb: Sup…
Brian Gibb: You disappeared
Me: Yeah. I picked a bad time to do a Software Update.
Me: My Mac said, “Enough.”
Brian Gibb: Nice…
Brian Gibb: My Mac says, “I’m old and tired” before it pulls those stunts
11:15 AM
Me: PowerBook G4 over here. Circa 2 years ago.
Brian Gibb: I am rollin’ the same desktop since 02.
Brian Gibb: Lot a [stuff] has gone down on this thing…
Brian Gibb: It’s like the millennium falcon of computers
Me: Wife “made me” upgrade home desktop as the 17″ (wide) and 32″ deep (or so it seemed) Studio Display didn’t mesh with the vibe we were going for. But the old gray tower is safe and sound in the closet.
Me: “made me” … like I needed an excuse to get a new iMac
Brian Gibb: nice
Me: Alright. Enough Apple geekery.
Brian Gibb: lay it on me…
Me: How is your mental state now that you are within 100 hours of the opening? (I’m guessing on the math.)
Brian Gibb: I am holding up surprisingly well… I can’t say what I will be like in the next 24-48 but so far so good
11:20 AM
Brian Gibb: It is a lot easier on me since it is my own work…I don’t have to worry about what I will think of it
Me: How many pieces?
Brian Gibb: 10 paintings, a giant installation of custom made pinatas, 1 super huge plush sculpture and an installation of screenprints…
Brian Gibb: and a couple of these light box typography pieces…
Brian Gibb: oh and fake diamonds
Me: Sounds like a lot … But then again, the promo piece *did* say your show covers a four-year stretch “in which [you have] lived with a single dream.” This dream… does it involve anything scary?
Me: Like snakes? Or bears?
11:25 AM
Brian Gibb: It is a really personal show for sure… I think it adds a human touch to the machine like rate in which I have been going at for the last 4 years
Brian Gibb: There is a high price to be paid for living so long with a single dream
Me: Is it possible to encapsulate that dream in 12 words or less? Or is it one of those things that’s best left undefined?
Brian Gibb: I’ll give it a shot…
11:30 AM
Me: I can give you up to 16 words, if it’d help.
Brian Gibb: To not only sustain doing what I love, but to thrive doing what I love and keep taking further and further.
Brian Gibb: keep taking it further and further.
Me: Roger that. On a separate but related note: How goes the Deep Ellum location?
11:35 AM
Brian Gibb: It has its ups and downs. This is a forgotten area. People are reminded of it when I or Road Agent and Barry Whistler have openings, but for the most part not many people make it an effort to come out otherwise. I think the public perception of this area has been really poor for a long time and I hope that will change as time goes on.
Me: Agreed. Okay. Back to your art: I was going to try to describe your style. I came up with “whimsical,” but didn’t want that to make it sound slight. And I tried to come up with other terms, but soon remembered I ain’t no art critic. So. You get three adjectives to describe it. Go.
Me: (And if you use “whimsical,” it’d make me happy and self-confident.)
Me: (no pressure)
11:40 AM
Brian Gibb: whimsical, hopeful with a tinge of sadness
Brian Gibb: like a neutral milk hotel song
Me: Wow. I was *just* about to make a music reference.
Me: I was going to suggest maybe early Built to Spill.
Brian Gibb: that will do as well
Me: But NMH sounds perfect.
Brian Gibb: carry the zero, best song ever
Me: Saw him/them live about 5 years ago. It was a good. Memorable mostly because it was the same night of the Oscars.
Me: In retrospect, it’s patently ridiculous that I even wavered on going.
Me: (This was before I had a Tivo)
Me: (So it musta been longer than 5 years ago)
Me: Okay. I’ll let you go hammer picture hangers into walls and sweep floors and whatever else needs doing pre-Friday.
Me: Anything else you’d like to mention?
11:45 AM
Brian Gibb: My closing thoughts…
11:50 AM
Brian Gibb: My hope is that people will consider art more in Dallas. There are a lot of amazing galleries in this city and there is something for everybody. Not everything costs a grip, and every little bit helps us all keep it going.
Me: Agreed. If this convo was over beers, I’d probably launch into a misinformed and rambling monologue about the matter. But I do want to tip my hat to you guys for keeping art young and cool around here. Denton’s loss is our gain.
Brian Gibb: Thanks…I appreciate the nod
Me: And thanks for the willingness to subject yourself to this little interview experiment.
Brian Gibb: It was refreshing
Me: Hope all goes well on Friday and hope to see you there.
Brian Gibb: nice to not sit here and brood over what I am going to say
Me: Right. Easier on this end, too.
Me: Same time tomorrow?
Me: Kidding.
Brian Gibb: nice one.
Me: Get to work. See you around. Take care. l8r.
Brian Gibb: word.
