Don't Bite the Pavement is a series of

contemporary art Contemporary art is the art of today, produced in the second half of the 20th century or in the 21st century. Contemporary artists work in a globally influenced, culturally diverse, and technologically advancing world. Their art is a dynamic com ...

exhibitions showcasing

installation art Installation art is an artistic genre of three-dimensional works that are often site-specific and designed to transform the perception of a space. Generally, the term is applied to interior spaces, whereas exterior interventions are often called ...

, expanded video, and

experimental film Experimental film or avant-garde cinema is a mode of filmmaking that rigorously re-evaluates cinematic conventions and explores non-narrative forms or alternatives to traditional narratives or methods of working. Many experimental films, parti ...

, which toured the west coast of the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

Biography

The Don't Bite the Pavement series began in 1999 in

Olympia, Washington Olympia is the capital of the U.S. state of Washington and the county seat and largest city of Thurston County. It is southwest of the state's most populous city, Seattle, and is a cultural center of the southern Puget Sound region. European ...

and eventually became a project of the organisation

ArtRod ArtRod is a nonprofit arts organization located in Tacoma, Washington. It was founded in 1958 and went through several incarnations including Allied Arts and Artists Exchange. The mission of ArtRod is to facilitate art exhibition in nontraditional p ...

. Each installment was loosely focused around an idea or theme and showcased innovative work by artists from around the world within the field of

video art Video art is an art form which relies on using video technology as a visual and audio medium. Video art emerged during the late 1960s as new consumer video technology such as video tape recorders became available outside corporate broadcasting ...

, expanded media,

microcinema The term "microcinema" can have two meanings. It can describe low-budget or amateur films shot mostly on digital video, edited on a computer, and then distributed via videotape, disc or over the Internet. Or it can describe a mode of low-budget exhi ...

, or

; providing a space for this work to be presented and creating dialogues between the site and the larger community. Around this time, artists and writers also began documenting and discussing this work in a reoccurring column likewise called Don't Bite the Pavement, which regularly featured interviews and articles in the journal

Toby Room ''Toby Room'' is a quarterly arts publication founded in 2001 and a project of ArtRod. Organized as a gallery in print, ''Toby Room'' featured writings, projects, and interviews amongst artists, filmmakers, and musicians, alongside contribution ...

. With each installment of the video series, Don't Bite the Pavement sought to create exhibitions that "engaged and challenged the community", while providing space and resources where artists could exhibit new work and develop novel approaches and projects.

Reception

Artforum ''Artforum'' is an international monthly magazine specializing in contemporary art. The magazine is distinguished from other magazines by its unique 10½ x 10½ inch square format, with each cover often devoted to the work of an artist. Notabl ...

contributor Emily Hall wrote that the project was "pulling together some of the most challenging and interesting work happening around Seattle" adding: "Let that be a modest but powerful lesson to all the naysayers and whiners who complain that innovative work isn't happening here." Artist Lauren Steinhart characterized the project as: :"Each gathering of Don't Bite the Pavement was a chance for artists and viewers to gather, interact, and to show and discuss their work both completed and in-progress. In this way, DBtP became an integral and vital part of the arts community." Early events included work by artists

Wynne Greenwood Wynne Greenwood (born 1977) is a queer feminist performance artist who works in various media such as installation art, photography, filmmaking and music. One of her well known projects include the electropop and video project group, Tracy + ...

(

Tracy + the Plastics Tracy + the Plastics is an American electropop and video project group from Olympia, Washington, United States. The members include Nikki Romanos on keyboard, Cola on drums, and Tracy as the lead vocals. Although the name implied the group was ma ...

), Denise Baggett (Smith),

Jared Pappas-Kelley Jared Pappas-Kelley is an American curator, researcher, and visual artist. He studied at The Evergreen State College, Goddard College and the European Graduate School where he served as Graduate Teaching Assistant for both Jean-Luc Nancy and Paul ...

, Tim Sullivan, Anna Jordan Huff (

Anna Oxygen Anna Jordan Huff is an American multi-media artist, composer, producer and actress best known by her stage name Anna Oxygen. After starting her music career as a member of the Space Ballerinas, a synthpop group then based in Olympia, she reco ...

), Cathy de la Cruz,

Nathan Howdeshell Gossip (or The Gossip) was an American indie rock band formed in Searcy, Arkansas, originally active from 1999 until 2016. For most of their career, the band consisted of singer Beth Ditto, multi-instrumentalist Brace Paine, and drummer Hannah ...

(from the band

the Gossip Gossip (or The Gossip) was an American indie rock band formed in Searcy, Arkansas, originally active from 1999 until 2016. For most of their career, the band consisted of singer Beth Ditto, multi-instrumentalist Brace Paine, and drummer Hannah ...

), April Levy, Michael Lent, Jason Gutz, Devon Damonte, Lauren Steinhart, Bryan Connolly, Bridget Irish, and has also included work by

David Blandy David Blandy (born 1976) is a British artist. He was educated at the Slade School of Fine Art and the Chelsea College of Art and Design in London. Blandy produces video, performances and comics that deal with his problematic relationship with p ...

and

George Kuchar George Kuchar (August 31, 1942 – September 6, 2011) was an American underground film director and video artist, known for his "low-fi" aesthetic. Early life and career Kuchar trained as a commercial artist at the School of Industrial Art, now kn ...

with the average screening consisting of pieces by emerging and established artists.

External links

ArtRod official website

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Don't Bite the Pavement Video art Culture of Olympia, Washington Contemporary art exhibitions Installation art Experimental film