'Art?' Altered Esthetics explores the definition of art

Amber Janey

​What is art? Is it a million-dollar painting? Can it be a bunch of crap found in an old shed? Is it all in the eye of the beholder, or is the meaning of art molded from a collective agreement on the definition? It's an age-old question that can never truly be answered in a way that is 100 percent satisfying.

Regardless of art's ever-changing meaning, it's still a fun question to ask and to try to answer. This is the playful premise of Altered Esthetics' latest show, "Art?"

Julie Ganser

​A group show, each artist will present pieces that challenge our modern notions of art through sculpture, photography, painting, and installation. Some have used unconventional materials, such as Julie Ganser's piece, which employs bubble wrap as a base. Rather than popping and tossing the disposable plastic wrap, the she has filled each bubble with bits of colorful material.

With the work of Amber Janey and Dennis Church, art is all in the framing. One photograph by Church captures a scene that would typically be considered mundane: two power boxes and some overrun bushes. But the image is surprisingly compelling. The bright fuchsia flowers blooming on the bush contrast beautifully with greens of the grass, the power boxes, and the bushes. Janey's random found pieces--a picture of Jesus telling us "Don't Fuck up!," a plastic deer head, and a bright orange vinyl chair--are as eye-catching as they are smile-inducing.

Dennis Church

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What is the value of art? Jennifer Weigel asks this question directly, printing a statement on top of a framed painting from China that she purchased at the Dollar Store.

IF YOU GO:

"Art?"
Altered Esthetics
1224 Quincy St. NE, Minneapolis
The opening reception runs from 7 to 10 p.m. Friday, May 6