Photos from Fade 2 Blaq

Portrait series by Melodee Strong

Last weekend, I was invited by my friend Chris Harrison to check out the art show he was in, called Fade 2 Blaq which was held in an office building in downtown Minneapolis. This art show did not disappoint. This show was like an art walk, and it was like going to 17 different slow shows as each artist had their own rooms inside one floor of this expansive office building. The entire layout had been repainted and transformed to completely metamorphose the space. In the common areas each artist had a number of works on display, a DJ was playing and there was the obligatory table of snacks and drinks. As you began to explore the space, you could enter any one of the rooms labeled with an artists name and be transported into a miniature solo show of each artists' work.

Now, the real delight of the show was variety of work and the quality of the art. You could find large abstract work, realist portraits, political work, children's book art, comic book art, sculptures, surrealist work, graffiti art and a lot of art that seemed to be a style all of its own. Without going on to long, why dont I just show you what I am talking about. Check out these photos of the event.

Incredible children book illustrations and paintings.
Graffiti artist Aaron Kupcho had a very impressive yellow room. It had strong African vibes and the other wall was an actual tag, which was really incredible. You can see it on the Fade 2 Blaq website. Abstract series by Chris Harrison. This is a stunning set of work. Both whimsical, inventive, bold and powerful all at the same time. These really jump off the wall at you.
Painting by Chris Harrison.
A photo of Chris Harrison speaking about the themes of the art in his room. There was some very powerful pieces in his room, including portraits of people with melting faces.
There was more artwork around every corner.

One of my favorite bodies of work was by young artist, AnaLaura Jaurez. Her work was a mixture of surreal dreamlike images, with bright colors and interesting compositions. I assume she was the youngest artist in the show, and I expect really big things for her as she studies at Minneapolis College of Art and Design. It was great to see her work.

If you could not tell from the photos above, the work they did to get this show ready was impressive. The walls on one side were white and then had a steady gradient to black on the other side, including the pillars and posts. It made for a very visually stunning display.