Six contemporary artists and poets from Guatemala present work related to weaving. They consider the production of textiles as a site for knowledge, language transmission, and cultural tradition within Maya communities. Seen together, these artists’ works in textile, video, poetry, performance, and installation encompass ways of understanding history, relationships, legacies of violence, and survival.
At BABALU, we encourage you to “wine” about it! Come to Wine Down Wednesday, where we’re serving $5 house wines and half-priced select bottles up until 10 p.m. 🍷 See you there!
Start your weekend off right with $4 sangria by the glass at BABALU! 🍷🍓 We’ve also got a menu full of tapas and tacos that are perfect for sharing with friends and family! See you there!
Six contemporary artists and poets from Guatemala present work related to weaving. They consider the production of textiles as a site for knowledge, language transmission, and cultural tradition within Maya communities. Seen together, these artists’ works in textile, video, poetry, performance, and installation encompass ways of understanding history, relationships, legacies of violence, and survival.
Gregory Allen Smith takes the title of his sculpture exhibit from a quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson: “What is a weed? A weed is a plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered.” Using materials that are both conventional and unconventional, often discarded and found, Smith comments on human wastefulness and our relationship with nature. “I like to imagine how our misguided ‘control’ of the planet could affect future evolution,” he says, “and then combine this idea with my love of plants and animals along with pop culture, science fiction, and nostalgia. The colors of the pieces come from natural representations of toxicity, which are vivid and psychedelic. The newer addition of neon and phosphorescent refer back to my youth in the 90’s, when glowing neon and plastic seemed to be in every edgy storefront or new animated television show.”
Smith earned his Bachelor of Science in Mass Communication with an emphasis in Photography from Middle Tennessee State University In 2006. After moving back to Memphis, he completed his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at the University of Memphis in 2014. Since then, he has held the fulltime position of preparator at David Lusk Gallery.