Solvent, the artist collective formed by past and present University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) students, is participating in McKinney’s Second Saturday Art Walk.
Their show, entitled Solvent 2, happens 6:30-10:00 p.m., Sept. 10 at the Second Floor Gallery located at 221 E. Louisiana St in downtown McKinney, TX.
Here is what a few of the featured artists had to say about the upcoming show.
What is Solvent?
A solvent is an agent you place into a mixture which retains its individual essence. It makes for a very anarchistic system because individuality is not compromised, while being a part of the whole stands out almost as much. Everyone in the group has such diverse backgrounds, so in that sense, the way we make decisions can be referenced. It’s a community based on the individuality of each person. People need to join in the art of unadulterated creation.
We have seen a disintegration into an insular structure of specialists in the art world. Solvent represents a return to a unified tolerance atmosphere of artistic creation. It embraces many forms so that people with no prior art experience can see different forms and get caught up in what they have been missing.
Jason Parry
Graduate Student
UTD
There’s a lot of respect, trust and love between us. We drive each other as well, which is a beautiful thing.
Adnan Razvi
Alumnus
UTD
Why McKinney?
We target a different group in McKinney than, say, Deep Ellum. I think people will like it because they probably haven’t seen anything like it before. It also brings in people from outside McKinney to the area, which is great for the city. It’s not like your typical downtown Dallas gallery. It has a different feel to it. The space is a fabric shop. We wanted to open a space to upcoming artists. Its will be helping UTD artists and art lovers a lot
Janan Siam
Alumna
UTD
Understanding that downtown was once the cultural/economic center of McKinney, and remains to be a growing epicenter for small businesses, it is felt that Solvent corresponds to that progressive nature. Downtown McKinney is an area that has supported and encouraged us as a collective to engage our yearning for the promotion of the Arts. It has also been realized that our possibilities are endless. With so many struggling to stay afloat in a recession, we have concluded that with hard work comes rewards. Aside from monetary gains, our lives can be made more whole by acting as a collective. Bringing to fruition a wealth of personal satisfaction and opportunity that can only be measured by our excitement to continue creating art. Art which will inspire others imagination and creativity to make a difference in their lives and community
Zachary Morriss
General Studies Junior
UNT
Being a group of very contemporary artists, I think that showing in downtown McKinney, or any historic down town area, has both its advantages and disadvantages in that it partially removes us from the typical epicenter of contemporary art – the city. While this puts us further from our typical target audience, it lands us in an area where contemporary art can be seen through and appreciated from a different perspective. Art, especially local art, also typically thrives in these historic suburban downtowns. By bringing local contemporary artists with fresh ideas into a historic area, we add a sense of artistic diversity to the area and can appeal to a different aesthetic than what is already established in the area.
If we continue to create new and interesting art, even if we show in these suburban areas exclusively, eventually, the city crowd will realize something important is happening here and will make the (short) drive to see it.
Spencer Brown-Pearn
Alumnus
UTD
Future Exhibits
The artwork cycles out every month so it’s always something new. Starting with Solvent 2, it will be more of a museum-style showing in which each artist only has one or two pieces. We are trying to have a show every month that coincides with McKinney’s downtown Second Saturday Art Walk. We will also be having house shows as often as possible. They next one is expected in early October.
Janan Siam
Written by Stephanie Vastine
Artwork, entitled Psyche, by Kia Wright—another featured artist in the Solvent 2 show.
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