99 Luftballons, Chad Campbell
Assemblage artist Chad Campbell's latest body of work is a visual ode to . . . the incandescent lightbulb. Campbell has incorporated these bulbs into his art for as long as he has been making it—about 20 years. In the beginning, they were easy enough to come by. A construction worker by trade, he would "rescue" bulbs and other industrial scrap from the fabrication shops where he worked. But with the phasing out of incandescents for more efficient forms of lighting, he knows they will become increasingly hard to find. And so, a tribute.
The title of the show, 99 Luftballons, was chosen for a number of reasons. Realizing that the show would hang in June during the Independent Music + Art Festival, Campbell wanted a musical connection. The 1983 song by Nena seemed a good choice. The balloon imagery worked, too, because the lightbulbs in Campbell's pieces often serve as "hot air balloons" for the wire figures that hang from them. He also liked the thought of a funerary balloon release to mark the end of the incandescent era.
99 Luftballons open Friday, June 3rd with an artist reception from 6 to 9pm and can be seen during the Independent Music + Art Festival on Saturday, June 11 from noon to 8pm. Gallery hours: M-F, 9-5. The work hangs through June 24th.