The Revolution Will Not Be Televised

It's true that the revolution may not be televised, but I suspect it will be well-documented nonetheless. Much like the sentiments captured in the song by Gil Scott-Heron of the same name, actual shifts in civil rights movements, both locally and globally, often occur in pavement cracks too small for large-scale media to capture or easily digest in two-minute news segments or 1,000-word stories. However, local nonprofit gallery space Altered Esthetics has invited over 50 local and international artists to share over 100 pieces surrounding the social and political issues of people and movements that don't make the nightly news, but perhaps should. Works include installations, sculptures, performance art, and other artistic forms. Paintings range from satire (one colorful image shows oil spouting over chips to be consumed casually like nacho cheese) to tragic (a man cradles a child while standing in front of a pile of dead bodies). Photographer Rebecca Finley captures the invisibility of the poor in our day-to-day lives. In Progress: New Delhi, India she captures a beggar, her hand outstretched as a blurry resident walks through the frame without a sideways glance. These images remind us that there is far more struggle daily than what we see in the news. Opening reception 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, August 1.
July 31-Aug. 30, 2008