Love Objects

By Catherine Fox

For the AJC

“Love Nests: Photographs and Objects.”

Through June 30. $10; $8, seniors and military; $5, students. 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Tuesdays- Saturdays. Museum of Design Atlanta, 285 Peachtree Center Ave., Marquis Two Tower. 404-979-6455. www.museumofdesign.org

The bottom line: An exercise in multi-media imagination yields engaging portraits of a cross-section of Atlantans.

The portraitist’s challenge is not in creating a likeness – photography made that a moot point more than a century and a half ago-- but in capturing character.

The artists in “Love Nests: Photographs and Objects” used just about every tool at their disposal -- interviews, photography, text, graphic design, objects, video and sound (though not all at once) -- to create the portraits of eleven Atlantans that fill two galleries at the Museum of Design Atlanta.

It took a village. A brainstorming session of MODA staff and others yielded the wide-spectrum list, including former ambassador Andrew Young, hair stylist Daniel Holzberger and street minister Prophet Love. Students at the Portfolio Center and the Georgia Tech Industrial Design Program, under the direction of Raja Schaar and Michael West, took the photos and initiated the concepts, which the pros at Iconologic, a brand design firm, executed and finessed. Most of the resulting installations are lively, compelling and as diverse as the subjects.

The original idea was that the subjects talk about a favorite object. Sometimes that object plays a large role in the piece. The rosary chosen by Chef Kevin Gillespie of Woodfire Grill, for instance, determined the composition of his portrait, which is a series of plates arranged like beads on a chain and a cross made of welded cutlery.

The beauty of the design is the way that it conveys what Gillespie feels about his vocation. The drawings of foodstuffs adorning the plates, the cutlery cross and the table setting below it express his belief that cooking food is about giving to others.

In other installations the "favorite thing" merely jump-started conversation. Not surprisingly, Bob Jameson, better known as Baton Bob, who dresses in cheerleader drag and struts Atlanta’s streets, chose his baton. In the piece, however, the baton is what it is – a prop in a performance. The essence of the portrait is his high-stepping good cheer.

The portrait consists of a series of transparent plastic sheets, hung like banners, one behind the other. A photo of Bob in action is printed on each and positioned so that the viewer can look through and see the movements of his hands and feet.

The two-sided portrait of Daron Joffe (Farmer D) embodies his passion for sustainable farming. On one side, the greenery of a wall terrarium is visible through his five-foot-tall visage embossed on a sheet of Plexiglas. On the other side, the photo shows his hands holding his favorite object, compost, seen against a backdrop of wall of same.

The project works on many levels. It encouraged collaboration and cross-fertilization among Atlanta’s design schools. It explores the seemingly endless possibilities of the venerable portrait genre. And it celebrates a cross-section of our community with verve and imagination. It takes all kinds and here they are.

Also on view: An exhibition about and by Atlanta architect Tim Frank, which focuses on his process and aims through three current projects. MODA is currently traveling a cleverly designed, entertaining and enlightening exhibit about green design called “ATLANTA: Beyond Bricks & Sticks.” It’s on display through April 12 at the Cobb Galleria Centre and will move to Piedmont Park for the Dogwood Festival, April 16-18. See the Web site for future locations.

Catherine Fox is chief art critic at ArtsCriticATL.com.