The Artist’s Journey: Adventures of the Archetypal Artist opens 6 PM – 9 PM on April 11, 2019 at Mason Fine Art Gallery in Atlanta, Georgia. The exhibition is on view until May 30, 2019.

Curated by Dodd Alum Gunnar Tarsa, this group exhibition features artists with connections to the Lamar Dodd School of Art. Current students, alumni, and emeritus faculty come together to for the Artist’s Journey, an observation and a celebration of the Artist-Scientist archetype enhancing itself in the lives and works of artists.  Works in the exhibition were selected to symbolized the fabled “Hero’s Journey” which is an archetypal story pattern present in monomyths and stories alike. It aims to outline the arc of the typical hero and has recurred throughout human history. Tarsa believes the role of the Artist follows a very similar arc, especially in terms of the act of creating.

From the Curator:

Throughout human history, we have engaged with tales from the storytellers across a multitude of cultures. There is a primordial power present in the stories of new and old that resonates within our being. One of history’s most seasoned storytellers is the Artist-Scientist: A Jungian archetype that can be defined as constantly dreaming, thinking, seeking and exploring the unimagined to create stories in the age-old attempt to articulate the unknown. The late Joseph Campbell described this identity as such,

“That curiously disinterested, always diabolic human phenomenon, beyond the normal bounds of social judgement, dedicated to the morals not of their time but of their art. They are the hero in the way of thought – singlehearted, courageous, and full of faith that the truth, as they find it, shall make us free.”

Having walked along this path and conversed with many others who identify themselves as an artist, I have seen this mythic archetype enacted within our creative lives. None of us represent the perfect archetypal artist, but together we embody the many facets of this needed cultural role. We look towards our own personal myths and practices to overcome fears, doubts, and tribulations of the creative process. In one another, we see a story unfolding to keep us on the path.   

Although the stories, images, and individuals involved are ever-changing, the artist’s urge to create is universal.  The evidence of this archetypal form existing is not only seen in the creations we bear, but also in unorthodox experiences of our lives. Every moment in an artist’s life builds into the images they create. For that we must take time to celebrate the life-long adventure at hand for all those who find themselves on the Artist’s Journey.

To learn more about some of the artist involved and their stories, head over to “The Mind Matter Podcast” which can be found on Spotify, iTunes, Soundcloud & Podbean.

Artists included in the exhibition:

Art Rosenbaum
Andrea Murillo
Allan Innman
Benjamin Rouse
Benjamin Thrash
Catherine Freeman
Dan Smith
Hannah Ehrlich
Jackie Faass
Jennifer Niswonger-Morris
Joe Camoosa
Kendal Jacques
Kimberly McWhorter
Matt Ruhlin
Maximos Salzman
Micheal Ross
Paula Reynaldi
Rachel Watson
Taylor Shaw
Tyler Fisher
Sam Cherof
Spence Townsend
Yeonsoo Kim