Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this column are those of the author.
Local artist Aort Reed’s work was recently featured in the Drake White exhibit Toi et Moi held
in the former Pontone Gallery on Broad Street. Dean and I had stopped in early that evening
to find the place packed with an overflow of attendees spilling out onto the sidewalk.
I met up with Jason Craig and discussing my recent foray into digital art when Aort came over and gave me a hug. We talked for a minute and then he asked me “So, what are you doing tomorrow night?”
I looked him in the eye and said, “We are coming to see your show.”
The next evening, we headed downtown and parked beside the 600 Broad building. The gallery at 600
Broad is well known for the group exhibition receptions that are held each First Friday. Instead of a First Friday opening, though, it was bumped to first Saturday, and the featured exhibit wasn’t a group art show. This time it was VIBE, a solo exhibition of Aort’s works.
The reception had been going on for half an hour when we arrived. Regina Brejda, owner of 4P Studios
and gallery manager at 600 Broad, met us at the door with a price sheet and welcomed us to the exhibit.
I took a quick sweeping glance at the room and was awestruck. The artwork grabbed me by the throat
and wouldn’t let go.
The bold marks and creative use of color moved me. I’d seen Aort’s work in other places before, both on the mural he painted at the corner of 11th and Greene Streets and recently in his studio open house at the Westobou Annex, but I wasn’t prepared for the mind-blowing pieces that met
me that night.
A fan of Jean-Michel Basquiat’s work, Aort Reed channels the late artist in ways that are uniquely Aort’s
own. Each of his artworks tells a story, and I find that discovering the story is a deep dive into shape,
color and imagery. The mixed media paintings are large, too, averaging 48-inches by 48-inches in size. It’s the sheer magnitude of the artwork that drew me in initially, but as the stories began to unveil themselves to me I found myself deeply intrigued. A few of the pieces that struck me most were No. 12, “Dancing Lines,” No. 20, “SAME O” and No. 26, “Total Recall.”
This show is up through Dec. 30. If you love artwork that spurs the imagination and takes you on a
visual journey, you will enjoy viewing this show. Contact Regina Brejda at 4P Studios for gallery hours
and to schedule a visit. She can be reached at (706) 267-6724.
Visit Aort Reed online at https://www.aortreed.com.
Columnist Francie Klopotic can be found about the town attending concerts, arts exhibitions and almost any event highlighting Augusta’s cultural offerings.
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