CivilianArtProjectsintro ByAndyGrundberg Therecipeforcreatingacontemporaryartsceneisnothardtointuit.Takesome innovative,eager,personableyoungartists,addafewhipcommercialgalleries andartistrunspaces,somesaavycollectors,atleastonecriticofenthusiasmand intelligence,apinchofmediaoutletsforsuchcriticism,anearbymuseumwitha contemporaryartcurator,andyourchoiceofawelcomingrestaurant,bar,or coffeeshopwhereallthesepeoplecanmeet,andthenmixwell.Voila!Who needsNewYork? Therealityisabitmorecomplicated.Plentyofcitieshavetheminimumdaily requirementsforanartscenebutdontquitepullitoffSanFrancisco,say,or Boston.Thatsbecauseartisultimatelyaboutsomethingelse:imagination,talent, risktaking,havingsomethingtosay. InWashington,D.C.,anartsceneistakingshapetoday.

ay.Thatsasmuch testamenttotheimaginationandrisktakingofthepeoplewhochoosetoshow contemporaryartasoftheartistswhomakeit.CivilianArtProjectsisagreat exampleofagrassrooted,artscommunitybased,independentminded showplaceforartthatcomplementsthecitysotherinnovativeenterprises,from thelate,lamentedFuseboxtoTransformertotheHirshhornMuseum.Thelist couldgoon. CivilianArtProjectsisthebrainchildofJaymeMcLellan,acofounderof Transformerandacontemporaryofmanyoftheartistsshenowrepresentsasa commercialgalleryist.Hervisionissympathetictoabroadmixofmediaand styles,shebelievesintheimportanceofhergenerationofartists,andhertiming isimpeccable.Withthis,Civiliansfirstshow,shegivesusaglimpseofwhat theseyoungartistshavetosay. JasonFalchookscolorphotographsdepictunprepossessing,unpopulatedurban spaceslitwiththeenervatingglowofmercuryvaporlights.Theyhavethe isolatedeerinessofsurveillancepictures,butthecorrugatedfencesandshutters andstarkbuildingsaretheirownprotagonists.Thetimeisnightornearlyso, andwithouttheintersessionofthephotographweprobablywouldnotlinger longtoexaminethescenesindetail.FalchookcallstheseriesContours& Detours,butwemightalsoaddacoda,PlacesWedJustasSoonAvoid.Still, thebrightlightsourcesgiveoffwhatpassesforwarmth,andonesuspectsthat

beyondtheterrorwearemadetofeelliesasympathyforapresentthatseems equallytospeakofthepastandthefuture. JasonZimmermansseriesNaturalActscontinueshisphotographic explorationofincidentalevidencesuppliedbythephysicalworld.LikeFalchook, hepositionsnatureandhumanityinatenuousbalance,butwhileFalchooks picturesreadassurveillanceZimmermansappearforensic.Whatevertheword documentarymeanswhenappliedtothecamera,ithastractionhere,in imagesofchippedchinaandgooeyaluminumfoilandotherfrayedobjects,but fornoimaginableupliftingsocialpurpose.CallitDocumentaryDegreeZero,a collectionofevidenceforwhichthereisnocrime. Takentogether,andincompanywiththeotherartistsontherosterofCivilian ArtProjects,FalchookandZimmermanaresniffingoutsimilaraesthetic territory,fashioningadiscoursethattempersinevitabilityandlosswith possibilityandwonder.Withoutseemingcynicalorhectoring,theirworksteers ustowardconsideringartasacriticalinstrumentthatembracesfeelingand subjectivityascrucialtoitsmeaning. Thedebutofanewgallerythatcelebrateslocaltalentisalwaysacausefor celebrationandoptimism,inpartbecauseitsignalstheviabilityofanew aestheticpointofview.Inthiscase,thecauseforoptimismisevengreatersince thereisanassumptionthatthisviewpointhasamarketthatcollectorsand curatorswillsupporttheseartistsandthisgallery.Basedontheevidenceofthis firstshow,theyshould.
AndyGrundbergisacritic,curator,andeducatorwhohaswrittenaboutphotographyformorethan25years.His writingsfortheNewYorkTimesandotherpublicationsarecollectedinthebookCrisisoftheReal(Aperture).