Exhibitions
MELISSA SIMS & PRICE HARRISON: HIGH OCTANE
Modfellows Art Gallery / 3655 Trousdale Dr., Suite C, Nashville, TN, TN June 18, 2022 - July 16, 2022
Melissa Sims, Price Harrison
Melissa Sims’ work utilizes motifs from collage and pop art, in that several different images are combined into one cohesive but surreal landscape. Sims composes paint-by-number style landscapes punctuated by hyper-realistic neon signs. Through remixing familiar or nostalgic imagery, Sims produces unexpected narratives and humorous contradictions. She meticulously paints these surreal scenes onto wood panels which are then preserved beneath a thick, shiny resin. She paints using oil and acrylic, creating multiple layers that add depth to these effervescent scenes. Sims holds a BFA in Photography and a BA in Art History from The University of Georgia and continued to hone her technique during her 17 years in Los Angeles. She currently lives and works from her hometown of Atlanta, Georgia.
While Price Harrison’s photographs are rooted in reality, his photographs also encompass themes of urban decay and the American south. They evoke a vernacular modernity of planar surfaces, unexpected light, and industrial products in twenty-first century America. His photographs frequently suggest some recent or future human presence and activity. As with all art practice, Harrison’s images coax and spur us to look again at the world in which we live.
Price Harrison earned a Bachelor’s Degree in English and Fine Arts at Vanderbilt University in 1984. He studied architecture at Yale University where he earned a Master’s Degree. In 1987 he began an architectural apprenticeship in New York with the late Paul Rudolph. After studying with Mr. Rudolph, Harrison went on to work with Richard Meier and Partners and I.M. Pei. From 1987-1998 Harrison lived in New York, NY where he began to focus on black and white film photography, particularly the burgeoning east coast garage rock scene that emerged in the 90’s. Since moving back to Nashville, Harrison has concentrated on digital images that explore the relationship of people with the built environment. Harrison’s formal emphasis is primarily color, composition and unexpected light.
