Paul Slocum's "Blueprint"

We explored James Cope’s love life last week in our Q&A for Art&Seek…now we will explore his newest project. The Goss-Michael curator gathered four local notable art visionaries for his latest show, Blueprint. The group exhibit, opening tomorrow at the McKinney Avenue Contemporary, The MAC, will feature works from artists Brian Fridge, Amy Revier, Edward Setina and Paul Slocum.

We caught up really quick with James over email:

A&S: So why Blueprint?

JC: I have been interested in the idea of the archetype and originality for some time and a blueprint has always reminded me of something unique and original, like a starting point for project. The Blueprint process was originally developed by the British scientist, Sir John Herschel in 1842 as a photographic process called a cyanotype. I am fascinated with science and the idea of art and science being practiced as one like in the Renaissance period. Paul Slocum’s work is a great example.

A&S: How did you decide on the artists you selected?

JC: I have been watching Brian Fridge, Amy Revier, Ted Setina and Paul Slocum make work for the last few years and have always wanted to put them in a show. When I was invited to curate a show at the MAC I really wanted to work with these artists and I had already been thinking of this show for awhile. I could have worked with very established artists from New York and Europe, but I wanted to do something with artists in the community that I now live in. Through this show I hope to give the artists a platform to express their gestures freely and without constraint and hopefully this can function as a stepping stone to bigger projects in the future for them.

A&S: What’s special about these particular emerging artists?

JC: Brian Fridge has been making amazing work for awhile now and was included in the Whitney Biennial several years ago as well as the FT Modern Museum. Amy Revier is extremely talented and has just received a Fulbright Fellowship grant. Ted Setina has just recently finished a residency program at Centraltrak in Dallas. And Paul Slocum is one of the leading artists making new media art in the world right now and has shown at the New Museum in NYC and the MAC Denver.  

James says that anyone who comes to the opening Saturday at the MAC from 5:30 to 7:30 pm will not only get to view great art, but also get dinner — FREE beer and hot dogs. We’re sold.

Blueprint runs at The Mac from Sept. 5 to Oct 10.