Big Car participated a long-term partnership with the Indianapolis Museum of Contemporary Art (iMOCA) via our Design For Good program. During that time we also partnered with iMOCA to bring several exhibits and performances to Indianapolis.
Partnership exhibits:
Brent Green’s Gravity Was Everywhere Back Then is based on a true story and expressed through hand-drawn imagery, live action, live music, and stop-motion animation, Brent Green’s Gravity Was Everywhere Back Then tells the tale of a man named Leonard who fought against reason and nature to create a miracle that would save his wife from a terminal illness. Heartbreaking romantic, darkly humorous, and philosophically challenging, Green contemplates everything from the power of human will and the futility of our actions to the vastness of space and the existence of God. Gravity is Everywhere Back Then cuts from the film to live music performed by the director and his band (including Brendan Canty/Fugazi; Todd Chandler/Dark Dark Dark; Drew Henkels/Drew and the Medicinal Pen) using the film as a backdrop, with sequences contributed by award-winning American filmmaker Jem Cohen (Benjamin Smoke, Instrument, Museum Hours).
Bodies of Waters, an exhibition inspired by characters in John Waters films created by top pop surrealist artists: Elizabeth McGrath, Glenn Barr, Amy Casey, Paul Chatem, Ken Garduno, Lisa Petrucci, Aunia Kahn, Yumiko Kayukwaw, Floyd Jaquay, Shaunna Peterson, Casey Roberts, Mab Graves, Philip Campbell, Kristen Ferrell, Jacqueline Pichardo,Angie Mason, and Danielle de Picciotto .
Color Me______: We all like to have fun. We all like to play. And we all remember the simple joy of transforming black and white pages into visions of vibrant color. Humorous and welcoming, the work of Andy J. Miller and Andrew Neyer connects people of all ages to fond memories of uninhibited and youthful creativity, to a time and place when the world was at the disposal of our imaginations. By inviting everyone to participate — to color — the work becomes a true collaboration, a game, and a chance for us all to harken back to our youth — something surrealist Andre Breton considered crucial to a life well-lived. “If man retains some lucidity, he cannot help turning back towards his childhood which, spoiled though it was by his trainers, seems to him to be full of charms,” Breton wrote. “Every morning children leave without anxiety. All is ready, the worst material conditions are excellent. The woods are white or black, they will never go to sleep.
Sublime is Not a Guilty Pleasure — Pieces of a Man Living Next Door to Nathaniel Hammond: The world of Benny Sanders is a funny place: humorous, strange, surreal, crazy, sad, and sometimes lonely. And he often shares his real-world experiences — along with the thoughts in his head — in the virtual world, through Facebook updates and Tweets. This exhibit brings together these ideas and impressions with the street-video work of Nathaniel Hammond. Like Sanders, Hammond is an observer of Indianapolis — allowing his camera to reflect the people and energy of this city he wanders, often by bicycle. And the video by Hammond gives viewers an inside perspective of what goes on in his mind — and through his camera — on a daily basis. The exhibit also includes a book by Sanders written to commemorate the “bewildering times and awful memories” of living with a group of people next door to Hammond (one of the most inspiring people Sanders has met). The text and photos for the book come from online posts Sanders made in the last five years.
Rutherford Chang’s We Buy White Albums: It looks like a record store. But upon closer inspection visitors will discover that the store only stocks one title: The Beatles’ “White Album.” And nothing is for sale. In fact, Rutherford Chang is interested in buying more copies. Pursuing an interest in exhaustive cataloguing, Chang has collected over 750 first-pressings of “The White Album,” featuring an all-white cover designed by Richard Hamilton. He considers the serialized first-press, an edition running in excess of 3 million, to be the ultimate collector’s item, and aims to amass as many copies as possible. Chang has created an archive, listening library, and anti-store to house and grow his collection of the Beatles’ iconic record. The album covers are weathered, often with marks or writing from previous owners, and the vinyl discs are usually scratched or warped. The character of each copy, distinctly shaped by its history, is told through the physicality of the media. This phenomenon, at the cusp of extinction due to digital technologies, is made apparent by the identical yet unique multiples that comprise Chang’s collection.
The Opposite of Lost: Indianapolis-based artist and musician Nathaniel Russell created an exhibit of “fake fliers.” Most are about imaginary lost or found things. Some are offbeat and funny, others touching or mysterious. Some of these fliers have been posted online to later appear, anonymously, in cities around the world. Nathaniel Russell makes drawings, paintings, prints, sculptures, photos, and music. After receiving an undergraduate degree in printmaking, he spent several years in the bay area making poster, record covers, and woodcuts. He now splits his time between central Indiana and northern California, where he spends most of his time creating large drawings, silkscreens and wooden cut-outs. His work has been shown internationally, including solo and group exhibitions in San Francisco, New York, London, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Tokyo. His design work has been seen on numerous t-shirts, record sleeves, and posters throughout the world. Nathaniel also regularly updates his blog, Crooked Arm, with new drawings, photos, and sketches.
