Modern Day Vagabonds
January 04, 2009
Modern Day Vagabonds
ARTISTS AARON MEMMOTT AND PENELOPE MOORE have been traveling the
country on a painting adventure for nearly a year, while paying
next-to-nothing for their accommodations. They gave up their permanent
residence and jobs in Savannah, GA--where Memmott had a full time
faculty position as a professor at the Savannah College of Art and
Design--to set sail on what has become an unpredictable and rewarding
undertaking. They aren't homeless, and they don't live in hovels. They
have been trading their artwork to stay in vacation rentals and second
homes. With perseverance, planning, hard work and talent they have
successfully pitched a win-win art swap proposal to friends, collectors
and total strangers. Thus far, they have had a tremendous response.
The couple started their journey in Utah and made their first trade in
June, when they swapped their paintings for a chic, downtown Salt Lake
City apartment. Next, they lived in an upscale condo at the Canyons
Resort in Park City during the remainder of summer and fall. They
recently spent two weeks in Albuquerque in a rustic hillside retreat,
while they exhibited their work at the Downtown Arts Festival. They are
currently residing in a luxurious mountain hideaway in Heber City where
they are developing a brand new body of work. They have upcoming swaps
planned this spring on the coast of Washington, downtown Portland, OR
and in Bodega Bay, CA. Landlords across the nation, and as far away as
Martha's Vineyard, Costa Rica and Germany, have offered to trade living
accommodations for their paintings. "In a world of uncertainty, it was
a gamble," says Moore, "but we wanted to devote our time exclusively to
nurturing and building our fine art careers." While they travel and
avoid the cost of rent, their ultimate goal is to save money from their
painting sales to build a custom home and studio that would be
conducive for painting and conducting workshops.
The couple decided to begin in Utah because Moore grew up in Salt
Lake City and Memmott attended the University of Utah where he received
his BFA in Fine Art. "We were going with the wind," says Moore. "We got
here and we put our brakes on. Now we're trying to stay. The West is
where we belong ." Before moving to Savannah, Memmott received his MFA
from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, where he also
taught for three years. Moore also received her BFA from the Academy of
Art University.
Memmott's canvases are essentially urban. He uses a rich palette to
paint scenes of glowing streetlights, nightlife, neighborhood
intersections, wet reflective streets in signature parts of town, with
an emphasis on perspective and light. He frequently paints dynamic
diptych and triptych panoramas of the towns and cities he visits.
Moore also paints her surroundings, but instead of cityscapes, she
focuses on still-life and interiors. Her inspiration often begins in
social settings such as candle lit restaurants and trendy lounges. She
often depicts the way a wineglass or table fork reflects the
surrounding atmosphere and light. By painting her subjects
larger-than-life, emphasizing abstracted shapes (usually found in
distortions and reflections of glass and metal), skewing the
perspective, and by pushing color Moore offers her viewers new and
interesting ways to perceive commonly encountered places and objects.
Memmott is currently writing an online course for the Savannah
College of Art and Design and teaches evening art classes sponsored by
the Park City School District to adults. Moore also teaches an advanced
painting online course for the Academy of Art University in San
Francisco. When they're not painting and teaching, they spend time
tracking their gallery representation, assessing upcoming art
festivals, shows and competitions, and working on their next
equal-value trade of high quality original oil paintings for a place to
prop their easels.
For more info please visit their websites:
www.aaronmemmott.com
www.moorepenelope.com
Galleries:
Gallery MAR, Park City, UT--www.gallerymar.com
Chroma Art Gallery, Savannah, GA--www.chromaartgallery.com
Park Place Gallery, Leawood, KS--www.theparkplacegallery.com
Alpine Art, Salt Lake City, UT--www.alpineartinc.com
Now booking accommodations in Western States for March-April 2009!
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