Brazos Gallery Presents "Precious Cargo"

     The initial fall Brazos Gallery exhibit shines the spotlight on the first collaborative effort of the artistic duo, TBA. Since July 5, the pair have taken an 8-inch crate filled with components from previous works and have been transforming it into an interesting structure as a "response to the uncertainties of nature," according to the artists, John Frost and Ryder Richards

     TBA, which typically stands for To Be Announced, is comprised of Frost, who is a Dallas-based artist, and Richards, Brazos Gallery coordinator. Both artists agree that the piece, dubbed "Precious Cargo" is a response to the themes of "protection, adaptation and artificial stasis." 

     "[The piece] is related to the needs of humans to create shelter, adapt to their environment or other pressures – social, psychological – and artificial stasis can be seen as a false sense of security, often created by physical well-being," Richards said.

      By remodeling the crate, the artists said they aim to create a product that presents "risk as renewal while recognizing challenges that thwart permanence and force creative adaptation."

      "The cube is essentially a bizarre form of shelter that was inspired by the idea of people navigating through the world – you're either closed up in a cube or you open yourself up to others," Richards said. "We're just going to use all of the crate's components and see what happens."

       Richards said that the piece's installation is a vital part of the artistic process. The transformation is being documented on video and has been made public for passers-by to see.

      "We wanted people to see the transformation of the piece instead of just the finished product," Richards said.

      The "Precious Cargo" exhibition will open on Aug. 4 and will be available for public viewing until the closing reception on Aug. 31.