Ky Anderson

Jason Jagel

I’ll be the first to admit to being slightly stuck in my ways. Though a proud resident of Brooklyn, when it comes to art, I confess to often ignoring my favorite borough. Though home to a strong contingent of artists, Brooklyn’s estimable galleries in Dumbo, Williamsburg, and Bushwick are often overlooked. On Thursday night I mustered my courage and set my art viewing horizons not on Chelsea or the Lower East Side, but boarded the G train ( an act of bravery in itself) to visit Williamsburg’s Cinders gallery. The reason for this madcap adventure was the opening of artist/musician Sonny Smith’s newest project “100 records.” In its second rendition after debuting in San Francisco earlier this year, the exhibition showcases the work of 100 different artists, each selected to produce a unique 7” record cover for a fictitious band. Sonny then concocted a unique back story, and wrote and recorded a song for each cover. Playing on a homemade jukebox throughout the show, the songs range from folk to surf and back.

Alika Cooper

Participating artists span both coasts, including many names previously unknown to me. Technique and feel ranged from Jason Jagel’s  bright, minimalist paper collage for the fictitious band Lickety Split, to a dark watercolor by Ana Fernandez, for the imagined multi-generational experimental surf band the Fuckaroos. There are certainly standout pieces in this show though the overall feel is decidedly amateurish. In truth, much of the work fell short of what I had expected. By the end of the night, any sort of disappointment I felt had faded, however, and I found myself not caring about technique or craft, as a sort of jubilant irreverence seemed to fill the space. What is truly special about this exhibition is not the result of any one artist, but the enormous scale of imagination at play.  There was an awe inspiring sense of creative power which seemed to resonate throughout the gallery. Its glow serves as a reminder of what can be accomplished when a community comes together to create.