In "Matter of Time" Birchett pushes traditional boundaries of contemporary art practices by taking the audience on a journey through time and space, introducing viewers to "the experience that is art," rather than simply focusing on the art object itself. Influenced by minimalist art forms and earth-artists such as Robert Smithson, Anna Mendietta, Richard Long, and Robert Morris, Brad explores a variety of art-making approaches including painting, photography, installation, audio, bio-art, and environmental intervention. 
Paula Owens’ new paintings are featured in Symbiosis, currently on view at 1708 Gallery. Formerly from Symbiosis comprises work by Owen and
Owen is very interested in chaos theory, which describes the complex and elegant patterns that emerge from non-linear dynamic system. She is mesmerized by chaos theory’s “strange attractors” that govern the movements of everything from flocks of birds and schools of fish to ripples in water and the formation of sand dunes. The small carved and painted marks in her work reference an integration of what Owen describes as “the pixilated world” we live in and the interior world of the mind. She is compelled to examine the sequence of events that unfold as she paints, ponder the relation of her body and mind and the identities that define different aspects of her life.
The question Owen most often hears in regard to her work is “Why do you work with a two-panel format?” After 20 years of working with multiple panels, she says that the panels allow her to examine the incoherent parts of people’s lives, the parts they try to get to fit together but can’t. They also refer to the inner and outer realms of her life, her multiple identities and reflect how humans try to put the disparate parts together. She tries to make the elements in the paintings not fit together in such a way that they are visually compelling and pleasurable, but ambiguous, because she believes that they best represent intangible reality.
Symbiosis is on view until September 29th, 2006.
1708 Gallery board member Gordon Stettinius's show of photography opens at the Robin Rice Gallery in NYC next Wednesday. You can see more of his work online at www.eyecaramba.com. Congratulations Gordon!
The blog Thinking About Art, has a series called Artists Interview Artists that is really wonderful and thought provoking. All artists out there should think about doing this. J.T. Kirkland, who runs the blog, has put out a final call for interviewers/interviewees. I participated recently and had a great time thinking about what I'd like to ask another artist, as well as answering the questions posed to me.
I cut and pasted the following from Thinking About Art, Friday, September 15, 2006:
"The Artists Interview Artists Project has, in my opinion, been a huge success. The first interview was posted on June 7, 2005 and in total thus far there have been 81 interviews. A few months ago I posted an almost last call for participants in the project and the response was great. This is a real last call announcement. If you want to participate in the Artists Interview Artists Project, please send me an email, jtkirkland.gmail.com.
I am hoping that we can get the total number of interviews up to 100.
There are no restrictions on this project... you can live anywhere in the world and you can make any type of art.
My last project was published in book form (The One Word Project) and I hope to have more exciting news about it soon. With luck and a little bit of support, I hope the the AIA Project has even more success after its Web incarnation.
Wanna participate? Email J.T. ! Last chance!"
If you haven't attended Wearable Art before these images illustrate a lively event full of surprises and creative expression.
accepting their awards on Wednesday:
1708 Gallery board member Rob Tarbell's solo exhibition Birding will be opening at Piedmont Virginia Community College's North Gallery. 
Get out your Rain Coats and Galoshes....
