Prepare yourself for an unexpected juxtaposition. Artists of known prowess, Maryann Bates and Beth Smith, dissolve the restraints of conventionalism and preconceived reality in “Creating the Subconscious.” Eyes will feast on striking and astonishing imagery of a world in which reason and societal limitations are extinct. The exhibit will debut at the Macon Arts Alliance on the second Friday of the month, January 8, with a reception from 5-8 p.m. Photographs and paintings will be on display through January 30. Admission is always free and open to the public.
When looking at her work, Bates hopes the observer will feel the sheer wonder and joy of life. “I guess it’s that feeling of magic that I get from taking photos that leads me to do surrealism. I photograph what’s in front of me but I’m always looking for what’s not so easy to see,” states Bates. “I make my living in taking photos for others but the surrealism is done just for me. It’s usually an emotion that I’m feeling that I try to convey using the kinds of images I have in my dreams.”
Bates is a freelance photographer constantly going to new places, meeting new people, and having new experiences. Most recently, Bates has photographed the Macon Pops concert, three performances of the Nutcracker, the College Hill Alliance Community Report, and a pole vaulter.
Smith’s clever disregard for tradition crept in slowing while growing as an artist. Anything too obvious or literal began to evoke little to no feeling for Smith, becoming indifferent to the majority of her work. Thus began Smith’s journey, tapping into the inhibition that is surrealism. “I wanted to create images in just such a way that no one else on the planet could have. It’s capturing one precise moment in time when the obscure is laid bare for interpretation,” states Smith. “My artistic inspirations come into my mind through visions and dreams. I take from what is in my mind and heart and create a vision of the world and the events that shape its history.”
Smith is a member of the Fine Art Society of Middle Georgia and the Fine Arts Director for The 567 Center for Renewal in downtown Macon, Georgia. When not working in her studio at The 567 Center for Renewal, Smith teaches private art lessons at her in home studio in Warner Robins.