A Process of Change
Copyright (c) 2008 IGW ART Proj.
Beginnings
Coffee District Open Art Night
The process began when Ian and Graham took a sheet of paper and oil pastels and created freeform art. Sharing a love for music they would play a variety of genres as the amorphous shapes and colors began to take shape. Eventually their friends would gather to watch the chaos begin to take shape into an entire world of scenes and imagery. One regular described the evening as "stepping into the doorway of the artist's subconscious and seeing the dreams, hopes, fears take shape on the page right in front of your eyes."
Then one evening spontaneously they decided to rotate the page every time the song changed so that they were constantly moving on to the next part, and forcing themselves to work on each others work, without allowing themselves to independently create anything. What resulted was a breakthrough. The short time before rotating only allowed the artists to begin, add, or finish something but never all three.
The story began at the dorms of FAU, where Ian Gropper and Graham Woodard became friends and shared a common interest in art. Graham, from Daytona Beach, was always a gifted artist evident by works created as a child. He continued to hone his skills in high school and college where he gained recognition for his ability to capture emotion on paper, and an eye for proportion. Ian grew up with artistic parents, and from an early age was immersed in the RISD community of artists and culture in Rhode Island. His artistic background is based in abstract expressionism.
Graham Woodard is a musician, music producer, songwriter and artist.
Ian Gropper is a writer, poet, as well as an artist.
The process was created to encourage amateurs to jump in fearlessly, and create with artists, in a truly collaborative effort. A collaboration of it's purist form where every participant contributes to every aspect of the project.
Graham Woodard is a musician, music producer, songwriter and artist.
Ian Gropper is a writer, poet, as well as an artist.
The process was created to encourage amateurs to jump in fearlessly, and create with artists, in a truly collaborative effort. A collaboration of it's purist form where every participant contributes to every aspect of the project.
The result was a true collaboration, the art was neither's creation but somehow an equal fusion of both artists. A free flow of the artist's subconscious. Almost simultaneously the two realized the process would benefit from more people and began to get friends involved.
Then in the Summer of '08 the two artists decided to bring this process to as many people as possible and after some thought decided the Coffee District of Delray Beach would be a great venue for this free event. Open Art Night was born and quickly attracted participants of all skill levels.