Generic Art Solutions

medium: silkscreen on photogram Generic Art Solutions (G.A.S.) is the collaborative efforts of Matt Vis and Tony Campbell. This New Orleans-based art duo utilizes nearly every art medium as they examine the recurring themes of human drama and the (dis)functions of contemporary society. Always rooted in the performative, they play every character in their work. In their more distilled “duets” we see something of a yin and yang (a balance between individuals that aren’t quite interchangeable), but in their more elaborate stagings, the resultant effect is as epic as the subject matter itself. By combining Classical, Romantic, and Baroque compositional elements with contemporary pictorial techniques, they manage to illuminate the common thread that connects past histories with current events. This strategy creates something of a “Déjà Vu effect” that is driven by drama and surrealism with traces of levity. In this dialogue between the past and present the viewer realizes several things: 1) that the history of art is inextricably political, 2) that human behavior repeats itself no matter how tragic or brutal, and 3) that this cycle of repetition must be broken so personal and societal progress can be made. Despite all this, their work contains a glimmer of hope--a hope that through thoughtful examination (and armed with a commitment to change) we can indeed forge a better future. Generic Art Solutions (G.A.S) has also exhibited their work in numerous museums, galleries and art fairs. In 2010, the duo mounted a solo exhibition at the New Orleans Museum of Art entitled Déjà Vu All Over Again. Their most recent solo exhibition circa: now was on view at Jonathan Ferrara Gallery in December 2013. In 2014, The duo will be participating in a group show Fútbol: The Beautiful Game curated by Franklin Sirmans (Prospect.3 Biennial Director) at Los Angeles County Museum of Art which will include work by: Ai Weiwei, Paul Pfeiffer, Vik Muniz, Lyle Ashton Harris, Andy Warhol, Nelson Leirner, Andreas Gursky, Gabriel Orozco, Sam Taylor-Wood, Kelly Barrie, Kehinde Wiley, Mark Bradford, Jedediah Caesar, Chris Beas, Generic Art Solutions (Matt Vis and Tony Campbell), Liz Glynn, Karl Haendel, and Drew Heitzler. Also in 2014, G.A.S will be showing ten photographs in an exhibition at ZACHĘTA National Gallery of Art in Warsaw, Poland with artists including: Mike Kelly, Janine Antoni...