Finally! Jake Keeler and Jennifer Davis At First Amendment

The fruits of Jake Keeler and Mr. Dibbs‘s collaborations still occasionally pop up online for next to nothing. Seek and ye shall find.

Jake Keeler easily ranks among the Twin Cities’ most widely collected local artists; literally thousands of us own examples of the Saint Paul-based painter and educator‘s work . Granted, we’re not all aware of the fact. Only souls savvy enough to actually read album credits might realize that Keeler’s images grace the covers (and/or inserts) of Seven’s Travels, God Loves Ugly, and Lucy Ford,, just as only those who’ve followed Atmosphere or Keeler for a while stand a chance of knowing the latter first painted onstage with the group in 2003—just a few years after Cloud Cult pioneered the “painting as part of performance” concept.

Keeler waxes primal. Objections?

That Slug’s home is a veritable Keeler museum says much for the MC’s stereotype-resistant ways and unencumbered agenda, the latter hasn’t trafficked in graffiti since his late teens and freely acknowledges sources of inspiration ranging from Ralph Steadman to Franz Kline. But nothing inspires the dedicated outdoorsman more than life itself–including the inevitable “death” and “decay” parts. Keeler’s newer work finds him moving away from the augmented abstract expressionist approach that drove his mid-decade oils, toward drawings and mixed media works dominated by animal skulls (he has a massive collection) and the kinds of geometrics that inevitably suggest the effects of unseen forces on physical reality.

Jennifer Davis easily matches Keeler in duende, but tends to keep the “death” part a little more in the background.
On the surface, Jennifer Davis‘s work couldn’t be more different from Keeler’s: the one trait both artists share is an obvious love of nature. But Davis’s critters, unlike Keeler’s, are invariably clothed in flesh, very much alive, and often anthropomorphically represented in surreal situations. (They also radiate the kind of charm exemplified by Henry Darger’s drawings minus the aspects puritanical weenieburgers construe as Darger’s perviness.) Appearances aside, the duo are, uh, birds of a feather–big brains with big eyes looking to make sense of a narrative beyond anybody’s control while documenting their own rich inner lives–and, given the gallery’s manifest commitment to quality, ideal candidates for the First Amendment show opening on April 25. While the exhibition’s opening reception officially runs from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., The Book of Right On‘s debut performance and multiple sets by deejays Wes Winship and Mike the 2600 King pretty much guarantee the party’ll run until well after the official end time. (Read Keeler’s email announcement in its entirety below.)

We Don’t Do Clever

new work by: Jennifer Davis and Jake Keeler

debut of The Book of Right On

w/ deejays Wes Winship and Mike the 2600 King

First Amendment Gallery

1101 Stinson Blvd
Basement rooms A & B
Minneapolis, MN
55413
(612) 379-4151

April 25th

7-10pm

Can collusion be subconscious? Maybe coalesce is the right word….is avoiding a clever show title in itself, clever? An event like this always begs a few exploratory questions.

For years, Twin City artists Jennifer Davis and Jake Keeler have worked the local scene, unknowingly huge fans of each others work. The opportunity to show together finally came along and they jumped at the chance. While both continue to carve out their unique and developed styles in painting, drawing, and installation, this pairing of their work promises to have a dialouge and relationship that celebrates the differences, and showcases the collective talent as they expand their respective ranges.

With the art covered, The Book of Right On debuts their sound. Started by former The Belles of Skin City and Kentucky Gag Order front man David Joe Holiday, it blends art, accessibility, and rocking better then most with layered percussion, solid hooks, bombastic pop, and well crafted lyricism.

To top it off, the resident deejays Wes and Mike will keep things seem-less, while hand-crafted brews courtesy of Northern Brewer will be on tap, all while going down at the only space it could, First Amendment.

Who needs clever when you have awesome?

http://www.jakekeeler.com

http://www.jenniferdavisart.com

http://www.myspace.com/bookofrighton

http://www.firstamendmentarts.com

http://www.burlesquedesign.com