Sex, drugs, rock ‘n’ roll, hip-hop, and more drugs. It’s the life of an artist. And don’t expect anything less of Kenton Parker. Le Sandwicherie and King of Diamonds are just some of the places Parker calls home when in his second city of Miami. Brutally honest and a wild child, the artist’s creativity allows for a process with no limitations. In these times of commercialism, it’s difficult to find art that speaks so much of the time, yet doesn’t cater to commercialism.

A curated exhibition of Kenton Parker’s latest work, It Takes All This to be Me, debuts at Primary Flight October 8 during the Second Saturday Art Walk. Primary Flight rarely disappoints and definitely promises a show unlike any other this month.

I caught up with Director of Operations Chris Oh in between installations to talk about the upcoming exhibition. In his words, “We only do projects that we like, that inspire us. We only do exhibits that we (as viewers) would like to see.” Just days before the opening, BooksIIII Bischof, Typoe, and Chris Oh are still sorting through the 700 plus pieces from L.A. Each is representative of the artist’s life and activities which resonate heavily with pop and American culture.

An 800-book sculpture. Two hours to create and three seconds to destroy.
Is this crazy little film worth the pain and destruction? According to artists Ruben Millares and Antonia Wright, extremely worth it. The duo, already familiar names in Miami’s art scene, are reuniting to showcase their short film, Job Creation in a Bad Economy, at MOCA’s XIII Annual Optic Nerve Festival on Saturday, August 27.

At two minutes and 15 seconds, the 2010 montage briefly follows the duo toppling stacks of books in various areas of the country. Part sculpture and part film, the work of literary art is also on view at Tampa’s Museum of Art as part of “Syntax: Text and Symbols for a New Generation, Selections from the Hadley Martin Fisher Collection.”

The 2010 film asks a question that many people are afraid to examine. Wright and Millares said, “The film is a commentary on the issue of devaluation of the arts and education in our society. In the last few years, budget cuts have led to the demise of schools, libraries, and art programs. No one is really protecting them, so why not bring up the very important topic to light. We’re just physically asking (pun intended), who’s going to pick up the mess?”