Out of Nothing, the current exhibition at the 4 walls fine art gallery on East 5th Street, presents intriguing new works by six artists in a variety of different media, from acrylics and graphite to photography and neon. Curated by Daniel Heimbinder, the theme of the show centers on the idea of progress—“that we are moving toward some place better than the one we're in now." Just as the word progress can mean different things, so can the interpretation of it. The artists in Out of Nothing play with the theme in clever ways, some more personal or whimsical than others.

Among the works by the six artists (most of whom hail from New York) is a provocative multi-media installation attributed to "Kings of the F**king Sea," which, as it turns out, is the moniker for the collaborative effort of artist Jonathan Marshall and writer/poet Dan Boehl, both Austin based. The two friends are each talented in his own right; last year, they decided to combine forces for some cross-disciplinary creativity and see what would come of it. As a result, they were invited to be a part of their first group show in Out of Nothing.

Their installation consists of a brightly-painted wooden boat, inscribed with a poem and riddled with bullet holes; a collection of tattered unbound journal entries posted to the nearby wall; and a large-scale photograph depicting two curious characters superimposed over a shoreline, with the same boat adrift in the background. The concept grew from a series of poems and drawings by Boehl and Marshall that were inspired by the myth of the pirate — not the swashbuckling caricature, but a more modern, complex, and somewhat quixotic figure living in a multi-sensory world.

“The characters in the photograph are not necessarily the ones in the journal entries,” says Boehl. “They are more like shades of other characters we have created.”

When asked how this piece relates to the theme of the show, they both explain that the narrative is left open-ended on purpose, so that it then becomes up to the viewer to decide what the story is, who these characters are, and whether or not they are on the road to progress.

“It's like a book where you can choose your own adventure,” says Marshall.

Marshall, a versatile artist who works in watercolors, acrylics, and other media, was named "Best in Show" by the 2005 Texas Biennial and will have his first solo show in October at Art Palace. Published this year by Pavement Saw Press, Boehl’s first book of poetry, titled Work, is a humorous collection of poems about how we make meaning out of work—how we perceive what we do, and how what we do is perceived by others. He is currently working on a children’s book. Both continue to explore "Kings of F**king Sea" through their respective art; thus far they have developed enough text for a book, and hope to present the full range of new material in a future exhibition.

Out of Nothing, featuring new works by Huma Bhabha, Chris Hammerlein, Kori Newkirk, Jason Fox, Kings of the F**king Sea, and Thad Simerly, runs through October 20

[4 walls fine Official Site]

4 walls fine art
115 East 5th Street
Austin, Texas 78701