Anxiety in Art: Cantanker Magazine Release Party at Pump Project [Art Preview]

Times of turmoil are always expressed in the cultural output of troubled societies, and our current economic crisis is no exception. For better or worse, these uncertain times do provide inspiration for artists (many of whom have additional time to create thanks to layoffs and company cutbacks); as a result Austin's contemporary art magazine, Cantanker, has picked "Anxiety" as the conceptual theme for its most recent issue. On Saturday, Cantanker will celebrate the release of the latest issue as well as the opening of the accompanying group exhibit at Pump Project. The reception will also mark the release of the first Cantanker Artist Series T-shirt, designed by Austin designer and animator Eric Power.

Submissions to the exhibit and magazine include artwork by nineteen artists who express the personal, political, social, or economic faces of anxiety. Look for submissions from Bunnyphonic, a Texas performance and installation artist who, among other things, dresses up in elaborate costumes to play the accordion. Houston sculptor Darryl Lauster and found object assembler James Michael Starr also have pieces in the magazine. Participating nouveau-crafter Kia Neill says that her she aims to "signify the evolving mutation of nature while giving surreal form to cultural desires and anxieties". Her work consists of modern interpretations of natural forms including geodes and caves. Andrea Mellard, the Curatorial Associate at AMOA, jurried this issue of Cantanker.

Cantanker Magazine's issue, "Anxiety", will be available at the Pump Project release party and at various venues around town. The gallery exhibit, Anxiety, will run through September 19th at the Pump Project Art Complex - the gallery is open on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 1-5pm.