A Conversation with the GreatEclectic
Art is everywhere if you know where to look. Here in the city of Atlanta, there's a burgeoning art scene that is as elusive as it is unique. Luckily, I have Kendrick Daye (better known as the GreatEclectic) as my immaculate tour guide to all things relevant in the world of culture, music, and art in the city. We met on staff for Morehouse College's newspaper. He was the A&E editor. I was soon to run things. A few short years later, the GreatEclectic has created and operates Art Nouveau Magazine. I interviewed him recently. Get it after the jump!
 |
| Art Nouveau Magazine cover. |
iDXR: Who is the GreatEclectic and what is Art Nouveau?
GE: I'm GreatEclectic. I'm an artist and the Editor of Art Nouveau Magazine. Art Nouveau Magazine is a quarterly art and culture publication.
iDXR: What is the thing that takes something from the realm of the ordinary to artistic?
GE: Everything is artistic depending on who's eyes we're seeing through.
iDXR: What/where are your 5 favorite places to buy/view art in Atlanta?
GE: Wm Turner Gallery, Castleberry Hill's Art Stroll, Little Five Points, StudioPlex and random murals everywhere.
 |
| Self portraits by Kendrick Daye. |
iDXR: How significant is the Savannah College of Art and Design’s influence on the art scene in Atlanta? Are most of the artists that you’ve come in contact with a product of art school or self-taught?
GE: Very. SCAD is an amazing school with great resources to cultivate amazing artists. It's a mixture. I meet just as many self-taught artists as I meet artists that went to art school. Art School doesn't make you a great artist, just like college can't make you think. It's up to the artist to create good work.
iDXR: New York is known largely by their abundance of galleries, schools, and art museums. Do you ever see Atlanta having a similar environment?
GE: Definitely. Atlanta is going through it's own Manhattanization and it shows. Galleries, Art Shows and Art Festivals are popping up everywhere. The vibe is different because the artists are different. But i do see Atlanta having an art scene soon that could rival the art scenes in L.A., New York and Miami.
 |
| Illustration by Sean Fahie |
GE: I'm based in Atlanta but I don't focus or feature only Atlanta artists. But, Corinne Stevie and Sean Fahie are killing this art thing right about now.
iDXR: In what ways do the music and art scenes in Atlanta converge?
GE: Music is art. But there are a bevy of artists who do music and visual art. I think people are recognizing art comes in all forms and aren't restricting themselves.
iDXR: What makes art out of Atlanta different from what can be seen elsewhere?
GE: Well it's the south so you have alot of racially charged art. Artists in Atlanta find a creative way to make points about the sordid topic of race. Also, Atlanta is a melting pot. Most people that live here were born and raised somewhere else. So there's just a great mixture of styles with people coming from all over and creating work here.
The GreatEclectic is a a photographer, writer and designer. His work has been published in The New York Times Magazine, Ebony Magazine, Format Magazine, Creative Loafing, Yo! Raps Magazine, and The Green Magazine. For more on him and his work, check out The GreatEclectic and Art Nouveau Magazine.