Word Up; a group show curated by Adam Eckstrom

World Art Media Presents “Word Up”, the follow up show to “Dialect”. “Word Up” is an exhibition of five artists whose work use text and imagery to discuss the idea of personal locale and response. Dialect is defined as a regional variety of a language, with differences in vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation. Word Up is both 1.a response used as an affirmation when we hear something that hits the nail on the head (that we think is precisely correct), or 2.something we say when we see something new and exciting. As Americans we speak many dialects, and different things make each of us say Word Up. Ghost of Dream, Greg Hopkins, Colby Bird, Jeff Barnett-Winsby, and Amanda Lechner all use text to help define specific dialects within their work. Ghost of a Dream uses the language of the American Lottery, to examine and digest the quest for easy money. Greg Hopkins uses slang from the Deep South that when coupled with Standard English could have multiple meanings. Colby Bird’s work lives life in today’s hip hop pop language driven culture, while Jeff Barnet Winsby’s images cover the dialogue between two individuals in middle America who have fallen in love through the walls of a jail. Amanda Lechner comes from the angle of the American folklore, turning its spoken word history back into the image and text. Together these artists examine a personal America through image and word.