by Monica Chamness
Staff Writer
Sleepy Jacksonville night life is in the path of a rush of high-energy, ultra-cool, big city adrenaline to hit this weekend. In the style of Manhattan trendsetters, three local artists have put together the fourth in an annual series of vibrant music, visual art mediums and merriment. Dubbed Trinity 3-Alpha:Omega, the event makes reference to the first letter, Alpha, and the last letter, Omega, of the Greek alphabet. All aspects of the affair are grouped in threes. There will be three artists exhibiting works in three rooms, complemented by three disc jockeys.
“We’re simply trying to bring people into the mysterious a little bit,” said one of the show’s featured artists, Nathanael Thorin.
Highlighting the evening will be Thorin with his collection entitled “The Emerald Trap” and musical score by DJ Alex Pagan; artist Max Michaels’ “Grotesque: End” with Tampa-based A.S.P. providing the accompanying music; and artist Shaun Thurston’s work, “the Butternut Squash,” complemented by DJ Nazz Maslo.
“With mine, I’m trying to create an environment that goes beyond the art work itself,” said Thorin. “A lot of shows are just paintings on a wall.”
“Our art is not traditional, so presenting it in a traditional format would not be right,” added Michaels.
Only mature — i.e. adult — audiences are admitted as the subject matter may include nudity and four-letter words.
“We don’t want young viewers there; we don’t want to offend anybody,” said Thorin.
Kicking off around 8 p.m., the idea behind the festivities is to showcase visual art in a club atmosphere reminiscent of large metropolitan areas.
Originally, the plan was to hold three shows over three years. How it played out was two and a half shows spanning that time. The last of the series will be held Saturday at the new Infinity entertainment complex (formerly Fat Cat’s) on Edgewood Avenue. Fat Cat’s will officially change names that night.
“They’re redoing the club,” said Michaels. “They’re fixing it up and making it nicer.”
Each presentation featured refreshments, a cash bar and company sponsorships from neighboring businesses.
“Most shows feature just one artist,” explained Michaels of the concept. “We wanted all of them to be featured equally. We separate the art from each other so they all have an opportunity to be seen.”
Towards this end, each artist has their own separate room in the venue. All three of the artists are multi-media in discipline, incorporating elements such as painting, design work and photography with the goal of “moving thought and groundbreaking visual experiences through the eyes and minds of the community.”
Attendance for previous shows have been mixed dependent on the capacity of the venue. Trinity 2 at Brooklyn fared quite well, drawing in approximately 400-500 people. An event promoter himself, Michaels didn’t want to take a guess at how many will turn out this time. He does believe, however, that those that do show up will not be subjected the same old gallery atmosphere. Even the artists themselves will be seeing new work for the first time.
“It pushes the boundaries,” he said. “Our policy is not to see each other’s own work until the night of the show to keep it fresh. I like surprises.”
The admission cost is $5.