Surreal Estate
Talking Music, Art and Commerce with R. Land

From my perspective, Atlanta’s underground-level visual art world – pop surrealism; lowbrow art; comic book-inspired illustration; concert posters; etc. – is stronger and more active than it’s ever been. The proliferation and expansion of local galleries catering to that movement has been substantial, and their openings and events seem more and more like rock shows or warehouse parties, devoid of the stuffiness often associated with more established galleries. Of course, there’s an argument to be made that Atlanta’s art world in general is in a good period, what with Castleberry Hill’s emergence as a gallery district and doings developing in the surrounding suburbs.  But I like how the more eclectic, weirder underground art community is so closely aligned with Atlanta’s scrappy independent rock scene. Indeed, infrequent are the openings these days where there’s not a live band playing and canned PBR or a keg of Sweetwater flowing along with the standard cheap wine. I’m inspired by all of the activity, and impressed by the talent. Thus, starting with the July issue, Stomp and Stammer’s print edition will feature a monthly column focusing on Atlanta’s pop surrealists and the galleries that cater to them.

There are several factors, I think, contributing to all of this local art activity. Certainly the renewed popularity of lowbrow and surreal art in general is a factor. The revitalization and shifting demographics of many intown Atlanta neighborhoods have brought an influx of young art types to the city; spaces that were empty or run-down five or ten years ago are now bustling with studios and galleries, among other businesses. I don’t think you can dismiss the impact of the artists at Adult Swim, many of whom show their own work around town.

I also like to think Ronnie Land has been an influence. Moving to Atlanta from Jacksonville in 1994, Land and his quirky, distinct artwork quickly made an impression, and before long his mark on the city was impossible to deny. From El Myr’s interior walls to cover art for an Ultrababyfat 7-inch; from the décor at Joe’s East Atlanta Coffee Shop to promotional Man or Astro-Man? lunchboxes; from Aqua Teen Hunger Force interpretations to those anonymous tags and telephone pole tack-ups (“Yuppie Ghetto,” “Pray for ATL”), Land’s mark on Atlanta is ubiquitous, even if you have no idea of the source. As much as his commissions and unsigned streetwork may be more familiar, Land’s noncommercial work brings just as much respect, yet he hasn’t had a showing of new pieces in Atlanta in five years. That will change on June 28th when SummeRLand opens in Little Five Points with an opening night event including live music and libations. To me, R. Land best represents pop surrealism in Atlanta, so it seems appropriate to kick off our art coverage with a piece on him. We met over beer and Yacht Dogs at the EAYC on a recent evening…

What initially brought you to Atlanta?

“It’s an obvious choice to move to the next biggest city. And I’d been coming here since the ’80s to go see music. Live music is integral, in my experience. So much so that I think music influences me more than other visual artists. I really think so.”

Yeah, I don’t see you that much at galleries, I always see you at rock shows.

“I don’t go to gallery shows that much, and I’m not part of any institutionalized, organized art scene here. I’ve never had a gallery show in Atlanta. This being my hometown, it makes more sense to just basically throw a party and debut a new body of work, what I’ve been working on for the last year. I do notice that when I’m trying to get into the zone of creating a body of work, or trying to work on anything creative, the thing that really kickstarts me more than anything is to turn on something that I really love, like that first Pylon album. I can just be in sort of a doldrums, just a down mood, in the studio, and I’ll just crank up that first song, and let the whole thing play, and by the second song, I feel like I’m a totally new person. You know what I’m talking about?”

I don’t think anyone could listen to that album and not start moving, in some way.

“And you think about all the different things that go with that music. Like the time period…that band wasn’t thinking about being huge superstars, or how they could tie in with Sprint phones or whatever, they were just doin’ this really crazy music together. You’ve seen that interview with the singer in that Inside/Out movie – she didn’t know what the fuck was going on. She just was doing it! I connect with that on some level. Because I think that when I started doing what I do, I didn’t really know what I was doing, I just loved painting and drawing and all that.”