Serving Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, and other towns of the North Carolina High Country
Founded 05-05-05
January 25, 2007 issue
Exploring The Culture of Corruption with Dave Alsobrooks
Story by David Brewer
While many Americans are less than enthusiastic about the current political players running the nation, most do not have the creative facilities to vent their frustrations in thought-provoking art. Boone resident Dave Alsobrooks does.
On Friday, February 2, the Nth Gallery will host a reception starting at 7:30 p.m. featuring Alsobrooks’ exhibit entitled Culture of Corruption. The nine-piece exhibit focuses on current or recent American political leaders and the artist’s interpretation of these leaders’ activities while in office.
The pieces, all of which are 72 by 45 inches and on wood or canvas, are re-creations of press photos of several government officials, including Donald Rumsfeld, Condoleezza Rice, George Bush, Tom Delay, Michael Chertoff, Dick Cheney, Scooter Libby, Gale Norton and Alberto Gonzalez enhanced with stage blood, white correction fluid, telephone cable, buckshot, oil, bleach and water.
For the piece entitled “The Protector,” Alsobrooks took an image of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff on wood and partially soaked the piece in water. The effect created a waterline depicting Chertoff’s handling of Hurricane Katrina.
To create the eerie effect on “The Secretary of Defense,” a piece depicting Donald Rumsfeld, the artist outlined the recently replaced secretary’s face with stage blood.
Alsobrooks noted that the variety of techniques he used for the portraits in the exhibit aren’t necessarily political in nature, just a different style of portraiture. “Each of these works was a first-time attempt with the mediums,” said Alsobrooks.
A native of Clover, South Carolina, Alsobrooks graduated from Winthrop University with a degree in design. After working for a few years in the corporate world, Alsobrooks and his wife moved to the High Country for a change of pace.
Alsobrooks refers to the creation of the pieces as a way for him to exercise his feelings about the current state of the country while prodding others to sit up and take notice of the world around them.
“I could put it out there and get it off my chest and also start a dialogue,” said Alsobrooks. “In my mind, there was a little bit of an education component as well.”
Culture of Corruption is accompanied by a 116-page concept book that explains each piece and includes other original images by Alsobrooks. Containing several topical chapters, the book seeks to further engage the reader with futuristic scenarios and facts about the figures depicted in the paintings.
“I’m not saying for people to go vote a certain way,” said Alsobrooks. “We need everyone to be a part of the process. A lot can happen in four years.”