The Project Strata | Origin Story
A decade ago, in our DTLA Gallery, we hung an exhibition with our friends at SceneFour, featuring the drumming legend Bill Ward. Bill named many of the pieces in that collection directly after his own creative process.
During the artist talk, Bill started speaking about that process—specifically about the concept of 'waiting for the next moment' and 'embracing imperfection.' I looked out at the audience during his artist talk, which was filled with our gallery's painters and photographers, and I watched them physically lean forward, absorbing every word, as Bill discussed how he went about making music and the connection to his artwork.
In that exact moment, it crystallized for me just how deeply universal the creative process actually is. Whether you are holding a drumstick, a camera, or a brush, the pursuit is the same.
That realization became the genesis of Project Strata. Then, last year Ravi Dosaj and I were talking about art collaborations and the new portrait concept came into focus.
We wanted to see what would happen if we cross-pollinated artists from entirely different disciplines. If we could intersect those different approaches to creating art, could we develop portraiture that had more layers and depth than a traditional photographer or a painter working alone? And we didn't want a passive subject; we wanted a true, active collaboration with the person being depicted. The idea is to get a deeper understanding of the subject.
That is the foundation of what we are looking at today. For Project Strata Volume 1, we brought together a legendary disruptor in rhythm, a visionary contemporary artist and a important photograph to deconstruct a legacy. Because FATHOM Goes Deep.
Check it out: https://fathom-art.com/project-strata/