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Middle America meets David Lynch in a new immersive installation at Red Hook’s Pioneer Works, one of Brooklyn’s leading galleries. The creation of unrelated Tennessee-born artists Willie Stewart and Brent Stewart, Grand Ole Opera, as the piece is called, includes a pair of mobile homes chock-full of surreal, creepy artworks, plus a full-scale replica of a biker bar built by Jason Grunwald and Greg Minnig of Deth Killers, a Bushwick-based purveyor of motorcycle fashions and riding gear.
There’s also a revival tent/stage that will host a series of concerts by various noise, metal and rock groups, as well as a pick-up truck that continuously plays AM radio while glowing a mysterious green.
Photograph: Dan Bradica
The work is meant to reflect each of the artist’s upbringings (Brent in a strict Christian family; Willie in a household where the male members belonged to a motorcycle club and spent most of their time in jail) with an eye towards the idea that religion and subcultures (like bikers) both consist of communities bound by ecstatic experiences. The installation also name checks the legendary home of Country Music in homage to such iconically rebellious performers as Johnny Cash. The show is up until July 30; you can check out more photos below, as well as the schedule of performers here.
Photograph: Dan Bradica
Photograph: Dan Bradica
Photograph: Dan Bradica
Photograph: Dan Bradica