{"id":19414,"date":"2013-03-07T02:40:38","date_gmt":"2013-03-07T08:40:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/?p=19414"},"modified":"2020-02-17T10:45:12","modified_gmt":"2020-02-17T16:45:12","slug":"concept-gallery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/concept-gallery\/","title":{"rendered":"Concept Gallery"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Manhattan has SoHo, San Francisco has SoMa, and if John Harris is right, Concept Gallery is in what will become SoSa. Harris, VP of Operations for Concept, which had its VIP grand opening on February 22, co-founded the new, vibrant gallery with artists Jeffrey Barker and Jeffrey Potts.|2|<\/strong>\u00a0The space is colorful, fresh, and welcoming.|1|<\/strong>\u00a0When they initially found the building, the trio felt the location was perfect\u2014a thriving industrial area with an up-and-coming art scene. But the 8,000 square foot space needed some TLC. The three men scrubbed oil out of almost every surface, replaced shattered windows, installed walls, painted floor to ceiling, and created a storefront. At the end of it all, Concept emerged: a unique gallery offering one-of-a-kind, locally handcrafted work. \u201cWe had this vision of creating a space where you can show really high-end furnishings, amazing concrete surfaces with tons of inclusions, and really great art,\u201d Harris says.<\/p>\n

The unique combination of offerings at Concept is a reflection of the individual talents each founder brings to the gallery. Harris is a self-taught, award-winning photographer. A handful of his lively gicl\u00e9e canvas prints|3|<\/strong>\u00a0can be seen at the gallery\u2014his energetic use of color adds some pop, and contributes to the palpable sense of fun creativity throughout the space. While Harris promotes his own art, one of his primary interests is in dedicating wall space to local, emerging artists. He does everything from helping them stretch canvas to framing their work.|4|<\/strong>\u00a0Proof of his commitment to nurturing budding careers was at the grand opening, where sixteen-year-old Ruby Williams had a large collection of her pastel work on display.|5|<\/strong>\u00a0His generous nature is also apparent in his rescue dog Inka,|6|<\/strong>\u00a0a timid and beautiful Samoyed who is always at ease when Harris is nearby. He has also offered to allow nonprofit organizations use the space at Concept for fundraisers and other events.<\/p>\n

In addition to his passion for art, Harris brings several years of IT and management experience with him to Concept. Born and raised in Utah, Harris began his career in the Navy, where he worked with electronics. He spent a decade in the Bay Area employed in the IT industry and returned to Utah to see the 2002 Winter Olympics. After returning to the Beehive State, Harris made a living as a web designer and later found himself in upper-management for the retail store Sharper Image. He has the distinction of turning one of their least profitable locations into one of the most successful. Harris has a talent for turning businesses and start-up companies into gold\u2014a skill that could help him realize his dream of making Concept one of the most popular destinations in SoSa.<\/p>\n

The gallery\u2019s success also lies in offering original work that can\u2019t be seen anywhere else. \u201cI think all three of us are very forward thinking,\u201d Harris says. \u201cThere are some retrospective things in here and some things with a vintage feel, but I think we\u2019re right in with the times and maybe just ahead of it.\u201d While much of Harris\u2019s innovation and work happens in the 3,500-square-foot gallery space, Potts and Barker have set up a show in the back, where they craft all of the furniture and concrete pieces on site.<\/p>\n

Potts|7|<\/strong>\u00a0creates all of the concrete work on the showroom floor, including an unexpected black crocodile texture|8|<\/strong>\u00a0that has the same sheen and exotic elegance of the animal that inspired him. These are his signature \u201cCroc Potts.\u201d|9|<\/strong>\u00a0His \u201cTufted Bench\u201d|10|<\/strong>\u00a0is an update on a classic style: while the tufts appear soft and look like they would easily give to the slightest touch, it\u2019s a clever illusion because the piece is actually solid concrete. \u201cI love that you can sculpt it into anything,\u201d he says of his chosen material. \u201cWhatever you can create a mold out of, you can create it out of concrete.\u201d Pott also specializes in unique countertops. One of his custom orders included fossil inlays created from fossils his client had gathered at a local quarry. \u201cIt was truly a work of art, and to this day it\u2019s still one of my favorite pieces,\u201d Potts says. The range of possibilities with concrete can be suited to all tastes from creative inlays to familiar patterns with a twist. One of the tile samples at the gallery has the soft swirls of a paisley print, which is an intriguing contrast to the modern concrete.|11|\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cThe beauty of concrete is that it\u2019s contemporary, but I can do a paisley print and make it fit into a Victorian home,\u201d Potts says.<\/p>\n

Potts has only been working with concrete for two years. A craftsman for much of his life, he frequently found himself working on a variety of remodeling projects. When a friend asked for help with a concrete countertop, Potts began to research the material and became increasingly fascinated with it. The medium resonated with him so much that he traveled to Berkeley, CA to study concrete design under renowned master Fu-Tung Cheng and earned a certificate to work with Decorative Fiber Reinforced Concrete (DFRC). The lightweight concrete brings new possibilities to the art form. Potts used the material to create a sconce that appears to weigh 50 pounds and seems to defy gravity by hanging from a spindly line.|12|<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cYou couldn\u2019t do that with regular concrete. It\u2019s hollow and weighs ten pounds but it\u2019s still structurally strong because it\u2019s full of fiber,\u201d Potts says.<\/p>\n