ATLANTA, GA.- The Atlanta Contemporary Art Center presents new exhibitions by Jack Whitten; Sincerely, John Head; and Michael Gibson. Jack Whitten: Memorial Paintings; Sincerely, John Head: Boxed Set; and, Michael Gibson: We Are Selling Mainly To Americans.

For the past 20 years, NY-based painter Jack Whitten has dedicated abstract paintings to artists, musicians, dancers, politicians, writers, and friends who have passed away. Born in Bessemer, Alabama, Whitten has been deeply influenced by German and American philosophical traditions, Minimalism, and notions of tribute as informed by the Southern Baptist Church. Conceived as tributes, these works are made with acrylic paint using a variety of collage approaches and incorporating diverse inks, glass, debris, and ephemera. For each work, Whitten considers his experience with the person, and a design that might best conjure some sense of their spirit, work, and ideas.

Sincerely, John Head, based in Portland, OR, is the collaborative team of Nat Andreini and Scott Porter, artists who have been developing communal events and creating beer cozies and other ephemera in tribute to the 1977 double platinum selling album Foghat Live. In Atlanta they will present a party and recording studio, where numerous fans can sing their own versions of the songs featured on the album.

Michael Gibson is an Atlanta based artist primarily working with abstract painting. In a departure from his normal studio practice, Gibson taped numerous conversations during 2007’s Art Basel Miami. With careful editing, Gibson has created a spatial soundscape that documents the desire and spin that defines the contemporary art market, where collectors are often as influenced by what they hear as by what they see. The final utterance is by influential art dealer Jeffrey Deitch, who explains that, "We sell mainly to Americans." In addition to the soundscape, Gibson will present photographs taken of key art world figures during the fair

Founded in 1973, the Atlanta Contemporary Art Center is a non-profit multidisciplinary arts organization dedicated to excellence, experimentation and education in all forms of contemporary art. Atlanta Contemporary Art Center, 535 Means Street, NW, Atlanta, Georgia 30318, phone (404) 688-1970, www.thecontemporary.org.