IN A SMALL space just off the Belleville Public Square, B.J. Vogt is letting artists show off their work a month at a time.
His Maps contemporary art space is a place for conceptual and experimental art, he said.
The latest artist on display will be his brother, Chris Vogt, whose Debris Basin opens today and will run through the end of the month. The gallery will sponsor an opening reception tonight from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the gallery at 225 N. Illinois St. in Belleville.
B.J. Vogt said his brother's art shows an individual defining himself through the consumption of material culture.
"Line, color and texture form to create mountains of collected, discarded and usurped stuff through lithography, etching, collage and drawing," B.J. Vogt said.
Chris Vogt, a student at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, said his work shows the effect of growth and collection we all go through.
"We create our lives on a collection of many things, some physical, some conceptual," he said.
He said he works quickly, but a piece of art rarely develops in one sitting.
"In my pieces you can see things start to collect and then start to interact," he said. "Additions are a big part of the process and the product."
Everyone sees things differently, especially the more things there are, he said.
"We're completely adaptable beings. That's why there's no clear perspective," he said.
The studio formerly was working space for B.J. Vogt, but he converted it to a gallery last year. He has had monthly displays for various artists since then.
Regular gallery hours are from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
You also can schedule appointments by calling 334-4347.
Wally Spiers' column runs five days a week. Have a column idea? Call Wally at 239-2506 or (800) 642-3878; or e-mail: wspiers@bnd.com
