Collaborative art duo, Sincerely, John Head was formed in 2001 when PNCA alumni Nat Andreini (‘05) and Scott Porter (‘05) met and discovered a common interest in photography, memorabilia, and collections. Since then, they have worked together on a series of celebratory works that examine the distinct cultures of music, art, sports, celebrity and the commonalities between them. Choosing to use a moniker that evokes a written closing one might find on a form letter, they align themselves with musicians whose individuality is subsumed by their contribution to a band.

A particular focus of Sincerely, John Head’s installations and objects is Foghat LIVE, the 1977 classic rock album which sold over two million copies. The artists made a significant step in their investigations by purchasing a Ford Ranchero from that same year, nicknaming it Babette, and using it as a touring vehicle and iconic image. The car is bright orange with white detailing, and has been used to tailgate various events including an arts festival, a university theory and practice class and a birthday party. The duo arrive in parking lots and driveways armed with beer, grills, munchies, and recorded music, creating instant communities of enthusiastic fans.

Other Foghat-related projects have included the creation of a storefront recording studio in Portland, Oregon where passersby could sing new interpretations of the album’s six songs; printed uncut proofs of trading cards that combine historical images of the band with recent photographs of the artists and their car; and created paintings of tires made with motor oil. DVD Translation (Foghat LIVE), 2007, is a straightforward video that documents the record playing on a turntable, presenting it on an upward facing flatscreen monitor.

Sincerely, John Head’s efforts exploit the space between old and new technologies, and revel in the compression of low-brow traditions and rarified contexts. Their various works, brought together under the title Boxed Set, examine feelings of nostalgia and obsession, strategies of marketing, and constructions of desire and masculinity.

Sincerely, John Head has exhibited their work as part of the 2007 TBA Festival, and at Small A Projects, both in Portland, Oregon. They have organized events in Olympia, Washington; Oakland, California; and Victoria, British Columbia.

The show runs through June 14 in Atlanta.