I first heard about Art-o-mat® through Clark Whittington, the artist behind the concept. The idea came to him when he noticed a friend who had this funny, almost Pavlovian response to the sound of cellophane crinkling. Every time someone opened a snack from a vending machine, his friend had this uncontrollable urge to buy something too. That simple observation sparked something bigger.
In June 1997, Clark was preparing for a solo show at Penny Universitie, a café in Winston-Salem, N.C. He had the idea to re-purpose a recently-banned cigarette machine into a vending machine for art. He stocked it with Polaroid black-and-white photos mounted on blocks, selling them for just $1 each. The machine, along with his 12 paintings, was a hit at the show.
Originally, the exhibit was supposed to come down in July 1997, but the café’s owner, Cynthia Giles, loved the Art-o-mat® so much that she asked for it to stay. It became clear that to keep this project going, more artists would need to get involved. That’s when Cynthia introduced Clark to a group of local artists, and together, they formed Artists in Cellophane (AIC).
The machine hasn’t changed and is now housed at Delurk Gallery in Winston-Salem, NC.
AIC became the sponsoring organization for Art-o-mat®, and their mission is to make art more accessible by blending art and commerce in a unique way. They believe art should be both progressive and personal—something anyone can experience. And what better way to do that than through a cold, steel vending machine full of original artwork?
Catherine is a regular contributor to this project.
In June 1997, Clark was preparing for a solo show at Penny Universitie, a café in Winston-Salem, N.C. He had the idea to re-purpose a recently-banned cigarette machine into a vending machine for art. He stocked it with Polaroid black-and-white photos mounted on blocks, selling them for just $1 each. The machine, along with his 12 paintings, was a hit at the show.
Originally, the exhibit was supposed to come down in July 1997, but the café’s owner, Cynthia Giles, loved the Art-o-mat® so much that she asked for it to stay. It became clear that to keep this project going, more artists would need to get involved. That’s when Cynthia introduced Clark to a group of local artists, and together, they formed Artists in Cellophane (AIC).
The machine hasn’t changed and is now housed at Delurk Gallery in Winston-Salem, NC.
AIC became the sponsoring organization for Art-o-mat®, and their mission is to make art more accessible by blending art and commerce in a unique way. They believe art should be both progressive and personal—something anyone can experience. And what better way to do that than through a cold, steel vending machine full of original artwork?
Catherine is a regular contributor to this project.
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