The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art continues its Art of Our Time Initiative with this latest exhibit from multimedia artist Trenton Doyle Hancock, entitled “EMIT: What the Bringback Brought.” Inspired in part by the special effects artists of the 1970s and ‘80s, particularly the fantastical work being done in the science fiction and horror genres, Hancock brings his own mythology to life through sculpture, painting, sketching and, in a first for the artist, a film commissioned by his Greenfield Prize win in 2013.

“Through his various use of media, Trenton Doyle Hancock has established a cross-disciplinary career, creating an imaginative world of inventive characters and narratives,” said Ringling Museum curator of modern and contemporary art Matthew McLendon. “His expanded approach to art making and his exploration of techniques typifies the kind of practice The Ringling seeks.”

Stepping into “Emit” feels akin to entering Hancock’s world, immediately surrounded by figures and faces, grinning and staring – each a character in Hancock’s long-running battle between good and evil, represented by rival factions the Vegans and the Mounds. Also inspired by his lifelong love of action figures, his own creations stand displayed in their glass cases like toys in the window, price tags attached. And it’s a bizarro toy shop, something from a Lewis Carroll fever dream, with Hancock’s sketches and scrawled inscriptions looping from floor to ceiling, painted on the very walls.

Towering above it all stands the Bringback, a black-and-white striped furry humanoid with three staring eyes, no mouth and an odd pathos. Formerly a side character in Hancock’s mythology, the Bringback stars in the artist’s first foray into film, which museumgoers can view on a pair of flatscreen TVs mounted on the gallery wall. Showcasing the Bringback and other characters such as Shy Jerry and Baby Curt in his own interpretation of childrens’ toy commercials, the end result is something trippy and strangely comic, like David Lynch taking over your Saturday morning programming. Roughly six minutes long, it's an adventure in visual storytelling that avoids weird for weird's sake, instead deftly maneuvering relatable iconography in novel ways.

“With the mounting of this exhibition, a milestone has been reached,” Hancock said in a statement. “The film is helping me believe in my characters in a new and more powerful way.”

Made possible in part with help from the Hermitage Artist Retreat, which partners with the Greenfield Foundation in Philadelphia to commission promising artists, the exhibit also plays to the Hermitage’s commitment to bringing artists and audiences together in unraveling the artistic process, with sketches, drafts and other pieces from the process on display. Of particular note is the eight-page concept submission that won Hancock the Greenfield Prize, handwritten in careful cursive and framed on the wall, so one can follow “What the Bringback Brought” from the pitch to the screen.

“EMIT: What the Bringback Brought” is on display at The Ringling Museum until Sept. 13.  

Pictured: Trenton Doyle Hancock. Photo By: Will Lytch. Courtesy of: USF Graphicstudio

Sarasota County officials have announced a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Blackburn Point Park additions on April 29 to celebrate the improvement and expansion of the park's amenities. Blackburn Point Park has a long and rich history of serving the community, from the Native Americans who used its shore to secure food and resources, to the fishing industry that thrived there in the early 1900's, to the people who flock to the park each year to enjoy all of the wonderful modern recreational opportunities.  

Sarasota County

Realtor Lily Behrends joined the University Park office of RE/MAX Alliance Group. She was previously with Wagner Realty for five years and Interstate Commercial Brokers for four years. Behrends specializes in the Sarasota/Bradenton area, with a special focus in Panther Ridge Preserve, Lakewood Ranch, Greenbrook, Ellenton, Englewood and North Port. A Manatee County resident since 2000, she is fluent in Spanish. 

RE/MAX Alliance Group

White Picket Produce, an online home delivery service that provides organic, local and sustainably grown produce to its customers, launched in Sarasota. White Picket Produce individually tailors its Organic and Naturally Grown produce to meet the needs of each customer with two different sized boxes and weekly, bi-weekly or monthly home delivery options. The company simplifies the process of shopping for fresh organic produce and eating better, while saving the time and expense of travelling to the farmer’s market.   Beginning today, customers can go online and create an account to begin deliveries immediately. 

White Picket Produce