Ordinary Angels

One day you're filling out TPS reports in your cubicle, praying for your paycheck to come like rain during a drought; the next you're getting interviewed by a reporter outside of your new home in Tent City. Yep, nothing is guaranteed these days. In a hot minute any one of...

By John Linn

March 19, 2009

[
        {
          "name": "GPT - Billboard - Slot Inline - Content - Labeled - No Desktop",
          "component": "16971022",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "15769925",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "16575154",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "GPT - Rectangle 2x - Slot Auto-select - Labeled",
          "component": "15782206",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "16575154",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "GPT - Leaderboard to Tower - Slot Auto-select - Labeled",
          "component": "15782207",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

One day you're filling out TPS reports in your cubicle, praying for your paycheck to come like rain during a drought; the next you're getting interviewed by a reporter outside of your new home in Tent City. Yep, nothing is guaranteed these days. In a hot minute any one of us could go from salary man to destitute. Which is what's so interesting about Florida artist Nathan Lumm's latest solo exhibit, "The Rest of Us." Lumm doesn't position the downtrodden subjects of his minimal, comic art-inspired works as "others." Rather, he seems to create empathy between the anonymous people we see every day and those who, but for a stroke of luck, could be sharing their fate.

Lumm tows that narrow line largely thanks to his understated style. With thick lines and bold contrast reminiscent of graphic novelist Daniel Clowes (Ghost World), Lumm's characters exude a bleakness tempered only by an almost glossy level of texture and coloring - a skill Lumm no doubt picked up working as a colorist at Image Comics for 9 years. The resulting images feel mournful and proud all at once, as if to remind us that these are people with whom we share a collective past - and hopefully a future.

"The Rest of Us" will debut tonight at 7 at Pink Ghost, located at 21 W. Las Olas Blvd., Ste. B, in Fort Lauderdale. Aside from the artwork, you can take in free cupcakes and homespun tunes. Call 954-616-1304, or visit pinkghost.net.
March 21-April 4, 7 p.m., 2009

KEEP NEW TIMES FREE... Since we started New Times, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of South Florida, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.