BILL GATES of MICROSOFT & BING - WITH ONDI TIMONER - the first ever - 2 time winner - of BEST DOCUMENTARY - GRAND JURY PRIZE/SUNDANCE - for
DIG! (2004) and WE LIVE IN PUBLIC (2009) !! - at PARK CITY, UTAH for SUNDANCE 2010.

ONDI WRITES:

we are thrilled to announce the imminent Video-on-Demand and DVD release of WE LIVE In PUBLIC - on MARCH 1st and MARCH 2nd respectively !!

we are planning a ‘honking’ multi-city event on MONDAY MARCH 1st - to kick it off in which all of the various gatherings are connected via internet video streaming !!
The film will play simultaneously in each location and end at the same time so that the post-screening Q+A session with Ondi & Josh, and all the parties nationwide can be linked via a live interactive webcast on our site, weliveinpublic.com. That’s right !! you will be on live video in public - connecting with cities across America - to discuss living in public !!
in LA or VANCOUVER ? Report to the screening at 6PM. Denver ? You’re at 7PM. Chicago, that puts you at 8 PM and New York, we’re starting you at the still-reasonable 9 PM. Milwaukee and Atlanta are making noise about joining in on the fun as well. We’ll send out another announcement with screening/party details for each city as soon as the plans firm up - if you want to help organize a simulcast screening in YOUR town on March 1 - contact us at: coordinator@interloperfilms.com or call the office: 1-626-296-0068.

As it stands, we have fire dancers and preternaturally flexible performers - as well as pods ready to be lived !! in for that night - all to help us festoon the whole affair in Chicago, the hub city of our March 1st festivities !! Our partners-in-crime GRAVITAS VENTURES - who are putting WE LIVE In PUBLIC - out through WARNER BROS. and INDIEPIX - published a l’il press release about the whole thing … check it out: GRAVITAS VENTURES & INDIE PIX PRESENT !!

as well: you can pre-order the WE LIVE IN PUBLIC DVD on our website, and also buy some cool swag - in the form of your very own WLIP t-shirt or an official poster for a mere 20 bucks !! We are offering a LIMITED TIME ONLY 15% PRE-ORDER DISCOUNT on the DVD - so go get ‘em while you can !!

We will also be releasing more crazy hot (some just crazy and some just hot) scenes from the archives in advance of our 3.1.10 launch, so do check in to the site. Digital downloads of the film itself !! and extra scenes will be on tap for you with a click of your mouse that night too, all right there on: weliveinpublicthemovie.com

SCREENINGS - We’ve almost rounded out an awesome US theatrical run, but if you live in ROCHESTER (NY?), you can still catch WE LIVE IN PUBLIC on the big screen on FEB 6. We are expecting to add MADISON, WISCONSIN, and others. If you’re an: I’m globally-connected and have-friends-in-exotic-locales - type !!, tell said friends to come out and see us !!
ONDI WILL BE ATTENDING - the GAEL GARCIA BERNAL - prestigious (and apparently incredibly FUN !!) AMBULANTE FILM FESTIVAL in OAXACA, MEXICO - APRIL 1-4, 2010 !!

but, even before that - WE LIVE IN PUBLIC will be at:

DOC LOUNGE FILM FESTIVAL - throughout SWEDEN !! - 1/18 thru 2/18 !!
ISTANBUL INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL !! - 2/11 - 2/22 !!
3rd INTERNATIONAL FILM FEST OF NICOSIA - in CYPRUS !! - 3/23-3/28 !!
VILNIUS INTERNATIONAL FILM - LITHUANIA !! - 3/18-4/2 !!
AMBULANTE FESTIVAL - OAXACA, MEXICO !! - 4/1-4/5 !!

BACK TO SUNDANCE 2010 !! - While we’ve been preparing for the release of the film, Ondi (miraculously) created time in her packed schedule to go back to PARK CITY, UTAH for SUNDANCE 2010 !! - to pass the GRAND JURY AWARD torch onto a new ‘doc’. She actually in fact - returned, not just as a guest, but as a member of this year’s U.S. Documentary Jury, alongside such badass directors as: MORGAN SPURLOCK (SUPERSIZE ME) and GREG BARKER (SERGIO) !!

ONDI TIMONER with RUSSELL BANKS, US DRAMATIC JURY, SUNDANCE 2010.

ONDI TIMONER with GREG BARKER (SERGIO), US DOCUMENTARY JURY, SUNDANCE 2010.

ONDI TIMONER and ADRIAN GRENIER !!
Adrian, who had a documentary in competition this year - asked that Ondi present him with the CREATIVE COALITION’S - SPOTLIGHT AWARD - SUNDANCE 2010 !!

ONDI TIMONER and PARKER POSEY - a fellow SUNDANCE JUROR.

ONDI TIMONER and a blinged-out !! JOAN RIVERS !!
Ondi and the jury gang did award her film with Best Editing !!

ONDI TIMONER and LYNN SHELTON the director of HUMPDAY !!

THE SUNDANCE 2010 US DOCUMENTARY JURY - ONDI TIMONER, front row - right !!
(. . . and looking more beautiful than ever.)

Directors ONDI TIMONER (DIG! & WE LIVE In PUBLIC) and MORGAN SPURLOCK (SUPERSIZE ME) “furiously” debate who should win the Grand Jury prize.

. . . “it looks like Ondi and Morgan - are back to being buddies, again !!”

ONDI TIMONER and SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL DIRECTOR JOHN COOPER - at the JURY DINNER, SUNDANCE 2010.


watch ONDI TIMONER present the GRAND JURY PRIZE for US DOCUMENTARY, SUNDANCE 2910 to - RESTREPO - SEBASTIAN JUNGER & TIM HETHERINGTON’S - “visceral documentary” about the war in AFGHANISTAN.

while you are at: watch ONDI on BING/SUNDANCE 2010 !!

finally, COOL IT !! - While she was in SUNDANCE to help pick the successor to her 2009 Grand Jury award for, of course - WE LIVE IN PUBLIC - !! - Ondi racked up some attention in the NEW YORK TIMES - for her newest venture - currently in production - ‘COOL IT’ - which addresses solutions to climate change that have been overlooked or underutilized to date.
. . . “The documentary world, rife with impassioned advocacy, may now be poised for some genuine debate … ‘COOL IT’, Ms. Timoner said, was intended not so much to correct ‘An Inconvenient Truth’, which raises the specter of devastation caused by climate change, as to - temper its message with an appeal for practical solutions.” - NEW YORK TMES
read more: NEW YORK TIMES - ‘COOL IT’ !!

ONDI TIMONER and DAVIS GUGGENHEIM (AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH) “rose above their press - to bond over fine filmmaking !!”
Ondi told us - “she loved his film - ‘WAITING FOR SUPERMAN’ - !!”

you go - girl !!

you can follow ONDI on TWITTER !! - twitter.com/onditimoner

become a fan of: WE LIVE IN PUBLIC on FACEBOOK !!

or, otherwise follow the trail of goodies on: WELIVEINPUBLICTHEMOVIE.COM !!

ALL PHOTOS: COURTESY WE LIVE IN PUBLIC & INTERLOPER FILMS

“MICROSOFT-SHOE” - “BILL GATES BOOGIES AT SUNDANCE” by STEPHANIE SMITH and LUKAS I. ALPERT/NEW YORK POST
Page 3 - Wednesday, January 27, 2010 (nypost.com).

FILE THIS UNDER: SOMEBODY’S INTERN IS GOING TO BE FIRED !!

or: WHO DROPPED THE BALL - THE NEW YORK POST or the MICROSOFT P.R. TEAM ??!!

in a big full page spread on this year’s SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 2010 - in today’s NEW YORK POST, on Page 3 - no less !! - BING - THE TRENDY NEW MICROSOFT ‘SEARCH’ ENGINE ?? - and - BILL GATES - THE NEWLY ‘SWINGING’ TECH NERD and BRAND NEW INDIE MOVIE FAN - and - THE NEW YORK POST - and I guess, IT’S SO-CALLED - ‘MOVIE’ TEAM - ALL LOOKED BAD - witness - second paragraph up from the bottom. quote:

“At another bash, GATES chatted up filmmaker ONDI TIMONER, the auteur behind documentaries ‘DIG!’ and the upcoming ‘We Live In Public’, sources said.”

don’t they have fact checkers at the POST - for this kind of stuff ? - I mean ‘We Live In Public - not only isn’t
“upcoming” - but it goddamn won !! - last year !! the 2009 GRAND JURY AWARD FOR BEST U.S. DOCUMENTARY !!

hope they didn’t rely on a BING ‘SEARCH’ to come up with that faux-pas !! so, who takes the fall here ?
probably the MICROSOFT P.R. team - the POST can’t seriously be expected to know what’s happening in the ‘cutting edge’ arts. in fact - they didn’t even post any serious coverage on last year’s 2009 festival - except for maybe 2 PARIS HILTON/CHEESY CELEB SWAG stories !! if I had to guess - since from all appearances - MICROSOFT & BING are ($$) footing the bill for the POST’S new found interest in Indie filmmaking !! - !! LOL !! I’d say - that it was the MICROSOFT P.R. TEAM who dropped the ball !! in their ‘communication/for immediate press release’ - re: all things BING - SUNDANCE party blitz - !! don’t look too good for a ‘SEARCH’ engine, esp the new trendy one - to get simple, important and basic facts like that - all wrong !!
if it was the POST - who blew it - wow - guys: where are you - in the ICE AGE ? - just another New York City player playing big shot - without a full deck. what else is new / you’re a whole year behind the rest of the world - even the NEW YORK TIMES - that so-called - by the POST - gray lady - gave ‘We Live In Public’ - and, ONDI TIMONER !! and JOSH HARRIS !! - tons of press last year !! SHAME SHAME SHAME - for making BILL GATES and BING - look like the - real ‘cutting edge’ losers !! - they probably - really are. not that I am a big fan of google - but that’s another story !! !!

DISCLAIMER #1: TEKSERVE - NYC’S largest independent APPLE STORE & REPAIR SHOP - (as in Mac !!) - is a proud long time sponsor of this site - but the views expressed on this site - are (always) clearly our own !!

DISCLAIMER #2: NANCY SMITH - the editor of this site and - the author of this post - was a paid employee of JOSH HARRIS/PSEUDO.COM - the subject of the film - ‘WE LIVE IN PUBLIC - at the time the filming took place (1999-2000).

DISCLAIMER #3: NANCY SMITH - the editor of this site and - the author of this post - also appears in the film - ‘We Live In Public’ - as a participant. I was a founding crew member - of the ‘QUIET’ MILLENNIUM BUNKER ART PARTY - and part of the in-house production team - and, ok ok - - I’m the crew member who - surprise surprise - !! - got into a fight and kicked out !! I also got ‘a last word cameo’ (another surprise, NOT !!) at the end of the film - when Ondi came back for a follow-up, several years later !!
I’m the one in the black hoodie - who says: “Josh has set sail on the sea for places unknown but far away’ - without really knowing why - but I was right. (surprise. surprise. duh.)

ok .. I even made the trailer !! towards the end, well after mid-point - I’m the one - in the green-and-yellow puffy North Face jacket !! having a (teary) fit !!

yep - that’s me. JERSEY SHORE - ‘SNOOKUMS’ - move ov-er !!

you can find the trailer - right there on the home page: WE LIVE IN PUBLIC - official website - !!
(watch out for ALFREDO’S SHOOTING GALLERY !!)

here’s another trailer - it might be the original - uncut & uncensored - rowdy !! one: because - oops - looks like its been censured for content - on YouTube !! LOL !!
if so … it was first posted by Josh Harris on RADARONLINE - before they re-booted - as whatever the hell - a babyfood celeb sheet ? - they are now.
but, it might just be the official one - censured ?? dunno. I gotta find my (adult) google password !! yikes.

in fact, here’s another really cool clip: “ONDI TIMONER/MEET THE ARTISTS”/WE LIVE IN PUBLIC/YouTube !!
the guy naked in the see-thru communal shower ? JOSH HARRIS, of course !!
the next frame - the woman - with the rosy aura - in the bunker with her young son - yo, that’s me !! it was the bunker built for the 100+ live-in artists at ‘QUIET’ - and it was wired with multiple cameras - pointing in all directions for 24/7 surveillance & each ‘pod’ had ‘live’ feed/real time screens. JEFF GOMPERTZ designed and built the ‘Japanese’-based pod hotel bunker. OWEN BUSH designed and built that (gorgeous !!) ‘bubble wrap’ communal dining room.

don’t believe me ?
check out SUNDANCE 2009: WE LIVE IN PUBLIC / ONDI TIMONER - WINS !!

WE LIVE IN PUBLIC - STILL RULES !! . . . and, WE DID IT FIRST !!

read: JAN ALBERT’S REVIEW/artlovers !!

hate to be harsh and deflate the balloon - but, looks like business as usual at the Biennial.
or, as Jean Michel used to say: SAME OLD SAME OLD.
not counting the suspicious, creepy ?, inclusion of GEORGE CONDO - it’s - looking like - 3 strikes - and you’re out !!

STRIKE 1. HUMA BHABHA
apparently 3 days after her name was announced as part of the 2010 Whitney Biennial line-up - HUMA BHABHA informed BILL BRADY of ATM - that she was no longer represented by his gallery and wanted her name off the gallery website. Uptown, tony and ultimately boring to hell - SALON 94 / JEANE GREENBERG - now own the ‘brand’. what else is new. though the Biennial is supposedly put on - to promote new art and put some of its institutional power behind the new galleries that put everything on the line - to seek out and show new art in the city - its impact in reality - is clearly - often the quite the opposite.
you’d think the GEDI SIBONY - play of the same nature - a couple of years back - might have dampened the Whitney curse - but apparently, NOT. HUMA - think about it - anybody talking about GEDI SIBONY anymore ?

HUMA BHABHA, happy to be included in the BILL BRADY/ATM Show: ‘EAST MOVES WEST’ - opening Oct 17, 2008.
PHOTO: NANCY SMITH

BILL BRADY of ATM at the same opening.
BILL confirmed that Huma requested that her name be dropped from the gallery line-up - but would only say: “I’m glad one of my artists - has become a big deal”.

HUMA’S big piece in the show: the show’s title: ‘EAST MOVES WEST’.
up-date: make that downtown moves uptown. or: plain & simple: b-o-r-i-n-g. on every level - except the money jump. and that’s boring, too.

I remember going to SALON 94, when I “worked” for WALTER ROBINSON at artnet, back in the day (2002-2004) - though I had posted many terrific pix and commentary - for the gallery - when it first began - I was always treated like a lower class dog. no better way to put it.
working for free for artnet and then being looked down by Jeanne - talk about a loser’s proposition - if there ever was one.
if that wasn’t a telling indication of the limit and ceiling of Jeanne’s ‘leadership’ role in the New York art scene - what is ? read anything interesting about her gallery, living room, really - lately - or ever ? it still plays out - without any real inspiration - but loads of dough - generating no real critical success, or buzz. but hey, now they’ve got an artist in the Biennial.

see: HUMA BHABHA in the 2010 BIENNIAL

see: JEANNE GREENBERG/ART LOVERS NEW YORK/ARTNET/FALL 2003

STRIKE 2. “IT’S AN INSIDER - CLIQUE ” - !!
duh - what else is new - can’t these curators pretend pound the streets - even in a token way ?
don’t want to name my source - because then nobody, apart from Jeanne, Huma, and Erik Foss - that is - will talk to me - but my source is in the show - and when I asked him - how the hell he got in there - he said: it was all friends of friends. I was surprised. I’m always hoping for the best. I can’t believe I’m still not that jaded - not to see that coming.

STRIKE 3. BRUCE ALMIGHTY
checked out the trumped-up BRUCE HIGH QUALITY FOUNDATION UNIVERSITY - at SUSAN INGLETT. B-O-R-I-N-G.
I passed by the installation at least 3 times, it looked like such a schlock window - before I realized this dry poop, I mean prop, show - was it. any talented elementary school in New York City routinely does better than this - for the school play. BHQFU were better when they were adrift on the raft. I guess making ‘product’ that Susan could shill for $10,000 a pop via VITO SCHNABEL - was the deciding factor. too bad for their legions of fans - who deserve a better kick-off.
but even worse for the rep of one our leading art critics - ROBERTA SMITH !!
whose quote from back in the summer - leads off the gallery press release.
“…a project that could make the coming season especially exciting: the unaccredited, free art school (started by) the artist collective known as the Bruce High Quality Foundation…” - ???
“Whatever happens, this latest move by the Bruce High Quality Foundation adds inspirational heft to tits motto: Professional problems. Amateur solutions”.
will that was witty - until you see the product - it’s not even ‘raw’ amateur - it’s just one trick pony.
haven’t seen any buzz coming off this show, either. most telling - the collective didn’t merit a mention, not a word - in Roberta’s recent summary look-back take on the scene - ‘Make Room for Video, Performance and Paint’ - NEW YORK TIMES SUNDAY ARTS & LEISURE/JAN 3, 2010.
though we did get: “At ATM, Huma Bhabha took figurative sculpture back to its ancient origins.” !!

BHQFU at SUSAN INGLETT - the window is as under-performing - as the show’s card !!

apart from its display in a big picture window - the painting is as underwhelming … as the whole installation.
I mean I think, even true amateurs could come up with something more exciting.

. . . . the show’s dismal card - I kid you not. talk about amateur solutions to professional problems . . . whatever.

and:
talking about the city’s dynamic art scene critical ‘premiere’ duo - what’s with JERRY SALTZ ?
is he playing with a full deck ?
I mean I think I have to go with my colleague BROMIRSKI - in saying hey, anything else, but make that a: pass on the saltz !!
ok. give the guy credit, every now and then he can nail the (mostly political) issues. but it’s rare to see any real insight on any new talent. case in point - JOE BRADLEY !! he didn’t get JOE when Joe first surfaced, and he still doesn’t get him, except to know that he should ??!! or look like the truly untalented flack he really is.
he posts a feature blurb on Joe’s current curatorial effort at ZACH FEUER in NEW YORK - but really not knowing what to say or make of it - let alone being able to critically assess it (Jerry - take note: it’s bad, dry and boring !!) he relies on his usual filler - when insight fails - “where are the women” !! and the show is titled: “Jr. and Son’s”.
Joe Bradley must have had a cow - when he read that - talk about going right over someone’s head - esp a head - that should know better.
actually there is one, yes just one - interesting entry in the show - an archival signed postcard - from a R. CRUMB show !! and accredited to the estate of DASH SNOW !!

. . . so who the hell - was RICK JAMES - that’s what I want to know !!

ok, in the hope of redeeming some of my (now) lost or bad karma - here’s a few priceless pix from the past - JOE BRADLEY & DASH SNOW at Joe’s one man show at CANADA, last year !!

PHOTO: NANCY SMITH

PHOTO: NANCY SMITH

and finally - PS 1 - has come up with a rare and original thought - they are going to have a STUDIO VISIT - section on their website. LOL - couldn’t they have called it STUDIO TOUR or something . . . as a supposedly new art leader - they don’t really want to be seen as riffing off of - artlovers - or, as those JERSEY SHORE GUIDOS say: ROBBERY !! - you got my “sloppy seconds” !!

ALL PHOTOS & …. OPINIONS: NANCY SMITH

AFTER-THOUGHT:

ok. so SIMON CERIGO made the BRUCE ALMIGHTY opening - he said it was a great crowd and they seemed like fun guys, and
everyone wishes them well - just “the work was all the same” - he was more taken with this t-shirt which one of the BHQFU gang (or one of their fans) was wearing, and he actually bought it for $10 - off the guy’s back - but he has no clue who made it - or indeed who he did the deal with.

now - that’s - more like it !!

HARVEY SHIPLEY MILLER, head honcho of the JUDITH ROTHSCHILD FOUNDATION - about to depart in his signature drive - a chauffeur driven limo. CHRISTIAN HOLSTAD - OPENING - ‘LEATHER BEACH’ - a way scary S & M installation at Prince’s deli.
presented by DANIEL REICH GALLERY, MARCH 11, 2006.
PHOTO: NANCY SMITH

see: the original report: ‘on the other side’ !!

first posted on the home page: JAN 14, 2009.

see: ARTS GROUPS PROTEST DEFAULT ON GRANTS - by ROBIN POGREBIN/NEW YORK TIMES

HARVEY SHIPLEY MILLER is the sole trustee of the defaulting JUDITH ROTHSCHILD FOUNDATION.

OMG HARVEY !! - what’d ya do with all the dough ??!! - our resident big mouth - who requested NOT to be outed as the source of the following particular bit of very true local color - would like to say he isn’t surprised by funny biz at the JUDITH ROTHSCHILD FOUNDATION - that HARVEY SHIPLEY MILLER was sighted, even last year, “so drunk he was crawling on all fours” !! down some well-lit Chelsea Street. He also had a very young good looking boyfriend - with a brand new gallery - several years back. everyone always asked: and the gallery is funded by who ?
almost a fable.

too bad, think he spent a lot of that dough on new art, and yes thank god. cause the window he was supposed to service - really didn’t amount to much - truth be told. he certainly must have supported a big segment of the art scene - with his JUDITH ROTHSCHILD FOUNDATION funded contemporary drawing collection - and I bet the contemporary dealers are more sad than the unrecognized dead artists to see - him bottom out. or is that flame out. too bad. he was a cool enough guy to buy a couple of large ALFREDO MARTINEZ drawings, and even some ANDREW GUENTHER works on paper, too. that was when I used to cover ALFREDO, (and ANDREW GUENTHER, and a quite few others) - for artnet (2002-2004). Harvey told me he was a big fan of my down & dirty, sometimes even funny - ALFREDO MARTINEZ sound bites.

EASTERN DISTRICT LA MODE NOIR PRESENTS:
‘BLACK APPLE IS HOME’ - A PUBLIC SCHOOL EXHIBIT
OPENING RECEPTION: FRI JAN 15, 2020 / 7-10PM
the show doesn’t look to run more than a week ? FRI JAN 15 - SUN JAN 23, 2010
EASTERN DISTRICT - 43 BOGART ST - L TRAIN To MORGAN
FOOD & DRINK BY ROBERTA’S

see: PUBLIC SCHOOL !!
see: EASTERN DISTRICT !!

3 ARTISTS - AAKASH NIHALANI, MARIO BROS. & KAHBASM - of (COLLECTIVE) EASTERN DISTRICT - are going to introduce - EASTERN DISTRICT LA MODE NOIR - A COLLABORATIVE PROJECT BETWEEN EASTERN DISTRICT GALLERY & NEW YORK FASHION HOUSE - PUBLIC SCHOOL. IT LOOKS TO BE BLACK APPLE ART-INSPIRED PUBLIC SCHOOL-MADE GARMENTS - AND MOST SPECIFICALLY - T-SHIRTS. (AS IT TURNS OUT - NOT !!)

“All 3 artists through their different mediums of work have been trying to offer people a different perspective of New York (The Black Apple) whether it be addressing social issues or just wanting people to engage with their work using public spaces.
Public school finding perfection in imperfection, holding a pen in one hand and a sword in another.
Public School and Eastern District make their home - the Black Apple home / a platform of learning.
Please join us for the exhibit - ‘BLACK APPLE IS HOME’ - curated by the Black Apples.”
About the artists:

AAKASH NIHALANI’s - “street work consists mostly of isometric rectangles and squares. Using brightly colored tape - he selectively places these graphics around New York to highlight the unexpected contours and elegant geometry pre-existing in the city itself. All execution of his street level tape work is done on site, with little to no planning.”

MARIO BROTHERS - “the latest addition (!!??) to the Brooklyn art iconoclast - whose work consists of mixed media collages. MARIO BROTHERS live and work in Brooklyn, NY.” - and is a collective.

KAHBASM - is a painter, illustrator, landscape designer and graffiti artist based in New york. Working in all mediums from the street to the studio. Cash4’s work documents the American urban experience using simple iconography and nomenclature.”

UP-DATE: TUES JAN 19, 2010: OK !! - IT WAS DEF NOT A T-SHIRT SHOW - IT WAS A GROUP SHOW OF ART ON LEGIT WALLS - but due to the mean temperature on the street, i.e. the serious intent of the NYPD to shut these guys down - and, you cannot mess with the NYPD - even in a casual lighthearted way - as I guess some of these black apples have learnt - the hard way - seems like the NYPD has seriously taken a big bite out of their collective fun - they apparently don’t even feel safe in the legit white box - as opposed to the rough walls of the subway or street. even under assumed names. and as part of collectives !! (so no one individual can be held responsible unless - totally caught red-handed in the act). well, hitting up, make that - slicing up - commercial posters - was a big no no, duh !! though it made for a real live-wire mean streak, for a while there - it had the whole city - entranced. I mean can’t they lose the street brand and just use - new - assumed names for the gallery exhibits. you know, like POSTERBOY COLLECTIVE becomes MARIO BROS. COLLECTIVE. collective being the key word. a safety-in-numbers brand - if I ever did hear one.
guess not, too hardcore & too stubborn. in a nutshell: Black Apples !! and the people who love them !!
PUBLIC SCHOOL, OR WHAT !!

. . . so, from the get-go we were told, being a site that googles, and is pretty mainstream, I guess - that none of the artists were in the house . . . and, really we found out pretty quickly - the only way to approach the situation - was to take pix - and not ask names. period. plus: I don’t want to be a NYPD tracking site, either. though it was a gallery show. art on the walls. for legit sale. . . which seems to be a positive - heading in more productive & legal directions.
used to be when the (street) artists hit the gallery walls - and, they all crave recognition - they would cover their eyes, with finger gestures, bandannas, or shades, even hoodies. no more. it’s too mean out there. in the age of the internet - paradoxically anonymity rules. collectivity cloaks. we considered ourselves fairly lucky that we were even allowed to take pix of the crowd - in general.

HEAD DESIGNER - MAXWELL OSBOURNE - of PUBLIC SCHOOL.
not sure of PUBLIC SCHOOL’S ultimate connection to the show - except that they seem to be fans of Black Apples - in general.
read: their mission statement - for yourself !!

HEAD DESIGNER - DAO-YI CHOW of PUBLIC SCHOOL.

this table at EASTERN DISTRICT - kinda said it all:
“GAME ALWAYS SPOTS GAME”.

artwork by AAKASH NIHALANI - his street work doesn’t come with the mirrored reflection insert - shown in the gallery here, but it is the most gracious of all the street art around - hands down.

AAKASH NIHALANI.
see: AAKASH NIHALANI/Youtube !!
(yo. you posted it guys - its out there - alive & kicking - nada to do with me. you can’t cut it both ways.)
(I’m just trying to help you go, make that: get - legit.)

didn’t get the name of the next artist - !!

but we got the name of this Black Apple fan: LORI !!

PUBLIC SCHOOL ARTISTIC DIRECTOR and EASTERN DISTRICT GALLERY FOUNDER/DIRECTOR - MICHAEL ‘TIDO’ CABRERA.

black apples are beautiful - are they not ?

SEAN QUINCY - a young designer at PUBLIC SCHOOL.

the next group of work was by the art collective: MARIO BROS.
don’t ask, don’t tell.

by my count - according to variance in style - there were at least 3 different MARIO BROS - all collage artists & one sticker artist . . . or something like that. the other 2 were on the west wall.

what can I say - loved this duo - sublime.

loved the sticker - MARIO BROS, right. “newcomers to Brooklyn” sort of gave it away. this is a huge huge brand with a long long history - maybe - even the most universal of tags - even kids in elementary school - do it without even thinking.
with collage art made so ‘hot’ as in notorious by POSTERBOY - safety is in collaborative universal brands. the more artists who jump on the collective bandwagon - the better ?

hey, anybody could be - a ’sometime’ MARIO BRO.

the other MARIO BROS. collages were arrayed on this wall.

these seemed very classic. almost academic - hard to picture them in the context of illegal street art . . .

but of all the MARIO BROS. stuff - these seemed the most influenced by POSTERBOY - in their very preciseness.
but missed that large subway scale.
see: POSTERBOY/Youtube

not sure where one MARIO BRO. ends, and another begins, guess that’s the point.

these collages ranged in price from $750 - $1,000. they are all on the small side and unique.

leaving the realm of collage & collaborative behind - there was a great piece by - Cash4 !!

and then there was a big wall array by the so-called: KASMIR KAHBAZM !!

look like a couple of black apples to me !! - you didn’t have to be ‘technically’ black to be one - you just had to be - bad.
but, yo - just guessing. anybody’s guess - is as good as mine ?
and. like the man said - the artists weren’t present !!

not shy - JUAN DOE !!
he had the second show in the gallery - ‘MADE In BROOKLYN’ - back in FEB/MARCH 2009 !!
super talented - painter, cartoonist, illustrator - check out: ARTIST KNOWS BEST !!
“a place where art is more powerful than hate.”

not sure if he collaborated with those comic book hero - images on the MARIO BROS. collages behind him. though I guess that’s a good guess. I dunno maybe not ?
check out: an early JUAN DOE/MARVEL COMICS/Youtube !!

ALL PHOTOS (& GUESSES): NANCY SMITH

. . . trying to stay on top of the scene - and, its a downtime - relatively speaking for good ole NYC - is a loser’s proposition. first of all - ALFREDO MARTINEZ just made the NEW YORK TIMES, big time - our expat in CHINA !! and, more importantly - I find myself in the very same position Steven Sebring was in - a fleur on the floor - at her feet. I just can’t bear to edit any of this stuff - down !! what is it about this woman - that turns photogs to mush ? starting, I guess with Robert Mapplethorpe.
I stayed at the opening the whole 3 hrs. completely entranced. so, tell me the following needs a second edit.
as if !! I don’t know - but, no can do - with the same lovin’ hands - that hold this art baby’s camera.

at 63 - PATTI SMITH - still real and raw and wild. She wasn’t into having her photo taken, though I wanted to yell out - you look great . . . so I only took a few, of her - after all it was her night. and, she had been nice enough to answer my question about her Native American Indian ancestry. which was: “yes on her mother’s side - the Amagansett - but then they all moved to Canada”. She said they were just a farming tribe - that she wished they had been a warrior tribe - let me tell ya, Patti - there is no farming tribe - without the heavy-duty warriors - to keep the turf safe.

Patti seemed to be having the best time - when greeting pals, and taking them for tours of the show.

the current set of boots.

in the large back room installation - STEVEN SEBRING presented strikingly intense & extremely minimal photographs of 14 ’significant’ objects belonging to Smith - blown up to huge proportions. more on that - later.
STEVEN SEBRING - ‘BLACK BOOTS’, 2008. archival pigment print. edition 1/3. 42 x 32 in. ($12,500)

ok - that’s the second and last time I am gonna try to get her face - I’m gonna lay low - and wait for a time when she isn’t looking . . .

STEVEN SEBRING. he had no problem being photographed - but I would say over-all he seemed on edge over the show.
I heard I wasn’t the only one who felt his documentary needed one last closer call - final edit. but when you consider what a hard case she can be - you can only wonder at his years of access - and, all the material he was on-board for. and all the beautiful still photos, and film footage - he took. and, that she let him.

case in point, one of the first photos you encounter - when you enter the show.

STEVEN SEBRING, ‘CONEY ISLAND’ 1996. archival pigment print, ed. 1/3. 40 x 32 in. ($12,000).

talking about legends, MICHAEL STIPE showed up, and of all her friends - she seemed the happiest to see him.

no wonder, he was keeping it real. as usual.

more legends. filmmakers JONAS MEKAS, and ALBERT MAYSLES (’GIMME SHELTER’) - with STEVEN SEBRING and MICHAEL STIPE.

JONAS MEKAS - aka - ‘the godfather of American avant-garde cinema” - he worked with ANDY WARHOL, JOHN LENNON and ALLEN GINSBERG. very sharp radar - still !! and the nicest guy. very cool to a fellow photog (that would be me) with a super, make that - unrelentingly - curious mind.
see: JONAS MEKAS !!

ALBERT MAYSLES - he made ‘GIMME SHELTER’ (1970) - on the tragic 1969 Rolling Stones concert at Altamont Speedway.
see: ALBERT MAYSLES - rhymes with hazels !!

ok - here’s my best shot: PATTI SMITH and MICHAEL STIPE

greet …

CALVIN KLEIN.

… that woman on the right is JESSICA LANGE.

JESSICA LANGE.

ANNE DEXTER JONES.

part-time actor and jewelry designer WARIS AHLUWALIA, and filmmaker CHIARA CLEMENTE.

KELLY CUTRONE - she is the coolest of them all, you know of PEOPLE’S REVOLUTION and the HILLS !!
you know - she was - LAUREN CONRAD’s employer !!
see: KELLY CUTRONE !!
up-date: KELLY CUTRONE’S own !! reality show, titled: ‘KELL ON EARTH’ - !! - will premiere FEB 1, 2010 - on BRAVO !!

ELLEN COHEN, senior editor at RIZZOLI.

RIZZOLI put out the definitive book on the film:
‘PATTI SMITH: DREAM OF LIFE’ - FILM BY STEVEN SEBRING

representing the downtown scene - DONALD SHERIDAN - silk screen printer for ANDY WARHOL - at the Factory - back in the day - and still running his own shop.

guitarist JOFF WILSON, of the hometown band - THE BOWERY BOYS - wearing a CBGB t-shirt.
He played on the KOSTABI show a few times, a few years back.

LENNY KAYE - long time musician with PATTI SMITH - he is cameo-ed in the film.

he is also the subject of one of the most haunting photos.

STEVEN SEBRING, ‘LENNY KAYE LAST NIGHT AT CBGB OCT 15, 2006′.
archival pigment print, ed. 1/5. 10-3/4 x 41 in. ($6,500).

detail, STEVEN SEBRING, ‘LENNY KAYE LAST NIGHT AT CBGB OCT 15, 2006′.

another really amazing photo - they were mostly of PATTI - was this one …

STEVEN SEBRING, ‘DIOR’, 2007. Platinum print, ed. 1/5. 20 x 16 ins. ($5,500).

detail, STEVEN SEBRING, ‘DIOR’. how he ever talked her into this, I do not know. she might not look very happy - but she looks straight-out gorgeous.

here’s one of Patti’s own photos - also very haunting - and yet, note - it’s from 2009 !!
PATTI SMITH , ‘AUTO PORTRAIT’, 2009. Unique Polaroid print, 12-11/16 x 11-9/16 in. ($3,000).

PATTI SMITH and STEVEN SEBRING, ‘PORTRAIT: MIXED MEDIA’, 2009
Albumen print with mixed media, 20 x 25 in. ($20,000)

detail, PATTI SMITH and STEVEN SEBRING - ‘PORTRAIT: MIXED MEDIA’, 2009.

there was also an archival poster from many years ago.
PATTI SMITH DRAWINGS / ROBERT MAPPLETHORPE FILM and STILLS / ROBERT MILLER GALLERY / JUNE 7 (1978)

there was a re-creation of her room, with early an MAPPLETHORPE loop running on the t.v. - it was hard to make out.

I preferred this offering of PATTI SMITH - poet - typewriter and books. aka ‘ephemera’.

and Polaroid.

on top - ‘JOAN of ARC’ !!

GREGORY CORSO, POE, WILLIAM BURROUGHS, WILLIAM BLAKE.

WILLIAM BLAKE - a big cornerstone for her. She talks alot about his influence in the movie.

GREGORY CORSO - ‘LONG LIVE MAN’.

Patti’s ‘gesture’ painting - featured in the film.

PATTI SMITH, ‘STRANGE MESSENGER’, 2004. oil, pencil and gauze on canvas mounted on board.
91-1/2 x 92-1/4 in. NFS.

detail. PATTI SMITH painting. sorry, nice novelty - but that’s about it.
and, no. you can’t have it - all !!

which takes us full circle back to that large back room - where the STEVEN SEBRING - monumental and most minimal photos I’ve ever seen - of 12 ’significant objects’ - held court.
yes, her childhood dress - she holds it up in the movie - she really did come out of a time, the late 40’s - when young rural girls still wore these kind of dresses, handmade by their moms - she really did come out of the authentic American rural experience, growing up in factoryland South Jersey USA, and splitting for the big city - New York City - as soon as she was able.
American rebel to the core, ground roots up.

looking back,

at an American life - rebel. icon. musician and poet. PATTI SMITH and MICHAEL STIPE.

OPENING PHOTOS - WED JAN 6, 2010 - PHOTOS BY NANCY SMITH
‘PATTI SMITH and STEVEN SEBRING - OBJECTS OF LIFE’
the show runs JAN 6 - Feb 6, 2010
ROBERT MILLER GALLERY - 524 WEST 26th ST - NYC

see: REVIEW of ‘PATTI SMITH: DREAM OF LIFE’ by STEVEN SEBRING/on artlovers

IMAGE BY: CARLY RABALAIS

CINDERS GALLERY PRESENTS:

‘KNOW NEW YORK’ - CURATED BY STO.
OPENING - FRI JAN 8, 2010 / 7-10 PM
the show runs Jan 8 - Feb 7, 2010
CINDERS - 103 HAVEMEYER ST - BROOKLYN
HRS: WED-SUN 1-7PM

featuring the work of NEW YORK CITY BASED ARTISTS:
DIANE BARCELOWSKY, HISHAM BHAROOCHA, ROBIN CAMERON, RAUL DENIEVES, ANDREW GUENTHER, MAYA HAYUK, ELI LEHRHOF, DENNIS McNETT, CAMERON MICHEL, LEIF PARSONS, CARLY RABALAIS, LEIF RITCHEY, JONATHAN ROSEN, RYAN WALLACE & ERIC WHITE.

STO WRITES:
“All around me people are taking notes, mapping things out, rewiring circuits, reinventing conventions, collecting, combining, and making connections that often turn into new and honest adventures for the eyes and ears, the head and the heart. They just won’t stop. Our posse is getting big, our posse is getting bigger. And I’m still getting to Know New York. Even after living here for almost 10 years, I will always be getting to Know New York a little bit more everyday. It Just never stops going and growing and morphing, energy like electrons running into each other wild like bumper cars to the galloping sounds of the JMZ rolling by my window. I’m excited for a New Year to begin, a new era for all of us to start together.
These artists are all living in New York.
They are out in the middle of the night collecting bits of street trash sparkle to brighten your day. they are using circular rhythms and parallel lines to find a piece of peace while others do dance moves in the street with gold pants and silver balloons. Life in abandoned hotels out in the desert armed with futuristic yet medieval-style prosthetics for enhancing life.
The wolfbats have come out of the caves and the spirits are arising. Envisioned revisions of popular culture are reassigning the meanings of what we know reality to be with a faux facsmile. Or a magic carpet ride, several twists of fate, and a bit of dumb luck.
This is the first in a series of exhibitions that focuses specifically on New York artists.
Let’s begin the year by getting to know they neighbor.”

CINDERS has started to post some images from the show - on their website, here are two - that seem to express the wide range of being !!

painting by: ANDREW GUENTHER

snowflake by JOHNATHAN ROSEN

SPENCER SWEENEY - PLAYS CAMERA TAG - WITH HIMSELF !!
image courtesy/GBE

SPENCER SWEENEY
DEC 9, 2009 - JAN 19, 2010
Gavin Brown’s enterprise - 620 Greenwich St - NYC
hrs: Tues-Sat 10am-6pm

SIMON CERIGO dropped in on the SPENCER SWEENEY ‘LIVE’ installation at GBE yesterday. He is happy to report that the installation - and Spencer Sweeney - himself - being part of the installation - are more spaced out than ‘DISTRICT 9′ - the science fiction movie, which is Simon’s current rave fave.

in Simon’s words: “The show, which is a voyage through Sweeney’s many alter egos - has a wonderful audio aspect to it - which represents Spencer’s obsession with music and the tools of its ‘representation’. Being an audiophile myself - I was impressed with the broad range of vintage tube and transistor equipment. The whole space explodes with Mr. Sweeney’s frenetic, reckless, and delicate painterly maneuvers. The show also functions at its highest potential when there are a lot of (happy!!) people there - having a party.

up-date: the next performance is - this FRI JAN 15, 2010 - at 8pm.

SIMON and I both knew Colin from way back in the early days of the EAST VILLAGE GALLERY scene - ca. 1981 or 82, 83 - when they both had start-up store-front galleries, pretty much around the block from each other. both had serious agendas, and serious ‘other agenda’ distractions. put it this way - they both liked to party, in their own way - and being a businessman/gallerist - wasn’t high on the list. Simon’s gallery, the self-named SIMON CERIGO GALLERY - was more visual, as in pictorial - in context, showing early WALTER ROBINSON and even DAN ASHER; while Colin’s was more of a visual but cerebral high-style. COLIN was able to outlast Simon and endure until his untimely death, (in FALL 2003) as he had family resources to fall back on - and he was also a little sharper on the networking. Our most interesting intersection with Colin, apart from Simon’s inclusion in ART CLUB 2000’s ‘1970′ - was our 1995 purchase, from AMERICAN FINE ARTS - of an early MARIKO MORI large-scale photo, called: ‘LOVE HOTEL’ - which we purchased for the grand total of $3,000. We had to sell it, a few years later - when it hit $60,000 at secondary market. of course the very next year, after we put ours to market - her photos were hitting well beyond $120,000-$160.000+. ouch. . and yes it was COLIN de LAND, not JEFFREY DEITCH - who first showed MARIKO MORI in NYC. and yes, ALFREDO MARTINEZ !! and MARIKO MORI were an item - in her early punk days, when she still had bad skin - in NYC, on the Lower Side. and yes, it was at the first DEITCH - MARIKO MORI show - that I first met Alfredo. they had already broken up way before. it was something you just never knew whether to believe or not, but just like most of the tall tales - that Alfredo spins - the most far-fetched !! are usually - the truth !! I know, because - I did ask Mariko Mori once, personally - and she did confirm - though in a one word sentence . . .

COLIN de LAND 1955-2003.
photographed at the last AMERICAN FINE ARTS opening he was able to attend. PHOTO: NANCY SMITH
the show was: SILVIA KOLBOWSKI, ‘Like Looking Away’, SEPTEMBER 12 - OCTOBER 5, 2003.
by this time AMERICAN FINE ARTS/COLIN DE LAND FINE ART was in Chelsea - on 22nd St.
the opening was on Sept 13, 2003 - and by Oct 26, 2003 - there was a memorial for COLIN at COOPER UNION, with the after party at CBGB.
by this time - I was working as an event photographer for WALTER ROBINSON at artnet. I felt really honored that Colin, clearly not at the peak of good health, had picked up his camera to play ‘photo tag’ with me, and that he had let me get the last photo of him - at the very last event he could attend at his namesake gallery. esp as - no one was else was allowed to snap any pix of him. ok. he was wearing a wig, but he still looked pretty good, and playful. but Walter declined to publish it - go figure. way to go, Walter. guess I can just damn well - do it myself, now.
and, yes it was Colin de Land who made trucker hats most chic !!, (and, not ASHTON KUTCHER !!).

DANIEL, or as we all like to call him, DANNY, McDONALD was pretty much running the gallery day-to-day, at that point, and he was watching over Colin like a mother hawk. He obviously, unlike Walter, enjoyed - and grasped the beauty of the ‘camera play’ !!

this was the artist - SILVIA KOLBOWSKI - whose show was to have the legacy of being - the last one Colin could attend.

this was the show’s card.
by that time - Colin was using a standard, text only - format - for every show.
it was kind of a fore-shadow - in style, looking back.

PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH

NEXT UP - WHAT ELSE IS THE NEW YEAR GOOD FOR - BUT, A LOOK BACK ?

WE’VE GOT SOME ARCHIVAL PIX - FROM the DANNY McDONALD / ART CLUB 2000 - SUMMER 1997 EXHIBIT: ‘1970′ - at COLIN de LAND’S AMERICAN FINE ARTS - WHEN IT HEADLINED THE EDGE - in SOHO !!

artlovers’ roaming contributor, music critic, party crasher and big mouth - SIMON CERIGO - was one of the artists featured in the show . . . which asked: “where were you - in 1970?”.

SIMON CERIGO, with daughter, KATE CERIGO in tow, rides up to the opening, MAY 26, 1997.
Kate was 11. Simon was 45.
Simon’s t-shirt reads: THE ABSOLUTE SOUND - always the cutting edge audiophile & music fan - Simon was a devout follower of high end music electronics - on which to hear that cutting edge music - and ‘THE ABSOLUTE SOUND’ - was the high end audiophile bible of the time.

sitting in the window - looking at the camera - CHARLIE FINCH !! as JOHN WATERS - strolls by !!
ART CLUB 2000, ‘1970′ - COLIN de LAND AMERICAN FINE ARTS. SOHO, NYC. MAY 26 1997.
it was the summer show and ran till SEPT 1, 1997.

KATE on the gallery front steps.

the gallery also had one of those ubiquitous Soho banners.

ART CLUB / 1970 - the sign for the show.

yep, that’s DANIEL aka DANNY McDONALD - in the red T.

the youngest member of ART CLUB 2000, and Simon says: the best looking, CRAIG WADLIN in the theme appropriate paisley shirt Simon on the right. and yeah, Simon does need shades indoors. you know what that means, don’t ya ?
. . . ‘medicated’ out of his skull. what else is new.

DANIEL McDONALD tinkers with the video installation. different interviews ran on the different monitors at the same time. when it worked.
ok, so what ART CLUB 2000 did for this exhibit, ‘1970′ - was they asked several, mostly well known artists, (Simon was the least known), in a taped interview: “Where were you in 1970 ?”
Simon’s answer, that won him a one-way ticket into this insider club ?
“I was in Providence Town, MASS hanging out with JOHN WATERS and DIVINE, the whole group. at a dive bar called PIGGY’S TRUCKSTOP - where I was the DJ. I was 18. I had been at WOODSTOCK - the summer before.”
some of the other artists interviewed: VITO ACCONCI, ISA GENZKEN, LES LEVINE. ALEX KATZ, CAROLEE SCHNEEMAN & HENRY FLYNT. just goes to show ya, how fleeting fame is, and Simon is probably still the most interesting, edgey, and most unknown - not to mention, baddest - of the lot !! and the only one you’ll still see out on the scene - ok. sometimes JOHN WATERS pops up - but he wasn’t interviewed.

CHARLIE FINCH on the couch, Kate next to him.

in the center, that’s a (younger) WALTER ROBINSON. on the right is his ex-wife.

MR. KNOW IT ALL. SIMON CERIGO.
ART CLUB 2000 - ‘1970′. COLIN de LAND AMERICAN FINE ARTS.
MAY 26, 1997.
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH

‘Untitled’ (Paramount Hotel/Nude). 8 x 10 in. C-print. 1992-93
an early ART CLUB 2000 - self-produced image !!
yes, that’s a bleached blonde DANIEL McDONALD, in the dark socks !! on the extreme left.
the only real break-out artist of the group, would be photographer PATTERSON BECKWITH, in the center, his face just above the back haired Asian beauty.
ART CLUB 2000 - a group of intense (7 members at the max) art students from COOPER UNION - was initiated under the guiding hand and auspices of COLIN de LAND, back in 1992.
the image is from the ART CLUB 2000 - web archive: Between Bridges: ART CLUB 2000
you can also score a little more info on them, here: ART CLUB 2000
(CRAIG WADLIN’S PHOTOGRAPHY website.)

(another ghost of Xmas past) - COLIN de LAND.
ART CLUB 2000 - ‘Untitled (Individuals of Style Portrait, Studio Sample with Colin de land). 11 x 14 in. digital print. unique, 1993.
posted on: Between Bridges: ART CLUB 2000

artwork by HUMA BHABHA - image courtesy/ATM GALLERY

BILL BRADY of ATM - is pleased to announce that gallery artist - HUMA BHABHA - has been included in the selection for the upcoming WHITNEY 2010 BIENNIAL. HUMA BHABHA always serves up both a great visual and contextual statement - of rich complexity and superior originality.

but overall - the selection seems a little on the ’strange’ art side of things, with a lot of the artists unknown to this scribe.
THE BRUCE HIGH QUALITY FOUNDATION is given a chance to show they deserve their recent p.r. - can they jump to the plate ?
DANNY McDONALD, best known for his work with ART CLUB 2000 - sprung out of the glory days of COLIN DeLAND and AMERICAN FINE ARTS - is a surprise pop-up. good luck, Danny !! ARI MARCOPOULOS rings a bell - and his participation should be both lively and pictorial. the big question mark is - GEORGE CONDO - what the hell - is he doing in the mix - can a slot in the WHITNEY BIENNIAL - be bought ?

watch: a brief statement by the 2010 BIENNIAL curators, FRANCESCO BONAMI & GARY CARRION - MURAYARI !!
it sounds more like an apology than anything else - not a good sign - for the first step - going into a big project - whose rep, in fact the whole brand - has been severely diminished, one could even say, squandered over a past decade - of very lame - outings.

you can see: an interesting take on the Museum itself in this video clip, 2nd option down here !! - and the 2010 animation logo - is swift !! but the naming of the names seem to take a dubious jittery second place vibe. these guys seem more scared - than anything else. you know - like when a pol or CEO gets the chairperson seat - outta default - cause no one else wants to handle the hot potato - of a sinking ship. but maybe, just maybe - their steely low-down - will hit a steely mark ?

THINGS THAT STAY, THINGS THAT GO
DANNY TINNENY’S SELECTIVE SALVAGE
DEC 11, 2009 - JAN 3, 2010
ELK GALLERY - 426 PRESIDENT ST. - BROOKLYN - NY
HRS: FRI-SAT/1-7PM

JOCKO WEYLAND wrote us a lengthy, but worthy missive on this ‘alternative’ show on the glorious banks of the GOWANUS CANAL !! - the site of a one time on-site/found/rove exhibit under the ELK umbrella.
too bad we couldn’t make the opening - Friday, Dec 11 - supposedly they had bonfires going in 55 gallon oil drums .. and beer. but it was also the biggest rainstorm of the year. so go figure.

anyways, JOCKO writes:

“With Bond Street on one side, the Gowanus Canal on the other, bordered by
Carroll to the south and the cobblestones of President Street to the north,
“The Lot” is a repository of gritty and occasionally sublime readymade
beauty.  Almost everything there has a functional purpose, though much has
stayed past its prime thanks to the preservationist instincts of Danny
Tinneny, the lot’s owner,  “arranger” and undisputed king. All these objects
help give the lot its unique character and often transcend their utilitarian
origins to enter the realm of the purely sculptural, combining undeniable
formal qualities and socio-historical resonance. Posing questions as to what
is art and what is not without essaying any dogmatic answers, the lot’s
contents blur that supposed boundary with Duchampian aplomb. An accumulation
of weathered, battered, and engrossing remnants of the Gowanus’ industrial
past and its more recent multi-use incarnation, the aesthetically rich
environment has resulted from both chance and judicious reclamation. Whether
it’s a peacefully decaying 1958 Oldsmobile 88, various bollards, a backhoe,
forklifts, a Grove crane, rusted dumpsters, bales of wire, oil drums,
numerous ladders, stacks of wood, sandbags, tires, and shipping containers,
they all are part of a not entirely accidental cement sculpture garden.  Set
off by the big skies above the canal, ringed by an aluminum barbed-wire
topped fence, the weedy domain with its semi-feral cats hunting amongst the
detritus is evidence of a keen sensitivity to the appeal of what many
consider junk.

The lot has had many lives, first as a car salvage business and now as the
home to the office of a moving company, a woodshop, parking for movie
stylist RVs, and many other activities, including Macro-sea’s summer 2009
dumpster pool project, for which Tinneny was both enlightened landlord and
crucial participant. Now more changes are afoot, and before that
transformation occurs there is an opportunity to take stock of these sundry
inanimate things and see them in a new light. “Things that Stay, Things that
Go” contextualizes these gems that were saved on purpose (and some that
stayed just because) in a garage-turned-gallery and its courtyard. An homage
to the past and present, the inspired ad-hoc arrangement Tinneny has brought
to his workaday surroundings will be reconfigured into an installation
replete with aesthetic and historical allusions and minimalist charm. Tools
and useful implements’ impact on the sculpture of the last 100 years can be
pondered, as can the graphic material that was saved for decorative
purposes, seen through the prism of one man’s unselfconsciously artful
attitude toward debris. A collective wish to fully appreciate the lot’s
magical diversity is at work in this exhibition, from the fire call box to a
chest-high safe, the vintage matador prints, a tarp-covered AMC Javelin, a
toolbox full of 1940s records and  “The Watchman” mannequin, along with the
all the other selectively salvaged treasures. In this display machines,
practical devices and pictorial ephemera generate a nuanced tonal
conversation about volume, shape, and feel, as well as a chance to celebrate
Tinneny’s discriminating eye for the beauty inherent in functionally.

Directions: F train to Carroll Street Stop, walk east (towards the Gowanus)
on Carroll Street, left on Hoyt, then right on President. Go to the end of
the street through the gate into the lot and walk about seventy-five feet
until “Things that Stay, Things that Go” is seen to the right.

Presented with the cooperation and support of the Tinneny family and
Macro-Sea.”

there is an excellent slide show of the exhibit: on the ELK website !!
ALL PHOTOS BY ROB ERICKSON !!
here’s some favs - it was hard to edit them down . . .

inset photo of DANNY TINNENY - by JONATHAN KROLL.

looking good - or what !!?? GOWANUS CANAL !!

while you are on the ELK website - look around - it’s a nice little alternative cruise . . . with some real punch.
FOR SURE, don’t miss the ELK sounds: here !!
on the top right, under ONE ELK SOUND; ANOTHER ELK SOUND.
and the zines and the films and the books !!

note: JOCKO WEYLAND IS A WRITER, PHOTOGRAPHER, and CHRONICLER OF SKATEBOARDING, AMONG OTHER PASTIMES - in AMERICA. when we saw his film - ‘BEIJING SUMMER’ - under the ELK/FILMS archive - there was something about BEIJING, and GOWANUS CANAL - that resonated in our head.
of course - ALFREDO MARTINEZ - !! - former GOWANUS CANAL celebrity resident and current CHINA ARTIST-in-RESIDENCE !!
Jocko Weyland wrote that funny piece on ALFREDO for VICE !!
see: JOCKO WEYLAND on ALFREDO MARTINEZ !! in CHINA !!
for more on JOCKO WEYLAND, check out: RAW CHINA - PHOTOS BY JOCKO WEYLAND !!
and if you have 10 more mins, check out: JOCK WEYLAND on OPEN CITY - THE ELK & THE SKATEBOARDER !!

so, . . . . here’s CHRISTMAS PRESENT !!
MERRY XMAS FROM NYC - or is it, to NYC !! - from BECCA KACANDA !!

BECCA KACANDA - at the first BROOKLYN COMICS AND GRAPHICS FESTIVAL,
WILLIAMSBURG. NEW YORK CITY. DEC 5, 2009
PHOTO: NANCY SMITH
ARTWORK BY BECCA KACANDA !!

see: more of BECCA’s work and the underground world of comics NYC - on MEATHAUS !!

and yeah, check out: MEATHAUS !! - it’s a great little animated gem of a cutting edge NYC comics website !!

MERRY XMAS !! Y’ALL - XXX, KATE CERIGO !!

. . . caught a-n-o-t-h-e-r GHOST !! of Christmas Past - JOSH HARRIS on CNBC - ‘THE BUBBLE DECADE’ - !!
He was featured just before their coverage of: AOL BUYS TIME WARNER !!
and, yeah, he has what ? 10 sound bites and there is is insisting, was it Pseudo, or the whole damn thing - was just . . .”an art project” !! internet seer be damned, I am an artist.
Friday, Dec 24, 2009 - 3 PM !!

see: CNBC ORIGINAL - THE BUBBLE DECADE
see: CNBC - THE BUBBLE DECADE

PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH

ok. this being NYC, I recently had occasion to drop by a doctor’s office on the Lower East Side, and being such, instead of PEOPLE MAGAZINE lying around for bored waiting clients - the mag of choice was - INKED !! a tattoo chronicle.

with nothing better to do - and bored out of my mind - I flipped through and what do I see on page 30 - the Ghost of Xmas Past !!

a young Dash Snow. no mistaking the face - nor - the DAY OF THE DEAD ink.

it was used as a ’stock’ photo in an ad - for tooth cleaning utensils for hipsters !!
the good people of INKED were totally clueless as to who they had in the photo.
there was no name, there wasn’t even a photo credit. Dash must have sat for some ink photog who sold his image - I guess without permission - duh - to shill electric toothbrushes. or maybe they just lifted it off the net.
watch out - maybe your Facebook photo will be - ‘orphaned’ - next.
he is wearing a grill set - get it ?
of course the ink - is the best drawing ever seen on skin, no doubt.

but one good thing, he is face-to-face - in mag world ghost life - with a hot babe - forever.

it’s on page 30 - someone else can dig for the dirt.
it was more than - enough, to stumble upon the ghost, for me.
though if the DIA FOUNDATION ancestors actually set their high-priced lawyers on the trail - yeah - I’d like a finder’s fee. duh.
kind of like Dash’s way - of supporting the site - from afar. fat chance. but you never know - so I’m putting it in writing.
they actually asked for my archival pix - for use - for free. another stingy story. what else is new.

see: INKEDMAG.COM !!

it was just sitting there. waiting to be set free.

INKED JUNE/JULY 2009.

and, then a little further on, at the corner of BOWERY & SPRING, this new tag work - has to be for DASH.
D.S. R.I.P. 09

and, what’s that . . .

IRAK IRAK
NEW YORK NEW YORK.

PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH - DEC 4, 2009
LOWER EAST SIDE, NYC.

read more about: IRAK & DASH & SNOW & DEATH/GAWKER !!
GAWKER has a bad habit - of not posting photo credits.
so, sorry no can do, as well. dudes, that’s how you end up with ‘orphaned’ pix - shilling electric toothbrushes,
down the road.
funny. how they think electric toothbrushes will go down well with ink aficionados !! must be that drill sound.

want more pix - IRAK - the website - has been co-opted, but this is still a good link.

see: ALEX SINS - Fuck what ya heard! - DASH SNOW

MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR.
and, dudes. don’t eat the snow. white or yellow. bad fer ya.

also caught this poster at the BROOKLYN COMICS AND GRAPHICS FESTIVAL !!

Coming Spring 2010 from Fantagraphics:
A BRAND NEW COLLECTION - FROM KIM DEITCH !
‘The Search For Smilin’ Ed !’
KEEP YOUR EYES PEELED!

More Kim Deitch books available from FANTAGRAPHICS:
ALL WALDO COMICS, BEYOND THE PALE, and DEITCH’S PICTORAMA !!

KIM DEITCH at the artist book signing of KRAMER’S ERGOT 7. DESERT ISLAND, BROOKLYN. Dec 6, 2008
PHOTO: NANCY SMITH
see: the complete report !!

you can read a brief, but really fascinating artist bio on KIM DEITCH, on the FANTAGRAPHICS website, here !!
and if you scroll down just a tiny bit, you can hit links to his books, including a large image of each cover, but even more fun, each book comes with a really cool - video tour - of the pages !!
for example, check out this tour of: ‘DEITCH’S PICTORAMA’ !!

‘DEITCH’S PICTORAMA’ !!

FILE THIS UNDER: sometimes in the tiniest of books - resides the biggest magic.

RON REGE Jr. at the first ever BROOKLYN COMICS AND GRAPHICS FESTIVAL. WILLIAMSBURG.
Dec 5, 2009.

apart from his hardcover DRAWN AND QUARTERLY books - Ron Rege Jr. had some arresting black and white sheets.
these turned out to be studies from his - DIY mini books !!

they were in a limited editions of 100 and sold for $1 apiece - of, course I scored one - and here is Ron signing it !!
it is about 4 in. square !! well, 1/4 in. more on the width, 1/4 in. less on the height !!
held together with one staple in the center - it is 3 sheets or 6 pages altogether.

this is the cover.
is is dated 4.29.09 and the title says: ‘WHAT IS NOW WHAT IS NEW WHAT IS IT ???
believe, that block to the left - is his name - logo.
what really drew me to the book - apart from its DIY: little book - big excursion into the world. of thought.
not to mention the sub-texts of graphic art & design !! and, did we mention, charm.
was the cross-over into graff.

at first - the message seems to be the opposite of Noah Lyons ???
the first page states: ‘A SWEET, GENTLE TIME IS OURS A SIMPLE CLEAR QUIET PRACTICE NOW IS NOW PERFECT EASY ALWAYS NOW ……’
except you’ll note that that message - is in the shape of a hand gun !!
the right hand side says:
RAY OF LIGHT WANTS TO SHINE ON YOU!
EVERYTHING IS TEMPORARY
IS THIS THE GREATEST LESSON
OF LIFE - IN PREPARATION FOR DEATH?
ONLY LOVE IS ETERNAL

he also exposes some of his own polar opposite - issues !! incl. stylististic !!
the right hand page says:
THERE IS EVIDENCE TO SUGGEST THAT OUR UNIVERSE AND EVERYTHING IN IT ARE GHOSTLY IMAGES, PROJECTIONS FROM A LEVEL OF REALITY SO BEYOND OUR OWN IT IS LITERALY BEYOND BOTH SPACE AND TIME.
my sentiments, exactly !!

here’s that last page - writ large !!

[he is referring to science]
“MAGIC IS NEITHER WHITE NOR BLACK, FOR NATURE HAS NO MASTER” - PARACELSUS

the back cover - with the RON REGE JR logo - name block.

PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH
SCANS from: RON REGE JR - 4.29.09 / WHAT IS NOW WHAT IS NEW WHAT IS US ???

NYC-based NOAH LYON - aka RETARD RIOT - had a booth at the recent BROOKLYN COMICS and GRAPHICS FESTIVAL.
Sat, Dec 5, 2009. Williamsburg.

he makes tiny hand-made, very low-fi black and white comic books - but he presents them in a very arresting way - in plexiglass boxes !! Noah is someone who straddles that fine line between fine artist and comic book artist.

he also makes T-shirts - that speak for themselves, duh.
all of his work - is a commentary.

he also makes buttons. tons of them.

his most recent publication is a collaboration with MATT LEINES - this is very interesting. for 2 reasons.
one: they both straddle that fine line between art and comics.
two: they are almost polar opposites !! Matt is very detail-oriented and obsessive, whereas Noah is: scribble it out, turn it upside and tear the world apart. Matt Leines never uses words and Noah is pretty much all about words, or at least thoughts.
Matt is introspective and Noah is extroverted. Matt cannot abide to have his photo taken, and Noah loves to grandstand !!
in this front cover, the face is pretty much all Matt Leines, the guest. but. the curly multi-eyeballs forehead - is all Noah !!
by the way the book is all of 2-1/2 x 4 in. !!
8 pages altogether including the cover. LOW-FI - YES !! DIY - YES !!
small package - big message - great art - YES !!

little creative acts add up. little creative acts can be very revealing. little books can tell big stories.
if only little creative acts could change the world.
and yes, Noah was sweet enough to inscribe this one to me . . .

so can you tell the NOAH from the MATT ?!!
hint: any Matt Leines fan - could tell you in a nanosecond - the tale of the tiger is Matt.
the polar opposite clash and mesh !! - is all Noah.

Noah’s messages are always - right on point !!
unfortunately for where we are all heading, or is that beheading ?!!
plus - I also like long knives !!

so this is the back cover.
so clueless - where’s MATT ?
it’s all in the eyes.

PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH
pictorial scans from NOAH LYON - RETARD RIOT ISSUE twenty eight.
Printed in BROOKLYN SEPT. 2009

yeah, check out: RETARD RIOT !!
just make sure you - come back out !!

(poster illustration: CHARLES BURNS)

the first ever BROOKLYN COMICS AND GRAPHICS FESTIVAL took place this past SAT DEC 5, 2009, 11am-7pm - at OUR LADY OF CONSOLATION CHURCH - 184 METROPOLITAN AVE - in WILLIAMSBURG.
presented by PICTUREBOX and DESERT ISLAND, with over 50 exhibitors and a full schedule of panel discussions and book signings, admission was free.
check out: BROOKLYN COMICS & GRAPHICS FESTIVAL for details . . .

. . . so, if you were in New York City - this weekend - this was the only game in town. and it was fun, despite the fact that the organizers DAN NADEL of PICTUREBOX and GABRIEL FOWLER of DESERT ISLAND seemed a little frazzled, and I guess understandably so. one can only guess at what kind of drama and mini-struggles went on behind the scenes - these comic books guys are some serious dudes . . . don’t ever mistake ‘comics’ - as in comedians !! with comics as in small mostly soft bound books !! it’s a whole world apart. if not a whole other planet. Gabriel Fowler in particular - does much better in the quiet calm of his Desert Island, than he does in the midst of a teeming Williamsburg church basement on a stormy night !!
The crowd was mostly male, and seemed to be comprised of pretty serious comics aficionados. but nobody was really laughing, except maybe GARY PANTER - who seemed to be in the best mood - of anybody !!
and Frankie Santoro !! who had had a good day - as in, “raked it in” - selling classic ‘collector’ comics, and let’s leave it at that. my gut feeling was that not many of the youngest exhibitors manged to cover their minimal participation table costs.
($150 for artists, $200 for publishers). the new SMOKE SIGNAL #3 - made its debut at the fest - but appeared to be somewhat of a dud - except for the front cover. just joking, guys !! - its great. esp the front cover by ANDERS NILSEN !!
also loved the center spread by DASH SHAW !!

It was the very first day of real snow, preceded by a very heavy windy cold rain - so they weren’t sure if this brought out the huge, mostly robust guy crowd - or if they were lucky !! conversely: that it was bad weather - which might have discouraged the less die-hard of the breed from slogging through the cold wet misery outside - cause they didn’t have any crowd control plans . . . and it was crowded. super crowded. all day from the get-go.
for me, it was way more fun to be at, esp since it was the first time they ever did this - than running around at any played-out art fair in Miami, mostly because of the (genuine) talent - that popped up, with such startling & graphic !!
appeal. put it this way, if forced to pick between Vito Schnabel parading around the one-trick pony, not to mention, visually challenged Bruce Almighty ‘nerds’ (the New York Times word for them, not mine !!) - in thrift shop polo shirts - no less.
then, yes. I considered myself damn lucky, even in a New York City snowstorm, as opposed to that Florida hotel pool heat - to see CHARLES BURNS in person !! signing books, a gracious GARY PANTER offering a brief chat, an intense DAVID SANDLIN unraveling his 27 ft. long foot self-produced artist book. not to mention RON REGE Jr - who can actually be made to crack a smile - and, meeting the very influential and under-rated (in the rat world !! I mean art world) MAT BRINKMAN - for the first time - I consider just that - a super special moment. and to cap it off - to actually have had, a somewhat grumpy DAN NADEL hand me over a comp copy, the very first time ever, after almost a decade of covering his adventures !! of explicit JAPANESE MANGA !! - yo, give me New York City - even a tiny church basement, in Brooklyn no less - over Miami Basel - any day.

you have to give GABRIEL FOWLER credit for producing this great silkscreen over-size poster for the event.
the one and only CHARLES BURNS provided the intense black and white imagery - and even DAN NADEL - had a hand in it. he designed the text lay-out. nice job all around. it goes for $30 - if all you had was $30 - this is where you’d put it. beautiful job. one of the best posters of that quality - I’ve ever seen.

CHARLES BURNS !!

CHARLES BURNS inscribing his book - ‘BLACK HOLE’ - in white !! for some lucky fan.

GABRIELLE BELL - ‘CECIL AND JORDAN IN NEW YORK STORIES’.

GARY PANTER.
Mr. Panter teaches at SVA.

he was signing the top of his hard cover boxed book.
well, actually most of these guys will draw some little doodle for ya, as well as sign the book.

DAVID SANDLIN.
he also teaches at SVA.

DAVID SANDLIN

DAVID SANDLIN

DAVID SANDLIN - ‘SLUMBURBIA !!
this is a self-produced book that incorporates silk screen prints into one long 27 ft contiguous banner - that opens up in a series of Japanese art book-like gestures - is the best way I can explain it. Mr. Sandlin produces the silkscreens, and assembles the over-size books in his silkscreen shop at SVA. The prints are in an edition of 40 each - of which 15 sets were assembled into the hard cover ‘portfolio’ type book. The books go for $6,000.
hey, if all you had was $6,000 - you’d most def - go for this !! I wouldn’t hesitate for a momento !!

DAVID SANDLIN - how the prints begin to appear in the book.

DAVID SANDLIN.

DAVIS SANDLIN.

DAVID SANDLIN.

we finally get to meet MAT BRINKMAN !!
we’ve been a big fan of his - since forever !!
he is one comic artist who has been able, like MATT LEINES - to cross the unspoken divide between fine art and cartoon art - and his work - does pop up in art shows here in NYC, and in L.A., and elsewhere.

MAT BRINKMAN.

MAT BRINKMAN - I think that is his logo ??!!

MAT BRINKMAN.

MAT BRINKMAN.

MAT BRINKMAN.

MAT BRINKMAN - no doubt about it - great stuff.

DAN NADEL of PICTUREBOX and a co-organizer/founder of the event.

GABRIEL FOWLER of DESERT ISLAND - the other co-organizer/founder of the fest.
but, seriously dude - you bit the dust with me. maybe there is a reason - you’re marooned on a desert island.

moving on - JAMES McSHANE.

JAMES McSHANE.

NOAH LYON - looking good.

with array of his small, politically charged and seriously funny dude - self-published books !!

NOAH LYON. his latest - LOL !!
a collaboration with MATT LEINES !! what a wicked & funny combo - or what !!

the awesome RON REGE Jr !!

RON REGE Jr. - ‘AGAINST PAIN’ !!

RON REGE Jr. - these are - DRAWN AND QUARTERLY - publications.

RON REGE Jr.

inside a RON REGE Jr. book - !!

Uninhabitable Mansions !!

CHRIS DIKEN, ROBBIE GUERTIN and SARA JONES - of Uninhabitable Mansions.

‘TWO WOUNDS’ - by CHRIS DIKEN

ROBBIE GUERTIN’s strangest little book - ever.

a glimpse behind the scenes.

SAM GASKIN and KEN DAHL - at the SECRET ACRES table.

SAM GASKIN.

a good natured SAM GASKIN - cracked a grin - when asked if it was a self portrait !!

a serious KEN DAHL.

and KEN DAHL’S - intense ?!! - is that the right word - flight of dark imagination.

SAM GASKIN - a church basement burstin’ full of talent - or what !!

MOLLY COLLEEN O’CONNELL and CHRIS DAY of CLOSED CAPTION COMICS - outta Philly !!

JAMES TURK.

VICTOR KERLOW.

VICTOR KERLOW contributed to this collection.
‘SUPERTALK 2009′.

PANAYIOTIS TERZIS.

exhibited his ‘PANRAY’.

BECCA KACANDA - she did that wonderful abstract color paisley design - on the back cover of SMOKE SIGNAL #2.
but otherwise, the comic world evidently is pretty much - a man’s world.

PAKITO BOCINO of LA DERNIER CRI - outta PARIS, FRANCE.
DERNIER CRI currently have a show up at - CINDERS - its up through DEC 19, 2009.
check it out: CINDERS !!

PAKITO BOCINO. LA DERNIER CRI - a legendary crew out of FRANCE.

JOSEPH LAMBERT, SEAN FORD and ALEX KIM.

‘OILY SKIN’ by SEAN FORD.

JACK TURNBULL.

illustration by JACK TURNBULL.

JACK TURNBULL - also responsible for this wicked piece !!

CYRUS LUBIN aka FAMOUS CLASS, also in the band BOOGIE BOARDER. and MAURA in the Brooklyn band, DARLINGS.

and last, but not least, hometown fav - FRANK SANTORO - who made out like a bandit selling rare collector comics !!

FRANK SANTORO with his own book.
he is also one of the few comic artists who can cross the line into “fine art”.

yo, that’s it, folks !!
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH

NIKKI McCLURE so, gets it right !!

if you are lucky enough to be in SAN FRANCISCO, the perfect antidote to that idiot art fair in MIAMI would be to check out an exhibit of new works by NIKKI McCLURE !!

NIKKI McCLURE - ‘REVIVE’
NOV 6 - DEC 8, 2009
NEEDLES & PENS - 3253 16th Street - SAN FRANCISCO, CA.
HRS: open every day/12-7PM

. . . ” Revive. Embrace. Sew patches onto patches. Extend. Insure. Rely on stones and Mothers. Tell time by crow flight. Always learn and grow. Please. Make enough to spare. Seal summer away. Invite winter. Eat out. Make sauerkraut. Expand your use of tools.” - Nikki McCLURE

created from a single sheet of paper and an x-acto blade, McClure’s highly-detailed works were first popularized through their use on record covers and fanzines of the 1990′2 Riot Grl movement. Today, her iconic, intricately hand-crafted imagery can be seen in magazine illustrations, journals, children’s books, apparel, and in her much sought-after yearly calendar - press release