~JOE BRADLEY/CANADA/to-nite !!

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JOE BRADLEY – ‘Shmagoo Paintings’ – OPENS To-NITE – SAT OCT 25, 6-9 PM !!
the show runs: OCT 25 – DEC 3, 2008
CANADA – 55 CHRYSTIE ST – btwn HESTER & CANAL – CHINATOWN/L.E.S – NYC

this Joe’s second solo show at Canada – is that all – !! – so much has happened to this guy since then – he has shot up like a flame !!

this show comprises: work “drawn with grease pencil on white canvas – the boldness of the ‘one shot’ method is undermined by the absurdity of the subject matter: scrawls and doodles that move in and out figuration . . . They are a waste of time to try to understand and a pleasure to pursue. . . .
“For the past two and a half years, Mr. Bradley (!!!! love that, Mr. Bradley !!) has reconstituted monochromatic painting into a kind of composite building block. By combining stacks of brightly colored panels, Mr. Bradley made paintings that were simultaneously abstract and figurative.”

“I came across the word ‘Schmagoo’ in a book about New York City drug culture in the 1960’s, it was (is?) used as a slang for Heroin. This struck me as kind of funny, that a narcotic as deep and dark as Smack could end up with such a goofy nick name. Sounds like a Jewish super hero or something. The word stuck with me, and i began to think of ‘Schmagoo’ as short for hand for some sort of Cosmic Substance … Primordial Muck. The stuff that gave birth to everything. Base matter. The Bardo. in approaching this body of work, I have been thinking of Painting as a metaphor for the original creative act. The word made Flesh. The transmutation of Schmagoo into Alchemical Gold” – Joe Bradley
– press release.

see: artlovers’ coverage of Joe’s first show at CANADA/KURGAN WAVES/Jan 2007

CANADA

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UP-DATE: TUES – NOV 4, 2008 – PHOTOS FROM THE OPENING !!

Joe # 13
JOE BRADLEY arrives and greets Sarah Braman’s youngest son, JODY.

Joe # 14
Joe is show and telling him, something – delightful !!

Joe # 17
next to be meet and greeted . . . JOE BRADLEY and DASH SNOW !!

Joe # 18
JOE BRADLEY and DASH SNOW – 2 talented characters – if I ever did see one.

Joe # 19
charmingly attired in formal wear – DAN COLEN makes a rare appearance.

Joe # 16
MIKE PARE – came by. he has one of his big Navajo Blanket Drawings in the new ATM Galley space show – ‘East Moves West’ . . .
see: ATM GALLERY/EAST MOVES WEST

Gordon terry
likewise – GORDON TERRY – also has some beautiful small pieces in the new ATM show.
see: ATM GALLERY/EAST MOVES WEST

Joe # 16
JUSTIN SAMSON and PETE PEZZIMENTI.
PETE will have four new small paintings in the next MONYA ROWE group show – which will inaugurate her new space.
She is relocating to 504 W 22nd St – 2nd FL.
the opening is this Sat, Nov 8, 2008 – 6-8pm; and the show runs thru Dec 20, 2008
see: MONYA ROWE

Joe # friend
Pete brought along a friend, SCOTT KIERNAN, just in from the West Coast – San Francisco.
at left, FRANKIE MARTIN, at right, PETE PEZZIMENTI.

Pete & A-Ron
PETE PEZZIMENTI and A-Ron, cross paths for the first time at the Joe Bradley opening.

Joe # 27
another meeting of kinetic minds !! from left: JUSTIN SAMSON; PAUL H-O, co-director of ‘Guest of Cindy Sherman’ fame; NICK PAYNE of BOBO; and PHIL COTE also of Philly’s notorious dynamo art goup/band – BOBO

B Cass
BRENDAN CASS.

Joe # 20
JASON FOX. word on the street is Jason Fox just left FEATURE and will show with PETER BLUM,
in Soho, in January 2009.
JOE BRADLEY just included a wonderful drawing by Mr. FOX . . ‘Negrodomus’, 2006 – in his recent curatorial stint of SALON XXIV – in the newest THE JOURNAL, ENTRY NO. 24 !!
see: LEIGH JOHNSON & JOE BRADLEY/THE JOURNAL – there is a photo of Mr. Fox’s drawing !!

Joe # 19
JULIA DIPPELHOFER and MICHAEL NEVINS of THE JOURNAL MAGAZINE and GALLERY.
see: THE JOURNAL !!

Joe # 20
but onto the art !! – the overwhelming consensus was – JOE BRADLEY outdid even himself – with this newest rendition of his cerebral magic – and right-on-the-edge mark – signature – Joe Bradley – in-your-face and yet human !! show of work, nobody – but, Joe coulda woulda thought up !!
JOE BRADLEY, ‘On The Cross’, grease pencil on canvas, 2008.

Joe # 21
JOE BRADLEY, ‘Superman’, grease pencil on canvas, 2008

Joe # 30
JOE BRADLEY, ‘Neil’, grease pencil on canvas, 2008

Joe # 31
JOE BRADLEY, ‘Neil’, grease pencil on canvas.
the girl in the coat ? PAIGE PERRIN, who happens to be a production assistant at MARC JACOBS, and yes, that gorgeous coat is a MARC JACOBS.
what a great design/art combo – JOE BRADLEY -& – MARC JACOBS !!

Joe # 29
see, the abstract painting really does take on a human persona !! look its alive and smiling.
JOE BRADLEY, ‘Neil’, grease pencil on canvas, 2008.

Joe # 32
JOE BRADLEY, ‘Manmade Dirigible’, grease pencil on canvas, 2008

Joe # 23
JOE BRADLEY, ‘Number 23’, grease pencil on canvas, 2008

Joe # 36
NOAM RAPPAPORT, also with work, in the ATM – ‘EAST MOVES WEST” inaugural show.

. . . and, in the back room 2 pieces from the last show at CANADA, a wonderful little huge show by EUNICE KIM, Joe Bradley’s GF/BFF & soul sista !! since forever, called ‘Moon the Magic Loser’ (Sept 19-Oct 19, 2008).
for wonderful installation shots, see:EUNICE KIM/MOON THE MAGIC LOSER/gallery website

Eunice # 1
EUNICE KIM.

Eunice # 2
EUNICE KIM, ‘Stumped’, 2008

PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH