~THE LIVING AND THE DEAD

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GAVIN BROWN FLIPS THE BURGERS, HIMSELF !!
‘THE LIVING AND THE DEAD’, GBE. OPENING NIGHT PARTY. JULY 1, 2009.

SUMMER 2009 – GAVIN BROWN THREW THE BEST PARTY – HANDS DOWN !!
A BIG SURPRISE STREET BBQ – OPEN TO ALL – TO CELEBRATE THE OPENING OF HIS SUMMER GROUP SHOW – ‘THE LIVING AND THE DEAD’, running JULY 1 – AUGUST 7, 2009.

. . . it was a big big street party/BBQ with Gavin himself grilling up the burgers all night long. Rare sunny summer weather held, as if to smile down on the festivity, though there were some tents put out as a precaution. Gavin is a great host and everybody had a great time. Happy spirits prevailed, as friends got on their cellphones and word of the good time quickly spread. the only complaint – the long line for the free flowing beer inside – but, hey you got to stand under that – really funny – URS FISCHER piece !!

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Gavin was still flipping, non-stop – well into the nite. you could go back for as many as you wanted !!

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the scene from across the street – Gavin Brown’s enterprise – in the West Village.

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(hi, KATE !!)

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BORIS RASIN, (above), KENNY KOMER, and JERRY BLACKMAN have work in the show – the main reason I came by !!

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BORIS RASIN. happy to see us, too.

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we got to meet . . . JENNY BORLAND, who works behind the front desk at GBE – and who curated ‘THE SUM AND ALL PARTS’ – independent venue show – in BROOKLYN – recently featured on artlovers.

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. . . as well as BEAU RUTLAND, the co-curator of ‘THE SUM AND ALL PARTS’.
with him, his charming girlfriend – artist LANA SYNDER – whose work was included in that off-the-beaten track – but worth the trek – exhibit.

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we got there . . . just in time to catch – GEORGE CONDO !!
George, or Georgie, as his old pals call him – has been recent fodder for thought on artlovers. the MUGRABIS apparently consider him the next BASQUIAT !! sorry, but think DASH SNOW just edged you out on that crown, George. but, look on the bright side – you are still alive and well and walking around. and your piece in the show doesn’t look too bad, either. artlovers aside !!
but tell, me – if GEORGE CONDO isn’t a dead ringer for SEVERUS SNAPE – aka – POTIONS MASTER and PROF. of DEFENSE AGAINST the DARK ARTS at HARRY POTTER’S HOGWARTS, who is ?
and, look what he names his painting, LOL !!

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GEORGE CONDO’S painting – ‘The Apparition’, 2009. oil on linen. 40 x 36 ins.
(I’d be interested to know the price ?)

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our fav piece – cause it caught the spirit of the SUMMER of 2009 – right on !! no doubt about it.
KENNY KOMER & BORIS RASIN – aka ronkom – ‘Economics 101’ !!
you put your dollar bill in – you get 3 quarters, back.
(and it worked.)

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on the right – KENNY KOMER !! with pal TOM LUCZAK.

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KENNY KOMER had an individual piece in the show – a fishing rod, whose pretty much invisible line – was attached to the opposite wall – at a very precarious angle, to passersby.

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another young artist – MICHAEL CAPUTO – had an opening night – showstopper.
a 2 person crew had to be engaged in a non-stop mop up – it was one – quickly melting block of ice.

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MICHAEL CAPUTO.

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HAIM STEINBACH was there with his young son.

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. . . and, he actually leaned over to fine tune his piece !!

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HAIM STEINBACH, 2009. ‘Untitled (Hulk)’.

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another of our fave pieces – just cause it was so dismembered, so deconstructed !!
in the midst of that – just a little bit – very – serious company !!
DAN COLEN !!
work in progress. 2009. glass backboard, hardware, rocks, silver leaf, oil paint.

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the other really deconstructed piece – we really dug, also on the floor …
MICHAEL E. SMITH, ‘Untitled’, 2009. vomit, sweatshirt.
(well, it really spoke, volumes – and, most eloquently – to me . . . shows you where my head’s at – an out-of-time – oracle – swimming, mostly unrequited – in a vast sea of artworld losers. or is that posers. funny how losers and posers – don’t rhyme.)
instead of artlovers – should’ve called this site: ‘MINORITY REPORT’ !! as in, yeah – the movie !!

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but our most fav piece, right up there with KENNY KOMER & BORIS RASIN’S money-stealin’ ‘Economics 101’ – was JERRY BLACKMAN’S free-standing – ‘lips’ – ‘Untitled (To Amelia)’, 2008. mixed media.
(and, now we EVEN like it, maybe even more – than his Dam anchor !!)
OMG, we didn’t even get it – the first time around – that it was – FAUX WOOD !!

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but someone else did !!
ROBERTA SMITH scrutinizes Jerry Blackman’s – ‘tongue-in-cheek’ – lips !!

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. . . wow – she even bent over, to touch it !! caught red-handed !!

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the man – JERRY BLACKMAN.
(behind him, GEORGE CONDO’S – ‘The Apparition’ !!)

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early supporter of Boris, Kenny and Jerry. artlovers critic-at-large, gossip maven, music critic, and WOODSTOCK veteran (and some would say, note the shades, indoors – he never came back) . . . SIMON CERIGO.
a lot of class A losers in this town – made their art collection fortunes off Simon’s smarts, paying
him, only in good times, as in weed – not the other green stuff – $$ – that really matters. that’s what happens – when you are a class A push-over for partying.

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well lookey here – BORIS RASIN had a stand alone piece in the show, too. one of his (now known !!) small paintings.
BORIS RASIN, ‘Tonight on Charlie Rose’, 2009. acrylic on canvas. 22 x 28 ins.
cool, or what. I wish GBE would put prices – on their work description sheets.

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we spied – BRICE MARDEN.

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also celebrity artists – RACHEL FEINSTEIN and JOHN CURRIN.
Rachel had a cut-out piece in the show.

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RACHEL FEINSTEIN, , ‘The Orphan’, 2009. wood, aqua resin, and oil enamel.

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a serious looking, ANDREA ROSEN.

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the party was still going on strong – outside, as we got ready to depart. and, the summer sun was starting to set. KANA TOGASHI and KATE CERIGO.
Kana and her mom are about to open a small vintage clothing and flower shop – in Greenpoint – called SAFFRON. Good luck with your new venture.

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see, the sun has set, and people are still coming to join the fun !!
IVORY and SHELTER SERRA.

PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH