~15 WARREN . .

still can’t get over how the VILLAGE VOICE exposed the HORTS.

gimme me break. KELTIE FERRIS ?!!!
I wouldn’t put that schlock up in my garage, if I had one.
let alone plaster my worst enemies’ walls with it.
dude, and you wannabe an art ‘dynasty’ ?
it’s more like the emperor has no clothes / cowboy !!

‘insider’ . . . as if !!

it’s like CHRISTIAN VIVEROS-FAUNE set off a war. vive les frenchies !!
it’s like the art world . . equivalent to ‘blood in the water’ !!

and now everybody is going in for . . . the KILL.

I’m glad I didn’t start it. but hell, it’s the all-American way . . when it comes to a feeding frenzy . . jump in and take that loser down.

who said: don’t come into the art world if you don’t like the heat !!

eventually you WILL KNOCK up against . . hardcore, and then it’s one hot kitchen.

art . . .
it’s one mother of a . . heat seeking missile.

or, at least – it should be.


that’s what I mean about this young herd of ‘ponies‘ . . being sweet, but TOUGH !!

TRI-BECA directly borders Chinatown, and for sure the Chinese Zodiac, we’re entering the Chinese New Year of the HORSE . . bears down with influence on these downtown guys.

and, it’s not just me . .
check the local newspapers . . all of New York loves the Chinese zodiac.


lightning strikes.
this is actually an old quilt pattern.

I wonder of the artist who made this, knew ?

it held special meaning for homesteading farmers out on the prairies.
it was a warning against FIRE, and against attack on the home.

I know this well.
I repaired a quilt like this, and put it up to photograph on the rail of my south-facing 20th floor mini-terrace, soooo . . . NEW YORK !! at the intersection of GRAND and FDR, and – damn if I didn’t catch the doomed WORLD TRADE CENTER, the TWIN TOWERS . . just before they went down.
in the background of the photo.
and, who was I supposed to . . alert ?
wild and crazy, hardcore . . has no bounds.

don’t believe me ?
actually, I exaggerate. I took the photo in . . 1998.
see: LIGHTNING STRIKES . .

and while we are at, I guess I have an ‘insiders’ !! take, into the minds of these kids, as I just happen to have a couple of my own, exact same generation, and this is what . . they thought – when they came home from school, on SEPT 11, 2001.
talking about sweet and TOUGH, or what !!

see: YES, I WAS A WITNESS ..

this is not just some random ART FORUM, NEW YORK TIMES middle of the road, or paid (!!) art critic talkin’ to ya, and don’t you forget it.
poetry, maybe. hardcore: definite.


at first I didn’t think this show was as politically packed as it, obviously is.
there were no guns, no violence, no death threats ?!! not a lot of loud noises.
these guys have an easy manner, but they mean business.
so .. American cowboy or what ?!!


I mean, no . . they will never forget, and these are the guys that are going to grow up, and eventually rule this nation.

I mean New York . . is a very tolerant and fun loving place, just don’t mess with us.

these guys are just as apt to skin your balls, and put them into gumball machines, if given half a chance, so watch out.


speaking of which.
newspapers, of which new Yorkers live on, like other people live on . . bread.
and speaking of which, don’t mess with New Yorkers.
we are tolerant and respectful of all races, creeds, and religions, but just don’t friggin r-o-b us !!

because we do have true Italian ‘GODFATHER BLOOD’ running through us, here in the BIG APPLE, the city of the (strongest/toughest) immigrants, or what ?!!

and so, yeah, we can say, with some real truth: stay the F outta New York if you do not have good intentions, because no matter who you are . . if you rob enough, destroy enough, we will not just take you down, we will toss you into a dumpster, and set your dick on fire !!

see: SLUM LANDLORD of WILLIAMSBURG


TRI-BECA.
TWIN TOWERS.
SINGULAR VOICE.

AWESOME, LUMINOUS. BIBLICAL.

so, yeah I think the take-away from THE HOBBIT, now playing in theaters in NYC, is:
conflict, get real .. it’s all around ya. in all guises. big and little.

from top to bottom, a to z.
art to elves, slumlords. to terrorists,
and back again. never ending, the ancient Chinese got that right, too.
yin yang.

I mean even the producers !! of THE HOBBIT are fighting !!

CHINA !!
CHINA and JAPAN, are comparing each other to VOLDEMORT.

VOLDEMORT !! !!

damn, duck your little heads, it’s not just a HORT FEEDING FRENZY, it’s a . . HARRY POTTER FEEDING FRENZY out there !!

yeah. 15 WARREN, I do so love this show.

it just grows and grows on . . you.

sweet and TOUGH.

from a little bubble gum, a big bubble will . . POP !!

the only other show in memory, besides ‘QUIET’ in 2000, that shook with so much relevance and gut-feeling, not to forget, key: artistic ‘innovation’ . . was RIRKRIT TIRANAJA’S, ‘FEAR EATS THE SOUL’.

comm to think of it, it also had ‘informational graphics’, simple text signs . . that glowed with bright NEON LIGHT.

the installation looked like a disaster survival ‘kit’ end-of-the-world rest area, and it was very raw despite being in a full-blown gallery. and, ominous political slogans, mostly Asian in slant, no pun . . silk-screened on t-shirts hung, all about.

and then, what.
2 days later . . THAT HUGE TIDAL WAVE TOOK DOWN JAPAN, incl a nuclear reactor plant, that is still leaking radio-active waste into the sea today, bye the way.
though they don’t talk much about it, anymore.

yikes,

somebody, QUICK. put me back in the basement with SMAUG !!

nothing like a little fire of the soul, to keep one warm . . in a big arctic chill.

15 WARREN STREET, 10007

MORE PIX, to follow.

PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH