JUSTIN SAMSON – ‘Inside the Cosmic Motion Picture Projector’
the show opened Jan 16, 2009
and runs: JAN 16 – FEB 21, 2009
JOHN CONNELLY PRESENTS – 625 WEST 27TH – CHELSEA
HEADS UP !! you have like 4 days left to catch this show !! and y-e-s, it is worth the scramble.
if you’ve been following Justin’s work – you’ll know right away, when you see this show – you are witness to an amazing leap of faith. a milestone, a career-defining show – that says – great things ahead – no doubt.
great things, now !!! Justin Samson has focused his mark – straight down on the nail head of glory.
the show has an incandescent edge, and a strict configuration, that was missing in his previous installations, though you couldn’t quite put your finger on what was so wobbly – and has forged a hard edged beauty that is all his own, and which cannot be denied.
from the press release:
“The title of the show, ‘Inside the Cosmic Motion Picture Projector’, refers to the human mind in relation to what we perceive as reality. The observer is the creator. Inspired by quantum theory and the recent global interest in the Large Hadron Collider built by CERN on the Franco-Swiss border, near Geneva, Switzerland, Samson has created a body of work that explores the concepts of quantum mechanics . . .
“Samson underlines that all matter in the universe is connected because all matter is really an energy wave. What we perceive as reality, is in fact our brain’s interpretation of the interference patterns of waves. We objectify these patterns as reality. To apply quantum theory, the physical world must be divided into two parts. These parts are the observed system and the observing system. On a subatomic level, physicists create particles just by observing them. On the macrocosmic level the human mind creates the universe. Reality is protected by thought. The mind is a wave. It is connected to everything in the universe.”
PIX FROM THE OPENING – JUSTIN SAMSON – ‘Inside the Cosmic Motion Picture Projector’.
on the right, SCOTT HUG.
JUSTIN SAMSON – his best show, yet. leaving the complex, often anthropomorphic soft assemblages he was known for, far behind – turns out – hard metal surfaces, pin point radiant light and cosmic universes – rock his inner visions like never before – who’d a thunk it. yet what a beautiful evolution, from cloth to metal. from artifacts to finely wrought copper, from movement & dance to light.. kind of breath taking. yet its done so quietly, so focused and defined – that, that’s kinda the wrong word. contemplatively radiant – how’s that – any better ?
PETE PEZZIMENTI.
PETE, BRIAN BELOTT, and STOSH TOKARSKI, are in, what looks to be a fun little show called: ‘Keeping Time’ – curated by REBECCA DAVIS, of Bose Pacia Gallery, and opening this Sat Feb 21, 2009 at JK Gallery in LA – the show will run through March 28, 2009.
see: JK GALLERY
JOSHUA SMITH and JEFFREY TRANCHELL.
Jeffrey has the concurrent show in the JCP project room.
see: JEFFREY TRANCHELL/PROJECT ROOM
JEFFREY TRANCHELL, in the JOHN CONNELLY PRESENTS – Project Room.
JEFFREY TRANCHELL, NOLAN SIMON, and KYLE KNODELL aka ‘dumpling’.
KYLE has a little ‘footnote’ claim to fame – he often works as a studio assistant to ALEXANDRE SINGH, and was with him – when Alexandre participated in the original 2008 BALLROOM MARFA – HELLO METH LAB.
On his own merits – he’d probably like to be better know as a photographer. He graduated from SVA – with a major in photography.
RICCI ALBENDA dropped by.
PETER COFFIN.
hand of BRIAN BELOTT, JUSTIN SAMSON and JESSE GREENBERG.
Plastics sculptor JESSE GREENBERG is based in Philly – we’ve seen his work here in NYC – in that awesome 2008 Bobo summer group show, BOBO’S on 27th ST. I would rate this guy as – number 1 – on my list of who we’d like to see given a debut solo show – of his own, in NYC !!
these painted canvases utilize tiny ‘lites’.
you can see the seeds of this work in the piece Justin made for the Dark Fair, last year. Brian Belott turned him onto the tiny portable ‘lites’.
see: Dark Fair/SWISS INSTITUTE/2008-04-20
this big canvas actually featured 2 of those long lasting eco-light bulbs !!
this copper column – also had ‘light’ works inside it.
this was a contrasting piece – in terms of metal surface, light and ‘theory’. the previous copper column was upright, and more contained – the light that emanated from within – was an even, warm, honey-like glow – this one is horizontal, with open metal ‘line’ work, of a ‘found’ nature – and pulsing. with an ever-changing, yet repeating pattern, or spectrum of what almost seems to be animated – colored light.
what I liked best about it – was how far out, and yet low-key – it was, at the same time.
MELISSA BROWN and ANNIE PEARLMAN. JOCELYN SHIPLEY, in the background.
voguing for the camera !!
MELISSA BROWN and ANNIE PEARLMAN.
MELISSA BROWN. you’d have to say 2008-09 – was a big break-out year for her.
just as this show is a big break-out for Justin.
earlier ‘planetary’ drawings, of last Spring 2008 – gave birth to some of the concepts that informed this show.
outside – BOBO’S NICK PAYNE !!
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH
~JUSTIN SAMSON/COSMIC MOTION |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | February 18th, 2009, 3:32pm
KNOW HOPE, Chelsea, NYC. Oct 9, 2008
a different take, but still I believe, KNOW HOPE, note the stylized KH at the bottom !!
KNOW HOPE, Chelsea, NYC. Dec 6, 2008
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH
~KNOW HOPE/NYC |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | February 18th, 2009, 3:12pm
PHOTO: NANCY SMITH
KNOW HOPE – our Valentine’s Day – HOME PAGE !!
this Japanese-Israeli street artist had his first NYC solo show, titled: ‘THE INSECURITIES OF TIME’, up in the AD HOC PROJECT ROOM. the show ran from Jan 16 – Feb 15, 2009.
the card for the show – was pretty nice, too. below, the front and the back of the card.
~KNOW HOPE |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | February 17th, 2009, 4:19pm
JON BURGERMAN & JIM AVIGNON PRESENT: ANXIETY ROOM !!
featuring ‘Anxiety Broom’
OPENING NIGHT PAINTING PERFORMANCE with JON and JIM – THURS FEB 12 from 6-10 PM !!
the show runs FEB 12 – MARCH 15, 2009
FACTORY FRESH – 1053 FLUSHING AVE – BET MORGAN & KNICKERBOCKER – BUSHWICK, BROOKLYN
L TRAIN TO MORGAN
Jon Burgerman flies across the pond to collaborate with his friend Jim Avignon and fill the gallery with many drawings and paintings of their beloved characters. “It will be a space to relieve your anxieties, or perhaps further incubate them.”
definite check out t-h-e-s-e websites !! fun & games !!
see: JON BURGERMAN !!
see: JIM AVIGNON !!
PIX FROM THE OPENING – ‘ANXIETY ROOM’ – JON BURGERMAN & JIM AVIGNON.
FACTORY FRESH, FEB 12, 2009
approaching FACTORY FRESH !!
wooden cut-outs hang in the window.
they turn out to be, JON+JIM ‘window masks’. made of painted wood. ($250 ea.)
a tree hangs down from the ceiling. with small icons on it.
an upside down, anti-Xmas tree? barren of any green, any sign of life, except these signs, hanging from it, attached by string – tiny symbols, trinkets, charms ?? of civilized ?? life ??
think that’s a mike, as in microphone ?
well, that’s a dog bone, that’s for sure.
inside.
collaboration. JON BURGERMAN & JIM AVIGNON.
JON+JIM , ‘Nature Retreat’, 36 x 24 in. ($450).
yo. !! it doesn’t get, a-n-y better than that.
JON+JIM, ‘From Elba to Helena’, 24 x 36 in. ($450).
this is actually the first time, t-o-t-a-l-l-y, hard to believe, that Jon Burgerman and Jim Avignon have ever meet in person, let alone collaborated !! they did all this fantastic work in the past week.
s-w-e-e-t.
JON BURGERMAN, ‘Foot and Mouth’, 24 x 28 in. ($350)
(just for comparisons, sake !! MR. CURIOUS !!)
FACTORY FRESH workers, IRIS CHU, and MATT UEBBING, in JON+JIM, ‘ANXIETY ROOM’ t-shirts, available at the gallery.
JIM AVIGNON !!
from the press release: “Unpredictable and sensational, JIM AVIGNON has become a pop-icon in fewer than 15 years, defying the rules of the art market and delivering his crisp, technicolor world directly to the people. Avignon is the author and illustrator of the ‘Attack Delay’ series, founder of the one-man-techno-band Neoangin, subject of numerous television documentaries, and a wild and untamed thing. He resides in both Berlin and New York City.”
from left: JON BURGERMAN and JIM AVIGNON.
from the press release: “With a prodigious resume remarkable in both size and scope, ‘Anxiety Room’ marks Jon Burgerman’s second effort with factory fresh founders ALI HA and AD DEVILLE. The Nottingham (London) based artist is the designer of a series of figurines for Kidrobot, creator of the visually stunning book, Pens Are My Friends, and the source of inspiration for innumerable tattoos. Dazed & Confused magazine has described Burgerman’s vibrant, labyrinthine images as “Walt Disney at an Incan monument on mescaline”, and he would like everyone to know he is not just another pretty face.”
in the back room – 2 large paintings by JIM:
‘Everybody’s Still Asleep’, ($900) and, ‘Forecast’, ($900).
fascinated by Jim’s ‘Forecast’ !!
detail, Jim’s ‘Forecast’ – the economy – going down !! the little train that could, NOT !!
anymore !! note the steep drop-off. yeah, right. tell me about it !!
JIM AVIGNON, ‘Forecast’ . . . FEB 2009.
on another back wall, JIM AVIGNON – smaller works on cardboard ($300 ea.)
JIM – cardboard piece. ‘BLACK MEAL’.
JIM – cardboard piece. ‘COMA’.
JON BURGERMAN, drawings on paper. (price range $150 – $175 ea.)
JON BURGERMAN – drawing on paper.
detail, JON – drawing on paper.
JON BURGERMAN – drawing on paper.
detail, JON – drawing on paper.
JON+JIM – ‘BOARD OF ANXIETIES’ !!
drawings, $50 ea. !!
b-o-r-e-d of anxieties, no kidding !!
too many emails !!
moving house. and yep, we know that one, all too well, too.
NYer ANDY DECK, with JON BURGERMAN, at the opening.
computer whiz, philosopher, and artist, ANDY DECK currently teaches code & computer arts at SVA.
he show us his handmade, self-illustrated, funny, very eco-wary – ‘Wildlife Refuse 2009’ calendar.
definite – check him out, at: ARtCONtext.NET !!
inside ANDY DECK’S CALENDAR !!
a page from ANDY DECK’S – ARTCONTEXT – CALENDRICAL – WILDLIFE REFUSE 2009 !!
also at the opening – artist TIM KENT.
Tim has several shows currently happening internationally, but the one we can all see – his upcoming solo show at FACTORY FRESH, is scheduled for next September 2009.
see: TIM KENT/OCULAR JOY FOUNDATION !!
JON+JIM, ‘Ego It Superego’, 48 x 36 in. ($750).
JON+JIM, ‘Not in Ham’, 24 x 18 in. ($400).
oh oh. some fresh cans of paint, clean brushes and a big empty, w-h-i-t-e wall.
the performance – ‘Anxiety Broom’ – !! – begins !!
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH
~ANXIETY ROOM/FACTORY FRESH/JON BURGERMAN & JIM AVIGNON |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | February 12th, 2009, 9:21am
. . . no, it’s not just the street boys, talkin ’bout the way the world is.
two young artists, GENEVA-based JONATHAN DELACHAUX and PHILLY-based LIZZIE FITCH – are currently making the NYC scene – with their take, too.
It’s actually quite a brilliant curatorial match.
NOTE: THE SHOW HAS BEEN EXTENDED THRU – MARCH 21st !!
JONATHAN DELACHAUX AND LIZZIE FITCH
opened Jan 16th,
the show runs JAN 16 – FEB 21, 2009
FOXY PRODUCTION – 623 W. 27TH ST – CHELSEA – NYC
HRS: TUES-SAT 11-6 PM
LIZZIE FITCH !! from Philly – as in Philadelphia !! as in BOBO country !! at the opening.
you first meet her, here: BOBO’S on 27TH ST/2008-07-15 !!
LIZZIE FITCH meets BILL BRADY, that ATM guy.
Lizzie was born in Bloomington, Indiana in 1981.
She currently lives and works in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She studied at RISD, The Rhode Island School of Design, and she is also an artist/performance musician, she has performed with The Experimental People Band in NYC, New Orleans, and Cleveland.
see: The Experimental People Band/YouTube
a quick peek at . . . . what’s on Lizzie’s rack !!
c-o-n-s-u-m-e-r beware !!
LIZZIE FITCH, ‘CLOTHING RACK – RACK HIGHWAY’, 2008.
rubber, plastic, clothing, rack hangers, paint, cardboard.
Geneva-based JONATHAN DELACHAUX.
JONATHAN DELACHAUX, with a peek at his work, the ‘GOLEM’ series, 2008.
JONATHAN DELACHAUX, with his wife, ZOE CAPPON.
JONATHAN is part of a band, called What’s Wrong With Us, and Zoe is the lead singer.
check out: What’s Wrong With Us !!
ZOE CAPPON, artist & musician.
JONATHAN DELACHAUX and CHAD PARKS.
Chad Parks plays in London and New York’s: Three Black Peas.
He also plays guitar and sings with: Near Death Experience.
musician NATHANIEL GOLDSTOCK.
see: KOALA BEAR
CHAD PARKS, ELYAS KAHN, and NATHANIEL GOLDSTOCK.
ELYAS KAHN is the lead singer for the Nervous Cabaret.
do N-O-T !! miss sampling: NERVOUS CABARET on MySpace !!
ELYAS CHAN and CHAD PARKS at the JONATHAN DELACHAUX & LIZZIE FITCH OPENING,
FOXY PRODUCTION, JAN 16, 2009.
JESSE GREENBERG, he of the large plastic sculptures and small ‘touchables’, also dropped by.
Jesse, like Lizzie, is Philly-based, and was also well represented in the 2008 hit BOBO SUMMER SHOW at FOXY !!
see: BOBO’S ON 27TH ST !!
JONATHAN DELACHAUX with ‘Golem’, 2008. acrylic on canvas.
In this series of paintings, a story-telling narrative, Delachaux’s characters build Golem, the man-made creature of clay first cited in the Talmud.
JONATHAN DELACHAUX was born in Motiers, Switzerland in 1976. He studied at the Ecole superieure d’arts visuels, Geneva. He currently lives and works in Geneva.
JONATHAN DELACHAUX. no, your eyes do not deceive you.
both Lizzie’s and Jonathan’s work have heavy-duty, as in explicit, graphic references to the most primal aspects of human-hood. His work is based on life-size puppets which he hand builds. He then paints from them, using them as models, onto plastic film, in reverse, and then transfers that image onto canvas.
The result is an acrylic painting with an uncannily flat, photographic surface.
LIZZIE FITCH, ‘FAMILY – WALKING’, 2008. multi-media.
Lizzie uses hand-made puppets, in this piece, as well. but in a 3-D form, and as the primary vehicle.
Ironically although she uses many piececs of reality, her ‘people’ are not photographic, but collaged !!
as in, truly – patchwork !!
LIZZIE FITCH, ‘FAMILY – WALKING’.
LIZZIE FITCH, ‘FAMILY – WALKING’.
LIZZIE FITCH, ‘FAMILY – WALKING’.
LIZZIE FITCH, ‘FAMILY – WALKING’.
. . . what’s, that, inside that bag ?
detail, LIZZIE FITCH, ‘FAMILY – WALKING’.
oh oh. pretty tough stuff. today’s art is not for the faint-at-heart !!
makes the street stuff – look like a wall in the park. ok – the train tracks.
LIZZIE FITCH, ‘FAMILY – WALKING’.
LIZZIE FITCH, ‘FAMILY – WALKING’.
LIZZIE FITCH, ‘TOWER – COMFORTABLE RISK’, 2008. mixed media.
LIZZIE FITCH, ‘TARGET – A MALL WAS’, 2008. mixed media.
LIZZIE FITCH, ‘TARGET – A MALL WAS’.
detail, LIZZIE FITCH, ‘TARGET – A MALL WAS’.
dismemberment !! of another nature.
JONATHAN DELACHAUX, ‘GOLEM’.
JONATHAN DELACHAUX, ‘GOLEM’.
JONATHAN DELACHAUX, ‘GOLEM’.
JONATHAN DELACHAUX, ‘GOLEM’.
JONATHAN DELACHAUX, ‘GOLEM’.
LIZZIE FITCH, ‘CLOTHING RACK – RACK HIGHWAY’.
detail, LIZZIE FITCH, ‘CLOTHING RACK – RACK HIGHWAY’.
LIZZIE FITCH, ‘CLOTHING RACK – RACK HIGHWAY’
detail, LIZZIE FITCH, ‘CLOTHING RACK – RACK HIGHWAY’
pay attention to the ‘brand’ logo on that bag !!
LIZZIE FITCH, ‘CLOTHING RACK – RACK HIGHWAY’.
global w-a-r-n-i-n-g !!
LIZZIE FITCH, ‘CLOTHING RACK – RACK HIGHWAY’
tag-me-not !!
LIZZIE FITCH, ‘CLOTHING RACK – RACK HIGHWAY’.
TAGGED – IKEA !!
LIZZIE FITCH, ‘CLOTHING RACK – RACK HIGHWAY’.
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH
~LIZZIE FITCH & JONATHAN DELACHAUX |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | February 11th, 2009, 5:27pm
THE STANTON CHAPTER PRESENTS:
‘BEFORE I DIE’ – an exhibit of photographs by SEAN VEGEZZI – curated by MINT & SERF.
the show opened FRIDAY, FEB 6, 2009
and runs FEB 6 – MARCH 1, 2009
STANTON CHAPTER – 176 STANTON – LOWER EAST SIDE – NYC
HRS: TUES-FRI 12-6PM
. . . the sweetest toughest show on the face of the earth.
This is the last exhibit of the STANTON CHAPTER, formerly known as the CANAL CHAPTER !!
‘Before I Die’ opened last Friday, Feb 6th – it was a pretty big, and intense opening, for a kid’s first solo show, esp. a kid who is barely 18. yep, the undercover (graffiti ?) cops came and shut down the opening, but it was already at its end. for what reason they appeared, is anyone’s guess. there wasn’t a straight answer, or one that made any sense. you can’t serve beer at openings, duh ? didn’t they try that last summer in the Hamptons – but, since when in NYC ? They stormed in like it was the end of the world. making the title of the show, not all that unlikely. at least they arrived like gangbangers, what else could they do, at 30+something, they were too old to really get away as undercover in that crowd – as opposed, to arriving in stealth and eavesdropping on conversations to make their mark. don’t think they really knew what they were doing there themselves, esp when literally every kid in the room, took out their cells and got right back in their faces, taking pix !! undercover, NOT ANYMORE!! The cops looked ridiculous. so-called GRAFFITI and the city – it’s really always gonna be – the neverending story. why ?
SEAN VEGEZZI, ‘Before I Die’ – case in point: the sweetest, toughest show on the face of the earth, and NYC in particular – breeding ground to wave after wave of local talent, that has nowhere else to blossom, except from naturally rambling about its forbidden, but native soil – the inner city streets, but esp. the underbelly of its decaying infrastructure.
ironically, sometimes getting down, is also the only way – up and out.
it’s interesting to note, in the press release quoted below – the referencing of the 9/11 terror attacks that brought down the World Trade Center towers – so stunningly, one sunny morning, not so long ago – when all these kids – were just kids, real young kids – what 11, 12 – and, just starting to look out at the city from inside childhood. and, you want to question why they want to make their mark on society, so determinedly. society made its mark on them. yo, listen up, sometimes the street culture might devolve into a scrawling blight, depends on whose looking – but these bombs are urban graphics & gylphs yearning to be art, and to be set free – the beat, the juice of life, the communicator – not, you know – suicide bombs to take you and 2,000 of your friends, out. when push comes to shove, it’s really a good thing. and right now, face it. street art is juicing up the culture, when the culture really needs juice. corporate America ain’t sponsoring these kids, for naught.
OBEY GIANT ain’t ruling the propaganda waves, for naught. the best of them have the drive, and the set skills to rule – in times that are quickly a-changin. it’s just you don’t want to encourage a bunch of loser copy cats. that’s the only downside. and let’s face it, its not just about street art. its about juice.
there is no such thing as street art or straight art. its only about juice. talent. skills. singular vision.
case in point: LANDSCAPE.
ain’t no diff between SEAN VEGEZZI or BRENDAN CASS – except their mediums, one’s a photographer, one’s a painter. both got juice. and their own special brand.
. . . like they say on their website:
“Thank you all for coming to the opening of our last exhibit at the Stanton Chapter. It was epic as always with underage teenagers, undercover cops, angry neighbors, wine, red bull, wine with red bull, graffiti writers, artsy folks, American flag jackets, Dane Vegezzi, and many more.”
and, so, the CANAL CHAPTER, aka the STANTON CHAPTER flames out !!
here’s a little straightforward background on SEAN: take great pictures.com/SEAN VEGEZZI & THE VANTAGE TEAM.
and, from the STANTON CHAPTER press release:
“The Stanton Chapter is proud to present the first solo show by .. photographer SEAN VEGEZZI. . an 18 yr-old New York City native, whose … subterranean lens documents Gotham’s rarely seen underbelly.
Pursuing solo missions into unexplored, remote, and abandoned city architecture or tagging along with myriads of graffiti writers (he) fearlessly captures privacy, isolation, and quiet in the face of relentless city life ….
“The artist’s work is a product of the trauma he suffered from the September 11th Attacks. Then aged 12, Vegezzi lived in subsidized Tribeca housing, just 4 blocks from Ground Zero. The destruction that unfolded before his eyes and the media hysteria that followed pushed him to find something positive in the face of unprecedented negativity. First exploring his immediate neighborhood, then braving ground zero with a video camera – escorted by several sympathetic construction workers – Vegezzi decided he could free himself by documenting the world as he see it through his lens.
“It is appropriate that Sean’s first show will also be the Stanton Chapter’s last. Sean started coming to the Canal Chapter when we first opened in 2005, a precocious kid with a chip on his shoulder. Four years later, after helping us pull off hundreds of exhibitions and projects, talks and performances, Sean is still around working harder than ever … ”
2 photos of SEAN VEGEZZI, from the artlovers archive:
SEAN VEGEZZI, native born son of TRIBECA, NYC, clocking in at 15 yrs. of age – got the “best kid artist” award – on artlovers – way back in JUNE 2006 !! the first and only – and he is still holding the record !!
his website, NYCexposed – had his photos on it and links to some truly great and off-the-beaten track tag sites. (sadly, it is no longer operating.) here, he is in front of a painting by DAZE, in the CANAL CHAPTER exhibit, ‘BANNED FROM TELEVISION’, which ran MAY 31 – JUNE 23, 2006.
PHOTO: NANCY SMITH. JUNE 3, 2006
see: the original post
then, 15 yr. old photographer, SEAN VEGEZZI, in front of his favorite painting in the CANAL CHAPTER show, ‘BANNED FROM TELEVISION’ – ‘TRIALS OF JULIA’ by CYCLE.
PHOTO: NANCY SMITH, JUNE 3, 2006
see: the original post/BANNED FROM TELEVISION !! – ART LOVERS PHOTO REPORT.
PIX FROM THE OPENING – SEAN VEGEZZI – ‘BEFORE I DIE’ – THE STANTON CHAPTER/FEB 6, 2009
first person we see, outside on the street – SEAN VEGEZZI.
DAN SAFDIE.
STANTON CHAPTER’S – JASON WALL.
RON BEACH.
the scene outside the Lower East Side storefront.
MIKHAIL SOKOVIKOV – of the STANTON CHAPTER.
the work – starts – to work it’s magic !!
SEAN VEGEZZI, ‘Spencer and Mercer’, scanned 35mm Digital C Print. 30 x 40 in.
Edition of 2. $500.
(yo, all you dumb-ass collectors – and young wanna-bes, if you can’t – connect dots, what are you doing following the site. do everybody a big favor – jump off.) you can’t get it any better than this.
SEAN VEGEZZI, ‘The Virgin Tunnel’, Digital C Print. 16 x 20 in.
Edition of 4. $250.
SANDEEP BHULLER, artist & scholar.
beside her, the SEAN VEGEZZI photograph that accompanied the press release.
JAMAL ‘INK’ ROBINSON, Fashion Editor of BOMBIN’
yo, take a little cruise & bend your mind around this site !!
check out: BOMBIN MAGAZINE
don’t miss: the BOMBIN’ BLOG !!
note:if you’re the kind of reader, this stuff scares, let me ask you ONE QUESTION.
if there was another emergency in this city, on the scale of 9/11 – and you needed to escape – who do you think could get you out safer – these kids, or the cop, below ?
MORGAN C.
DANNY V.
SEAN VEGEZZI, ‘JOY RIDE’, Digital C Print, 11 x 14 in.
Edition of 4. ($150)
SEAN VEGEZZI, on the right, with MORGAN C.
a fan of Sean’s work.
SEAN VEGEZZI, ‘Jedi Five, Spring to Canal’, Digital C Print, 11 x 14 in.
Edition of 4, ($150).
the crowd was just as state-of-the-art, as the work !!
STEPHEN K. SCHUSTER.
GREG PASS.
SEAN VEGEZZI, ‘Cecske’, Digital c print, 11 x 14 in.
Edition of 4, ($150.)
down at the bottom you can just make out CECSKE aka the CECSTER, and JEDI FIVE.
SEAN VEGEZZI, ‘Sp.One’s …’, Digital C Print, 11 x 14 in.
Edition of 4, ($125)
note: Sp.one aka GREG LAMARCHE.
VICTORIA KOREN, in the hat, and Heather, in pink. Spencer.
MERCER.
SPENCER.
SEAN VEGEZZI, ‘Spencer and Mercer’ – another take !!
SEAN VEGEZZI, ‘Highline Nap’, Digital C Print, 11 x 14 in.
Edition of 4, ($150).
SEAN VEGEZZI, ‘Xavier Hides’, Digital C Print, 11 x 14 in
edition of 4, ($150).
detail, SEAN VEGEZZI, ‘Xavier Hides’.
you can just make him out, at center of the right hand side.
the undercover cops arrive.
just time a get a few last shots, this is BUDDHA GOLD.
it was ending, anyways.
the last show. founding partners: MIKHAIL SOKOVOKOV, and JASON WALL – of the STANTON CHAPTER, the CANAL CHAPTER, and 1134 NYC. aka mint and serf – and, collectively known as mirf,
flame out, but, just for n-o-w, with a great little show, and, probably one of the best shows you’ll ever see, fresh pea right outta the pod. ‘Before I Die’ an exhibition of Photographs by SEAN VEGEZZI. on the wall – Sean Vegezzi’s ‘Spencer and Mercer’.
a last good-bye. JASON RODRIGUEZ and DANE VEGEZZI. Dane is Sean’s older bro.
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH
note: The STANTON CHAPTER is/was a continuation of the CANAL CHAPTER, relocated. The CANAL CHAPTER, which was located on Canal St, just west of West Broadway, was formed by Mint and Serf of 1134NYC in 2005, with the support of Red Bull. It was inspired by the old school alternative spaces that brought life to the downtown New York art scene, decades before.
see: artlovers first meets MINT & SERF aka 1134NYC c/o ALFREDO MARTINEZ !!
and, yep !! sure enough – there’s that wild, life-size artillery piece that Alfredo set down on Canal St, being looked over by the cops, and making the POST, pre-POSTER BOY, pre-OBAMA POSTER BOY, even pre-DUKE RILEY submersible !!
funny how things go around in circles.
~SEAN VEGEZZI/STANTON CHAPTER |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | February 10th, 2009, 7:39pm
one of the city’s c-o-o-l-e-s-t, artist or otherwise, and, on just about any level, CHRIS STAIN, – has just opened a show in HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA !! North LaBrea Avenue, no less.
‘Up On The Roof Countin’ Pigeons’ – A solo exhibit on new work by CHRIS STAIN !!
the show opened last Thursday Feb 5th.
and runs: FEB 6 – FEB 26, 2009
CARMICHAEL GALLERY – 1257 N. La Brea Avenue – W. HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA.
HOURS: TUES-SUN 1-7PM
the press release is interesting.
“. . . the first West Coast solo exhibition of work by Baltimore artist CHRIS STAIN.
{yo, B-A-L-T-I-M-O-R-E !! – we didn’t know that. ns}
Artwork featured in the exhibition will include stencil, spray paint and mixed media on metal and found objects.
“For ‘Up On The Roof Countin’ Pigeons’, Chris Stain will transform the gallery into a NYC rooftop scene, complete with a pigeon coop and live jazz music. The enigmatic stencil portraits integrated into the large scale installation pierce the gaze of viewers and offer a unique perspective of contemporary inner city life.
“My work explores the emotional and physical struggle of growing up in an urban environment. Through hand-cut stencils and installations made from found materials I hope to inspire compassion for the often over-looked individuals of society” – Chris Stain.
“Born in Baltimore Maryland, Chris first developed a interest in art through graffiti at the age of eleven.
He learned printmaking in high school, which later led to stencil cutting when money wasn’t readily available for printmaking equipment.
“His subject matter is drawn from his working class upbringing on Baltimore’s east side. The peope he portrays in his work carry with them the struggle for a better life that all of us can relate to, especially in current times.
“Chris’ self-taught style has gained him recognition worldwide. Since 2000 he has exhibited his work in galleries situated across the globe, including New York, California, Paris, London, Germany, and Amsterdam, amongst others. His work has also been published in several books about stencul graffiti art and street art.”
see: CHRIS STAIN !!
CHRIS STAIN – IN MEMORY OF OSCAR GRANT III
CHRIS STAIN, at the recent C215 opening at AD HOC GALLERY, BROOKLYN. NYC.
DEC 15, 2008
see: BROOKLYN BLOCK PARTY & C215 JUNK STORE
PHOTO: NANCY SMITH
~CHRIS STAIN/MAKES HOLLYWOOD |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | February 10th, 2009, 6:17pm
. . . well, we feel a little conflicted on this. definitely feel FAIREY was at a point in his career, where he should have contacted the AP about using their OBAMA photo, which was taken by AP press lensman MANNY GARCIA. He should have gotten copyright authorization, and paid a user (franchise use) fee.
but, now it seems they . . . well, BOSTON is going after FAIREY for his (past) street work !!
from the NEW YORK POST SATURDAY, FEB 8, 2009:
“. . . SHEPARD FAIREY, was busted in Boston Friday on two outstanding graffiti warrants, authorities said. The 38-year-old artist and activist is expected to be arraigned tomorrow.”
however, to have the powers that be – go after him, for his street art, esp in the past, that’s not something we wish on him, nor support. you can’t deny the power of his imagery. Graffiti is a tough issue. we don’t like to see public buildings or fountains marked up, make that mucked up, by idiot drunk teens. and we don’t want see any more 13 yr. olds squished on the train tracks.
but a lot of beautiful stuff blooms, from those illegal pastures.
it’s a complete irony, and not an easily settled one, it’s one of those no-win conflicts – that are almost, well, that are exactly – biblical in nature. freedom of expression vs. the “man”. I guess the intrinsic American way is, freedom of expression trumps all, even if it means seedy porn on the TV right beside the religion channel. and, right on. yo, this is a country whose founding fathers were rebels.
Just don’t steal content or photos, dude !!
and, it was no accident that OBAMA HOPE spoke to the hearts of many, OBEY GIANT, paved the way !!
from the Giant’s own wiki page: the OBEY MANIFESTO !!
“The Obey campaign can be explained as an experiment in Phenomenology. The first aim of Phenomenology is to reawaken a sense of wonder about one’s environment. The Obey campaign attempts to stimulate curiosity and bring people to question both the campaign and their relationship with their surroundings. Because people are not used to seeing advertisements or propaganda for which the motive is not obvious, frequent and novel encounters with Obey propaganda provoke thought …
The medium is the message.”
see: OBEY GIANT
and let me tell y’all, if you think this is just about street art. WRONG.
first of all OBAMA got elected.
second: street art is a definite going currency in today’s art market. a lot of contemporary art galleries would love to be doing the kind of business SHEPARD FAIREY is, single-handedly !!
he is the un-corporate – new age corporate. as in big bucks i-n-d-u-s-t-r-y. the JEFF KOONS of the day. he is making money hand over fist. you can only sit back, and wish, that could be you !!
His slogan – ‘PROPAGANDA ENGINEERING’ – that may as well be – PANDA BEAR ENGINEERING, FAIREY’S got his stuff locked-down, so well .. forget JEFF KOONS, he’s almost the CIRQUE DU SOLEIL !
see: OBEY: MANUFACTURING QUALITY DISSENT SINCE 1989/PROPAGANDA ENGINEERING –
some early OBEY PHOTOS from the artlovers archives: NYC, 1998.
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH
(we always liked them – because we thought they looked like ALFREDO MARTINEZ, he of the notorious BASQUIAT scam, that landed MARTINEZ in federal prison for 2 years, and who previously ran the gun shooting ‘gallery’ at the JOSH HARRIS – MILLENNIUM – QUIET PARTY !! Alfredo’s criminal arc – was his solution to when the dot com world went bust and Josh’s money fizzled out.)
as for POSTER BOY !!
aka HENRY MATYJEWICZ, 27 – according to the NEW YORK POST, finally worth its daily cost of 50 cents, he left court yesterday. Apparently he “rejected an arrangement in which he would plead guilty to the top charge of criminal mischief, a misdemeanor, and perform 100 hours of community service. Instead, he’ll be back in court in April to face the possibility of trial, which could land him in jail for up to a year.” it’s hard to prove these charges. (the only way they got Alfredo locked up – was – he sent images in a UPS delivery over state lines in an undercover sting. in other words they got him on wire transfer fraud, not art fraud per se. you had to be at the trial, what can I say. Alfredo is a born pathological liar, which didn’t help, and his public defender was the biggest idiot to walk the face of the earth, I mean courthouse.) In fact, he, MARTINEZ, even once put (handmade replica) life-size heavy artillery guns on CANAL St, that the cops had to tow away, and which even made the Post,and for which he never got into any legal trouble, whatsoever. no undercover cops ever infiltrated the many openings he was down at. and at the point he even had the arrest record.it was only when he had flooded the art market with phony, Basquiats – that they, meaning certain, pretty shady themselves, dealers, pursued him. it’s a matter of public record, so why not name names – and that would be LEO (LIO) MALKA.
well, back to POSTER BOY, obviously tearing up and defacing subway posters, as opposed to simply pasting or tagging, is a big business no-no. but bottomline it all comes down to the lawyers. and your community status. i.e. class. an (unintended) telling statement in the POST article:
“Of course it was rejected,” his lawyer Kerry Gotlib, said of the plea-deal offer, adding that his client is a “well-educated, well-spoken citizen.” !!
as for the cops busting ‘graffiti’ artists through undercover means – that sucks. if they catch you in the act, that’s bad. but going to the galleries, is such a joke. as the above obviously makes clear. very hard, if not impossible to prove in court. and then you get 100 hours of community service and publicity worth a million bucks ? the cops are basically making the market. putting the pot of gold at-the-end-of-the-bust … an in-play guarantee. and why shut down the only art that is actually making any money in the city. (well that’s not really true, but it sounds good. but the market for street art has seen a renaissance of late). I mean its kind of a mote point, anyways, as by the time these guys are in a gallery they are going gallery legit, anyways. it’s how they get off the streets, not stay on it – stupid.
I mean if you know the art world, just a little bit, you’ll immediately see how stupid and unbelievably ludicrous, as in dumb brute – the cops are. case in point, MICHAEL NEVIN. I’ve been to many galleries that have had the cops show up, usually for patrons drinking on the street outside crowded gallery openings, (their M.O. is they drive up in ‘undercover’ yellow taxis in Manhattan, they’ve been doing this for decades. in Brooklyn, they arrive en masse in squad vans), but the only person who has EVER gotten arrested so far, apart from the above staked-out & stalked POSTER BOY/so-called ad vandal – was the most unlikely, and absolutely least deserving to be hassled – MICHAEL NEVIN, founding editor of THE JOURNAL, one of New York City’s most respected, and most ‘academic’ contemporary art publications, and a straight up, right-up guy, if I ever did see one. I don’t want to diss Michael, but – street, he is not !! He’s as much about street – as DASH SNOW is. and, that’s even insulting Dash !! He’s not even an artist. Michael Nevin goes nowhere near even playing street artist, he doesn’t tag a dog, let alone a street. he publishes a bonafide art journal, and let me tell ya, there is obviously some serious funding, as in social class & money, behind that venture, though I guess that’s none of our business. its just obviously a cutting edge high-production hard copy publication, with great full color reproductions, and that takes a certain amount of dough. and serious dedication, is all. and it is a wonderful asset to the scene. I guess, how were the arresting cops supposed to know this. (maybe we should all have our education, class & tax returns, tattooed into the insides of our wrists in case of NYPD arrest ?) The opening wasn’t even that wild, if wild at all. there were allusions to black leather jackets, on the wall, could that be it ? just the art was kind of tough, as inpretty edgey and pretty smart. and, it most definite wasn’t street art, or even handmade replica heavy artillery guns !! I don’t recall the cops even stepping into the gallery, come to think of it. turns out they had not one good reason to bust him. after the fact, they made some kind of phony double talk, like he had an outstanding warrant – or so, they thought – but turned out, it was for someone else, with the same name. but, he got tossed in the Tombs and the lack of oversight and how scary it is to be in that system, did traumatize him enough, that he did write about it.
MICHAEL NEVINS wrote an EDITOR’S NOTE about being busted by the NYPD, in THE JOURNAL ENTRY No. 24.
here’s the link article: THE JOURNAL Entry No. 24
and, if you know the police system here, in NYC, you’ll know getting busted for any reason, but esp if there are no legal grounds, is no joke. cause you will be treated like the biggest filth with no rights that ever walked the face of the earth. they have no radar for good or bad. you are all dirt. the cops and ‘civil servants’ who process you, are more brutal and mind bendingly stupid than the threatening wolf packs who are your cellmates. no, I haven’t been in there. but I have heard many firsthand stories. and QUEENS is the worst precinct to get busted in, of all. you know you are in no man’s land, a hold-over from medieval times – or KAFKA – when the cops that jump ya – make you feel like you are being kidnapped off the streets for ransom or worse, and then you end up in a whole hell world gone wrong, a courthouse of brutal zombies, and we are talking about the employees that run the place from the gum-chewing long & painted finger nailed, big haired bottle blonde female security guards all the way up to the slobby judges – all paid for by your tax dollars, and getting those awesome, you can only dream of, guaranteed city pensions, who don’t wear their name badges, (take a random walk into that place, any day – I dare you to come up with one employee wearing their federally mandated name badge) – and believe me – there is a reason why – they don’t want you to know who they are. If, you are in there trying to get a friend out, (yes, I was was) all the ‘locals’ in line – advise you “to cool it” and tell you scary first-hand stories about how the cops plant drugs in your car if you try to retaliate, don’t even think of making a civilian review board complaint.
NYC home of the brave.
MICHAEL NEVIN, of THE JOURNAL, busted for absolutely no reason, by the WILLIAMSBURG, BROOKLYN NYPD. New York City’s FINEST. AUGUST 14th, 2008.
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH
well, let’s change the topic from rant to rave. it was a great show !! MICHAEL GRIFFIN, ‘Count Thy Buttons’. I guess, the little bit of word play – was too much for the NYPD.
more pix: MICHAEL GRIFFIN/at THE JOURNAL !!
~SHEPARD FAIREY, POSTER BOY/up-date |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | February 10th, 2009, 2:30pm
if you hustle, you can catch the final good-bye !!
SUNDAY – FEB 8, 2009 – 7:30-9 PM
MARIAH ROBERTSON – ‘BONFIRE FUNERAL’ – PLUS SPECIAL GUESTS including a reading by poet JIBADE-KHALIL HUFFMAN and JOHN YAU.
A one-time-only architecturally specific performance for GUILD & GREYSHKUL
GUILD & GREYSHKUL – 28 WOOSTER – SOHO – NYC
THEY HAVE SOME GREAT – INSTALLATION SHOTS – of THE CLOSING EXHIBIT on THEIR website,
see: ‘ON FROM HERE’ !!
a few samples:
ABOVE INSTALLATION PHOTOS/COURTESY: GUILD & GREYSHKUL
pix from the opening night party, Thursday, Feb 5, 2009:
PERFORMANCE IN WINDOWS BY: DENNIS PALAZZOLO and AVERY SINGER.
the ‘5th ELEMENT’ come to life – it must be Mr. Palazzolo.
DENNIS PALAZZOLO.
AVERY SINGER.
JOHANNES VANDERBEEK
SARA VANDERBEEK
ARTFORUM.COM EDITOR DAVID VELASCO, and MIRIAM KATZ, CURATOR at THE KITCHEN
DEVON COSTELLO has 2 realist watercolors in the show.
ANYA KIELAR and ESME.
ANYA KIELAR
ANYA KIELAR has a typically k-n-o-c-k-o-u-t piece in the show.
photo-collage by CARLOS CHARLIE PEREZ.
art work by TRENTON DUERKSEN.
art work by NICOLE VAN BEEK.
art work by NATSUKO UCHINO
detail, NATSUKO UCHINO
‘I SAID TAKE YOUR FUCKING HANDS OFF ME’
art work by LOU LAURITA
art work by MICHAEL SHEA.
LEELA ACCETTA, KARL FRIEDRICH, and LEA CETERA.
DETAIL, INSTALLATION by LEA CETERA and ROBIN SCHAVOIR.
their video was screened on the monitor, out of camera’s range.
but, you can see it here: VIBRANT FUTURES
a frame from ‘VIBRANT FUTURES’ by LEA CETERA and ROBIN SCHAVOIR.
‘SPIRIT BEAR’ poster art work by ROBIN SCHAVOIR. b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l.
ANYA KIELAR and LEA CETERA.
‘VIBRANT FUTURES’ by LEA CETERA and ROBIN SCHAVOIR plays on the small monitor, center.
LEA CETERA and FRANCESCA Di MATTIO
JAMES FUENTES.
behind him, the photo of the violin player is by ISABEL ASHA PENZLIEN.
the photo to the right of it, is by STEPHEN G. RHODES.
LUTZ BACHER !!
ABOVE PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH
and below, LEA CETERA, also took some pix !!
art work by ROBERT de SAINT PHALLE.
the 2 small (realist and figurative) watercolors above and below the yellow abstract square piece, are by DEVON COSTELLO.
The yellow abstract square, which is pretty wonderful to contemplate, too, is by JONATHAN ROTH.
Those top two, totally wild pieces are by JOSH KLINE !!
The two pieces at the right, are by EILEEN QUINLAN !!
FILMMAKER, ARTIST ROBIN SCHAVOIR, made the film VIBRANT FUTURES, with LEA CETERA.
Mr. Schavoir was the author, writer, and artist behind the collaborative effort.
installation shot of the sculpture area, ‘ON FROM HERE’, the last exhibit at GUILD & GREYSHKUL.
ABOVE SET OF 5 PHOTOS: by LEA CETERA. thanks, LEA !!!
note: waiting on GUILD & GREYSHKUL to send in the unknown artist attributions.
info – will go up shortly.
~GUILD & GREYSHKUL FLAMES OUT !! |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | February 8th, 2009, 6:27pm
last weekend to catch – the super talented – new wave from BALTIMORE !!:
CLOSED CAPTION COMICS – ‘ADOLESCENT RAGE’
JAN 9 – FEB 8, 2009
CINDERS GALLERY – 103 HAVEMEYER St – BROOKLYN
HRS: WED-SUN: 1-7PM
featuring work by: CHRIS DAY, NOEL FREIBERT, MOLLIE GOLDSTROM, LANE MILBURN, ANDREW NEYER, MOLLY COLLEEN O’CONNELL, PETE RAZON, RYAN CECIL SMITH, RYAN STECHSCHULTE, ERIC STINER, and ERIN WOMACK.
at the opening: PETE RAZON and MOLLY COLLEEN O’CONNELL – with STO of CINDERS.
JAN 9, 2009
PHOTO: NANCY SMITH
see: MORE PIX FROM THE OPENING !!
‘ADOLESCENT RAGE’ is the first NYC show by this young Baltimore-based collective – who call themselves: CLOSED CAPTION COMICS. Sto reports that Cinders “first encountered the artwork of this prolific group when some of them came into the gallery bearing an amazing colorful stack of of self-published comic and art zines.” and he goes on to say in the press release: “These beautiful handmade silk-screened goodies featured wild stories, inventive layouts, and the type of manic fun energy we find wholly exciting and infectious. As a group, CLOSED CAPTION puts out a comic zine of the same name that features a section by each artist, allowing the reader to delve into the the different worlds of each contributor. These worlds vary from forests to cities to outer space and are inhabited by as diverse a cast of characters such as mummies, toads, robots, aliens and ordinary folks riding bikes around town. From meticulous fine line renderings to scratchy chaotic explosions, the styles and stories couldn’t be more varied and yet make perfect sense together ina haphazardly homey kind of way.
This group show will feature drawings, paintings, prints, collages and zines … allowing the visitor to be enveloped by their art on a larger scale.”
Apparently they all met up at MICA, the MARYLAND INSTITUTE COLLEGE of ART, from which they all graduated recently. They started making zines together in 2004. In addition to their collaborative bookmaking, they are also individually involved in the Baltimore art community by way of “putting on shows, making posters, being in bands such as Witch Hat, and Bears and Pieces, running the record label Lost Ghosts Records, as well as organizing the all-girl performance festival, Puss Fust.”
check out: CLOSED CAPTION COMICS/blogspot !!
don’t miss: CCC/blogspot/CATALOG – our fave for browsing !!
check out: LOST GHOSTS/myspace !!
check out: PRELAY/myspace !!
CLOSED CAPTION COMICS – COSMIC ISSUE #8 or [infinity] [sideways 8]
PRODUCED In CONJUNCTION WITH ‘ADOLESCENT RAGE’ A SHOW JAN 9 – FEB 8 2009 @ CINDERS GALLERY NYC / BALTIMORE U.S.A.
~CLOSED CAPTION COMICS |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | February 8th, 2009, 5:07pm
