. . . . if you missed that great group drawing survey, ‘DON’T PAINT YOUR TEETH’ at CINDERS, which ran MAY 9 – JUNE 8, 2008 and was curated by RICH JACOBS … they have put together a portfolio book at CINDERS which has a great selection of some of the best of the original 8 x 10 drawings – that haven’t been sold, yet !!
ask STO or KELIE to bring it out !!
the drawings are in ballpoint pen, pencil & sharpie !!
here’s a little selection of our faves.
portfolio cover artwork by STO.
1st selection – right off the bat – MATT LEINES !!
two more by MATT LEINES
morphing into totally abstract faces – MATT LEINES
MATT LEINES
on the left, MATT LEINES; on the right: DANIEL DAVIDSON’S ‘ALPHABET OF SELF-DESTRUCTIVE BEHAVIOUR’.
a ‘classic’ RICH JACOBS drawing. RICH JACOBS also curated the show as part of his ongoing – ‘MOVE’ series. this is ‘MOVE’ #16 !!
a two part drawing by DIANE BARCELOWSKY
believe it !! count on MAYA HUYAK – to do something totally off the wall – and absolutely great !!
the ALLYSON MELLBERG / JEREMY TAYLOR touch.
‘FUN DAD’ by the unbeatable – TRAVIS MILLARD
‘ELECTRIC COMB’ – TRAVIS MILLARD
PORTRAITS by STO !!
dig this piece – by ERIC WHITE !!
another piece by STO !!
wow !! STEPHANIE DAVIDSON !!
‘LOVE MY DOG’ – DAVID HERMAN DUNE
last, but not least, JULIEN LANGENDORFF
CINDERS
~MONSTER DRAWINGS at CINDERS !! |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | July 17th, 2008, 1:16pm
. . . talking ’bout TAYLOR McKIMENS . . . . seems like his work was chosen to be the cover – artwork !! for the new SPRING 2008 – ‘MAIL ORDER MONSTERS’ catalog !!
MAIL ORDER MONSTERS … a traveling exhibit curated by KATHY GRAYSON was presented last year at: PERES PROJECTS in BERLIN, DEITCH PROJECTS in NEW YORK, and ANDREAS MELAS PRESENTS in ATHENS, GREECE.
Some of the artists featured in the show: apart from TAYLOR McKIMENS, are MAT BRINKMAN, RY FYAN, TOMOO GOKITA, JOE GRILLO, EVAN GRUZIS, BEN JONES, WES LANG, DAN McCARTHY, EDDIE MARTINEZ, TAKESHI MURATA, CLEON PETERSON, AUREL SCHMIDT, FRAN SPIEGEL & DENNIS TYFUS.
apparently the catalog is now !! available.
and, there will be a book signing to-nite !! – THURS JULY 17, 2008 – 7-9 PM !!
at DEITCH STUDIOS in LONG ISLAND CITY, QUEENS !!
many of the artists will be there, and there will also be screenings of videos by TAKESHI MURATA, BEN JONES, TAYLOR McKIMENS, and …. “many others.” !!
DIRECTIONS TO DEITCH STUDIOS:
via subway – take the E or V train to 23rd & ELY, then walk down 44th Drive to the river.
The gallery is open THURS – FRI 4-10PM and SAT+SUN from 2-10PM.
DEITCH STUDIOS is located at: 4-40 44TH DRIVE (ON THE EAST RIVER), Long Island City.
more info: 1-212-343-7300
note: A shuttle bus will run between P.S.1, DEITCH STUDIOS, and the 23rd & ELY subway station from 8-11 PM on performance nights !!
the ‘MAIL ORDER MONSTERS’ catalog is co-published by DEITCH PROJECTS, AMP & PICTUREBOX !! and is distributed by DAP.
you can get the ‘MAIL ORDER MONSTERS’ catalog online at PICTUREBOX – its $35.
see: PICTUREBOX !!
. . . where the description on the catalog repeats the press mantra bandied about, when the show first surfaced: ” ‘MAIL ORDER MONSTERS’ – explores the new trends in ‘fucked-up figuration’ !! ”
and further states: “this unique portfolio/catalog features a 26 page booklet containing an essay by curator KATHY GRAYSON, as well as 20 frameable !!
prints by MAT BRINKMAN, TOMOO GOKITA, BEN JONES & TAYLOR McKIMENS, among others …
. . . and clarifies the cover business – apparently both !! BEN JONES and TAYLOR McKIMENS each contributed “spectacular” wrap-around covers . . . for the catalog !! – that’s definite gonna be a hard call to make – which wrap-around cover you want around your copy !! though haven’t seen the BEN JONES cover, yet – it’s sure to be pretty great, too.
. . a selection of earlier/archival posts on ‘MAIL ORDER MONSTERS’/on artlovers !!
check out: ‘MAIL ORDER MONSTERS’ !!/AUG 1/07
check out: ‘MAIL ORDER MONSTERS’ !!/AUG 1/07
check out: ‘MAIL ORDER MONSTERS’ !!/OCT 16/07
~TAYLOR McKIMENS/MAIL ORDER MONSTERS/book signing |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | July 17th, 2008, 12:09pm
A.T. COMPLEX
JUNE 26 – AUGUST 2, 2008
JOHN CONNELLY PRESENTS – 625 WEST 27TH ST – CHELSEA – NYC
. . . a strangely quiet, almost empty, but very focused – small group show – curated by FREDERICK JANKA. The four featured artists – RASHAWN GRIFFIN, AMANDA ROSS-HO, JUSTIN SAMSON and JOSHUA SMITH – are given a nice serious stage to walk across.
according to the gallery press release – the exhibition is “defined by the intrinsic role of the artist’s muse, studio and living space in their artwork.” !!?
. . . further: “The ‘T’ in the title stands in for tellurian, underlining the uniquely earthly and human qualities under investigation by these artists. ‘Complex‘ is used in two senses, to both suggest the complexity of elements involved in an artist’s practice, and a reconfiguration of the Jungian psychological state of being bound excessively to these objects, spaces, and people.”
I think the artists break it down – a lot better than the press release does !! In fact, Justin Samson sent us a nice little note when we asked for more background on the mysterious title. “A Tellurian Complex refers to daily everyday activities, according to Fredrick (the Curator). The press release explains it better. I think it is a cool title, for me it sounds more Sci-Fi. A Tellurian is an inhabitant of the earth. John convinced Fredrick to just call it A.T. Complex . . . .” – JUSTIN SAMSON
JUSTIN SAMSON (at right) with GENEVIEVE K. of STONE DESSERT & ORGY AZTEC.
you can check out Genevieve k’s music on myspace – it’s pretty good – mystical, gentle dreamy freak folk – sort of !! – Genevieve K & the spectacular times
see: more pix of Genevieve & ORGY AZTEC/JCP: A New High in Getting Low !!
JUSTIN shows us his ‘medallion’ – it’s one of JESSE GREENBERG’S plastic “touchables” (see below: BOBO’S on 27TH!!) – apparently Jesse gave one to Justin, BRIAN BELOTT and ANNIE PEARLMAN when they recently attended one of his art shows in Philadelphia. Justin turned his into a ‘pendant/medallion’. – whoa – YO !! – heads up, dude – JESSE !! – artlovers wants one too !! send an email & we’ll send out our P.O. Box. no joke. we’re so into plastic. and low-fi collectibles, too. double whammy.
JUSTIN SAMSON in front of one of his best pieces so far, titled ‘UFO Encounter’, 2008 – acrylic paint and neon.
another actually, rather arresting painting by JUSTIN SAMSON – ‘Mother’, 2008 acrylic paint and neon, 84 x 90 ins. – definitely makes you look back, twice !!
JOSHUA SMITH contributes some, much more enigmatic work in the show. here he is flanked by JENN BREHM (left) and JENN TEETS.
JOSHUA SMITH, ‘Untitled’, 2008 – yoga mat !!
JOSHUA SMITH, ‘Untitled’ 2008 – C-print – rolled up & standing on end !!
looking for Godot – oops, I mean, JOSHUA SMITH’S extreme response to the curator’s mission statement !! . . . .
his .. JOSHUA SMITH, ‘Untitled’, 2008 – a Brass double headed hook !!
we meet RASHAWN GRIFFIN, for the first time.
RASHAWN GRIFFIN, ‘A Suit (there was nothing we could do)’, 2008. Fabric, wood, foam, plaster, paper, ink. 77 x 85 x 12 ins.
RASHAWN GRIFFIN, a detail on the back of ‘A Suit ..’ .
RASHAWN GRIFFIN, private musings – made public. a detail on the back of ‘A Suit’ .. .
RASHAWN GRIFFIN, close-up of the hand, on the back . . . ‘A Suit’ . ..
in front of RASHAWN GRIFFIN’S freestanding ‘wall’ assemblage piece – ‘A Suit’ .. GHURRON BRISCOE. Ghurron is the BF (boyfriend) of Katherine Bernhardt – he says she is on vacation in Greece – after a big year of churning out big paintings.
AMANDA ROSS-HO in front of her wall supported wall assemblage piece – ‘Double Double Tragedy (Mime Attachment + Everybody)’, 2008.
looking a little happier, for all the tragedy – AMANDA ROSS-HO.
a partial view of AMANDA ROSS-HO, ‘Double Double Tragedy…’
detail, of a small detail – AMANDA ROSS-HO, ‘Double Double Tragedy…’
black & white painted paper cut-out letters – waltz along the bottom of the piece with dramatic effect. AMANDA ROSS-HO, ‘Double Double Tragedy…’
a tiny ‘tellurian’ charm – AMANDA ROSS-HO, ‘Double Double Tragedy…’
a gold framed collage of photos by JUSTIN SAMSON – sits very quietly up against the center of a back wall – but up close, yikes !! – this is the ‘break-out !! image – of the show.
JUSTIN SAMSON, ‘Orgiaztech performance’, 2008. Color photographs and gold spray painted frame. 16.5 x 20.5 ins.
detail, photo, JUSTIN SAMSON, ‘Orgiaztech performance’.
detail, photo, JUSTIN SAMSON, ‘Orgiaztech performance’.
detail, photo, JUSTIN SAMSON, ‘Orgiaztech performance’
JOHN CONNELLY PRESENTS
~JUSTIN SAMSON & A. T. COMPLEX |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | July 17th, 2008, 9:14am
‘Maquinas&Almas’ – ‘arte digital y nuevos medios’
‘Machines&Souls’ – ‘Digital Art and New Media’ !!!!
MUSEO NACIONAL CENTRO de ARTE REINA SOFIA – MADRID, SPAIN
HALL A1: JUNE 26 – SEPT 25, 2008
NEW WING: JUNE 26 – OCT 13, 2008 – the show runs till OCTOBER 13, 2008 !!
for more info, see: the Museo Nacional de Arte Reina Sofia/website
ORGANIZED BY: Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia
CURATORS: Montxo Algora and Jose Luis de Vicente
CO-ORDINATED BY: Soledad Liano
EXHIBITION SET-UP: Poca Arquitectura
EXECUTIVE PRODUCTION: LaAgencia
TECHNICAL PARTNER: Beep
. . . we keep hearing the art scenes in SPAIN & PORTUGAL – are very hot !!! BERLIN – WATCH OUT !!!!
. . . now comes buzz across the big pond – of – ‘MACHINES&SOULS’ – a subject newly dear to our hearts !!
. . . from the press release:
“The exhibit ‘Machines&Souls’ – ‘Digital Art and New Media’ explores the convergence of art, science and technology. The idea is to further investigate the fact that, in the early 21st Century, art and science flow along parallel channels through the work of a group of artists chosen for their ability to combine art, technology, creativity, mystery, emotion and beauty….
The exhibition includes the work of 17 artists, who were selected for their ability to combine art and science, creativity, emotion and mystery. They have multiple characteristics in common and very different career histories. They share a long career, the fact that they are highly respected in their fields and a creative maturity found in those who have developed their work over time. They differ from each other in age, educational background, the materials they use and the working methods they employ, but they all use digital technology as a tool. They use it in a variety of ways – as a supporting structure, as a developing element, as a research tool or as a springboard to new sensibilities. Although, as the co-exhibition curator Montoxo Algora reflects, ‘on their own, their computers do not create. And without the emotion and creativity of its authors, digital art is nothing’….
The tremendous diversity of their works is very representative of digital art, a field still in its infancy and with enormous potential.”
the featured artists are:
Antoni Abad (Spain, 1956)
David Byrne (USA, 1952) and David Hanson (USA, 1969)
Daniel Canogar (Spain, 1964)
Vuk osi (Serbia, 1966)
Evru (Zush) (Barcelona, 1946)
Harun Farocki (Czech Republic, 1944)
Paul Freidlander (United Kingdom, 1951)
Pierre Huyghe (France, 1962)
Theo Jansen (Netherlands, 1948)
Natalie Jeremijenko/Angel Borrego
Sachiko Kodama (Japan, 1969)
Rafael Lozano-Hemmer (Mexico, 1967)
John Maeda (USA, 1966)
Chico McMurtie/Amorphic Robot Works (USA, 1961)
Antoni Muntadas (Spain, 1942)
Daniel Rozin (Israel, 1961)
Ben Rubin (USA, 1964) and Mark Hansen (USA, 1964)
. . . . the following selection of photos comes courtesy of: VICENTE MATALLANA – the Executive Director of LaAGENCIA – LaAGENCIA being the exhibit’s Executive Production team … by way of JOSH HARRIS – NYC’S .. original !! dot.com king & new media guru – who has recently split the USA for ETHIOPIA – with extended jaunts to SPAIN – when he needs to talk to someone who can speak English, and knows art .. from coffee beans !! !!
JOHN MAEDA – ‘NATURE 2005’
SACHIKO KODAMA – ‘PORTUDE FLOW 2008’
SACHIKO KODAMA – ‘PORTRUDE FLOW 2008’
BEN RUBIN + MARK HANSEN – ‘LISTENING POST 2006’
PAUL FRIEDLANDER – ‘ABSTRACT COSOMOLOGY 2008’
PAUL FRIEDLANDER – ‘WAVE FUNCTION 2007’
DANIEL ROZIN – ‘WEAVE MIRROR 2007’
DANIEL CANOGAR – ‘PALIMPSESTO”
ANTONI ABAD / Zexe.net – ‘MOTOBOYS 2007-2008’
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
P.S. – LaAGENCIA, the show’s EXECUTIVE PRODUCTION team – has a really interesting website !!
check it out: LaAGENCIA !!
~MACHINES&SOULS/SPAIN !! |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | July 11th, 2008, 10:32am
SEAN DACK’S BRILLIANT, BEAUTIFUL, APOCALYPTIC, FUTURISTIC & DOWN RIGHT – VISUALLY – COOL !! – SHOW – the beautifully named – ‘GHOST HARDWARE ‘ – has been extended – until this FRIDAY JULY 11th.
SEAN DACK – ‘GHOST HARDWARE’
MAY 24 – JULY 5, 2008 – extended thru JULY 11TH !!
DANIEL REICH GALLERY – 537 WEST 23RD ST. – CHELSEA – NYC
see: PIX FROM THE OPENING – already posted !!
SEAN presented a one night affair – of machine/deck music, “ambient crunk & noise” – of his own making and from his collection – with special gallery lighting – on June 26, 2008 – an DJ evening – that he called ‘striations (event)’.
. . . ok ok you may say I am ‘WALL-E’ obsessed … and you may be right – but, as they say, “I’m not the only one !!” – but Sean’s ‘chill’ green florescent color lighting – was exactly the same kind of ‘chill’ lime green florescent lighting that pops up. over and over – in the futuristic – ‘WALL-E’ !!
witness – the pix:
WALL-E & E-V-A-H meet EON – its, the eyes that give them away, everytime !! well, and maybe the forehead – spotlight beam, as well. !!
MR. COLLECTOR – don’t laugh. he’s got a stash under his bed, that probably MAKES your collection look stale – if, not puny !!
the boys. Daniel Reich, 2nd from right.
Daniel Reich gallery associate, MOLLY WATTS, at left – who is a photographer and artist in her own right – with a degree from HUNTER..
installation view – ‘GHOST HARDWARE’.
DREW CONRAD – drops by.
AMY GARTRELL at right. Amy told us, her and photog Patterson Beckwith are, “thisclose” !!
the man of the moment – SEAN DACK.
Daniel Reich.
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH, JUNE 26, 2008
DANIEL REICH GALLERY
~SEAN DACK/extended !! |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | July 8th, 2008, 1:14pm
. . . say what !! about artworld/real world/mass culture/pop culture SYNERGY !!
The NYC art scene was recently graced by the work and presence of our very own, organically sensitive !! and, also initially – a touch cool/prickly, but ultimately sweet – and, right on !! – E-V-A-H !!!
EVAH FAN, hailing from Berkeley, California – showed her work recently, with pal BRENDAN MONROE – at LITTLE CAKES – in what was to be revealed as – Hanna Fushihara Aron’s last show in her current Lower East Side storefront abode.
Called ‘Bed and Breakfast’ – the show ran JUNE 6 – JUNE 29, 2008
check out: the great pix already posted !!
SOME MORE PIX – FROM OPENING DAY – ‘BED and BREAKFAST’ – JUNE 6, 2008
EVAH FAN.
detail, ‘The Cook, the Thief and The Pompost Kyle’, collaborative earth/floor work by EVAH FAN & BRENDAN MONROE. Brendan made the plants, and seedlings. Evah made the small sculpey figurines. . . . “E-A-R-T-H ? – define earth please.”
and it’s not just the s-e-e-d-l-i-n-g-s !!
EHAH’S figurines have the same rounded out features – just not quite that rounded out !! as the WALL-E ‘B&L’ space tourists – with their atrophied limbs !!
(p.s. . . . if you’ve ever received one of those telephone book sized, whole forest decimating – camera product ‘catalogs’ – in the mail – unsolicted – from NYC’S B&H – you might think .. well, that’s where they got B&L from… how far off a bet – is that, I wonder ?)
s-e-e-d-l-i-n-g-s !! oh oh – EVAH’S figurine has detected ‘DIRECTIVE – TOP SECRET’ !! – newly resurgent plant life beginnings.
installation shot – EVAH FAN & BRENDAN MONROE – ‘The Cook, the Thief and the Pompost Kyle’.
one of EVAH FAN’s small gouache drawings on paper, ‘Field Study 2’, 4 x 4 ins.
despite their austere and educated, not to mention sleek & distant packaging – EVAH FAN & E-V-A-H/WALL-E – both get – !! – what makes the human & it seems robot !! world – go round !!
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH
~WALL-E/E-V-A-H/meet EVAH !! |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | July 8th, 2008, 12:23pm
YO YO YO !! talk about a live wire !!
. . . we thought the BOBO show would be good – but we hadn’t a clue – it was well, well, beyond the pale. and well well beyond the uptight conceptualist shows – the New York Times has been crowing about for summer offerings. It reminded us of that super great BLACK & WHITE show, ‘INFINITE FILL’, that CORY ARCHANGEL curated for FOXY PRODUCTION – a couple of summers back. just beats all the competition hands down. period.
This is a conceptual show that EXPLODES !! LIFTS OFF !! & FIGHTS BACK !!
BRAINS, BRAWN and VISUAL BEAUTY. what can I say – this is the one to see. it’s a DYNAMO !!
The opening was great. electric. crowded. fresh smart kids. a lot of friends from Philly came in. the artists in the show – it was like walking on a mountain range – just turning from one super dynamo to the next. non-stop. what do they put in that Philly water ? or, maybe these guys just aren’t drained by trying to stay alive in NYC. put it this way, a room, ok a small one – in a Philly ‘art’ house costs $175/month – the same comparable (small) room in a Brooklyn artist house, even in Bushwick, forget Williamsburg, costs $750+ a month. you live in Philly – it seems you got lots of free time to blow-it up and put it out. ..and it looks like, maybe even – take-over.
‘BOBO on 27TH ST’ – is also a show on wheels – that is, a show with great timing. It is actually the artworld equivalent of ‘Wall-E’ !! if you can think and dream – beyond WALK & TALK !!
except BOBO is PIXAR !! minus a couple of million zeros – in the budget.
. . . we’ll take the last lines from A.O. SCOTT’S film review of ‘Wall-E’, published in the New York Times WEEKEND ARTS of FRIDAY, JUNE 27, 2008 – to start the dialog:
“The paradox at the heart of ‘Wall-E’ is that the drive to invent new things and improve the old ones – to buy and sell and make and collect – creates the potential for disaster and also the possible path away from it. Or, put another way, some of the same impulses that fill the world of ‘Wall-E’ – our world – with junk can also fill it with art.’ !!
here’s a couple of ‘teasers’ – photos from the opening – a whole !! photo report on the show – goes up next week !!
‘BOBO’S ON 27TH’ – CURATED BY BOBO – PHIL COTE, NICK PAYNE & DREW GILLESPIE
JULY 3 – AUGUST 1, 2008
FOXY PRODUCTION – 617 WEST 27TH ST – CHELSEA – NYC
note: summer hours … MON-FRI 11-6pm !!
futuristic ‘jukebox’ by BOBO – meet the artworld’s – ‘Wall-E’ !!
say hello – to our EVE !! a changing light form by BEN PHELAN.
YO YO YO – you go girl !! – an animated video … by ANNIE PEARLMAN, a local NYC artist, by way of Vermont – why does it take a village, that is, BOBO & PHILLY – to get this NYC talent – on the stage where she belongs ?
BOBO made the great ‘statement’ frame around the screen. including the plastic ‘garbage’ bags which are a bright, albeit subtle translucent – green and yellow, in reality. and put a beautiful plastic 3D case over the screen. Annie hadn’t seen it till the opening night & she loved it. what’s not to love. in a BOBO show.
just one aspect of this amazing #D piece by JESSE GREENBERG
ouch. BUDDHA DOG by BARKEV GULESSERIAN, not everyone in the show, is on the card.
the free form on the wall, near the ceiling. by BEN PHELAN.
LINDSAY BEEBE with her great ribald painting on the war, and down dirty anatomy !! of the sexes. hey, dude – what else do you think – bottomline – differentiates us, humans – from the robots ?
at less these guys ain’t sipping nutrients from straws & having test tube babies. this isn’t coarse – its the ultimate primal survival.
BRIAN McKELLIGOTT has the same kind of raw sex dialog going on, in his painting too – so you know – BOBO is trying to tell us, something !! beyond WALK & TALK !! art show.
scattered about, text messages from BRENT COWLEY – just in case, you miss the point that this is not just a show – in a gallery – but – a visual ‘cirque’ with a message . . . message in a bottle.
. . . a visual ‘clue’ on one of the BOBO constructed frames – that help the individual artworks – explode off the Foxy ‘white box’ walls.
. . . . what is it about this show – that makes me think this show is as close to giving birth, defining evolution and foreseeing the future – as 3 young musicians, named BOBO – in a space called FOXY – can get ?
more pix from the opening post EARLY next week.
~YO YO YO !!/BOBO !! |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | July 5th, 2008, 1:50pm
PHILLY’S … BOBO hits 27TH ST. – OPENING TO-NITE – THURSDAY JULY 3, 2008, 6-8pm
‘BOBO’S ON 27TH’ – CURATED BY BOBO: PHIL COTE, NICK PAYNE & DREW GILLESPIE
running JULY 3 – AUGUST 1, 2008
FOXY PRODUCTION – 617 WEST 27TH ST, CHELSEA – NYC
note: gallery is in summer schedule: open MON-FRI 11-6pm
featuring work by: LINDSAY BEEBE/MATT BERRIAN/BOBO/BRENT COWLEY/LIZZIE FITCH/JESSE GREENBERG/COLT HAUSMAN/MILES HUSTON/BRIAN McKELLIGOT – [would that be RUDY !! no, it’s not !!] -/ANNIE PEARLMAN/BEN PHELAN PIFAS/&/TED SEFCIK
. . . apparently BOBO isn’t just a band, or even an art band – they’re a collective that runs a house gallery, in the house where they live in Philly – where the rents are cheap & the living is easy – just to keep it brief, and cool. looks like they’ve got Philly humming & now they are bringing some of that hum to our city !!! MICHAEL GILLESPIE is letting them take over FOXY PRODUCTION for the summer. we happened to catch them last week – while they were just beginning to face up to the task of getting the BOBO show on the road, unpacked & and up and running. the opening is to-nite – can’t wait !!
from left: NICK PAYNE and DREW GILLESPIE of BOBO
PHIL COTE of BOBO – whoever, said curating a 10+ artist show was a stroll-in-the-park – was wrong !! NOT !!
at left, far out primal painting by LINDSAY BEEBE. the back wall – a collaboration by the 3 live wires that are collectively known as – BOBO – & which will showcase a live feed from BOBO on 9TH St. in PHILLY !!!
angular shaped far out primal canvas by BRIAN McKELLIGOT. BOBO created a total environment around their show. which including building up 3D plaster ‘frames’ around paintings, attaching protruding (colored) lights and, scattering a detritus of human existence on the floor.
here – we caught the genesis !!
NICK COTE. beside him a selection of small wild paintings by MATTHEW BERRAIN.
DREW GILLESPIE of BOBO (left). local JUSTIN SAMSON drops by after the JOHN CONNELLY PRESENTS opening of a smaller group show – ‘A. T. COMPLEX’ – with a much more minimalist thread – in which Justin has several really good pieces. definitely worth. Photos of that opening, last Thursday June 26, 2008 – post next week.
‘A. T. COMPLEX’ runs June 26 – August 2, 2008 at jcp on 27TH ST.
it’s looking to be really great. really new & fresh.
back wall by BOBO.
painting by LINDSAY BEEBE.
painting by BRIAN McKELLIGOT. BOBO built up the 3D frames, and all the other wild stuff, like the lights, going on around the art works.
paintings by MATTHEW BERRAIN.
there were actually just as many, if not more 3D pieces in the show – its just they weren’t unpacked yet !!
. . . p.s. we’ll fill in the artist’s credits – after we see the show to-nite. it was too chaotic at the time to stop for data !!
. . . . ‘pop-up’ painting by COLT HAUSMAN. it’s a (beautiful) rendering of Philadelphia’s City Hall !!
BEST OF PHILLY – believe it !!
‘FOXY PRODUCTION / INSTALL KIT’
FOXY PRODUCTION’S MICHAEL GILLESPIE knows a good thing when he see it – he has a caught a live wire by the tail !!
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH, JUNE 26, 2008
check out: the great pre-show presentation on the FOXY WEBSITE !!
check out: artlovers first happens upon BOBO/New York Underground Film Festival/March 24, 2007
. . . BOBO aspires to be “newspaper boys !! ”
check out: more pix of BOBO/New York Underground Film Festival/w. myspace link !!
check out: BOBO’S POSTER/BUSHWICK ART FESTIVAL 2007 !!
FOXY PRODUCTION
~PHILLY’S BOBO hits 27TH STREET !! |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | July 3rd, 2008, 12:09pm
. . . mirror, mirror on the wall – who’s got the best waterfall of all ?
last week !! to catch – ROB PRUITT’S – 1,000 crushed Viagra pills-infused, DIY waterfall – the aptly named – ‘VIAGRA FALLS’ !! in:
‘WHO’S AFRAID OF JASPER JOHNS?’ – A SHOW CONCEIVED BY URS FISCHER & GAVIN BROWN
running MAY 9 – JULY 12, 2008
TONY SHAFRAZI GALLERY – 544 WEST 26 STREET – CHELSEA – NYC
opening night – water falls – inside and out.
water cascades down the 2nd story entry stairway. we always knew that stairway must have had a reason . .
. . . say what – about being made from “renewable” resources. wonder what the budget was on this ?
ROB PRUITT, on the right, looks down on his manmade waterfall – a first of its kind – don’t think anybody ever thought this up before ? – with him, is SPENCER SWEENEY.
at the top.
a view of the waterfall, going down towards the entry doorway
the pump. at the bottom.
no there were no fish, not even goldfish . . . but, yes there were viagra pills crushed into the water.
handfuls were in little dish containers on the reception desk at the opening. we know someone. well, maybe our music critic, who grabbed a handful and sold them for $100 in Washington Sq. Park the next day !!
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH, from the night of the opening, MAY 8, 2008
see: the original post on the opening
TONY SHAFRAZI GALLERY
~ROB PRUITT/WATERFALLS |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | July 3rd, 2008, 11:01am
OLAFUR ELIASSON – ‘THE NEW YORK CITY WATERFALLS’
PRESENTED by the PUBLIC ART FUND
4 locations on the EAST RIVER
running JUNE 26 – OCTOBER 13, 2008
the 90 to 120 ft. tall water flowing (downwards !!) installations will operate from 7am to 10pm – 7 days a week. They will be lit after sunset. They have been designed to protect water quality, and aquatic life (from their pumps.) They also run on”green power” – electricity “generated from renewable sources”.
The local tabloids don’t seem that impressed – and only seem to be able to makes news out of how much the Falls cost to make – !! – and how much they are supposed to generate in extra tourist dollaers, with much text being given over to debating the feasibility of the gov’t provided estimate that . . . “the local economy will get at least a $55 million boost from the massive public artwork”. (NEW YORK POST/Saturday, June 28, 2008).
In fact, the The New York Post subtitled their article – “Tourism stream or $55M pipe dream”/”AWE, WHATEVER”/and concludes that .. “… visitors at the South Street Seaport seem hardly impressed by the waterfall art under the Brooklyn Bridge.”
According to the published reports – the Waterfalls were built on a budget of $15.5 million dollars – try to which truthfully seems like a big joke – even for a small nowhere, more serious minded – art “blog” like this one – and, even though New Yorkers usually like a big joke – esp if the money didn’t come out of their own taxpayer pockets, (though apparently almost 2 million did come from public funds – published reports have it as: $13.5 million in private donations – remainder from the Lower Manhattan Development Corp.) – they still didn’t seem in the mood for a big scam at this particular time – when everyone is being hit hard and harder. and city life gets tougher & tougher. unless your parents are movie stars, investment bankers, Euro moguls, or NYU big bucks parents – like the current breed of well funded spawn now happily at play – where (real) artists once used to roam. Supposedly the money went for materials and “salaries” – I’d love to see a break-down of those salaries !! Since this is a “non-profit” Public Art Fund venture – shouldn’t that info – be available for the public record ?
especially since one article (again my favorite source, the NEW YORK POST – just like Agent K – in MEN IN BLACK) – reports that EDC (Economic Development Corp.) President SETH PINSKY states that … much of the money generated (for the city) is directly due to the money spent constructing the $15.5 million waterfalls, in the form of salaries and materials. Pinsky goes on to say that .. since those salaries are then spent in the city on food and entertainment, the economic boom is closer to $23 million. . . . . whoa, wait a minute – if you read the press from the Public Art Fund – it’s pretty clear OLAFUR travels with or at least, starts with his own whole, self-contained in-house technical crew – and tell me – they don’t take their hi-end salleries and split back to Germany or Denmark or wherever they are from – as soon as possible ..
budget considerations & NYC grumpiness, aside – the waterfalls seem pretty enough – from the photos posted on their dedicated website –
check it out: nycwaterfalls !!
the PUBLIC ART FUND has some basic info on their website – though its pretty dull in format & even its site photos – are labelled incorrectly !! see: PUBLIC ART FUND
. . . . where according to their website, you can find out that … “OLAFUR ELIASSON was born in Copenhagen in 1967. He grew up in both Iceland and Denmark and currently divides his time between his family home in Copenhagen and his studio in Berlin – where STUDIO OLAFUR ELIASSON employs a team of 30 architects, engineers, craftsmen and assistants” … “who conceptualize, test, engineer, and construct installations, sculptures, large scale projects and commissions.”
. . . we’ll give the last word – on the city’s summer of 2008 – ‘pissed-off’ economic temperature, to a musician, who else better, to get it right … on the city’s authentic (as opposed to gentrified) soul – ANDY BUTLER of the band – Hercules and Love Affair – who was quoted in the New York Times, in a recent music review by HUA HSU, published in the Arts & Leisure Section, Sunday, June 22, 2008 – “Mr. Butler said, ‘New York isn’t so conducive to a party anymore,’ referring, in part, to the city’s stifling high cost of living.”
. . . don’t feel like seeing the falls myself, neither do most of my friends – day to day struggles – aren’t making us feel like care-free tourists, I guess, just the trampled underground. . . . but they look pretty enough, esp. in their diversity.
all photos below courtesy: PUBLIC ART FUND.
GOVERNOR’S ISLAND/PHOTO: BERNSTEIN PHOTOGRAPHY
PIER 35/PHOTO: BERNSTEIN PHOTOGRAPHY
BROOKLYN PIERS 4 & 5/PHOTO: BERNSTEIN PHOTOGRAPHY
BROOKLYN BRIDGE/PHOTO: PUBLIC ART FUND
~OLAFUR ELIASSON/WATERFALLS |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | July 3rd, 2008, 10:03am
