‘NOAH BECKER’
opened THURS, NOV 7, 2013
the show runs thru DEC 1, 2013
THE LODGE GALLERY – 131 CHRYSTIE ST – LOWER EAST SIDE, NYC
HRS: TUES-FRI: 2PM – 10PM / SAT+SUN: 12PM – 10PM
NOAH BECKER is a “an acclaimed oil painter” who has presented many exhibitions, including those at international museums on his resume. Interestingly he is also a Jazz saxophonist, and .. an arts writer.
along with being a contributing writer for Art in America, Interview, Canadian Art, the HuffPost, and ARTVOICES, he is the founder of Whitehot Magazine.
NOAH BECKER, ‘Self Portrait #2′, oil on canvas’, 24 x 30 in.
what I found fascinating was how the portrait, changed ‘aspect’ . . just the way a face does in reality.
and that seemed to be the case with all the self-portraits here, no matter the historical influence and / or background.
no wonder Mr. Becker seems fascinated himself, with his capturing his own image.
NOAH BECKER, ‘Self Portrait #2 (BASQUIAT), oil on canvas, 30 x 40 ins.
and to the right:
NOAH BECKER, ‘Self Portrait #2’, oil on canvas. 24 x 30 in.
he does kinda play the genre, like a musical instrument. riffing, and borrowing, but keeping himself, front and center. in a nice tension of .. reality meets ‘fluidity’.
from left .. against the backdrop of NOAH BECKER’S more ‘fictional’ portraits on the facing wall,
THE LODGE GALLERY Co-Founder/Directors:
KEITH SCHWEITZER and JASON PATRICK VOEGELR.
KEITH SCHWEITZER is also the Director of Public Art, Fourth Arts Block / FABnyc.
THE LODGE GALLERY is a new presence on the Lower East Side, I believe this is only their second show.
ENVOY Gallery, which moved on to a bigger space, was the former inhabitant.
. . but LODGE has something that probably makes it a game changer, just beyond that discreet door at the back of the exhibition space.
where we found artist BILLY SULLIVAN, who shows at BARTOLOMI,
and that would be a full, and rather gorgeous, clubby bar !!
yep, “lodge” is a good name.
they seem to want to make this .. the place – to come relax, and hang out. and why, not !!
when the other galleries close at 6, this place .. goes on thru 10 PM.
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH
~NOAH BECKER . . LODGE |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | November 11th, 2013, 9:12am
ALEXANDRA EASTBURN – ‘Your Little Garden is Shuddering’
opened THURS NOV 7, 2013
the show runs thru THURS NOV 28, 2013
166 MOTT ST – LOWER EAST SIDE, NYC
with the big art auctions in town next week, the art world, esp the contemporary art scene .. is boiling like a pot of water on a very hot stove.
ALEXANDRA EASTBURN’S debut NYC solo show was no exception.
although a relative ‘unknown’ from out-of-town, the opening on Mott St was fab, fab and more fab.
the crowd never ceased. it was just wave after wave of curious, bright, trend-setting young New Yorkers, non-stop. the work was really well received, and the buzz never stopped.
yeah, it was exciting.
there’s nothing a happening New Yorker likes better than when the ‘content’ – lives up to the buzz.
there’s nothing a happening New Yorker likes better . . than the next big talent.
and being the first . . to have seen it.
there’s nothing like seeing a new face, that’s young and ready .. presenting a new fresh vision.
. . and everybody is feeling the vibe.
166 MOTT ST – AN ALTERNATIVE ART SPACE.
when the big blue chips .. are gunning for upwards of $30, 40 .. 50. $80 million ? .. haha, there’s nothing better than being at the very edge of the ‘real’ underground. as it is happening.
in real time !!
essentially, excitement-wise – no diff.
Where are you going to make the biggest bang – for your buck ?
in my mind it’s a – no brainer !!
on the wild side, of course !! the underground – where it all begins.
in the window . .
ALEXANDRA EASTBURN, ‘Mary of Egypt 1 and 2’, ink on vintage paper. 15 x 12 in.
(1,000)
in the window . .
ALEXANDRA EASTBURN, ‘Mary of Egypt 3 and 4’, ink on vintage paper, 15 x 22 in.
($1,000)
ALEXANDRA EASTBURN originally hails from Hot Springs, Arkansas .. but is currently based in MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE, where she received a BFA in Fine Arts from Memphis College of Art in 2012.
from left: AMY LI the show’s curator, and the founder of 166 MOTT with her visiting artist .. ALEXANDRA EASTBURN.
ALEXANDRA’S previous exhibitions include ‘Public Housing’ at the University of Memphis, a large-scale paper-mache installation, ‘Imagine the Angels of Bread’ at the Holy Underground, a DIY space in Baltimore, Maryland, and ‘Wild Life’, a solo exhibit at the new Glitch Gallery in Memphis.
detail, ALEXANDRA EASTBURN.
Right Wall series: ‘A Funeral for Dead Ends’, ink on wax paper, 18 x 72 in.
($5,000)
AMY LI writes about this exhibit:
“The exhibition is about using unconventional spaces for art – presenting objects, process and images. Through a series of illustrations and sculptures, strange places are exemplified as a metaphor for change, transformation and function. The use of 166 Mott is not necessarily an alternative to the white box spaces but rather, a point of independence, where works are striking and seen with more meaning. It is about the ability to revitalize surroundings and use them as a reminder of nostalgia and purpose.”
detail, ALEXANDRA EASTBURN.
Left Wall series: ‘ Two Quidnuncs’, ink on wax paper, 18 x 72 in.
($5,000)
ALEXANDRA first coats the wax paper, butcher paper – with black ink, using a large Japanese brush, and then scratches and incises away, to lay bare .. her poetry, her art, her mystery, her ancient icons, historical lore & even some contemporary ‘forces’.
in short: the stuff of myths. visions, feelings, and dreams.
detail, ALEXANDRA EASTBURN.
Left wall series, ‘Reluctant Gatekeepers and Mythical Intruders.’
it was interesting to watch the crowd interact, gaze deeply into the striking technique, and many layered details, and textures . . of the work.
it not only felt so new and fresh, but also, a bit old soul .. and a bit like a running journal.
Asian, Byzantine . . even some retro art deco jazz age.
but, mostly I couldn’t help thinking how great, these pieces would look, racing along a wall .. in a room of one’s own.
detail, ALEXANDRA EASTBURN. ‘Reluctant Gatekeepers and Mythical Intruders.’
Ghosts . . and unearthly messengers, aside. myths, feelings, etc.
Black and White . . is having such a recurrence this season.
if you haven’t seen ‘NEBRASKA’, the movie . . you are missing out.
it totally unspools in the cinematic equivalence of ‘silence’ . . black and white, all the way.
across the big screen. just awesome.
detail, ALEXANDRA EASTBURN.
detail, ALEXANDRA EASTBURN.
detail, ALEXANDRA EASTBURN.
Left Wall series: ‘Listen to my Pulse – It’s Full of Colors’. ink on wax paper, 18 x 72 in.
at the opening: ALEX and KALI, visiting from Paris.
they are here for 3 months. they are both into fashion, and make ‘fashion’, as well.
no doubt.
HASH HALPER makes fashion happen too, he’s here to cover the event for FRANK.
MAX, a local artist who studied at COOPER UNION, drops by, too.
BUNNY, a stylist, among other things .. and a friend of Alexandra’s, who is actually graciously hosting Alexandra’s stay here, in NYC.
SEAN LINCOLN, another friend of Alexandra’s from Memphis ..
he has been here in NYC for quite awhile helping out with the Storm Sandy re-construction, out in the Rockaways.
CHRIS OWEN, also from Memphis. also helping out with the Storm Sandy reconstruction in the Rockaways.
I’m thinking, wow . . Memphis seems to be a very happening place.
MELISSA DRASBY and WC BEVAN.
WC BEVAN had work in the last show at 166 Mott. WILLIAM CODY BEVAN.
he also photographs art shows, in partnership with HASH, for FRANK . . and yes. all in BLACK & WHITE.
yep, black and white film in that old school 35mm camera – he carries.
WC BEVAN originally hails from OHIO, but moved to Memphis to go to art school. art school didn’t stick, but Memphis, and the music scene there – did, for awhile, anyways. he now lives and works in NYC.
while in Memphis he did meet Alexandra Eastburn, and in fact it was he – who introduced AMY LI to ALEXANDRA, and thus it is WC who we have to thank . . for this great show, and time.
ANTHONY HADEN-GUEST made the scene too.
that’s the night’s artist: Alexandra Eastburn on the right, surrounded by her work,
and it’s looking . . good.
and, finally I get to meet up with Hash’s other bother, (he has 3) .. ASHER LEWIS, on the left.
ASHER is involved in a ‘start-up’ . . ‘AUTEUR ARTS’ dedicated to indie filmmaking.
with him on the right, is his lawyer . . copyright and intellectual property lawyer, NATHANIEL KLEINMAN.
remember that name, you might need him one day, too.
curator, art show producer, and FRANK correspondent HASH HALPER . .with artist DERRICK FAIRBANKS.
we will give Hash the last word . .
why ?
because he’s been really energizing the downtown scene, to the max. this year,
and for sure . . there’s more to follow.
A GREAT NIGHT.
A GREAT SHOW.
WELCOME TO NEW YORK CITY . . ALEXANDRA EASTBURN.
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH
~ALEXANDRA EASTBURN . . OPENING PIX |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | November 8th, 2013, 12:35pm
ALEXANDRA EASTBURN – ‘YOUR LITTLE GARDEN IS SHUDDERING’
CURATED BY AMY LI
OPENS TO-NITE / THURS NOV 7, 2013 / 7-10 PM
the show runs NOV 7 – 28, 2013
166 MOTT ST – LOWER EAST SIDE, NYC
AMY LI & 166 MOTT ST. are proud to present the debut NYC showing . . of ALEXANDRA EASTBURN.
ALEXANDRA. originally from HOT SPRINGS, ARKANSAS .. currently lives and works out of MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE.
the early buzz is . . the show is: “spiritual”.
just what a damn tough city . . needs, going into . . winter.
just pour it on, nothing like a little clean ‘water’, a ‘re-boot’ .. for the soul.
~ALEXANDRA EASTBURN . . OPENS at 166 MOTT to-nite |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | November 7th, 2013, 10:58am
at COMICAL RADIO . . .
‘NEW YORK, I THOUGHT I HEARD YOUR VOICE’.
so, so .. the way I’m . . . feeling.
so NEW YORK, so the way NEW YORK can be. tough, tough. gritty, and .. gentle.
must be that melody. must be that violin . .
like they say: nothing like a violin, to tug at the heart’s .. strings.
most def, catch: MICK LEWIS and THE FINE PRINT sing “NEW YORK …” @ COMICAL RADIO
comical, NOT.
more like, bitter sweet.
you can follow: MICK LEWIS & THE FINE PRINT on facebook
~MICK LEWIS and THE FINE PRINT |
Posted in Indie Music Reviews, The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | November 7th, 2013, 9:31am
‘UNRAVELING REALITIES’ – CURATED BY HASH HALPER and AMY LI
OCT 17-31, 2013
166 MOTT ST – LOWER EAST SIDE, NYC
the show’s curators: HASH HALPER and AMY LI .. an awesome duo.
166 MOTT ST, an alternative art space is located right at the outermost intersection of . . Chinatown meets Little Italy.
ALFREDO MARTINEZ and AMY LI.
WC BEVAN checks out Alfredo’s new work . .
ALFREDO MARTINEZ, ‘Iulia Longam Posteritatem (Julia for remote posterity)’.
mixed media, incl coffee and Acrylic paint, paper collage on wood. 31 x 26 in.
($2,500)
I have never seen Alfredo paint a woman’s face, before.
I think it’s amazing. beautiful, radiant.
realistic, poetic, one-of-a-kind.
detail, ALFREDO MARTINEZ, ‘Iulia’.
he uses coffee ‘pigment’ to get those darker stains and deep red/brown hues.
the hair, eyes and red lips are – drop dead, great.
damn, the nose is good too. those flaring nostrils, stand off-ish .. and, passionate.
he also looks to have used plenty of gel medium, or maybe just ordinary household paper glue . . the work has an amazing shine to it.
an interesting contrast to the paper collage foundation.
I’ve seen Alfredo paint men, before. he liked that same .. close-up face format, then too.
notably in the ‘convict’ portraits he did when he was in the big house, here in NYC .. serving a two year sentence for art fraud. ca. 2002.
but I didn’t know he could paint, women . . like that.
guns, women. check.
detail, ALFREDO MARTINEZ, ‘Iulia’.
that’s where he perfected that hair .. ‘craft’, in prison.
it’s nice, I really like it . . very graphic, and very ‘picturesque’.
detail, ALFREDO MARTINEZ, ‘Iulia’.
trust a forger . to have a lock-down logo, and . . signature.
and one-of-a-kind paper . . he couldn’t get his hands on any art paper in prison. so he learnt to make his own ‘collaged’ paper – from scrap paper, from an old Russian inmate.
in the absence of any art supplies, he also learnt to make color ‘pigments’ from tipping little instant coffee packets into cups of water.
I guess paper glue was available. or did he use flour and water.
something, like that.
this is an interesting group of ‘private’ snips of his, or somebody’s .. life.
it feels a little scary. who has .. your info ?
you can see the edges of the work, which make for a very 3D presence, even in fact a kind of .. ‘shallow’ sculpture. it’s definitely more an ‘object’, than a piece of ‘paper’
from left: JOSHIE ARMSTEAD and MICK LEWIS.
MICK LEWIS is one of Hash’s many brothers, he is a musician, and he leads a band called, THE FINE PRINT.
see: MICK LEWIS & THE FINE PRINT/FACEBOOK
better yet, listen to: MICK LEWIS & THE FINE PRINT, ‘I Thought I heard Your Voice, New York’ – YouTube.
wow. so how, I’m feeling, or what.
JOSHIE ARMSTEAD is a composer, singer, and .. back-up singer.
RAY CHARLES sang her songs, and they co-wrote a few that went to become famous . .
she was also an original .. IKETTE, a back-up singer/dancer for Ike and Tina Turner.
see: JO ARMSTEAD .. WIKI
and listen to this: JO ARMSTEAD, ‘THIS AND THAT’ .. YouTube
RAY. aka The Love Child.
he had done a nice custom paint ‘tag’ . . on his jacket.
The Love Child . . colored chalk on sidewalk.
gorgeous evening light .. all NYC !!
Ray’s friend . . Sidi.
on the right, HASH HALPER . . with ANDREA MESSIER CUOMO.
the opening was over . . the art was good.
and . . all the players were slipping out, out into the early night.
and so, underground NEW YORK CITY . . ‘beats’ on.
R.I.P. LOU REED.
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH
~ALFREDO MARTINEZ . . UNRAVELING REALITIES |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | November 6th, 2013, 8:39pm
‘UNRAVELING REALITIES’ – CURATED BY HASH HALPER and AMY LI
OCT 17-31, 2013
166 MOTT ST – LOWER EAST SIDE, NYC
M. HENRY JONES and RACHEL AMODEO at the opening.
besides this past weekend’s screening of her indie cult film, ‘WHAT ABOUT ME’, RACHEL had two pieces in the show, both very . . ‘early’ East Village.
M. HENRY JONES is a long time collaborator with RACHEL, and in fact they have a 15 year old son, together.
M. HENRY JONES is listed on the credits of ‘WHAT ABOUT ME’ . . as co-cinematographer, along with MARK BRADY.
RACHEL AMODEO, ‘Emerald Fairy’, mixed media, 21 x 21 in. (framed).
($2,000)
a touch magical, no ?
yes. yes. and yes. for all the grit . . it was a very magical time.
check out . . the uniqueness of the surfaces, and the ‘opalescence’. which is technically .. very magical, too.
mother-of-pearl-like. against a ‘metallic’ feel.
plus there’s a really nice bounce of ‘light’, and the detail design is awesome.
not something you get to see . . every day.
M. HENRY JONES is a talented artist in his own right, too, and in many fields.
he does mostly 3-D animation, as well as ‘Lenticular’ and . . ‘fly’s eye 3D’ Photography.
. . as well as putting out the occasional short doc/documentary.
he did take that wonderful portrait of WC BEVAN at Hash’s show on Peel St, A MAN OUT OF TIME.
in fact you can watch some of his stuff, and get an idea of his graphic sensibilities,
here on his:. . SNAKEMONKEY TV
where you will also find, his very touching ode to the late, great, and totally missed . .
master silkscreener and East Village war hippie . . MARK ENGER of EXPLODING SKY.
watch: MARK ENGER at work, in his studio in Newark, not too long before he departed for that great cowboy resting place . . in the sky.
also, check out: “On Ave A, a ‘Mad Scientist’ of 3-D animation” .. NEW YORK TIMES
ok. talkin’ bout . . UNRAVELING REALITIES !!
here’s a little time travel back to . . YEAR 2002.
M. HENRY JONES at the opening of his . . ‘THE DEPTHOGRAPHY SHOW’, NOV 15, 2002.
at THE PROPOSITION GALLERY. back when it was, and .. in Chelsea.
it was actually one of the very first shows I ever tried to deliberately photo-document, that wasn’t someone who was just . . a friend of mine, having an opening.
M. HENRY JONES, lenticular art work . . in ‘THE DEPTHOGRAPHY SHOW’, FALL 2002.
it was such a wild concept. as you walked by the images shape-shifted.
images, sch-images . . far-out cartoon art !!
one of my very fave shows . . ever.
for real.
totally off the wall.
still keep the pix .. in my best-of-ever top drawer hard copy album,
from back in the .. 35mm .. day.
ALL PHOTOS, INCL ARCHIVAL: NANCY SMITH
~RACHEL AMODEO / M HENRY JONES . . UNRAVELING REALITIES |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | November 4th, 2013, 10:02pm
RACHEL AMODEO had work in the 166 MOTT ST show, ‘UNRAVELING REALITIES’, and was at the opening.
PIX TO POST: MON NOV 4, 2013
IN THE MEANTIME, put your eyeballs on this:
see: THE MAKING OF RACHEL AMODEO’S . .
‘WHAT ABOUT ME’ – ‘HOME IS WHERE THE PARK IS’ by BRUCE BENNETT / WALL STREET JOURNAL, MAY 7, 2011
~RACHEL AMODEO . . HOME IS WHERE THE PARK IS |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | November 3rd, 2013, 11:56am
RACHEL AMODEO’s cult classic . . . ‘WHAT ABOUT ME’, 1993 . . screens to-nite.
SUN NOV 3, 2013 / 6 PM – OPEN ADMISSION
166 MOTT ST . . LOWER EAST SIDE, NYC.
RACHEL AMODEO WROTE, PRODUCED & DIRECTED THIS INDIE CLASSIC . . TERMED ‘GRITTY’ in EVERY REFERENCE, that pops up, it’s widely considered to be in the top ‘under-rated’ hits of the 90s.
with music by JOHNNY THUNDERS, and a host of cameos from colorful characters long gone, but not forgotten . . this IS the vibe .. that gave the East Village – it’s legendary status.
‘A young woman becomes homeless on the streets of NYC’ – is not the half of it . . as you can see in this clip . . featuring: DEE DEE RAMONE.
the referencing of the Vietnam debacle . . is particularly sad.
see: DEE DEE RAMONE . . in ‘WHAT ABOUT ME’.
that’s a classic DEE DEE on the left, RACHEL AMODEOS is in the center, & I don’t know the guy on the right, but he can stand in, represent the whole amazing scene . . in a blink.
note: this scene was actually filmed the day JOHNNY THUNDERS died, APRIL 23, 1991.
I’m sure RACHEL herself will make the screening, so you can ask a her . . in person, all the questions you want to . . it’s bound to be a blast . . of an event.
if you CAN’Tmake it, because like you are in Paris or London, Japan … or just New Haven, you can actually watch it for free, in it’s nitty gritty entirety . . online.
see: ‘WHAT ABOUT ME’ – A FILM WRITTEN, DIRECTED & PRODUCED BY RACHEL AMODEO.
MUSIC BY JOHNNY THUNDERS
~RACHEL AMODEO . . WHAT ABOUT ME |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | November 3rd, 2013, 11:24am
‘UNRAVELING REALITIES’ – CURATED BY HASH HALPER & AMY LI
OCT 17-31, 2013
166 MOTT ST – LOWER EAST SIDE, NYC
that would be: LOLA MONTES, NICOLE WITTENBERG, and JESSICA BAJOROS
another apparition . . caught my eye.
a strange contrast of sharp lemon yellow vs. a steely blue grey.
LOLA MONTES, ‘Karma Cleanse’, oil and canvas, 2 panels, 6.5′ w x 5′ h
($18,000)
whoosh. one can get, so into . . how the abstract pink ‘cloud’ on the right, morphs into the narrative world on the left.
the ethereal power of a light, and light-filled .. hand.
at the opening:
AMY LI, LOLA MONTES, and NICOLE WITTENBERG . . in front of Lola’s painting.
NICOLE WITTENBERG, ‘Interior 2 (Snail Song)’, oil on canvas, 25 x 42 in.
($5,000)
really nice 2 tonal study. very cubist. should be a study in stark contrast, but is .. not !!
super nice visual contrast between reality and fantasy. reality and fiction. darkness and light. the pureness of white.
I guess the ‘white’ is the subject, and the narrative is that strange miniature-scaled doorway, and the squiggle lines .. to the right.
NICOLE WITTENBERG, her small minimalist composition is above her.
on the right is a small watercolor figure study by JESSICA BAJORES.
part of the dynamic, and really .. the charm of the gallery, is catching a glimpse of the ‘life’ just beyond the gallery walls. the Chinatown storefront is home to a leather accessory finishing .. workshop.
JESSICA BAJOROS had two watercolor portraits in the show.
JESSICA BAJOROS, ‘Henry Hopper’, watercolor on paper, framed. 25 x 21 in.
($1,000)
Henry Hopper is the son of Dennis Hopper. he seems to be a really nice kid, I talked to him briefly at his dad’s retrospective a few years back at Tony Shafrazi, at which time he was studying art, painting .. in California.
JESSICA BAJOROS, ‘Zha Zha Vi’, watercolor on paper, framed, 20.5 x 17 in.
($1,000)
photographer of street art, really .. ‘down-deep-in-the-subways’ street art / photographer supremo .. SEAN VEGEZZI.
something about a fall off a cliff, into water .. where there was no water.
just do yourself a favor this Sat & check out: SEAN VEGEZZI – ONLINE
3 smart, strong chicks ..
and one totally awesome, street smart photog .. what more is there to say ?
from the power of the glyphs, to the power of .. chicks.
ok, how’s this . . SEAN is all of 22.
I’ve been following his work – since he was 16, when I first crossed paths with him at the original CANAL CHAPTER / MINT + SERF = MIRF.
SEAN VEGEZZI unravels . . reality, too.
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH
~LOLA & NICOLE, JESSICA . . UNRAVELING REALITIES / SEAN VEGEZZI, does too .. |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | November 2nd, 2013, 11:12am
WC BEVAN, a man out of time, and really into . . glyphs !!
oh, yeah . .
HASH HALPER . . also curated a show of WC BEVAN’S work simultaneously, at his PELL ST. CHINATOWN venue.
up those steep stairs, remember ?
called: ‘WC BEVAN .. A MAN OUT OF TIME’, Hash posted the exhibit to FRANK, with the pix by WC, himself.
and where we find out . . the W stands for WILLIAM, but more importantly .. the ‘C’ stands for .. CODY.
yep, as in . . the famous BUFFALO BILL.
check out: WC BEVAN, THE MAN OUT OF TIME / FRANK151
WC BEVAN . . a man named after BUFFALO BILL – PHOTO BY: M. HENRY JONES
photo permission via FRANK: HASH HALPER PRODUCTIONS.
P.S.
M. HENRY JONES, damn . . that is one great, GREAT, GREAT .. PHOTO.
must have been . . the vodka !!
~WC BEVAN . . A MAN OUT OF TIME / HH |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | November 1st, 2013, 11:14am
