~DANIEL GIORDANO . . and the tribe / NEWBURGH, NY
out, and about with the tribe.
subtext: industrial
subtext: industrial vs. post-industrial
subtext: small towns / big hearts, big ambitions / the changing history & re-awakening of previous industrial hubs
subtext: local-born, up-state NY artist / crashes NYC art scene to bits
DANIEL GIORDANO OUTDOOR SCULPTURE . . NEWBURGH, NY / NEWBURGH SCULPTURE PROJECT
Aug 10, 2019
Danilel Giordano, and his other outdoor sculpture – on view this summer in Newburgh.
the most interesting aspect of this 2nd outdoor sculpture, which stood in the heart of town,
as opposed to dominating a college garden grounds, (and, facing the water, btw) . . was not so much the visual or conceptual impact, as its . . fluidity.
like a totem, or a flag pole . . it held its ground as the world spun around it / 360 degrees.
and, as it did so – it made you . . look more / and realize the place / in the moment.
with greater awareness, as opposed to just . . you know, walking down the street.
note: the ‘Gregory Crewdson’ . . like, historic, small North-eastern town, movie theater on the right / RITZ.
apparently, the sculpture had inadvertently – become ‘interactive’.
somebody had tied a red kerchief – to it !!
I’m taking that to mean, in the greater sense / that the ‘tribe’ of the entire town . . had taken note / of this crazy, compelling . . proud wild and free ‘stake’, planted among their midst.
DANIEL GIORDANO, ‘Self-Portrait While Fixated on the Juicy Lips of Megan’s Eclipse’, 2019.
moisturizing face masks, copper, steel, steel wool, azurite, iron ore, various plastics, cable ties, bells from Santa’s sleigh, stone, railroad spikes, wire hanger, cattails, Tang drink mix, epoxy, spit balls (toilet paper, saliva, phosphorescent acrylic, acrylic polymer emulsion) / 79 x 60 x 36 in.
Daniel Giordano – is not a minimalist, when it comes to his materials / he’s more of a . . grab this earth / and run with the ‘fury’ kind of guy.
all part & parcel of . . historic references / esp industrial era vs digital / rage about the ‘machine’ / current society etc etc / and def, all about put down that device and come see the thing.
experience the ‘fury’, thunder, and yes: sweetness. lust. love. questioning.
in a word: young men on the cusp – of taking over.
the circle dance – begins / the unexpected camouflage kicks in / as you move around the ‘pole’.
it’s most definite a kind of anti-Koons / anti-Urs Fischer / call-to-arms . . in its own ‘thrown-together’ way.
this part of Newburgh is so interesting, there is still a real rural / urban . . sweep.
Newburgh . . is also considered part of the ‘Hudson Valley’ – as the thriving, aggregate art scene upstate refers to itself / DIA Beacon helped kick the gears.
my first experience was through a more underground route – the BOBO COLLECTIVE: ‘HOT MUD FEST’ of Aug 2017, an highly wild interactive music, performance / art show . . on a big ole farm, with a creek running through it / Spook Rock Road, Hudson.
see: Newburgh, NY
though, what makes Daniel Giordano so interesting, is that he is a native-born son . . of the area.
now that’s a . . self-portrait, if I ever did see one.
the fluidity of the basically stationary, rigid, metal ‘pole’ – within its environment / was a big part of the experience.
so contrarian / of a visual fact.
that’s my daughter.
well you could gaze, and walk around the piece in a trance, for quite a while.
and then, suddenly . . you are on the other side / and the ride is over.
another part of my art loving tribe: my son.
my kids are also natives, but of another ‘historic’ NY art scene / both being born on the gritty Lower East Side, of Manhattan in the 80s.
NY is such a huge hub for artists / it’s interesting when you bump into a true native-born son.
Daniel . . and the small art world tribe / that drove up that Saturday from NYC, BROOKLYN / & NJ.
what a great day for a car trip, nice ride. good roads. pleasant scenery / not much more than an hr. each way.
everybody had a great time.
including my big poochie, Zora. a 100 lb. American Akita long coat / sometimes called a woolie coat.
and, obviously very down with the trip – too.
Photos: Nancy Smith