cooler than . . . cool.
‘It’s So Cold’ – PETER SUTHERLAND, PATRICK HILL & JOSHUA ABELOW
opened last Fri, June 18, 2016
BAHAMAS BIENNALE – 1600 Clay St, Suite 220, Detroit, Michigan

PETER SUTHERLAND, from trash . . . to crystal.

PETER SUTHERLAND, from Home Depot . . TECO TESTED

PATRICK HILL, from out of YOUR depth . . .

JOSH ABELOW . . . to, beyond YOUR MEANS.
COLD STEEL METAL, indeed.
get me to Detroit. p-r-o-n-t-o !!!!!
all images via Instagram: @bahamas_biennale
~PETER SUTHERLAND, PATRICK HILL, JOSHUA ABELOW . . It’s So Cold, Bahamas Biennale, Detroit |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | June 21st, 2016, 3:13pm
DANIEL DAVIDSON opens a solo show in SAN DIEGO – tonight, SAT JUNE 18, 2016.

DANIEL DAVIDSON – ‘SUGGESTION BOX’
OPENS SAT, JUNE 18, 2016
the show runs: JUNE 18 – OCT 21, 2016
SCOTT WHITE CONTEMPORARY – 989 WEST KALIMA, SAN DIEGO, CA
see: MORE PIX & INFO ON SHOW – GALLERY WEBSITE

DANIEL DAVIDSON, ‘RACING THOUGHTS’, 2013
acrylic on archival panel, 20 x 16 in.

DANIEL DAVIDSON, ‘DURING DINER’, 2005
mixed media on canvas, 66 x 58 in.
both images courtesy SCOTT WHITE CONTEMPORARY
so, I did a great studio visit DANIEL DAVIDISON, and TRICIA KEIGHTLEY this past Feb 2016.
do I like to hoard my pix, or what ?!!
I’m looking to post them in the deep heat of summer – July 2016.
check back – then !!
OK …. here’s a little teaser:

DANIEL DAVIDSON in his kitchen, in Brooklyn. Feb, 21, 2016

DANIEL shows me inside his fab fab indie artist book .. ‘A MORE BRIGHTER IDEA’, screen printed by the always awesome . . . KAYROCK.

DANIEL DAVIDSON, ‘A MORE BRIGHTER IDEA’.

DANIEL DAVIDSON – a page from a sketchbook.
sweet, with just a dab of . . . scary !!
ALL DANIEL DAVIDSON BROOKLYN STUDIO PIX: NANCY SMITH, FEB 21, 2016.
~DANIEL DAVIDSON . . SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | June 18th, 2016, 3:40pm

MELISSA BROWN . . at MAGENTA PLAINS
image via Instagram – @magentaplains
Q: if the ‘Ace of Spades’ is at the center of your ‘universe’ – are you on the Stairway to Heaven ?
and, then: ‘What’s in your Wallet’, er . . cards !!
MELISSA BROWN, ‘Past, Present, Future’
JUNE 15 – JULY 27, 2016
MAGENTA PLAINS – 94 ALLEN ST., LOWER EAST SIDE, NYC
ARTLOVERS GOLDEN FLASHBACK: to the SPRING of 2004 – more than 10 years ago.

MELISSA BROWN . . at the ‘ROWDY RE-MIX’ group show . . at ATM GALLERY, when it was . . in the EAST VILLAGE, NYC.
MAY 29, 2004
PHOTO: NANCY SMITH – first published in artnet.
for the FULL RE-MIX, including MICHAEL WILLIAMS, MARIE LORENZ, JESSICA CIOCCI, BEN JONES, BILLY GRANT, JOE GRILLO – and even STEVE POWERS !!!, see:
see: ‘OUT IN THE BIG APPLE – SPRING 2004’ .. ART LOVERS NEW YORK – PHOTOS BY NANCY SMITH / artnet
yeah, even . . BILLY GRANT !!
damn, if I don’t say so – myself !!
~MELISSA BROWN . . at MAGENTA PLAINS |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | June 18th, 2016, 1:16pm
totally digging this piece by . . ESTHER RUIZ, currently on exhibit at UNDERDONK.
‘Onion By The Ocean’ – a grouping of sculptures . .
organized by . . ESSYE KLEMPNER & ELISA SOLIVEN.
MAY 14 – JUNE 26, 2016
UNDERDONK, 1329 WILLOUGHBY AVE #211, BROOKLYN
more about: ‘Onion By The Ocean’ – gallery website

ESTHER RUIZ, ‘Universal Thought’, 2015.
image via Instagram – @underdonk
besides all the obvious ‘plastic’ reasons, educated art world check list – fulfilled . . .
this piece really provoked, and thrilled me – on first glance.
provoked my imagination, and kidnapped my earth-bound existence and took me to another dimension . . at first sight . . might be the better way to say it.
the very definition of trans-formational . . this piece is so radical, you just want to pick it up by its weight lifter’s heart, and fling it outward with strong arm, no doubt – right back – at the unknown but magical universe – from which it sprung !!
this is the kind of piece that wherever it finds itself, and it looks mighty easy to set down, anywhere – another beautiful feather in its multi-feathered cap, that says: things are NOT what they seem. there is more to life, to existence, to life, to magic, to stones, to bones, to light . . . than we can ever imagine.
it is a resting bowl of concrete that contains a fire of . . crystal.
yep, that good.
~ESTHER RUIZ . . at UNDERDONK |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | June 18th, 2016, 12:40pm
talking about the EVIL EYE, or is that, the . . THIRD EYE !!

ADRIAN K . . ‘Fish Foods”
image via Instagram – @adriankart
it’s kind of dopey, but that’s part of its charm – it’s also so totally OFF THE WALL.
we. me & Theo . . . meet ADRIAN K at Grumpy Bert a while back – in fact we bought his ‘Dragon’ series – on red envelopes for Chinese New Year 2016.
~Adrian K . . fish out of water |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | June 18th, 2016, 12:36pm

@REGELVERK . . in @sm111le cap. / @krasemel graff/artwork on the wall behind him.

@regelverk is putting together the first ever sticker art sticker show – in Sweden. ‘awesome’. there’s . . still time to get your work – in !!
OPEN CALL FOR ARTISTS !! FROM MALMO, SWEDEN
INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL – FOR STICKER / PASTE UP – SUBMISSIONS
STICKERFEST – DEADLINE: 10 JULY 2016
SEND SUBMISSIONS TO: J.TJERNGREN – BROBYGATAN 14
21443 MALMO, SWEDEN

here’s a submission of stickers by . . a Swedish artist: gosta_fjortis.
I really like this, though I’m scared when there’s ‘lettering’ in a foreign language, I don’t want to be an idiot and support any beliefs I do not share. or that are nasty, but somehow this feels good vibes . . . ?
here’s hoping.
I like many things about this, here are some: the multi-colored American cowboy ‘bandanna’ imagery, the mid-eastern evil eye, the up-right palm, the cultural smash-up.
I also use ‘cowboy’ bandannas, esp vintage ones – to repair my quilts. they are still so cheap, $1 a pop – in a 99 cent store. and, still 100% cotton.
100% American.
all images via Instagram – @regelverk
~REGELVERK . . STICKER FEST, MALMO, SWEDEN / sm111le, krasemel , gosta_fjortis |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | June 17th, 2016, 3:48pm

regelverk’s sticker art . . arranged (though he probably doesn’t know it) in an early American piecework quilt . . pattern / lay-out. I don’t remember how I exactly stumbled upon regelverk’s Instagram feed.
but I do know . . the patterning of his hand-drawn sticker presentation – is what instantly attracted me, myself being a deep lone wolf believer – in early American quilts, with quite a large personal collection – running in age from the recent to the very colonial, and all in various states of condition, from well-worn but preserved, to excellent condition – to the ultra raggedy. I have also studied quilt patterns & their lore for many, many decades by now.
some people have pigeons, I have quilts. my most favorite thing to do – is to hand-stitch and repair thesequilts. esp the most raggedy. .
as well, the warm vibrant colors in the regelverk sticker art – also resonated with my quuilt. they echo the simple but rich hued home dyes of long ago fabrics. as well as the wood block printed & stenciled textiles that evolved.
I always think . . it must have something to with being the outsider, the ‘Montrealaise’ Canadienne . . coming to America. and esp finding my inspiration in the North East Kingdom. we didn’t have a tradition of quilts in Old Montreal, we had . . furs.
kind of like ‘The Revenant’ – the film.

this lay-out would be . . a very early & simple patchwork pattern, called: Postage Stamp.

sticker. sticker on the . . tape roll. the essence of ‘piece’ work.

if you follow my quilt work, you know this is how I like to photograph my repairs, laid out on the floor like this, rather than on a bed.
the better to see the ‘plastic’ formality.
I also use many, many patches, both old, archival pieces I’ve found over the years – as well as patches made by contemporary artists, and ribbons, too. to make the repairs, so … this really rocks for me.
as well I like bold, graphic design, that is open to many interpretations.
I’m talking about .. the Finger, lol.
all images via Instagram – @regelverk
~REGELVERK . . STICKER ART – in EARLY AMERICAN QUILT / FORMATION !! |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | June 17th, 2016, 2:50pm
JENS REGLER TTT aka regleverk . . .
street artist – based in Malmo, SWEDEN.

@regelverk: “I want to believe.”
image via Instagram – @regelverk
I want to believe, too.
I want to believe . . . in the beauty of the world.
~regelverk . . I want to believe. |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | June 12th, 2016, 12:40pm
“PHRIENDS PHOREVER” . . . . !!!!!
ABE LINCOLN JR. X PHETUS – LIVE PAINTING COLLABORATION
TODAY – SAT JUNE 11, 2016
WELLING COURT MURAL PROJECT, QUEENS, NYC.

~ABE LINCOLN Jr . . . & PHETUS: LIVE PAINTING TODAY, WELLING COURT, QUEENS |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | June 11th, 2016, 11:12am

SEAN VEGEZZI, OLMO SCHNABEL, and PARIS VENTURE . . .
at the JIM JOE opening, at THE HOLE, NYC. April 28, 2016.

MERCER TULLIS, ANDREW KASS, and SPENCER TULLIS . . .
JIM JOE opning, THE HOLE, NYC. April 28, 2016.

MERCER TULLIS . . did the awesome, ghostly-realistic pencil line drawing on my copy of the ’34 JOEY’ BOOKLET. Put out last DEC 2015, along with the crew’s short film: WWW.34JOEY.COM – the ad hoc booklet, was a hand-published, DIY limited edition of 40, with each cover a unique drawing by different members of the crew & their friends/collaborators – at the time. it’s kind of a fluid, floating scene. hooray.
very . . born & breed downtown local, Tribeca NYC scene.
tight knit, but fluid. always, right on the – mark.

34JOEY BOOKLETS on display, just outside the 34 Street – Hudson Yards Subway Station, West Side, NYC.
Photo: Dec 12. 2015

ANDREW KASS and SPENCER TULLIS, with the pop-up display of 34JOEY BOOKLETS.
note . . the new building construction – going up behind them !!
Photo: Dec 12, 2015

which meant . . real time / real life – ‘Joeys’ – as construction workers are fondly known as in NYC – were watching the action, but without knowing . . they were indeed – the focus of attention.
Photo: Dec 12, 2015
see: WWW.34JOEY.COM
ALL PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH
~SEAN VEGEZZI, OLMO SCHNABEL, PARIS VENTURE, MERCER TULLIS, ANDREW KASS & SPENCER TULLIS & even some 34JOEY !! |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | June 10th, 2016, 12:51pm