at 247365 !!
LAST WEEKEND – TO PICK UP . . THE PHONE !!
‘SURPRISE PHONE CALL’ . . . MARK DELONG, JOEL HOLMBERG, JESSIE STEAD
Oct 16 – Nov 8, 2015
247365, 57 STANTON ST, LOWER EAST SIDE
MARK DELONG, ‘New Pine Sol Box’, 2015
cotton thread on cardboard, 10.5 x 13 x 15
MARK DELONG . . .
LEFT: ‘Bottled Up Anger on Syrup (One side for The Talking Clock, Four Sides for Halle B.)’, 2015
RIGHT: ‘Reaper Resting, Crushing Skulls on Crunching Numbers [All Sides for Reaper Dan], 22015
each: cotton thread on cardboard, 105 x 13 x 15 in.
detail, MARK DELONG, ‘Skull (Four sides for Monkey Harris. Top for Dennis R.) ‘, 2015.
cotton thread on cardboard, 10.5 x 13 x 15 in.
JOEL HOLMBERG. ‘Prior To That’, 2015.
Dustbuster with vacum attachments, votive candle, pin wheel, beard trimmer, wet/dry vac attachment, USB powered LED light, foam microphone covers, gooseneck microphone extension bar, stereo microphone bar, tripod microphone stands, fixed boom. 24 x 40 x 63 in.
installation shot: JESSIE STEAD, JOEL HOLMBERG
JESSIE STEAD, ‘Beaded Interlude Vol. 11 (Intestinal Dimensions)’, 2015.
Polybutadiene balls, LEDs. 160 x 3 x 3 in.
JESSIE STEAD, ‘Beaded Interlude Vol. 9 (Intestinal Dimensions), 2015.
Polybutadiene balls, LEDs. 160 x 3 x 3 in.
all images courtesy: 247365
~’SURPRISE PHONE CALL’ . . MARK DELONG, JOEL HOLMBERG, JESSIE STEAD |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | November 7th, 2015, 1:30pm
heads up !!
WALTER ROBINSON RETROSPECTIVE – CURATED BY BARRY BLINDERMAN
UNIVERSITY GALLERIES of ILLINOIS STATE UNIVERSITY
CATALOG SIGNING !! – TO-NITE: THURS NOV 5, 2015 / 6-8 PM
MAX FISH – 120 ORCHARD ST, L.E.S. NYC
and, the show is . . . moving a little closer to home.
next month it begins an almost 3 month run at The Galleries at MOORE COLLEGE of ART & DESIGN, Philadelphia. PA / JAN 23 – MARCH 12, 2015.
~WALTER ROBINSON . . catalog signing to-nite, NYC |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | November 5th, 2015, 2:45pm
JORDAN CASTEEL . . doing the gallery rounds on the Lower East Side, NYC. Sept 7, 2014.
PHOTO: NANCY SMITH
check out some pix from Jordan’s first show at Sargent’s Daughters, Fall 2014, it’s easy to see the big one year leap in her painting skills & content/vision . . plus also view the work of some of her Yale contemporaries . .
see: Dark Times ..
http://www.artloversnewyork.com/zine/the-bomb/2014/09/11/dark-times-darja-bajagic-tom-costa/
I first saw Jordan’s work at the Yale MFA Open Studios weekend of April 27-28, 2013. it was no random coincidence that I was there, (my first time at Yale, ever !!) the graduating class of 2014 was dynamic, with a capital D !! super super talented. super super intense. it was overwhelming, and I choose to post coverage of the 4 or so grad students I already knew personally from following their work – in the city previous to their heading to Yale.
but Jordan definite made an impression, and I’m looking for a few of those early Yale photos – to post now !!
ps: I later learned that each incoming Yale graduate class is chosen by a different set of professors, so that accounts for the wide divergence in the dynamics of each graduating class, and for sure whoever vetted the class of 2014 – did a knock-out job !!
JORDAN CASTEEL in her studio, Yale MFA Open Open studios, April 27-28, 2013.
Jordan was in her first year of the 2 year program.
JORDAN CASTEEL, a multi-media piece featuring a younger photo of herself, entitled or notated: “as I approached . .”
of course the best part of visiting any artist’s studio – is seeing into their process, the works in progress, the inspirations, the . . notes !!
JORDAN CASTEEL, this was one of my faves, a smaller piece . . but very ‘deep’.
JORDAN CASTEEL, a larger painting, no holds barred !!
great technical infrastructure, beautiful surfaces, and gorgeous, gorgeous light – at play. great volumes to the body, etc etc.
you could see the potential for sure.
yep, that Yale MFA class of 2014 . . watch out !!
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH
~JORDAN CASTEEL . . . now & then |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | November 5th, 2015, 9:11am
JERRY SALTZ hits back . . with a definite on-your-mark take, for . . young JORDAN CASTEEL.
and bye the way, though he’s slow and sexist, in the wrong way !! Jerry has one very big claim to fame – he turned everybody onto CARROLL DUNHAM, way before his daughter, and seemingly his paintings come-to-life !! LENA DUNHAM . . made such huge media waves. I still remember reading an early review he wrote on Carroll Dunham, must have been decades ago, it stuck in my mind like . . . bubble gum under a school desk.
Jerry Saltz: bumble, bumble, stumble & . . . hit !!
CARROLL DUNHAM painting in his current show, Dec 2015 – at BARBRA GLADSTONE.
image via Instagram – @walterrobinsonstudio
thanks, Walter !!
installation shot – via BARBARA GLADSTONE GALLERY
CARROLL DUNHAM, OCT 31 – DEC 4, 2015
GLADSTONE GALLERY – 24th Street, NYC
see more images: CARROLL DUNHAM – GLADSTONE GALLERY !!
image via instagram feed of Jordan Casteel . . @jordanmcasteel
not quite, stung by a bee – but, still . .
bumble, bumble, stumbled on it, COUNTS !!
art critic JERRY SALTZ hits up, thumbs up !! – JORDAN CASTEEL’S 2nd solo show at Sargent’s Daughters on the Lower East Side, up thru . . NOV 15, 2015.
often labelled a ‘lounge critic’ for his fondness for all things naked, esp women & even more so, with a horrible focus on anything with their exposed & blown-up . . private parts !! !! and a contrarian, worn-out – slightly whining & very annoying . . public stand stand for politically correct, art world neglected subjects . . as in women artists, and artists . . “of color”.
memo to Jerry:
art is not a democracy, Jerry . . it’s a meritocracy.
skills, vision . . trump gender and race.
all of which, might have been how Jerry first got turned onto this young female, Yalie’s work, which was formerly focused on strong, no-holds barred portraits of naked black men . . a young black, African-American is prob the better term, woman artist painting young African American males, often harsh in vision, harsh in painterly expression, often explicit . . wow !! all the Jerry elements bundled up – in one sentence !!
but, although it seems an obvious choice for him: nakedness, woman artist, ‘minority’ woman artist, ‘minority’ subjects, Yalie, Harlem studio, figurative, etc etc – he did in fact stumble upon – a true blue vein of creative vision.
go, JERRY !!!!
JORDAN CASTEEL, ‘Miles & Jojo’, 2014. Oil on canvas, 54 x 72 in.
image: Sargent’s Daughters
read more about JORDAN CASTEEL . . .
and see more of her work on the gallery website: Jordan Casteel-Sargent’s Daughters
take the time to get into that gallery website to contrast Jordan’s first show – with this one. she really took the ball, of opportunity – that was thrown at her . . . and ran with it. a great show !! a big leap in maturity, artistic/plastic interest and above all: VISION and . . WARMTH !!
a big evolution – in just 2 years !!
go, Jordan !!
MOTTO OF THIS STORY:
in the art world, nothing is written in stone !!
though the tattoo world can sure, get under your skin.
~JERRY . . hits back !! J0RDAN CASTEEL . . . by way of CARROLL DUNHAM |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | November 4th, 2015, 9:34am
DUKE RILEY . . has been going IG ballistic over stogey ole JERRY SPRINGER, I mean . . . Saltz !!
not totally 100% my opinion. but close, but hey . . where would I be ?
if the whole lot of them were cool, or cool . . enuf !!
which is quelle rare, going ballistic on IG !!
because we all know . . Instagram is supposed to be . . bad vibes – free.
listen up or you get . . bullied & bounced off the grid – with NO warning and no explanation !!
it’s quite . . the new age – fascist enabling platform !!!!
bully, bully, bully.
so, this post also pretty much – speaks for itself !!
or, are we just headed that way, no words, thanks: Emojis & Instagram !!
ah, the power of the IMAGE !!
ah, the power of the mighty . . . (tattoo) pen !!
NOTE: all images off the Duke’s Instagram feed . . @dukerileystudio
dukerileystudio: JERRY SALTZ DAYS at East River Tattoo. Pick any raunchy antiquated image off art critic @jerrysaltz Instagram feed and I’ll tattoo my version of it on you. Bookings: kittyjoe@eastrivertattoo.com
translate: Jerry !! your ship . . is leaving !!
there ya have it . . . communication in the digital age – !!
one tattoo, at a time.
~DUKE RILEY vs JERRY SALTZ . . . #!&%!! |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | November 3rd, 2015, 12:15pm
life . . . in a nutshell.
or:
art review . . . in one image & a few, good words !!
the beauty of randomness / the chart of ups & downs !!
life in the ‘dhat’ fast lane !! digital version !!
LUKE MURPHY: Light < --> Dark < --> Screen < --> Void
image via Instagram – @lukemurphy49
~What’s it all about . . LUKE MURPHY !! |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | November 3rd, 2015, 12:08pm
‘SURPRISE PRIZE’: CAROLINE WELLS CHANDLER, NICK PAYNE & JAMES ULMER
GREENPOINT TERMINAL GALLERY – up thru NOV 28, 2015
nail in the coffin !!
nails it !!
if you could write art reviews in emojis . . . this would be it:
JAMES ULMER, detail, ‘Black, White, Red’, 2015
CAROLINE WELLS CHANDLER, detail, ‘Friends 4VR: Lil Dennis’, 2015
NICK PAYNE, detail, ‘Storyteller’, 2015
PHOTOS & CROPPING: NANCY SMITH
~’SURPRISE PRIZE’ . . . in short hand !! |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | October 29th, 2015, 2:25pm
‘SURPRISE PRIZE’ . . . CAROLINE WELLS CHANDLER, NICK PAYNE & JAMES ULMER
opened: FRI OCT 23, 2015
the show runs thru NOV 28, 2015
GREENPOINT TERMINAL GALLERY – 67 WEST St. #320 – GREENPOINT. BROOKLYN, NYC.
CAUGHT MANY, GREAT PIX – FROM THE SUPER FUN !! OPENING . . . !!
JAMES ULMER, NICK PAYNE, and CAROLINE WELLS CHANDLER . .
this super ‘anti-hero’ trio, hits a bona-fide . . . home run !!
BRIAN WILLMONT opened a Pandora’s Box – with this show.
3 really diverse artists – hitting the most divergent sweet spots – and blowing up !!
in a funny visual, musical chairs . . . curatorial game of: who am I, and what’s my world . . .
touching on human communication in the digital age, self-awareness, self-expression, bio codes, bio behavior codes, bio gender codes. avatars, icons, glyphs. neo-glyphs, and one-touch emojies !!
an on-going inter-active list of questions, passions, and . . warning.
TAYLOR McKIMENS made the opening, fresh off his success with . . ‘STOIC YOUTH’ iconic heads, no bodies !! / could be glyphs ?
JOE GRILLO . . a walking one man enigma . . emoji !!
his show ‘#%@&?!!!’ – is currently up at THE HOLE.
fracturing the unconscious and turning the ‘glyph’ into a multi-faceted mirror !!
there is no ONE man, here.
which is to say, maybe there is – and he’s an outsider ????
tell me about it.
DREW GILLESPIE on the right, with LINDSAY.
I first encountered Drew at the very first BOBO, the now defunct Philly art band, performance in NYC. just backed into it. will never forgot the night, thought fer sure the old wooden floors of the forgotten dive bar on the Lower East Side, were going to give way any moment, what with the mad, throbbing, thrashing jumping crowd. the 3 person band were all dressed as . . newspaper boys !!
you can catch up with Drew, now NYC-based, at CONNOTATION CHUMP !!
JUSTIN SAMSON has also moved back from . . PHILLY, and has been Brooklyn-based for a while, now.
wonder what happened, to PETE . . his old roommate ?
ANTOINE KONST. with a big event happening in Paris this upcoming December 2015.
the newest wave of Young Turks, were on hand as well.
CHRIS WATTS, another Young Turk. this is what happens . . in the ‘no photo zone’ !!
so, don’t listen to Nicholas Steindorf, unless you want to come across as a street artist !!!!
just joking !!
my old apple keyboard don’t have single stroke emojis – damn !!
and yes, that is in essence, what this show is talking about, expression – in short hand !!
PIPPA DRUMMOND, photographer from New Zealand, and now Brooklyn-based.
PIPPA DRUMMOND just returned from back home, down under . . where she had a big photo-based piece in the recent, big ART DEGO project there.
she showed me some of her images – on her iPhone.
and in fact,
that is also what this show is talking about:
SURPRISE: this is who I am, this is what I do.
JAMES ULMER, ‘Black, White, Red’, 2015.
acrylic on canvas, 65 x 65 in.
($9,000)
detail, JAMES ULMER, ‘Black, White, Red’.
boys are such puppies, these days, and James !! that is NOT a DISS !!
S.O.S. vs James Brown era.
detail, JAMES ULMER, ‘Black, White, Red’.
an emoji keyboard ?
an ‘inner life’ status – short-coded map ? a game of rapid chess ?
glyph code for: status unknown, if not downright: S.O.S. ??!!
detail, JAMES ULMER, ‘Black, White, Red’.
one got the feeling this was a distinctly . . . male world ??
an existential. . man cave ?
the Greek drama of life – reduced to a short list of 3 basic & bold colors . . . a comic book genre – gone expressionistic.
taking my temperature, as the world turns, and tossing ya – a ‘sign’, a smoke signal.
a 9 square glyph grid ?!!
you know, almost Egyptian . . . !!
JAMES ULMER, ‘I Feel Good About Myself’, 2015
acrylic on canvas, 32 x 40 in.
($5,500)
so, can you see how this black, white and red – road map is . . happier ?
in expression. still very introverted, no (obvious) women, or children ? bio-speaking-wise. vs James Brown . . ‘it’s a man’s world … but it would be nothing without a woman or a girl’ ???
or: why write a novel, when you can lay it out, in 6 easy steps. hieroglyphs.
the beginning, and end .. of language ?
detail, JAMES ULMER, ‘I Feel Good about Myself’
but, it’s sill a . . . man’s world.
listen up, James Brown.
CAROLINE WELLS CHANDLER, ‘She Wore Blue Velvet’, 2015.
hand crocheted assorted fibers, 67 x 68.5 in.
($6,000)
by contrast, Caroline Wells Chandler’s work was all about: gender bender.
cut-out shapes vs the stretched canvas square. multi-colored soft fibers vs hard surface acrylic primary color paint. thematically, it was about ‘dancing’ on the edge vs ‘looking inward’.
but: it was still – all about the glyph, the basic symbols that tell . . a story, in short bursts. our story. vs history.
now, that’s a . . head shot. all warm, and fuzzy, yes it’s a glyph, one that has gone from detached, to . . . all intense with (human) emotion.
a bio-bearing encoded . . animated popular media cartoon character.
go figure, it’s way too complex & vast a subject – for these brief notes.
I was really glad I went to see this show in person, just for the opportunity it afforded to get to see the real ‘gist’ technically – of Caroline Wells Chandler’s work.
pictorial, photographic images alone don’t do it. there is real hard-core skill-set to how the fibers are handled. very consistent, tight. almost more like clay or metal sculpture, or even hard-molded plastic. the surface dynamic is very honed, as opposed to the easy ‘gait’ of . . ‘crafts’. in these pieces, DIY that has most definitely crossed-over – into the ‘artist’ zone.
on the left: CAROLINE WELLS CHANDLER, ‘Super Painter Impersonator’, 2015.
hand crocheted assorted fibers, 31 x 33.5 in.
($4,000)
detail, CAROLINE WELLS CHANDLER, ‘Super Painter Impersonator’.
this iconic Superman logo was exceptionally well done.
was this – the very first: emoji ?
super hero glyph. a brand-ing.
it was also speaking to how comic book artists really inspired us, and influenced the course of our culture.
CAROLINE WELLS CHANDLER, ‘Friends 4VR: Lil Dennis’, 2015 and, ‘Friends 4VR: Lil Kim’, 2015.
hand crocheted assorted wool, each: 30 x 21 in.
($1,800 ea)
like I said . . dancing on the edge. the male / female conundrum. the snake that eats its head.
catch me . . if you can.
define me . . if you can.
particularly liked the subtle technical skill in this rendering . . the part where the yellow section – is over-worked, over-stitched: to bring the temple of the head, to life. to model it, make it more 3-D, less flat. but still very much on that . . sharp flat plane.
NICK PAYNE, ‘Having a Baby That’s Having a baby, That’s Pregnant’, 2015.
pastel on paper, 24 x 18 in.
so if, James Ulmer is all about . . simple locked-down primary code, for taking the internal temperature of a ‘man’s world’, and Caroline Wells Chandler is all about the gender bender dance, well I guess NICK PAYNE is .. BIBLICAL ?!!
the great drama, life-force, confusion, outta control, shape-shifting, messy. organic cell splitting world. free-form, wild pastel drawing. gestural, but not bold. per se. not flat.
‘in motion’ . . might be the way to say it. splitting cells. with atomic force.
James Ulmer is defining his world, in as much as he can contain the variables (!!) in a very straight-forward, albeit expression-istic & primal black and white, and (passionate) red way. he’s observing. he’s locking it – down.
Caroline Wells Chandler is skipping rope between the sexes. and the stereotypes of both the social, and the external world.
and how that defines us, if we let ’em !!
and Nick ?
well, Nick . . is just off the wall !!
caught up in the lust and confusion of the outer forces of the eternal war of the human bio cells, I mean . . sexes !!
SO, in this strange trio which is the surprise . . prize ?
I think it all depends on which corner you’re sitting in. you might think it’s Nick. but actually from James and Caroline’s point of view – he might just represent . . the status quo !!
and so it goes, round and round, the room.
ps: NICK PAYNE was a member of BOBO, too. well I remember him from that night too. he had ashes all over his face, you know: poor boy !! and a newsie cap on.
NICK PAYNE, ‘Sorry, Still Not Good Enough’, 2015.
pastel on paper, 24 x 18 in.
NICK PAYNE, ‘Storyteller’, 2015.
pastel on paper, 24 x 18 in.
detail, NICK PAYNE, ‘Storyteller’.
and, with a nod to TAYLOR McKIMENS – it’s still about . . . HEADS !!!!!
I mean all 3 artists, here are about . . portraiture !!
imaginary bio – portraiture.
as opposed to landscape, or abstract gestures, or patterns, or color field, or even graphic retro signage.
NICK PAYNE, ‘Cocktail Hour’, 2015.
watercolor on paper. 24 x 18 in.
NICK PAYNE, ‘Creaky Door’, 2015.
pastel on paper, 18 x 24 in.
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH
~’SURPRISE PRIZE’: CAROLINE WELLS CHANDLER, NICK PAYNE & JAMES ULMER |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | October 29th, 2015, 10:08am
TAYLOR McKIMENS . . . went to the next level – with this show of heads only !!
to celebrate, there was a closing ‘party’ & catalog signing – on WED OCT 14, 2015
TAYLOR McKIMENS – STOIC YOUTH
SEPT 12 – OCT 11, 2015
THE HOLE, 312 BOWERY, LOWER EAST SIDE, NYC
TAYLOR McKIMENS greets guests at the show’s extended closing, and catalog signing.
Taylor’s . . ‘baggies’ of supplies: pens, sharpies, etc
Taylor made sheets of decals, or sticker labels, with drawings on them – to insert into the front of each catalog.
each decal was about 4 x 5 in.
the catalog itself was small – 6 x 7-1/2 in. – kinda ‘pocket-sized’, in terms of traditional exhibition productions, but drop dead gorgeous, to the very last drip. I mean drop !!
chock-full of full color images . . very very EXCITING, to hold, handle & . . behold !!
well worth the $15, whether signed or not, go get yourself one, or order one – for sure !!
REN KELLY (in red), and her sis . . ALIX ANGJELI at the closing party.
BRIAN WILLMONT, artist & founder of GREENPOINT TERMINAL GALLERY . . with an opening to-night !!
bye the way.
KEEGAN McHARGUE, had work at GREENPOINT TERMINAL, this past winter 2015.
SAM KELLER, LANCE DE LOS REYES and MARGOT BIRD.
JOE GRILLO, is the big show at THE HOLE, this month, opened this past Wed.
TAYLOR McKIMENS, ‘On a Roll’, 2015
Acrylic, flashe and acryla-gouache on canvas, 80 x 60 in.
(($18,000)
Taylor is all about: swirling color, drips, drops, eyes and mouths – right down to the eyeball pupils, and the teeth !!
and, oh yeah: the dynamic / funny . . faux ‘engraving’ lines – for 3D modelling !!
the narrative cartoon / comic book character of his earlier works – has receded, a bit.
TAYLOR McKIMENS, ‘Can You Feel It?’, 2015
Acrylic, flashe and acryla-gouache on canvas, 24 x 16 in.
($4,500)
detail /close-up
TAYLOR McKIMENS, ‘Golden’, 2015.
Acrylic, flashe and acryla-gouache on canvas, 14 x 11 in.
($3,000)
TAYLOR McKIMENS, ‘Silver Lining’, 2015.
Acrylic, flashe and acryla-gouuuache on panel, 150 x 98 in.
($35,000)
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH
~TAYLOR McKIMENS . . ‘STOIC YOUTH’ CLOSES, after going global !! |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | October 23rd, 2015, 8:26am
LANCE DE LOS REYES on . . JIMMY KIMMEL ?
well, his art – is !!
for – real !!
LANCE was commissioned to paint a wall, in his signature style – for the JIMMY KIMMEL stage set.
it makes its first appearance on the talk show tonight – Tues Oct 20, 2015
LANCE DE LOS REYES, JOE GRILLO, and BAST . .
at the TAYLOR McKIMENS closing party & catalog signing, at THE HOLE. Wed Oct 14, 2015.
JOE GRILLO opens a show of his new work at THE HOLE, 312 Bowery . .
tomorrow Wed Oct 21, 2015 / 6-9 PM
LANCE showed me the JIMMY KIMMEL wall, on his phone !!
looking . . . good !!
better than good, super !! dramatic !! lights, camera, action !!
go Lance !!
off the billboards & onto the mainstream sets !!
quelle journey.
WOW !! and it’s a super hot show to-nite !! JAY Z !! . . . and, DONALD TRUMP, lol.
can you just imagine . . Lance’s wall behind Donald Trump !!?
I leave it – to your imagination.
see: JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE – ABC
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH
~LANCE DE LOS REYES, JOE GRILLO & BAST – LANCE & JIMMY KIMMEL !! |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | October 20th, 2015, 10:53am
