JOSH HARRIS and ALFREDO MARTINEZ – MAKE LIKE ANDY (WARHOL) and JEAN MICHEL (BASQUIAT) !!
UPON ALFREDO’S – SAFE RETURN – FROM A 3 MONTH DETENTION IN CHINA – AND A SWIFT 24 HR. DEPORTATION – BACK TO THE HOMELAND – OF – THE U.S.A. – AND – NEW YORK CITY !!
WILLIAMSBURG, BROOKLYN. SUN, AUG 15, 2010.
PHOTO: NANCY SMITH
OK . . . where to begin.
so, JOSH wants credit, and rightfully so, for putting out the initial – APB – ALL POINTS BULLETIN – alert that apparently saved Alfredo’s scruffy little 300+ lb. native Brooklyn-born Puerto Rican American neck !! yep the ENGER BROS – aka EXPLODING SKY – got it right – their friend was being held – in the dark, scary and creepy Chinese Prison system. and supposedly without anyone’s knowledge – !! it’s estimated by Alfredo that he was in there for approx 3 mos. and it was not looking to have a happy ending – any time soon. According to Alfredo – he was hauled off the streets – no reason was given – restrained, and deprivation-tortured, denied outside contact and kept literally in the dark – about where he was and how long he would be there. he was also told to keep his mouth shut about it – but since he is now out – here goes !!
back to the beginning. luckily Josh’s APB included Alfredo’s friend & patron in China – the so-called “rich kid” BYRON HAWES. and apologies to Mr. Hawes !! it seems anybody who can buy their own set of shoes – is termed a “rich kid” by Alfredo . . . anyways it turns out BRYON HAWES is a writer/contributor to TIME OUT MAGAZINE in CHINA and luckily besides being a huge fan of Alfredo’s artwork – he is diplomatically connected, in a way that Alfredo needed big time. Apparently he is the son of a former ambassador of Canada’s to China, and his mom was an ambassador to France (maybe) – or something like that – Alfredo also claims Byron dated the granddaughter of Chinese Premier DONG CHOU PING – but that’s another story for another time – anyways Byron, just like in the best B grade movies – knew exactly who to call to – to locate Alfredo, and surprise surprise, within a couple of hours of Byron’s well-placed phone call – Alfredo was unceremoniously deported and sent home – on a one-way flight on Quatar Airlines – courtesy of the Chinese government !! talk about a hot potato.
looking pretty weary, after his long flight, not to mention his black hole of a Chinese prison ordeal – Alfredo is happy to reunite with a New York Post – at Josh’s local headquarters in Williamsburg.
although you have to take everything Alfredo says with a grain of salt – he can spin as good as he can whip up a working gun from spare parts – a big part of the ‘hot potato’ problem – obviously. usually the weirdest parts of his stories – are the truest. at any rate – we had caught him – right upon arrival – not quite long enough for him to get rested enough to embellish any colorful details and – according to him – the facts were harsh enough to stand alone. He certainly looked shell shocked enough to support his claims of abduction, torture and illegal detention.
He thinks, or claims at any rate, that the whole thing was set-off by his rather arrogant statements regarding the handmade guns and weapons drawings that littered his hotel room – in a small rural area – in China – where he was a bonafide American artist-in-residence (hard to believe, but true) – that caused panic to the hotel maid – who in turn blew the whistle – that brought Alfredo an impromptu visit from the local cops. The ‘in-your-face-Chinese-cops-take-that’ exchange that played out, according to Alfredo’s macho telling – was repeated – verbatim – in that NEW YORK TIMES ARTICLE – referenced in our preceding post – and that probably did not help !!
here’s that NEW YORK TIMES link again: “For China’s Western Expatriates…”
you can find Alfredo’s (notoriously stupid) quotes on the cop hotel visit – in the captions under his photo allotment – in the ‘more photos’ segment . . .
you can also evaluate for yourself – what the local Chines cops encountered. the fearfulness, awesomeness ? top drawer DIY skills ? hot potato for sure scale – of Alfredo’s gun making skills – in the pix posted in our previous post, ‘Where in the World is Alfredo’ ….
I would state that Alfredo’s gun making skills are self-taught – but he did tell me once he learned how-to – from guerillas in the South American jungle – so who knows – though I personally think, that was a small embellishment – but with Alfredo – trust me, you never know. I do know Alfredo’s gun making skills can come in handy. JIM JARMUSCH used him as the gun ‘consultant’ in his film – ‘Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai’ (1999)
in fact, many of Alfredo’s friends saw him – in the title character played by the hulking and strange Forest Whitaker – though Jim has denied basing the character on Alfredo. but . . . many of the hand-made weapons that are bandied about in the film – are Alfredo’s handiwork, if not also his lumbering gait and shady, sketchy ? under-dog world view. to put in a kind word – yes, this the guy you would most want to be – beside you in a terror attack end-of-the world scenario. let’s leave it at that.
anyways – Alfredo says he was at his local rural internet cafe in China – and although he says yes he had overstayed his visa – that’s no problem – in China – you just pay a fee and life continues – that’s what he says – when he noticed the arrival of a very intimidating wave of all black-clad heavily armed extremely serious high level pumped-up big Chinese security force – in effect – a squat team – swarm the place. he was curious and drawn to the action – like a moth to a flame. when all of a sudden he realized – it was he – who was the object of the heavy-duty hunt – a burlap hood was thrown over his head – with no further ado, no warning, no questioning, no words. he was scared like he was never scared before and taken off – he knows not where, nor for how long. weeks. days. He was subjected to hi-tech hi-level deprivation torture. that is he was held in a cold cold small room – where he was strapped into a hard cold “stainless steel” chair … that … “looked like a Phillipe Stark design – if Phillipe Stark designed torture chairs” – he could laugh now – but being somewhat stouter than the average torture detainee, in China – they had to improvise restraining straps, he adds, but it was harsh. he was allowed no sleep. no movement. he had cramps and was harangued incessantly “to sign papers” and “squeal” on his “contacts” in China .. he says he kept saying he was just an artist and an American version at that – but that didn’t seem to go over too well. he said he truly feared for his life and this is the one fact I most certainly believe. he says being aware of the big gun power around him, their make, and even his “intellectual” knowledge of hi-level deprivation torture – did not make it any easier. he says he lost track of time . . . of how long he remained imprisoned there – in what he surmises was a high level high security secret detention center – till he was removed and driven away to a regular Chinese civilian detention center – where he was placed with . . . “you know, ordinary criminals like pick pockets . . . and the food was pretty good, well ok compared to the last place” – all in all, totaling almost 3 months of unlawful detention – as far as Josh can decipher from Alfredo’s last email – till he put the – APB.
it sure looks like Bryon Hawes, and Josh Harris saved Alfredo’s sorry Brooklyn ass . . . without Josh’s APB and definitely without that one well-placed (high-level we assume) diplomatic phone call of Bryon’s – Josh says, impressed: “Bryon knew exactly who to call” – Alfredo was looking to be eating mangy Chinese prison food – for the rest of his life. Once Byron made the call – it was less than 24 hrs and no questions asked – that Alfredo found himself on a one way ticket home.
now he just has to scramble, like rest of us among the sorry recession ruins of the 2010 NYC art scene !! welcome home – back to the real art world – Alfredo !! he got the most upset of the whole interview – when I asked him if he was eligible for food stamps.
Josh’s current digs, c/o Jeff Gompertz. the spare-to-bones – but wired – Josh Harris headquarters in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. apparently, it’s funny to a lot of people, especially those who were at QUIET, or have seen WE LIVE IN PUBLIC – that Josh now finds himself in Williamsburg. and, why not / it’s pretty much the center of the world. or close enough. if you want to throw the near-by – Bushwick into the mix.
it’s basically – a nice empty loft space – with great light – on the top floor of a 5 story building – where Josh, ever the aspiring artist – for real – can paint. forget that internet guru bit. though his as yet un-realized project – the WIRED CITY – still seems to pop up in conversation.
one of Josh’s canvases.
another one. he says it takes about a week to realize – one.
I didn’t even know Josh knew how to stretch a canvas !!
the top floor place – has nice light coming in from the former ‘industrial’ use windows . . .
just in case you are wondering – a space like this – in the heart of currently super trendy Williamsburg – easily goes for about $2,500/mo.
you can look out – across the roof – past the East River to a bird’s eye view of midtown Manhattan !!
and sure enough, just in time to give credence to the claim that Williamsburg – is indeed the center of the world – or the center of all that really matters !! – in strolls – OBASH – !! – leader of the Iranian Ex-Pat band – the YELLOW DOGS !!
no surprise here – of course we knew him. in fact we caught the hard-driving band in one of their earliest NYC performances at the JASON GRUNWALD exhibit – closing party – they played along with SISTERS – at EASTERN DISTRICT – in Bushwick !! way back in March – March 21, 2010.
I’ve been meaning to get those pix up – maybe this will finally – seal the deal.
OK. I know – I’m about as good as Alfredo – with the real-time promises !!
and, sometimes – out of sheer stubborness – and maybe, hard times – I just like to keep the best pix – to myself.
ALL PHOTOS COPYRIGHT: NANCY SMITH
~ALFREDO/LOST & FOUND !! |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | August 19th, 2010, 3:45pm
T-SHIRT DESIGN & CONCEPT & PHOTO COURTESY: MATT ENGER/EXPLODING SKY
. . . the international search for ALFREDO MARTINEZ, who has been an artist-in-residence in China !! for the past several years which began last week, has been resolved. and MATT ENGER of EXPLODING SKY – called it right !! surprise, surprise, NOT !!
the week long search for Alfredo began last Sunday Aug 8, 2010 when – JOSH HARRIS, the star of SUNDANCE winner WE LIVE IN PUBLIC – sent out an intimate mass email asking if anybody had heard from Alfredo recently . . . apparently they have been regular email correspondents, and Josh had not heard from his old pal in a while. Alfredo made that huge big basement shooting gallery – equipped with real assault rifles – and a real movie props permit – to shoot them !! – featured in the film . . .
On Tuesday Aug 10, BYRON HAWES, who, the street buzz story relates as a “rich” kid with diplomatic connections who meet Alfredo in China a year or so ago – and had reportedly been his most recent collaborator and patron – and who now seems to be re-located in NYC – got in on the search . . and said he was also “a little concerned as well. . .” as he had not heard from Alfredo, either. in a long while.
Meanwhile, also on Tues Aug 10, 2010 – MATT ENGER of EXPLODING SKY – knowing Alfredo from way back – that is for at least 2 decades+ longer than Byron, and just about the same amount of time Josh has – jumped into the email game of search – with his take – the FREE ALFREDO t-shirt !!
looks like it doesn’t a take rocket science – to figure out what happened to Alfredo – already a convicted felon here in the USA for his notorious JEAN MICHEL BASQUIAT scam of 2002 !! – that rocked the international art world of blue chip auction markets & “certificates of authenticity” – another story for another time !! – surprise surprise, NOT !! turns out MATT ENGER had his art world pal – down right !!
In his first email with the T-shirt image, dated Aug 10, 2010 12:16;33 PM EDT – MATT stated that “these shirts will be available on explodingskywear.com by this Sat nite Aug 14, 2010. all proceeds will be used to get Alfredo out of a Chinese Gulag (800. fine) and a ticket to the States (?). I suggest we fly him to L.A. with winter coming, it will be easier for him to survive and meet new friends.” ( I think Matt made up the gulag part ? esp the fine bit – and I’m pretty sure all proceeds will remain, LOL, at EXPLODING SKY !!
though you gotta put your hands together for Matt’s presentience – right on the mark !!)
though it took BYRON HAWES diplomatic connections to come up with the real nitty gritty.
this email from BYRON HAWES greeted me as I checked my email first thing this morning, it is dated AUGUST 12, 2010 1:28:03 AM EDT !!
“Just got off the phone with someone from the Consular Section of the US Embassy here, and they managed to locate Alfredo.
He’s been in custody here for a few weeks, and will be deported back to NYC the day after tomorrow (or thereabouts). Both the embassy and police have promised to let me know as soon as his flight arrangements have been finalized, and I will let you all know.
I spoke with Fredo, and he seems in pretty good spirits. In classic Fredo fashion he said the jail was quite comfortable, and that he has probably been eating them out of house and home. He laughed his big boisterous bear of a laugh for ages when I told him about your ‘free Alfredo’ t-shirts, Mark.” (sic) – (it was Matt who made ’em – oh well what can you do – Matt & Mark Enger – who are EXPLODING SKY – are identical twins – and its damn hard to tell anything about them apart – except that they are very touchy about their respective credits !!)
anyway – Byron concludes with “I’m going to meet him at the airport when he’s off (he apparently has no shoes, so I guess I’m going shopping). Updates forthcoming. B ”
ALFREDO MARTINEZ was profiled recently in the NEW YORK TIMES – in their big spread on EX-PATS in CHINA !!
see: ‘For Expatriates in China, Creative Lives of Plenty’ – by DAN LEVIN. Published Jan 8, 2010. THE NEW YORK TIMES
these 2 photos of ALFREDO – are in the accompanying photo ‘link’ . . .
the caption reads:
“While some expat artists find fame in China, others seek anonymity (sic). One afternoon in August 2007 the Beijing police burst into ALFREDO MARTINEZ’S hotel room, which was filled with drawings of guns and bombs, and demanded to know if he was a terrorist. The maid had found the sketches, which looked very much like blueprints, and the hotel alerted the authorities.” PHOTO BY MIKA MATTILA
“Mr. Martinez, a 6-foot-2-inch, 300 pound Brooklyn native, stood his ground. ‘You idiots,’ he said. ‘I’m an artist. Either artist me or get out.’ The men in uniform left, but Mr. Martinez, 43, did not. Today he remains in Beijing, spending time at a 24 hour Internet cafe and squatting ata friend’s countryside hut, where he assembles models of assault rifles and draws weapons on paper.” PHOTO BY SHIHO FUKADA/THE NEW YORK TIMES
so, just in case you are just joining us !!
~ here’s a brief summary of ALFREDO’S BASQUIAT CAPER !! as first reported by artnet !!
see: FBI BAGS PURPORTED BASQUIAT FORGER/6/25/02 !!
~ a quick pictorial flashback to the JOSH HARRIS / PSEUDO DOT.COM / QUIET GLORY – DAYS !!
JOSH HARRIS (center) and ALFREDO MARTINEZ (at right) – when they strode the streets of downtown NYC – as the kings – they were – of the underground art scene – supported by Josh’s multi-million dollar, as in $86 million !! – internet gold pile, (Josh founded and IPO’d – JUPITER COMMUNICATIONS – the very first internet trend tracking company – for those of you who read the business pages !!). and yes !! they ruled !! this was the start of QUIET – Josh’s million dollar Millennium party – later to become the starting point of Ondi Timoner’s Sundance winning (2009) WE LIVE IN PUBLIC. This photo footage was taken in Dec 1999 – as QUIET was just evolving from the seed of an idea, a distraction to offset Josh’s chagrin – that his girlfriend had taken off to go skiing in Aspen without him !! – to the full-blown mind-boggling party and first 24/7 live streaming surveillance internet all-artist, as in hard-core artist, not Bravo baby-steps artist !! – ‘reality’ show – mother of them all !!
PHOTO COURTESY: WE LIVE IN PUBLIC
ALFREDO MARTINEZ (center) designed, built and ran – the QUIET shooting gallery featured in the film. He acquired all the legal permits to run it as a movie ‘prop’ with all the necessary safety regulations. anyone could come in and learn to shoot – assault rifles, real ones of course. under supervision, of course. and everyone did !!
PHOTO COURTESY: WE LIVE IN PUBLIC
see: WE LIVE IN PUBLIC – THE MOVIE / OFFICIAL WEBSITE !!
NANCY SMITH. since people always ask me – here is the earliest photo I could find – of me – when I first hooked up with Alfredo – some time pre-1999. in the streets of Soho. I did his p.r. and helped him build his guns and papier-mached the big pieces on paper – for his early shows. I had met him at an early Mariko Mori show – and was willing to work for trade of (his) artwork – so there ya go !! the galleries would also kick in, sometimes several thousands of $$ – to make sure my organizational skills – kept the shows on track !! it was Alfredo who brought me to Josh – when Josh wanted to buy a mint condition historically important – Early American quilt for a pal’s wedding present – and the rest is history. I guess. I actually brought him a Mennonite antique wool Log Cabin quilt – from the 1880’s !! (it cost $5,000 at the time.) I even remember Josh’s first words on learning about those early American quilts – “are you telling me – this is a spiritual artifact ?” Josh was nothing – if he wasn’t a quick study !! you guys – still really haven’t caught up to him !!
PHOTO: VALERIA
(note: I’m clutching the protective pouch – of my just beginning-to-be ubiquitous 35mm camera !! which my friend Valeria – had used to take the photo.)
~and, more to the point:
below are some pix Alfredo sent me last year or so, from China. I believe they were taken in the heyday of his time with BYRON HAWES – !! though no credit was given for the photographer.
~WHERE IN THE WORLD – IS ALFREDO ? |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | August 12th, 2010, 8:52am
meanwhile, closer to home – MATT BUA has an ‘organic’ site specific art project – installation/event – going on upstate !! in the Catskills !! and, most strikingly – it’s in the shape of a cat !! a big cat, a bobcat !!
it’s an open-to-all ground-root’s up – “people’s museum” !!
. . . “a handmade People’s Museum has been constructed in Catskill, NY in the form of a lounging bobcat using discarded tree branches and cut offs from local mills. The interior of this over-sized Lynx Rufus houses a collection of materials and displays celebrating the people, stories and history of the Catskill Mountains. Content for displays are collected from both historical organizations and the surrounding community. The museum has a unique focus of seamlessly blending the stories, visions and personal collections of residents with the voices of historians The folk legends, urban myths and favorite, almost forgotten tidbits on display make this new public space a place to soak in what this area is really all about.
Do you you have a favorite story your grandfather told you ? An old photo of the state that you really like ? A memory of a building that once stood ? . . . A vision of the future ? Bring it ! Tell it !”
you can see & read more of Matt’s “new museum”, as well as go back thru his initial sketches, thoughts and research,
here: bobcathouse.blogspot.com !!
MATERIAL COLLECTION DAY: SATURDAY, AUGUST 14, 2010 / noon – 3 PM !!
when – you can get a sneak preview of the town’s newest museum – and make sure to bring your OWN !! local stories, ideas, books, xeroxed notes of interest, photos and artifacts to add to the museums growing collection . . .
THE OPENING DAY – CELEBRATION – WILL TAKE PLACE: SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2010 / noon to 6 PM !!
you can find a map to the area here: THE CATAMOUNT PEOPLE’S MUSEUM !!
p.s. this calls for another – little flashback – from the artlovers’ archives !!
the very first time we encountered MATT BUA was at a funny great show in the summer of 2005 !!
it was called – SASQUATCH SOCIETY !!
MATT BUA – beside his ‘collective’ piece (made with JESSE BERKOWETZ) – it’s the crazy wooden hand-built framed canvas to his right – in the background !! SASQUATCH SOCIETY, Sixtyseven, Chelsea, NYC.
opening night reception, JULY 28, 2005.
PHOTO: NANCY SMITH
in fact, here’s the link to the report: GOOD-BYE TO SUMMER 2005 !!
it’s only a short 5 years ago, but how things have changed !! – but, it’s a definite fun trip back – !!
and yeah, even there among the bigfoots – you can find some seeds – to this summer of 2010’s hand-made ‘wood-based’ – harvest !!
ALL PHOTOS COPYRIGHT: NANCY SMITH
~MATT BUA/CATAMOUNT PEOPLE’S MUSEUM !! |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | August 9th, 2010, 7:48am
and in a funny reverse –
FREE LIFE CENTER – A TOURING – MODULE DIY – ART INSTALLATION by MARK WARREN JACQUES & SETH NEEFUS !!
out of PORTLAND, OREGON !!
OPENS – AT NEEDLES & PENS – in SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA !! TO-NITE – FRI AUG 6, 2010 / 7-10 pm !!
with musical performances by PIONEER, TEMPIST FUGIT & OLD FRIEND as well as VALERIE GEORGE !!
check out: the NEEDLES & PENS website for the details !!
the show runs thru AUGUST 31, 2010.
also most def !! check out the FREE LIFE CENTER website – !! – which features a quick-time video of the FREE LIFE CENTER going up, at a previous gig – along with some great banjo-sounding gui-tar strumming – !!
see: FREE LIFE CENTER !!
from the NEEDLES & PENS press release:
“MARK WARREN JACQUES and SETH NEEFUS are two Portland-based artists embarking on a dream. Free Life Center houses their optimism and creativity, and you are invited to join them as they take their mobile art center on a nomadic journey.
Inspired by the community of free thinkers around them , they bring knowledge of earthy spirituality and simplicity to encourage others to share the ‘free life’ through hosting an experience of music, art, skillshare, storytelling, and creativity.
Free Life Center is a large scale freestanding installation crafted from salvaged building materials. the one-room structure emanates the artists’ homespun aesthetic and their commitment to a high level of DIY craftsmanship. The construction is modular (built in sections) and can be adapted to suit a variety of configurations along their journey, whether it is a traditional gallery space or a site-specific event outdoors.
These vagabond dreamers will host community events, musical performances, workshops, drawing parties, and more within the walls of the Free Life Center at all stops along their Art-tour starting in June 2010. From the structure itself, to the art, inspiration, collaborations and experiences of their newest project, mark and Seth hope to spread ideas that can lead to a more healthy, happy, and creative free life.” – Leslie Miller, Pacific Northwest College of Art
~FREE LIFE CENTER OPENS To-NITE at NEEDLES & PENS/SF !! |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | August 6th, 2010, 11:48am
HEADS UP !!
YACHT PLAYS THE SOUTH STREET SEAPORT/NYC – TO-NITE – FRI AUG 6, 2010 – at 8 PM !!
ADMISSION FREE – IN AN OPEN AIR CONCERT – PRESENTED BY THE RIVER TO RIVER FESTIVAL !!
we first caught the awesome YACHT – aka JONA BECHTOLT !! – out of Portland, Oregon – when he played at CINDERS – way back in 2007 – !!- SAT APRIL 14, 2007 – to be specific.
it was an amazing night – the other band up – was the also awesome beyond belief: TELEPATHE out of Brooklyn !!
the artwork on the wall was by art collective – SPACE 1026 – out of PHILLY !! no kidding the night rocked !!
art + music = BELIEVE IN ME !!
here are some archival pix – from the night !!
YACHT = aka JONA BECHTOLT – says hi – just before he goes on “stage” !!
there was just enough time for him to show us some of his recent CD releases . . .
some of which included or featured – some of his own far-out intense artwork !!
more – early CD artwork by YACHT !!
onstage – YACHT – was a one-man – explosion of energy, word, and song !!
it got hot – in the small CINDERS storefront gallery. real quick . . . the place was packed.
SPACE 1026 – out of Philly – artwork on the wall.
CINDERS co-founder KELIE BOWMAN at the small venue – but super intense, out-size YACHT performance !!
among the for-sale offerings – on the CINDERS bookshelf that night . . .
BRIAN CHIPPENDALE’S – BIG HARD COVER COMIC BOOK !!
and CINDERS co-founder – STO’s limited edition print – ‘BELIEVE IN ME’ !!
ALL PHOTOS COPYRIGHT: NANCY SMITH. NYC, APRIL 14, 2007
see: the original post: YACHT / TELPATHE at CINDERS !!
see: the post on YACHT’S CD artwork !!
see: YACHT on MYSPACE !!
~YACHT PLAYS SEAPORT – To-NITE !! |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | August 6th, 2010, 10:46am
so, yep here is the MOMA – MUSEUM OF MODERN ART NYC – BROCHURE OF EVENTS FOR JULY 2010 !! – starring JOSH HARRIS !!
in the see-thru custom built – community !! – shower – he had designed and built for QUIET – the Pseudo Millennium Party – featured in WE LIVE IN PUBLIC !!
(and ya, you better believe there were a plenty of live action camera feeds – directed on that baby.
you coudld watch the action, 24/7 – in the bubble dining room – in real time !!
and yah, I took showers in it – but alone – and, with a huge fleece blanket wrapped around me !!)
it had huge hot water aplenty – unlike Josh’s multi-million dollar custom-built Broadway at Spring St. loft !! but, that’s another story !!
THE BIG QUESTION: does Josh finally feel – like he’s being taken – seriously – for – a bonafide artist – ala JEFF KOONS and DAMIEN HIRST – ?? – gracing the MOMA brochure thus – instead of the C.E.O. of a ‘fake’ company – let alone the “biggest internet guru – you’ve never heard of” – !!
hope so !! and yo, Josh – try to remember your pals on the way, up. as if !!
~JOSH HARRIS/WE LIVE IN PULIC, RULES !! |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | July 27th, 2010, 3:27pm
ok, if you are truly on a shoestring collecting budget – there is still plenty of opportunity to score !!
name one place? MY PLASTIC HEART – 210 FORSYTH – in the Lower East Side – almost right next door, if not exactly next door to the HALF GALLERY & right around the corner from the LANDMARK SUNSHINE MOVIE THEATRE !!
where they seem to have plenty of MATT SIREN – GHOST GIRLS – at $45 a pop !!
and in an amazing ‘right on’ range of colors.
the black head, on the right – that’s the way the MATT SIREN – GHOST GIRL looks – inside the package !!
it’s the very last few days to catch the current featured show – here’s a little sampling.
‘Slippery Slope’ by Robots Will Kill (RWK).
mixed media, 11 x 14 in. ($150).
‘I AM THE FUTURE’ – Dacosta !!
digital print on archival stock, 13 x 19 in.
detail, ‘I AM THE FUTURE’ – Dacosta.
‘Billi Kid Sinatra Stencil’ – by Billi Kid
spray paint & stencil on wood. 12 x 12 in.
more MATT SIREN – GHOST GIRL boxes – line the wall.
talk ’bout color range – would be hard-pressed – to choose a box !!
and love love the graphics. the lay-out. the font. the shadows. and, the muted off-colors !!
apparently, I’m not the only one with a ‘make a choice’ dilemma !!
ALL ABOVE PHOTOS – COPYRIGHT: NANCY SMITH
. . . and opening – this FRIDAY – JULY 30, 201O !!
‘CHAPTER ONE – THE CONFRONTATION – ROHBY VS PHU’ – !!
the show runs JULY 30 – AUGUST 13, 2010 !!
check out: MY PLASTIC HEART !! NYC !!
~MY PLASTIC HEART, HURTS !! |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | July 27th, 2010, 3:10pm
ANNE EASTMAN has really got her ‘mobile’ art – down. it still might be beyond the reach of most of ya – but that’s your problem. and at $4,000. (!!) – it’s a no-brainer, probably the sleeper of the season.
ANNE EASTMAN, ‘The Importance of Doing Nothing’, 2009.
Iridescent plexi mobile, wood frame, stretched fabric. 24 x 24 x 24 in. ($4,000)
BILL BRADY/ATM GALLERY – 542 West 24th St – up thru July 23, 2010.
also at ATM – in the back room: PETER SUTHERLAND, ‘Ice Cream and Tacos’, 2010. two different looping videos . . .
and don’t miss the small TOMOO GOKITA, in the office !!
across the street, a big ROY LICHTENSTEIN offering – brought the desire to get back to ATM, and re-check that ANNE EASTMAN mobile out again !!
ROY LICHTENSTEIN, ‘STILL LIFES’, up till JULY 30, 2010 – GAGOSIAN GALLERY, 555 W. 24th St.
also on the way to check out the Lichtenstein show – JOE BRADLEY with his new baby son, BASIL, and baby mama VALENTINE !!
later on 23rd St – NATE LOWMAN.
and, MELISSA BROWN.
. . . they were on their way to the opening of ‘Shred’ at Perry Rubenstein – where we caught, for the first time, the elusive, but mighty talented BRIAN DOUGLAS aka ELBOW-TOE !!
he was way happier hanging out with fans – than being photographed !! no kidding.
but his piece was really great.
BRIAN DOUGLAS (ELBOW-TOE), ‘Bears’, 2010. cut paper glued on birch panel.
35 x 48 in. ($12,000.)
the show also featured a nice SHEPARD FAIREY .
SHEPARD FAIREY, ‘Big Brother is Watching You’, 2010, retired stencil, mixed media on paper.
44 x 30 in. ($20,000.)
though I preferred the SWOON offering, ‘HELICOPTER’, 2010.
screenprinting on collaged paper with handpainting. 73 x 52 in. ($14,000.)
esp the access to checking out the collage work !!
along the border edges of the piece.
and the draftsmanship of the screenprinting.
‘Shred’ was curated by CARLO McCORMICK and runs thru AUGUST 27th at PERRY RUBENSTEIN on 23rd St.
ALL PHOTOS COPYRIGHT: NANCY SMITH
~chasing summer’s art !! |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | July 15th, 2010, 8:45am
ONDI TIMONER and ROBERT REDFORD.
SUNDANCE INSTITUTE DIRECTORS LAB, UTAH. JUNE 2010.
PHOTO COURTESY/INTERLOPER FILMS
more info on this conference and a brief up-date on WE LIVE IN PUBLIC – to post shortly in artlovers’ MOVIE REVIEW SECTION !!
in the meantime, check this out !!
Ondi’s team just sent us a great link to a video-interview with Ondi – put out by the AMBULANTE FILM FESTIVAL , where WE LIVE IN PUBLIC recently enjoyed a special presence. The festival, in Mexico was founded by actors GAEL GARCIA BERNAL and DIEGO LUNA . . .
read more: 4th AMBULANTE FILM FESTIVAL/LA TIMES !!
there’s one priceless quote in that LA TIMES link:
“the actors, and the director of the festival, ELENA FORTES, said they wanted to challenge the assumption that documentaries are boring” !!
yo, everyone knows – DOCS RULE !!
here’s the link to the interview: ONDI TIMONER on WE LIVE IN PUBLIC/AMBULANTE FILM FESTIVAL !!
what’s so great about the clip, is Ondi relating how our Pseudo / JOSH HARRIS dot.com millions NYC-based downtown Millennium Artist Party – QUIET – started it all off !!
plus the clip actually has a really cool sound track, and is edited really sweetly.
at the very beginning – the ‘underground’ artist bunker based on Japanese pod hotels and archival footage of Nazi concentration camp prisoners stacked one on top of the other – goes up. it will house over 100+ in-house production crew and artist guests – as well as quite a few live wires. and not, just as in characters. literally, each bunker was wired for 24/7 surveillance and had its own small screen for choosing among several live action channels of the multi-faceted event.
JEFF GOMPERTZ and JOSH HARRIS.
Jeff built the bunker pod hotel – with a lot of input from Josh.
he had to put it up pretty damn fast – like in one week, two weeks – tops.
though it’s come down through legend and the media – as being described as an “underground bunker hotel” – though it was a truly a hotel, underground is used in the rebel sense – it was fabricated to look like an underground bunker, but it was actually installed on the 2nd or 3rd floor of an old manufacturing loft building on Lower Broadway near Chambers St. what was really underground – was the art scene that Josh tapped to make it all happen – a raw frontier downtown art scene – where the only things you had to have – were an ability to capture Josh’s A.D.D. T.V. baby – attention span – and, not, that’s NOT !! be affiliated with an established gallery. from there on in – it was one big wide-open and really wild scene. talk about 24/7 artist par-tay !!
of course any hotel, downtown or not – underground bunker or not – had to come up with some sort of eating option – as in FOOD !!
the dining room at QUIET serviced the 100+ artist residents and guests – and was most def not – bunker – it was 4 star. for real. with its own 4 star Asian chef and 4 star meals. 3 meals a day. and completely FREE. the seating arrangements could get a little intense – but let’s not go there. it was wired too.
the bubble wrap interior and the creative dining menu, and even some over-the-top table-top performances were the brain child of OWEN BUSH. the bubble dining room, and small custom kitchen – were actually built in the adjoining building. a one or two story storefront that used to be a famous photographer’s studio at the time of the civil war. After QUIET it morphed into the LEO KOENIG gallery and CANADA was downstairs. there was a lot of rivalry.
actually rivalry ruled. everywhere, and all the time. but particularly between these two after-the-shock of QUIET gallery venues. Leo used to block off the entrance to the stairway leading to CANADA at his openings – with a big piece of wooden board – so CANADA couldn’t ride on his coattails !!
and, it’s really true – what Ondi says – that everybody there – would have opted to stay there forever, if they could have. it wasn’t so much the community – as the intense anti-community !! – the rush of the 24/7 rivalry and jousts to stay in Josh’s favor, in the spotlight and in the dough !! big time. big time money. big time rivals. kept you in high-gear production mode double-time. no fake wannabes there, you could get shot – it was that intense. plus like Ondi says – free meals 3 times a day. free pod hotel lodging, and a huge dot.com budget. not to mention – the never-ending open bar driven parties.
speaking of which – all you new generation VAMPIRE fans.
nobody’s saying this, in the mainstream media press or in the various festival interviews – but it’s true.
the downtown VAMPIRES of New York City came out of the shadows of their daytime hiding jobs – to run a lot of the QUIET parties. daytime didn’t exist at QUIET. It was nighttime, party time all the time.They even had their own huge super intense VAMPIRE NEW YEAR 2000 PARTY, on the night before New Year’s Eve proper !! JUDGECAL, aka CAL – the leader of the pack – worked for Josh at Pseudo and also ran the war video game installation on the (real) underground basement floor, right next to Alfredo’s shooting gallery, and the now infamous interrogation room !! At some of the real early parties – you could even score your very own custom-made pop-on fangs !! on the spot. no kidding. I know because – I was there. I witnessed it first-hand. and, no I personally – didn’t get pop-on fangs. but I was really and truly – honored, mke that fascinated – that Cal and the Vampires chose my quilt installation space – also adjacent to the shooting (as in guns) gallery in the real basement – for their wild and ritualistic party-hearty pre-NEW YEAR 2000 all night bash !! they were not evil, they were just intense. much very wired into the cosmic forces and rhythms of the natural primordial world. celebrating the Millennium – was a natural. after awhile there was no day and there was no night at QUIET, at some point it all meshed. there were no windows. there was no sunlight. and if you were working behind the scenes for Josh – you were working 24/7. you just crashed – in that damn pod hotel – until it became an orgy – but like Ondi says, “that’s a narrative” for another time. another person. put it this way, I dug the Vampires over the quasi-porn stars.
that was the thing about Quiet – it had this amazing range. from day to night, vampires to college kids proposing Zen gardens on the rooftops. guns to quilts. Josh would arrange to have anybody who pretty much made a contribution to the creative energy – ‘financed’ and installed – with the one hand, while he deliberately pushed buttons and sabotaged others – with the other. the 360 degree world of human nature – from creative genius to puppet master. dot.com CEO to Luvvy. in other words: the works. looking both backwards and forwards. making things and tearing them down. the juice, the in-the-moment – was unbelievable.
. . . and, I do remember when Ondi got hired !! like she says here, in this Ambulante clip – “so, I go hired for this job” – to film QUIET 24/7 for the live action feeds – with such matter-of-fact countenance – yet with such look-back-in amazement realization. She was just, what 31 ? when she approached Josh for work. Josh liked the rough cuts of ‘DIG!’ that she had to show him !! and gave her the job. that’s the way it worked. and p.s. she had a large film crew with her 24/7.
see: ONDI TIMONER/WIKIPEDIA !!
what can I say. the only words – that every struggling young artist who hits the Big Apple wants to hear, and what ultimately makes QUIET and WE LIVE IN PUBLIC such a rush: was that yes !! at QUIET and in WE LIVE IN PUBLIC – indie talent could prevail. raw talent could win. and raw talent could rule.
just to make sure you got the picture right: make that . . . nothing-to-lose talent. end-of-the-world and beginning of the Millennium talent. fulcrum and vortex of the very beginning birth of the internet – talent. 100% straight up – Indie talent. rock bottom NYC underground talent. raw and rough cut. burning the night, losing the day – and owning the city. for 2 weeks. at the rock bottom day zero crossroads of this crazy millennium century. and its only, what – one decade later.
under-written and funded by an eccentric dot.com visionary – only 10 years ago – a bunch of ground zero NYC artists and tech nerds – partied like it was the end of the world – under the no-holds-barred yin yang inspired – black and red PSEUDO logo.
the FEDS, the suits, they even sent in FEMA !! the NYPD and the NYFD thought we were a suicide cult !! or at the very least – ya’ll – pure anarchy in the heart of the country’s biggest cost of us, and they shut us down. the dot.com bubble burst, and Pseudo went belly-up.
Flash forward . . . just 10 puny years later.
and it’s starting to feel like the end of the world. except it’s – corporate anarchy that rules.
funny how – instead of a rogue artist group under a stark black and red Pseudo logo . . . now it’s the innocent green and yellow flower of the BP suits – that captivates the imagination, and rules the waves with their 24/7 live action ocean floor feed. and you thought you’d never live to see a bubble – you’d actually want to see busted. and you thought Pseudo – meant deceptive. I’m thinking just 10 years later – the gulf oil spill is only gonna make a bunch of outsider artists and nerdier than nerd computer geeks – look even more – Pseudo. out of this world. and right on message.
and, as the Millennium progresses – with each succeeding interview – Ondi seems even more amazed that she was there to “catch it”.
see: PSEUDO/Wikipedia !!
~ONDI TIMONER & WE LIVE IN PUBLIC !! |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | July 8th, 2010, 4:40pm
IMAGE COURTESY/THE STREETFASHION+5XPRO
. . . we always knew our friends at TEKSERVE were great patrons of the arts, but wow – their give-away reusable canvas bag – is making international fashion headlines !!
thanks Kate – for the heads up !!
see: thestreetfashion+5XPRO/MARTEDI 29 GIUGNO 2010 !!
~TEKSERVE/INTERNATIONAL FASHION HIT !! |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | June 30th, 2010, 1:54pm
