subtext: CRAFT
subtext: ENGAGEMENT RING
RING by . . TODD COLBY
“Thanks again for trying really hard not to be a big jerk”
image via Instagram @andrewedlingallery
‘BIG RINGER’ – CURATED BY: EAT THE LEAF / ANDREW GUENTHER
OPENS – SAT APRIL 27, 2019 / 6-8 PM
ANDREW EDLIN GALLERY
~TODD COLBY . . ‘BIG RINGER’ | Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | April 24th, 2019, 8:27am
HARK !!!!!
IS THAT MAJOR, CRAFT – BELLS !!!!!
I HEAR . . RING-iNG !!!!!
subtext: CRAFT
subtext: FAR-OUT !!!!!!
‘BIG RINGER’ – CURATED BY ‘EAT THE LEAF’ aka ANDREW GUENTHER
OPENS THIS SAT APRIL 27 / 6 – 8 PM
& runs thru . . . JUNE 8, 2019
ANDREW EDLIN GALLERY, 212 BOWERY, NEW YORK
WITH OVER 100 ARTISTS – RE-INTERPRETING & RE-IMAGING: THE ENGAGEMENT RING !!
GONNA BE – A HUGE BLOW-OUT OPENING, THAT’S FER SURE !!!
MORE INFO: ‘BIG RINGER’ – ANDREW EDLIN GALLERY
~’BIG RINGER’ . . CURATED BY ANDREW GUENTHER / ANDREW EDLIN GALLERY / OPENS SAT APRIL 27 !! | Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | April 23rd, 2019, 9:23am
subtext: CRAFT
subtext: CERAMICS
subtext: INDIE
porcelain vase by . . CHRISTINA BOLT.
image via Instagram @hot4chonki / Christina Bolt
CHRISTINA . . . offers Ceramic Hand-building workshops at SPOOK ROCK FARM, HUDSON VALLEY, NY
see: Christina Bolt Ceramics / Facebook
~CERAMICS . . CHRISTINA BOLT / HUDSON VALLEY | Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | April 23rd, 2019, 8:59am
subtext: CRAFT
subtext: ‘MOM & POP’ SHOP / DIY BROOKLYN
subtext: INDUSTRIAL / COMMERCIAL
@saffronbk: New install for @chantecaile x @degournay / Bergdorf Goodman
image via Instagram @saffronbk
KANA TOGASHI . . . is the co-founder, along with her husband TETSUJI NAKATOMI . . .
of SAFFRON, a small storefront flower shop / which is also an off-site garden designer & maintenance provider, including . . “weekly & biweekly flowers, private & corporate landscaping, set design, editorial assistance, etc.”
SAFFRON . . . is located at 31 Hanson Place, between Saint Felix & Fort Greene Place, in the Fort Greene area, of Brooklyn, NY 11217
see: SAFFRON, BROOKLYN
~FLOWER ARRANGING . . KANA TOGASHI / SAFFRON, BROOKLYN | Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | April 23rd, 2019, 8:45am
subtext: CRAFT
INTEREST in QUILTS . . shows no sign of abating,
& continue . . . EXPLODING.
with the classic vintage-based ‘abstract’ patterns – being the most popular, hands down.
@tmagazine: We love a good #quilt. Their beauty — the simplicity of working within a quadrilateral figure and their plain geometry — evokes ideas such as community, sisterhood and craft. Beginning April 25, the French label #APC will launch a new line of quilts designed by its longtime collaborator JESSICA OGDEN . . .
Photo by @alfredo_piola
image via Instagram @tmagazine / NEW TIMES MAGAZINE
~QUILTS . . APC / NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE | Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | April 23rd, 2019, 8:27am
subtext: CRAFT
and, no doubt – about it.
in these 2 side-by-side shows, ‘craft’ – as a concept / figures large.
SOPHIA NARRETT, PAUL ROUPHAIL – ‘A Heart-Shaped Face’ /
NATHANIEL DE LARGE – ‘Jan’s Pond’
MARCH 15 – APRIL 28, 2019
JACK BARRETT, 173 Henry St., fringe of Chinatown, NYC.
HRS: WED-SUN / 12-6 PM & by appointment
JACK BARRETT . . the day after the opening.
seems to be a natural-born . . poetic.
puts on some great shows.
reminds me of a young Gavin / GBE.
SOPHIA NARRETT, ‘Path’ embroidery – at right.
he founded 315 Gallery in Brooklyn, where he gave Haley Josephs some great outings.
recently re-booted & re-located to the LES / Lower East Side / Chinatown, under his own name. prob a wise move.
see: HALELY JOSEPHS ‘Finger in the Hive’, 315 Gallery. Sept 7 – Oct 7, 2018 / artloversnewyork
see: HALEY JOSEPHS, 315 Gallery at Sunday Art Fair, London. Oct 4-7, 2018 / artloversnewyork
SOPHIA NARRETT, ‘Path’, 2019 / slightly cropped
Embroidery thread, fabric, acrylic, aluminum.
5 x 4.25 in.
detail, SOPHIA NARRETT, ‘Path’.
‘craft’ & ‘metaphor . . loom large in these works.
PAUL ROUPHAIL, ‘Lavender Room’, 2019.
oil on canvas.
54 x 36 in.
detail, PAUL ROUPHAIL.
I would say, that can of soda – was well crafted.
the main room was more of a complete . . environment.
with craft, concept, technical skills, & . . metaphor / message aplenty.
NATHANIEL DE LARGE, ‘Jan’s Pond’.
from a distance it had the trappings of a giant . . paper cut-out.
the hanging canopy was actually a piece.
NATHANIEL DE LARGE, ‘Ethical Future’, 2019.
Corn and soybean biodegradable bags, LED lights.
dimensions variable.
this was the ‘pond’.
NATHANIEL DE LARGE, ‘Gig of Pride’, 2019.
Plywood, carpet.
72 in. diameter, 5 in. height.
it reminded me of that, audacious, ‘banal’, industrial, brown shaggy carpet,
JOE BRADLEY exhibited in his very first outing, c/o Kenny Schachter, back in early 2000s.
some people in the ‘art wold’ were quite affronted by it.
I thought it was – sublime. funny & smart – it was definite aimed at the right targets !!
the usual suspects parading as art critics – dragging the whole scene & everybody in it down.
20 years later, this is quite the (victory) circle – come round.
NATHANIEL DE LARGE, ‘Trevor’, 2019.
Chain mail, cyanoacrylate.
dimensions variable, (life-like)
craft &industry – these truths we take as self-obvious.
Chain mail, hand-mgde. diy. but, why is it beside Jan’s pond ?
Environmental . . S.O. S. ?
‘Jan’s Pond’ . . looking in from the other direction.
NATHANIEL DE LARGE, ‘HT125’, 2019.
Anodized titanium, Dibond, human hair, steel.
24-1/4 x 9-3/4 in.
Nathaniel de Large’s technical skill . . was sublime & subtle, witness the ‘swan’.
industrial, and crafty – in the same breath.
damn, the conclusion ?
looks like our natural habitat . . . just might be going completely, down the drain.
read more & images: ‘A Heart-Shaped Face’ – SOPHIA NARRETT & PAUL ROUPHAIL / JACK BARRETT
read more & images: ‘JAN’S POND’ – NATHANIEL DE LARGE / JACK BARRETT
wonderful show, absolutely – on point.
go see it / up thru APRIL 28
EXHIBITION INVITE / IMAGE
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH
~SOPHIA NARRETT, PAUL ROUPHAIL . . ‘HEART-SHAPED FACE’ / NATHANIEL DE LARGE . . ‘JAN’S POND’ / JACK BARRETT | Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | April 21st, 2019, 2:21pm
subtext: CRAFT
subtext: INDUSTRIAL
a prime example of ‘Craft’, closing in on . . . ‘Industrial’
PETER SUTHERLAND – ‘SHIFTING LANDSCAPES OPPOSING PROPHECIES (S.L.O.P.)’
APRIL 18 – MAY 9, 2019
MAST BOOKS, 72 AVE A, NYC
installation shot
image via Instagram @petersutherland
the book . . .
image via Instagram story @petersutherland / @migrationofwolves
~PETER SUTHERLAND . . S.L.O.P. / MAST BOOKS | Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | April 21st, 2019, 2:08pm
subtext: CRAFT
subtext: industrial
subtext: digital arts
subtext: historical American quilt patterns
subtext: high level tech knowledge
subtext: craftsmanship / artisan skills / incl both digital & actual 3~D constructs
subtext: communication – digital banners / new age signage
‘LUKE MURPHY – 2019’
SHANE CAMPBELL GALLERY – LINCOLN PARK, CHICAGO / BY APPOINTMENT ONLY
APRIL 13 – MAY 31, 2019
LUKE MURPHY . . . is a digital / tech-wiz, light, animation & 3-D construct .. artist,
who has a long time & many-layered relationship with: CRAFT.
when . . . ‘creating’ new accessories in even, online games, such as Minecraft – are referred to as ‘crafting’, as opposed to let’s say ‘producing’, or ‘building’ . . . as in:
‘How to make a Bell in Minecraft: This Minecraft tutorial explains how to craft a bell with screenshots and step-by-step instructions.
In Minecraft, a bell is a new item in the game that does not have a crafting recipe yet. A bell can be found in the center of a Village. Bells can be attached to a floor, ceiling, or the side of a block and they will make a sound when you ring them.’
~source: basic online search for: ‘craft’
Mine – craft (!!!!!!!!!!!!)
as in: mine/mein / belonging to me / a set of skills – mastered by ‘me’ / mine.
& mine / as in a (resource) mine (gold mine) (tech mine) / or, as in . . mine/research a topic / and,
or . . dig this !!
it’s no wonder – there is such a new-found & profound respect / ans understanding for the term,
in the new gens/generations.
they are encouraged to be ‘artists’, & ‘creative’ explorers – from the time someone puts an iPad or iPhone . . into their little toddler hands.
Luke . . ‘crafts’ objects & pulsating wall ‘boards’ – out of his digital & experimental knowledge, which are often in turn, actually combined with historical ‘craft’ references, as in his LED light / pulsing ‘quilts’ & even: signage.
and, note: that’s . .
Luke Murphy’s animated ‘DELI-LED’ banner running across the top of this page / ‘UNIFY NOW’ . . (WORLD)
LUKE MURPHY, DIGITAL ‘LOG CABIN QUILT’ / installation view
LUKE MURPHY, ‘StarQuilt’, 2019.
P4 LED Matrix panels, animation code, mini-PC running Linux, power supplies, aluminum, wire or MDF armature.
Technical: Python3 scripts & software, Gigabyte brand i3 mini-PC, running Lubuntu Linux, Linsn receiver card,
sender card, 5v$oA 125/220v AC power supplies.
63H x 41W x 3D in.
LUKE MURPHY, ‘On Leaning Lights’, 2019.
P4 LED Matrix Panels, etc . ..
re:‘INDUSTRIAL’ / ‘CRAFT’
note: ‘craft’ . . . does NOT necessarily mean ‘craftsy’, as in arts & crafts /
I take it to mean, more: the ‘craft’ of building / constructing / imagining . . something really really well, with . . both ownership & authenticity.
it’s interesting to see, in this show, with this piece – that Luke is moving over to the dark side, lol !!!
it could be, in reaction to showing in what appears to be a high-end lifestyle / home furnishing / exceptionally inspired / concept store / gallery, that he didn’t want to just come off – as all soft & cuddly ?!!
as if, a rigidly framed LED Panel quilt was soft and cuddly, but you know – what I mean.
this piece is like straight out of Star Wars, a light saber collection, or better . . ‘Hal’. (!!!)
this is ‘craft’ . . pushed to a colder, more minimal ‘take’, what we in the art world call: ‘industrial’.
it doesn’t mean factory-produced, it means: later age civilization . . proto-modern / contemporary minimalist.
its usually very: GRAPHIC / as opposed to purely expressionist, as in / no brush stroke, please !!
it’s got a colder / harder ‘wall’, that pushes ‘creativity’ . . to a finer, more stringent – visual tension.
it’s like, the range or polar opposites of the craft mind-set / the yin yang.
CRAFT – INDUSTRIAL.
see more: LUKE MURPHY 2019 – SHANE CAMPBELL GALLERY
and, where you can also watch – some animation clips, of the pieces in ‘motion’ !!
all images via SHANE CAMPBELL GALLERY
~LUKE MURPHY . . SHANE CAMPBELL GALLERY, CHICAGO | Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | April 20th, 2019, 9:17am
subtext: CRAFT
MELISSA BROWN . . in ‘THE PICTIONARY INDIVIDUAL’
A GROUP SHOW – ORGANIZED BY: PETER HARKAWIK
closes today – SAT APRIL 20, 2019
REAL PAIN FINE ARTS, 1819 3rd Ave., L.A. CA 90019
I’ve always found Melissa Brown’s paintings – to be very craftsman-like.
they are built tight – like ships.
they are completely made-well, and functional – as vessels . . of daydream & mystery.
this might be because Melissa’s first focus was – printmaking.
MELISSA BROWN, ‘Interior Life’, 2019.
flashe, acrylic, oil on aluminum panel.
48 x 30 in.
image via REAL PAIN FINE ARTS – ‘The Pictionary Individual’ CHECK LIST
~MELISSA BROWN . . ‘The Pictionary Individual’ / REAL PAIN FINE ARTS / last day | Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | April 20th, 2019, 8:32am
TH’US . . MARSHAL HOPKINS & BARBARA REID – ‘On The Way To The Lovfest’
TO-NIGHT / THURS APRIL 18, 2019 / 9 PM
The Corner lounge, 121 Bastion St., Nanaimo, B.C., Canada
subtext: CRAFT
subtext: FOLK ART & OUTSIDER ART
a new respect & interest in Craft, actually began with a corresponding interest / and new found admiration for both traditional folk art, and outsider art.
and they two twined well around each other, like enduring lovers.
it was (maybe) first ushered on the music of the 60s / of Woodstock, and the Folkies, and the folk festivals.
Bob Dylan, The band, and Janice Joplin. and of course all those self-printed psychedelic posters !!
with their wild paisleys, incredible (craft-inspired) tie-dyes & ground-breaking diy typefaces & far-out fonts.
‘signage’ – became a really big thing.
the gen / my gen, and Reno & Marshal’s (!!) . . that seriously studied art in the 70s, could smell the new brew of coffee – already perking. we were bing ded & trained . . tehortrcyoal art / non-objective art / color field theory, but we wandered off into more priniv e and narrative ways.
I went from non-objective, large acrylic grid painting, think Agnes Martin meets Tibetan color palette, switched to smaller size watercolors on paper, and went radically ‘narrative’, my biggest influence ?
Traditional Japanese Edo period woodblock prints.
and Amish quilts.
Barbara Reid, or Reno as she was called . . was always into watercolor, and folk art. landscapes, and such.
very Scottish / spiritual rural / Celtic.
Marshal was just plain always, marching to his own drum / but the theory was there . . like a dirty dog.
there’s no arguing with the Irish.
our teacher was the famous Quebec color theory (stripe) painter Guido Molinari – and I think in a great way, he enjoyed seeing his pictorial theory put to . . such, subversive use.
what is art – if not: rebellion.
POSTER BY – MARSHAL HOPKINS
~TH’US . . MARSHAL HOPKINS & BARBARA REID / The Corner Lounge, Nanaimo, B.C. / CRAFT loves FOLK ART loves OUTSIDER ART | Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | April 18th, 2019, 4:39pm
