I liked the word . . ‘ethereal’ that jumped up & about that previous pumpkin carving post, implied & directly.
so much of my own art was, and is . . ‘ethereal’.
and plus: this is my #current #dark #mood.


NANCY SMITH, paper banner.
Halloween. hanging in my backyard at 5 Rivington St, East Storefront. Lower East Side, NYC. 1994.
ethereal. sinister. hanging / twisting . . in the wind.
I was always very . . ‘light-handed’.
low fi, low budget. scissors, paper, soul.
UNDER THE VOLCANO – WATCH OUT . . . !!
NICHOLAS STEINDORF . . is up to something !! re: VIRTUAL DREAM CENTER . . !!!!!
~ETHEREAL . . . PAPER CUT-OUT BANNERS / NANCY SMITH, Lower East Side. 90s. |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | November 9th, 2016, 4:48pm
in times like these – all you can do is hunker down.
double down on the creativity, the freedom of expression, the smart, the alternative, and the . . skills.
turn the dial, way up . . . to to o-r-g-a-n-i-c.
as in . . of the Mother Earth – and stay there.
as in: Pumpkins, Pigeons, and . . mushrooms.
what !! you haven’t heard about the amazing . . ‘Shroom’ show, now up at HELPER ?
coming up next !!!!
I mean, did anybody else notice a DIY / Woodstock era kind of thing, revival in pumpkin carving – this past Halloween ?
not joking, there’s hope in these old ways. that burn brighter – today / next generation . . . rising.

first up, was this gorgeous spooky hand-carved, ‘lit’ . . pumpkin by KLAUS NOMI, posted by JEFFREY TRANCHELL.
it really pushed the limits of the traditional carved Halloween – Jack O’lantern – that we were all used to, you know you cut in a couple of triangle eyes and a big crooked grin . . but it sure jumped the gate.
it looked like ‘Biggie’ to one commentator. to me it looked like . . OBEY GIANT.
the negative spaces on the sides were . . . super fab, unique & dramatic.
OBEY PUMPKIN ????

then @katecerigo hooked me up with this MoMA / Museum of Modern Art beauty !!
@themusuemofmodernart: Loving this year’s #Halloween pumpkin !
An interpretation of Pablo Picasso’s ‘Les Demoiselles d’Avignon’ – Thank you @maniacpumpkins.
that was my first sense of . . pumpkin art gone 3_D – or, the next step.
shallow relief carving !!
and, then in came DANIELLE DE JESUS, you k-n-o-w . . .
the miniature ‘pop’ portrait painter – on the $1 bills !! at GRUMPY BERT.
yeah. that DANIELLE !!

YODA – BY DANIELLE De JESUS ..
@danielledejesus1: So I’ve been attempting to teach myself how to sculpt pumpkins this weekend. This is my third attempt at sculpting anything ever, other than #playfoam hahaha. Ok maybe playdough when I was like 5 but whatever that doesn’t count.
Anyway, here is my attempt at Yoda.
Can’t wait to get better at it and – learn from my bros at @manicpumpkins . . .

OMG – check out: MANIAC PUMPKINS !!
& definite, read their ‘about’ page !!
which has a great video !!

still from: ‘The Pumpkin Carvers’ (video) – for The New Yorker, by SKY DYLAN ROBBINS and NATE LEAVEY.
on their . . . ‘ABOUT PAGE’.
here’s that link, again: ABOUT – MANIAC PUMPKINS – video
MANIAC PUMPKIN CARVERS, is based in BROOKLYN – & is joyfully, run by . . founders by MARC EVAN (@marcmaniac) and CHRIS SORIA (@chrissoria).
who state: “THE NATURE OF PUMPKIN CARVING BRINGS YOU INTO THE MOMENT, CAPTIVATING YOUR SENSES. IT IS EPHEMERAL and TEMPORARY AND ALL ABOUT THE . . NOW.
ALL IMAGES VIA . . INSTAGRAM / and the MANIAC PUMPKIN CARVERS website.
~PUMPKINS . . time to hunker down on the DIY, the alternative & . . the SKILLS |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | November 9th, 2016, 2:49pm
CASH4SMELLS – MOCK THE VOTE !!
ELECTION PARTY – ELECTION DAY EXHIBITION
“FREE BEER & COVERAGE of the GREATEST SHOW on EARTH !!”
“TWO CANDIDATES GO IN – ONLY ONE COMES OUT !!!”
99 BOWERY – at HESTER, LOWER EAST SIDE / CHINATOWN
TO-NITE !!
TUES NOV 8, 2016 / 7 PM – MIDNIGHT








CASH SMELLS – but, “you know, you – want it.”
ps: the last time I saw a CASH4SMELLS exhibit, was at DRESS SHOP GALLERY, in Bushwick, BROOKLYN & . .
the ‘vinyl’ signs – were going for $100 a pop.
just saying.
all images via Instagram – @cash4smells
~CASH4SMELLS . . MOCK THE VOTE ! / TUES NOV 8 |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | November 8th, 2016, 10:12am
Our Pesky Neighbors – Part 1: PIGEONS
Love them or Hate them, pigeons are here to stay.
Mon Nov 7, 2016 / 7 PM
$10/$5 for BHS members
BROOKLYN HISTORICAL SOCIETY
128 Pierrepont ST, Brooklyn, NY
DUKE RILEY . .
will be on a discussion panel with RITA McMAHON from WILD BIRD FUND, along with COLIN JEROLMACK, and ANDREW BLECHMAN, moderated by MARGARET MITTELBACH at the Brooklyn Historical Society.
for more info: Brooklyn Historical Society – OUR PESKY NEIGHBORS


DUKE RILEY . . . nurses a baby squirrel.
PHOTO: NANCY SMITH, Brooklyn. May 9, 2015
for more pix, see: DUKE RILEY, Happy Hellbent Mother’s Day 2015
~DUKE RILEY . . PIGEON TALK / to-nite MON NOV 7 |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | November 7th, 2016, 10:41am
‘ANDRES LARACUENTE: SEASONAL YEAR’
OPENING RECEPTION: TO-NITE . . SAT NOV 5, 2016 / 7 – 10 PM
& BY APPOINTMENT UNTIL DEC 1, 2016
WON EH, 467 TROUTMAN ST, APT 1A, BROOKLYN
WON EH . . .
is an artist-run project space / residency in the home of LAUREN CLAY and NICHOLAS MOENICH.
“The main objective is to exhibit solo installations by artists that are interested in the experience of art and domesticity.”

from the artist’s text:
“SEPTEMBER 22nd 2016
sad reality sinking in. Election season. Contemporary, always temporary. blowing in the fall, all autumnal wind.
Mysteries in the golden light . . .
My spirit flows with magic, adventure, courage, and mystery. Halloween hasn’t passed but it will.
temporal presence is defined in these paintings.
This exhibition is about contemporary states and a permanent temporary. Seasonal art, in an anxious time.”
read the full text: ANDRES LARACUENTE – WON EH

PHOTO: COURTESY THE ARTIST.
and, yeah.
I’m really digging – the small paintings.

FROM THE ARTLOVERS ARCHIVES:

NICHOLAS MOENICH with his work, with MICHAEL FLEMING of MOUNTAIN.
MOUNTAIN, BUSHWICK. MARCH 4, 2016
PHOTO: NANCY SMITH

LAUREN CLAY, MOUNTAIN, BUSHWICK. MARCH 4, 2016.
PHOTO: NANCY SMITH
UP-DATE: MON NOV 7, 2016 / 2:37 PM

ANDRES LARACUENTE . . with some of his poetic, emotive, bold, graphic & ‘temporal’ . . . paintings,
at his WON EH residency / ‘Seasonal Year’ opening.
PHOTO COURTESY: WON EH
~ANDRES LARACUENTE . . WON EH / opens to-nite SAT NOV 5 – update MON NOV 7: Andres Laracuente at the opening |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | November 5th, 2016, 10:00am
‘TELEVISION’ – Final exhibition / group show
incl: ANDY MISTER & ESTHER RUIZ
CURATED BY SARAH LARGESS & B. THOM STEVENSON
on view thru DEC 18, 2016
99 CENT PLUS GALLERY, 238 WILSON AVE, BROOKLYN
HRS: OPEN SAT & SUN / 1-6 PM
“AFTER 3 INCREDIBLE YEARS, 99 CENT PLUS GALLERY & HANDJOB Gallery/Store will be closing on DEC 18, 2016.”
get out and catch – their last hurrah !!!!!!
more info & photos: 99 CENT PLUS GALLERY – ‘TELEVISION’
some images from their website:

HARRY GOULD HARVEY IV, ‘Self Portrait (Two Legged Four Legged More Legged), 2015.
India ink, charcoal, and acrylic on bristol and wood. 96 x 24 in.
($750.)

NICK SETHI, ‘untitled’, 2016
ink on canvas, acrylic and silver leaf on brick.
Painting dims. 18 in. diameter.
Brick dims. 3.6 x 2.2 x 8 in.
($2,500.)


~99 CENT PLUS GALLERY: TELEVISION . . HARRY GOULD HARVEY IV / NICK SETHI |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | November 5th, 2016, 9:42am
NO DAPL !!!! – NO DAKOTA ACCESS PIPELINE on INDIGENOUS SOVEREIGN LAND !!!!
NYC PRAYER MARCH – SAT NOV 5, 2016
WHEN: 10 AM – 6 PM
WHERE: NATIONAL MUSEUM of the AMERICAN INDIAN
DEDICATED to the STANDING ROCK SIOUX NATION as they & allies continue to non-violently resist the invasion of DAPL.

& . . .
WHILE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE NATIONAL MUSEUM of the AMERICAN INDIAN, NYC . .
SEE: CURRENT EXHIBITS – NMAI, NYC

GREATER NICOYA FEMALE FIGURE VESSEL, AD 800 – 1200, Linea Vieja area, Costa Rica.
pottery, clay slip, paint.
MORE ON THIS VESSEL: Ceramica de los Ancestros, Central America’s Past Revealed, NYC
PHOTOGRAPHY OF CERAMIC VESSEL BY: ERNEST AMOROSA, NMAI (22/8837) via NMAI
~8 BALL COMMUNITY: NO DAPL – PRAYER MARCH NYC, NMAI / NATIONAL MUSEUM of the AMERICAN INDIAN – TODAY SAT NOV 5 |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | November 5th, 2016, 9:15am
‘FUTURE HISTORIES’ . . NICHOLAS CUEVA & ROBIN KANG
CURATED BY COMMON PEOPLE
OPENING TO-NITE . . FRI NOV 4, 2016 / 7-10 PM
MOUNTAIN – 284 SEIGEL ST, 1B – BUSHWICK, BROOKLYN
note: if you don’t make the opening – it’s by appointment only.
the shows usually run for 2 weeks.
COMMON PEOPLE . . is an artist-run curatorial initiative based out of Gowanus, Brooklyn – founded by KAT CHAMBERLIN in 2014.
see: COMMON PEOPLE

NICHOLAS CUEVA, limited edition, one-of-a-kind arrowhead necklaces, will be at ‘Future Histories’.
IMAGE VIA INSTAGRAM @mountain.bushwick
~NICHOLAS CUEVA & ROBIN KANG . . MOUNTAIN / opens to-nite FRI NOV 4 |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | November 4th, 2016, 5:32am

PHOTO: SHONA McANDREW
‘JULIE SPOKE SOFTLY UNDER HER LONG SKINNY NOSE’
OPENS TO-NITE . . THURS NOV 3, 2016 at 8 PM
the show runs thru DEC 10, 2016
18 artist group show – curated from the FIELD PROJECTS recent open call
by guest curator . . PAULINA BEBECKA
FIELD PROJECTS, 526 W. 26th ST. #807, Chelsea NYC
HRS: THURS-SAT / 12-6 PM

NICASIO FERNANDEZ, ‘Feeling Cheeky’, acrylic and oil on canvas.
17 x 13 in.

SACHIKO AKIYAMA – in collaboration with painter RICK FOX.
‘Between Here and There’, 2016. wood, paint, 10.5 x 11.5 in.

ERIN E. CASTELLAN, ‘What What’, Thread, yarn, acrylic/latex paint, fabric.
30 x 19 in.

CECLIA SCHMIDT, ‘Juan’, archival pigment print.
11 x 16 in.
all images via Instagram @fieldprojects
~FIELD PROJECTS SHOW #35 / JULIE SPOKE SOFTLY . . opens to-nite THURS NOV 3 |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | November 3rd, 2016, 1:23pm
TALKING ABOUT BLACK & WHITE . .
and GRAPHIC DESIGN / ART . . !!
ART NOUVEAU & SOCIAL COMMENTARY. .
but above all else:
dynamic pictorial graphic expression.
a well thought-out, and beautifully produced show that is both ZIPPY, RELEVANT & . . . HISTORICALLY IMPORTANT.
AEHELRED ELDRIDGE
OCT 21 – NOcV 20, 2016 / EXTENDED THRU SUN DEC 4 2016
ESSEX FLOWERS, 19 MONROE ST, CHINATOWN, NYC.
SAT & SUN 12-6 PM / OPEN BY APPT OTHERWISE

AETHELRED ELDRIDGE – IMAGE VIA INSTAGRAM @essexflowers
well, I don’t think the POOR are really that meek, they can lie, steal, burn, rape and rage etc. the main thing is, I think he was trying to say . . that they are helpless esp vs corporations, institutions, government, and of course, the really big, uber scammers of Wall St. so, yeah go out and . . REVOLT.
super illustration. looks very woodblock. cut & carved but – incredibly fluid at the same time.
This is the first NY solo show of Aethelred Eldridge in 30 years.
the show focuses on “just over three decades of the artist’s output from 1970-2005. On view will be a wallpaper presentation of black and white works from the 1980s through the early 2,000s & framed color paintings on paper from the 70s.”
from the gallery exhibition page:
“Eldridge (born 1930, MI) is a legend in Athens County, OHIO where he has lived, worked, and taught for over 50 years. He was an associate professor from 1957-2014 at the Ohio University School of Art where his iconic work remains on view as a 50 by 80 foot black and white mural at the school’s SEIGFRED HALL.”
“Eldridge creates provocative messages that weave together Blakian, Celtic, ?re-Roman British, and his own deeply coded mythologies. These are at once stark and humorous works that take on prophetic tones, often political in nature, and are rattling, energizing, and relevant in their pointed critique of civilization.”
so interesting to me . . how this social media instant communication, DIY REVIVALISM, and hands-on, take charge indie youth culture loves to uproot and really rock the old guys. Hurray !!
read more about the show on their website – which is also chock-ful of gorgeous. large, high rez installation photos !!
here’s the link: AETHELRED ELDRIDGE – ESSEX FLOWERS

ART WORK – BY AETHELRED ELDRIDGE / at ESSEX FLOWERS up thru NOV 20, 2016.
IMAGE COURTESY: ESSEX FLOWERS
~AETHELRED ELDRIDGE . . ESSEX FLOWERS – EXTENDED THRU DEC 4 |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | November 3rd, 2016, 12:23pm