![\"vacant-possession---approach\"](\"http:\/\/www.artloversnewyork.com\/zine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/vacant-possession-approach.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nVacant possession . . can mean many things. here it’s about taking over a (vacant) storefront. this drapery \/ light install – is the work of . . ANDREW KASS. it was very much<\/em> a kind-of optical . . illusion, like a fun house, like a magician. b-b-b-black: there was such a somber feel, to the ‘fun’. in a way, this show, VACANT POSSESSION . . was very literally, REALIST . . too. this country was made by . . outlaw ‘thought’ rebels. but, yeah: in these paintings, the city seems razor sharp, cold. and full of bad bad habits.<\/p>\n I was . . kind of surprised, knowing this crew, that there were no World Trade Center \/ doomed Twin Towers, maybe you can’t<\/strong> find them as souvenirs any more ?<\/a>
\nyep, the monster light machine was part of the install . . .<\/p>\n<\/a>
\nthe journey begins.
\nthe dark journey into night.<\/p>\n
\nbut the possession – is anything but . . ‘vacant’.
\nyes, it is minimalist – it is mostly black & white \/ or: literally – electric light vs. black.
\nsilent, profound, it’s meanings are stealth ‘invaders’. aka metaphors.
\nthe landmarks inside are stark. it’s a huge mind-set – ‘set’ in reverse.
\nthe black curtains, the theatrical drapes, are pulled aside yet obscured with bright, stark . . light.
\nwhat turns out to be NYC landmarks are small, and smaller – but the possession of the space – is ‘large’ – and larger. visually, conceptually, art-wise . . .
\nwell, one could even say: like Alice In Wonderland – this relatively ‘small’ show by 2 indie artists – gets . . LARGE.
\nit is a vacant possession – with goals.<\/em>
\nwhile the inverse:
\nthe huge Trump apparat<\/em>us – is a ‘vacant’ possession – of a ‘huge’ land by \/ ‘small’ . . minds.
\nthe narrowness of the room – enhances the artificial aspect of . . ‘possession’. <\/p>\n<\/a>
\ninside-out. as you move inside & look back: the scene grows.
\nas you realize the industrial-sized light machine’s impact on the interior space \/ accentuated by the theatrical drapery.<\/p>\n
\nmostly known as a photographer, of people, though I’ve seen other 3-D installations of his, he has a photographer’s understanding of light, and . . dark.<\/p>\n
\nyou were inside. b-b-but you were always looking, back, and forth. the narrowness of the space worked to an extreme advantage.
\nvacant – NOT !!!!<\/p>\n
\nDon’t look back. caught between extreme & opposing . . poles.
\nb-b-b black, and white.
\noppositional \/ singularity, of black & white . . direction \/ elasticity.
\nno gray areas, except for the space – YOU, the viewer inhabited.<\/p>\n<\/a>
\nthe full-on . . Alice in Wonderland effect.
\nyes, they did – hand-paint that black and white checkered floor.
\ngame of chess anybody ? <\/p>\n<\/a>
\nmoving backwards<\/em>, into the room.
\nit’s: your . . ‘move’.
\n‘spatial’ possession \/ intervention ?<\/p>\n<\/a>
\nwhich brings us to that – hanging, half draped-in construction material \/ glittering disco ball, also by ANDREW KASS.
\nhere, it’s more of a . . ball and chain.
\nthe next century, of our city’s urban growth \/ is not<\/strong> the city of 1980 night clubs.
\nglittering mirrored illusion, urban reality.<\/p>\n<\/a>
\nANDREW KASS.<\/p>\n<\/a>
\nPARIS VENTURE.<\/p>\n<\/a>
\nTOMMY MALEKOFF.<\/p>\n<\/a>
\nELISE GALLANT, taking photos for PURPLE MAG.<\/p>\n<\/a>
\nSPENCER & MERCER TULLIS.
\nSpencer at 26, is the older bro, he is a ‘realist’ sculptor.
\nMercer 23, is a ‘realist’ painter. I caught his work recently at the NEIL JENNEY space, West Broadway Gallery, in Soho. – in a show titled: ‘ American Realism Today’. <\/p>\n
\nalbeit, stylized, and theatrical.<\/p>\n<\/a>
\nSPENCER TULLIS showed me his newest work, on his phone.<\/p>\n<\/a>
\nit was also a matter, of moving . . back and forth. and around. <\/p>\n<\/a>
\nTRISTAN HUGHES-FREELAND. <\/p>\n<\/a>
\nCARLO McCORMICK.
\nalso a matter of literally moving back and forth, Tristan is Carlo’s son.
\nfrom a rough & tumble street critic \/ a beautiful artist kid is born.
\ntell me about it, Kate & Theo. RIP Simon Cerigo. must have been that inner city water – they drank \/ growing up on the Lower East Side in the 80s & 90s, surrounded by the now, art history legends . . of urban grit.<\/p>\n<\/a>
\ntip of the ‘most excellent’ \/ downtown iceberg: SPENCER TULLIS, SEAN VEGEZZI.<\/p>\n<\/a>
\nok, we will show some generosity to ‘outsiders’.
\nDANIEL DURON, an artist from Mexico, now NYC-based.<\/p>\n<\/a>
\nnot an ‘outsider’ to this crew, but maybe to the world-at-large, and then again, maybe not !!
\n@theonewhoknows showed me some of his new murals.
\nthis one was painted somewhere in South America, specifically Santo Christo, Rio de Janeiro. <\/p>\n
\nand, come on.
\nget real: unless you are<\/strong> a native first peoples & therefore indigenous . . you ARE AN IMMIGRANT, from somewhere else.
\nstop the false \/ fictional \/ delusional APPROPRIATION.
\nunless you are<\/strong> a Native American tribes person – you are claiming: Vacant possession. (!!)<\/p>\n<\/a>
\nbut, back . . to the show !!
\nwalking the walk, right on that sharp edge of the . . underground.
\ntalking the talk: in the other direction, of the space: JIM JOE.
\n3 sharply stylized paintings of . . NYC landmarks.
\na very Alice ‘n wonderland, effect. the floor – helps !!<\/p>\n<\/a>
\nah, LADY LIBERTY: give me . . ?????
\nah, LADY LIBERTY, you’ve grown so ‘spikey’ over time.
\nwell, what did you expect, 3 words: WORLD TRADE CENTER, 2 words: TWIN TOWERS, 1 word: down. <\/p>\n<\/a>
\nJIM JOE . . also presented this mini-spectacle on the floor, in like a collapsed kid’s swimming pool, sort of, but not exactly.<\/p>\n<\/a>
\nthe visual richness of the ‘small’ – can never be . . under-estimated.
\nOne World Trade Center.<\/p>\n
\nI have a bunch.
\nbut, maybe, this was: NOW.
\nanother kind of vacant cultural . . ‘possession’ ?<\/p>\n<\/a>
\nending . . without: words.
\nr-e-a-d . . my art.
\nmake my day !!<\/p>\n