{"id":3198,"date":"2011-01-14T15:24:42","date_gmt":"2011-01-14T20:24:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.artloversnewyork.com\/zine\/?p=3198"},"modified":"2011-01-16T10:57:59","modified_gmt":"2011-01-16T15:57:59","slug":"gun-play","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.artloversnewyork.com\/zine\/the-bomb\/2011\/01\/14\/gun-play\/","title":{"rendered":"~GUN PLAY"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>
\nMATT ENGER – MY NEW COLT PATTERSON – 1838 REVOLVER
\nPHOTO: COURTESY OF MATT ENGER\/EXPLODING SKY<\/p>\n

FILE UNDER: what did I tell ya – R.I.P.<\/p>\n

. . . well, so the world turns.
\ntruth is stranger than fiction, and maybe – just maybe, the future does unfold in your dreams. and the artists, the true<\/em> artists – quick to burn your<\/em> sorry ass. I’m sorry to say. watch out – not quite knowing how, but for sure, why !! – hold the key.
\ncrazy, wild shamans – the lot of them.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\nMARK ENGER – SILK SCREEN – VINYLS.
\nMARK ENGER – EXPLODING SKY – STUDIO VISIT. NEWARK, N.J. APRIL 2010
\nPHOTO: NANCY SMITH<\/p>\n

if you walked through bitter cold snowy Jersey this week, you might just think the state was in mourning for last week’s sad loss of local son – MARK ENGER – whose silk screen studio re-located to NEWARK, NEW JERSEY in the big gentrification of 2004. All the city and state buildings had their flags flying at half mast. but no, it wasn’t just in Jersey – it was all over the country, and it sure weren’t for no dumb ass artist – cowboy hero or not. it was for the 20 people gunned down in ARIZONA, and left seriously wounded or plain outright dead. no second chances dead and just pretty much as if so – as in gravely wounded. the now termed – Arizona massacre – and esp for Rep. GABRIELLE GIFFORDS – who was effectively ‘cored’. that is shot right through head – in such a way – that she is most likely now effectively a living zombie, a dead walking.
\nR.I.P.
\nseriously R.I.P. <\/p>\n

seriously I say this – with all sadness and huge sorrow for my adopted country. that I revere. with only the kind of reverence – only anybody who has also walked the giant morass of an immigration battle – it is to be here, now can know. and let’s just leave it at that: paid my dues and lost a lot in the doing – to be here. in the land of the free and the home of the brave.<\/p>\n

so I feel it’s important to state quite plainly now – that though my crew has a huge fascination for guns, all kinds of guns, I’d have to say it’s not to glorify guns or promote crazy madmen. nor the companies that produce and sell madmen magazines that re-load 30 shots at the speed of a hair trigger touch. we are the generation that came after COLUMBINE. yes, just like 9\/11 – I think there are milestones in history – that mark the civilization and the cultural imprint – ‘before’ and ‘after’. and Columbine is one of them. the first mass shooting by armed students at a high school. the dialog that followed extended all the way as to whether to install in-case-of-emergency loaded guns in frie engine red break-the-glass boxes in every high school throughout the country. the train of thought collapsed when the next thought came up – so, then who should be taught to handle those use-only-in-emergency guns, anyways. the staff, the students, only the staff. who wants gun culture taught in every school in America. I do. yeah you heard me right. at the very time I want all the guns off the street and out of the gangs – I want my kid to know how to shot. when fired upon. period. end of story. martial arts, and yoga should be mandatory.
\nthe world is getting rougher and tougher and harder – not easier and sweeter, ok. maybe more fat. for westerners. but it sure ain’t global homey and sweet. and yeah I’m brain damaged., I’m a New Yorker who witnessed 9\/11 up close and personal on Grand St.and FDR on the 20th floor – about what, a mile as the crow flies. saw the 2nd plane make a big detour turn on the EAST RIVER and fly right thru that baby – the 2nd tower. lucky I couldn’t see the jumpers – only heard the cries. yeah it made a mark. it took a toll. <\/p>\n

raising my kids on the corner of RIVINGTON and the BOWERY in the 80’s – talk about gun play. on the roof. cops & robbers all the time. drug wars. gangs. junkies nodding out pushing their kids in swings in the park with huge hunting guns falling out of their baggy pants pockets. yeah. terrorists harnessing airplanes full of commercial passengers and turning them into missiles – weapons of mass destruction taking down 2,000+ people, New Yorkers, just your average every day schmoos – in front of my eyes and wondering if my kid can come home, will come home from school . . so what do I know about being attacked. a New York City friggin artist. never mind all the New York Times science articles asking: so. where are the aliens ? don’t get me started. one hint: RNA. nano-particles – there ya go – you breath them in – that’s why so many people do yoga. no, I’m not joking. don’t you watch TV. interplanetary space is so vast – that space travel has to be so tiny – we can only get as small as our lunchbox-sized orbiters, em but . . . well you get it . . . or ya don’t read some cutting edge science, physics. – I can’t break down – everything for ya. <\/p>\n

yeah, it was a long time ago – and like forever America was so innocent and so invulnerable. that American boys grew up with the mandatory cowboy holster and guns – nobody cared that we wiped out the “first natives”. no to mention the huge sci-fi water pistols !! rifles !! man those things needed to be tripod – stabilized they were so big. and no, I’m not against toy guns. esp if i am not against ‘art’ guns. I’m just saying that this is what it is – this is our time. this is our culture. not flowers not landscape not nudes.
\nguns and quilts = America.
\nguns. war. expansion of will and territory – victory by force of hand and pattern.
\nquilts. sampling. binary pattern leads to evolution, thought. physics. leads to computers. leads to nano biology and RNA – if you can crack a super nano nutshell of a definition.<\/p>\n

that being said, I have to say I was shocked at reports that SARAH PALIN “included Giffords on a map that targeted 20 Democrats for defeat in last November’s congressional elections. The map included cross hairs<\/em> over each district, and in urging their defeat, she told supporters, ‘don’t retreat, reload.'” wow. that’s sad. that the political rhetoric has come so low. truth be told I’m kind of disillusioned that the country I paid such hard dues to be in – stoops so low. all in the name of freedom and democracy. I mean I’m all for free speech – but this is just bad. tell me that crazed gunman of all of 22 years – didn’t shoot 20 victims for her 20 cross hairs. tell me the Mexican border towns don’t have police forces – not even female officers are safe. tell me Arizona isn’t fever pitch politics. the gunman is just the crazy who picks up the cultural vibe – kind of the mass safety tab – that blows – the high pitched radar that goes crazy from overload. the one brain in the gene pool – that short circuits. instead of creates. that doesn’t dream . . .
\nor as the mainstream media says: “The shootings have prompted an ongoing feud among politicians and pundits over what motivated (the shooter) – politics or insanity.”
\nlooks to be one and the same. American politics, just like NYC art world, I might add – is a very low ball game – now, anyways. always personally thought – the B-BOYS, the break dancers, the real hard-core old school ones – should rule. <\/p>\n

of course – NYErs are reportedly rushing to buy guns – before they are banned. 33 percent increase in requested mandatory FBI background checks over last Monday. and anyway don’t they have any gun laws in Arizona – how did that unstable kid ever get through high school – let alone get his hands on guns ? how come they weren’t cursing him out on FACEBOOK. bet they thought he was too crazy – gonna come to school and blast ya. <\/p>\n

of course, a little later on Palin reportedly justified her words by saying OBAMA said in one of his campaign speeches – that “if they bring a knife – we bring a gun” – which brings us right back to the Civil War – does it not – and the deadly steely serious amount of bloodshed that was needed to win that one . . . so much so the wining general was said to have been helped by his growing up near, or was it – that his father or one of his relatives owned one – a slaughterhouse. so he could stand the stench. talk about blood libel. and so it goes.
\nfull circle. <\/p>\n

R.I.P. MARK ENGER. EXPLODING SKY – THE BLOODY CIVIL WAR THAT UNITED THIS GREAT COUNTRY – LIVES ON.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\nMARK ENGER – CIVIL WAR ENACTMENT – ARCHIVAL PHOTO FROM HIS STUDIO
\nPHOTO: NANCY SMITH<\/p>\n

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\nMARK ENGER – GUN PLAY
\nSTUDIO PHOTO: NANCY SMITH<\/p>\n

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\nMARK ENGER – SOUTHERN BOY – DON’T TREAD ON ME.
\nSTUDIO PHOTO: NANCY SMITH<\/p>\n

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\nMARK ENGER – SILK SCREEN – ON CANVAS
\nSTUDIO PHOTO: NANCY SMITH<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\nMARK ENGER – STUDIO VISIT – EXPLODING SKY WORLDWIDE. NEWARK, N.J. MARCH 2010
\nPHOTO: NANCY SMITH<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\nHELL, YA – WE WIPED OUT THE ‘FIRST NATIVES’, TOO. GUN CULTURE MADE THIS COUNTRY.
\nMARK ENGER, SILK SCREEN WITH PAINT.
\nSTUDIO PHOTO: NANCY SMITH<\/p>\n

CRACK says: <\/p>\n

tell me about guns . . . versus abstract paintings on tarps – with gestural lines . . . no, Charlie – I don’t think Joe Schmoo – MaGoo – is on the mark, the bull’s eye this time around . . . been there done that. or at least the one person who could make a play for him – just ain’t talkin’ . . . just ain’t friendly.
\nsomething like: the mojo wars and canada . . . got me singin’ the blues. got me down.
\nI immigrated from Canada, did ya know ?
\npretty much – went to high school with that dude with the 70s mustache . . .
\ntalk about herd instinct in the urban jungle. and to think I set it off – well there ya go, CHARLIE FINCH – you<\/em> have LAURA NAKADATE, I have the boys. the Joes. Joe Grillo, Joe Bradley. or like they used to, emphasis – used to<\/em> – say bout Walter Robinson – he that make you, can take you down. <\/p>\n

don’t ever believe your own press. young dudes.
\nisn’t that such a truism – it’s a friggin’ cliche.
\nor: keep the media beasts fed – or they get mighty cranky. at the very least invite them to the after party. seriously, dude.<\/p>\n

someone actually wrote in to tell me – “when I google JOE BRADLEY – all I get are artlovers photos”. no joke.
\ntook a lot of heavy lifting – to get that babe to fly. <\/p>\n

it’s at this point – where you hope nobody is left reading – except C.F. no. not the comic artist\/musician – but Charlie Finch the scribe, so that – you can say – what’s really<\/em> – on your mind !! <\/p>\n

ha. I like gun play. mental gun play. web gun play. bang – you’re dead.<\/p>\n

just today, Simon reminded me – sneaking around my scribbled notes. I swear he reads my crumpled up discarded scribbles and<\/em>, my emails, I bet. it’s ok – I read his – that I was, emphasis was<\/em> – gonna start the New Year with this little ditty:<\/p>\n

eenie meanie miney moe
\nwho is the art world’s biggest schmoo – Walter Robinson !!<\/p>\n

but I had no idea where the thought came from – except I awoke with it on the tip of my tongue. New Year’s day. and scribbled it down. funny except for that fact that he fired me – for being so “successful” . . .
\nit’s a New York thing, forget it if you never lived here – you’ll never get it.
\nAND NOW I HEAR – IT’S ALL THE RAGE – name calling Walter Robinson – a schmoo. ha.
\nwho woulda thought. paranormal thought could revolve around – such minor activity . . . <\/p>\n

re-energized now – looking back at those tattered New Year’s Eve notes with new respect – they also go on to say:<\/p>\n

eenie meanie miney splatter
\nin the art world architecture doesn’t really matter
\nSPERONE WATERWATER was better off – as a squatter.<\/p>\n

eenie meanie miney – yid
\ndon’t come to New York – unless – you’re a rich kid.<\/p>\n

eenie meanie miney – pouts
\nwhatever happened to – talent outs ?<\/p>\n

eenie meanie miney – dotter
\nI’m growing my hair white – so I can be in Harry Potter
\neenie meanie miney – daughter – got a crush so bad
\non Luna Lovegood’s father !! <\/p>\n

web gun play – calling names – wish lists. sure I have my own form of the game.
\nand it sure ain’t wishy-washy dumb. <\/p>\n

case in point – ok.
\nreferencing my memorial cry for MARK ENGER, (post below.)
\nwho are the stupid and stupider ‘art’ critics who play – such a losing game in this town. ok.
\nhere’s my kind of list. my kind of game. <\/p>\n

let’s start at the top – the first name rhymes with my last name. duh. except put an R for an N. <\/p>\n

who ?
\ngets it right 80% of the time – though always guaranteed to get the bottom feeders – while completely and consistently missing the top 1% – that sails right over her head – so who cares.
\nneed more clues: she would bring you RACHEL HARRISON, disses SHEPARD FAIREY, and just told you last weekend, one year later – after the fact !! that performance art was dead and that that idiot MARINA was the swan song. and oh yeah, look for paintings to be the new big thing = esp local New York City ones. oh yeah that’s original thinking – as if this site’s thesis wasn’t built on that premise 10 years ago. man, if she’s cutting edge – I must be TRON.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\nMATT ENGER – EXPLODING SKY – MINIATURE HAND CAST GUN
\nCOLT – 1873 PEACEMAKER – that’s what it was called for real – get it !!
\n5.5 INCH BARREL – MADE IN U.S.A.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\nopen the tiny box – it’s a lapel pin.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\nit’s signed M ENGER 2010 – yeah – he signed it for me.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\nMATT ENGER SIGNING HIS MINIATURE REPLICA COLT – 1873 PEACEMAKER – STUDIO VISIT, NEWARK, N.J. OCT 9, 2010<\/p>\n

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PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

MATT ENGER – MY NEW COLT PATTERSON – 1838 REVOLVER PHOTO: COURTESY OF MATT ENGER\/EXPLODING SKY FILE UNDER: what did I tell ya – R.I.P. . . . well, so the world turns. truth is stranger than fiction, and maybe – just maybe, the future does unfold in your dreams. and the artists, the true […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artloversnewyork.com\/zine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3198"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artloversnewyork.com\/zine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artloversnewyork.com\/zine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artloversnewyork.com\/zine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artloversnewyork.com\/zine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3198"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.artloversnewyork.com\/zine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3198\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3201,"href":"https:\/\/www.artloversnewyork.com\/zine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3198\/revisions\/3201"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artloversnewyork.com\/zine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3198"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artloversnewyork.com\/zine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3198"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artloversnewyork.com\/zine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3198"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}