Eye Candy Friday: shut up and dance

Thank the lord, it's almost over. I'm certainly over it.

Peekskill Project discussion at HVCCA, 2pm Nov 2

HVCCA is hosting a round table discussion on Sunday to accompany the Peekskill Project which is on view through November 23.
The discussion is scheduled to begin at 4pm and speakers include Peekskill Project Curators and Artists; Michael Foley from Foley Gallery, Ombretta Agro’Andruff, Evonne M. Davis and Emma Wilcox from Gallery Aferro, Joyce Manalo from ArtForward, Michael Anthony Natiello from Collbrative Concepts and artist Deborah Fisher, Ryan Schroeder, and Stephanie Lempert.

Circus on Mars at John Davis Gallery in Hudson, closing Nov 2

I recently mentioned Martin Bromirski's claimed exhibit at the John Davis Gallery in Hudson. As I didn't see mention of the show on the gallery's website, I questioned the voracity veracity of the artist's claim, not that I questioned the artist's integrity, but I was simply living by the adage doveryai, no proveryai. Well, he's come through and presented documentation. So Martin's exhibit Circus on Mars is on the third floor of a carriage house space behind the gallery, as I understand it. From his images, the space's antiquated patina, complete with suspicious skid marks on some walls lends a new level of creepiness of clown allusions. I'm going to try to make a visit on Sunday which will be the final day of the exhibit.

Michael and Martha - together again

Michael Natiello will be reprising his role as the roughly handsome pumpkin carver on the Martha Stewart show today. This appearance on the show is Michael's second in his capacity as creative director of Van Cortlandt Manor's annual Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze.
Michael's carving segment will appear locally at 11 am on NBC, and then on Wednesday Martha will air a dinner she hosted for Historic Hudson Valley, that produces the Blaze.

Behind Bars, work by Andrew Lichtenstein opens at Fovea Exhibitions, Oct 25

Fovea Exhibitions opens its newest exhibit on Oct 25 with a reception from 4-8pm. "Behind Bars" is a selection of works taken in prison facilities around the country by Andrew Lichtenstein. The exhibit will be on view through Jan 4, 2009.

Karlos Carcamo - appearing somewhere near you

Karlos Carcamo is a perpetually bizzy guy. It's hard to keep up.
Currently, Karlos' work is the subject of a solo exhibit at the Heimbold Visual Art Center's Barbara Walters Gallery at Sara Lawrence College through Nov 13 (the show opened on Oct 16). Karlos has posted some images of the exhibit on his blog.

Karlos also has work in a group show called at Dean Project in LIC through Nov 2nd, a group show called Outside Over There at Gallery Aferro in Newark through Nov 22, and his work is being represented by Dean Project this weekend at Scope London.

Audrey Chibbaro and James St. Clair opening tonight at Garrison Art Center

The Garrison Art Center is hosting a reception tonight from 5-7pm for the openings of two exhbits; James St. Clair's Harbor Paintings, and Audrey Chibbaro's Memtex. Both exhibits will be on view through Nov 16.

Eye Candy Friday: spreken zie qua?

I'm wrapping up my sojourn to Denver today and heading back to Beacon. I saw a couple of good shows here in town at the MCA and an excellent exhibit of paintings by Daniel Richter at DAM, in honor of which, I'm posting this ECF. Richter's intensely active, high-key colorful paintings do not translate well in reproductions in print or online, so I'm presenting you with an untranslated video of a reception of another Richter exhibit . In the video, you'll see Jonathan Meese and Eva & Adele.

I was hoping to make it down to Santa Fe to see the biennial, and to see what Alexis Elton is up to, but alas, shifts in my schedule prohibited that trip. I'm also disappointed that I'll miss Lisi Raskin who'll be in Denver next week for the inaugural show at Redline. The exhibit is a collaborative effort between Redline and PS1. Lisi was the artist in residence at CCS Bard last Spring. Pics of some of what I saw in Denver will be forthcoming on my personal blog.

Oct 12, 2008 in pictures

Cub reporter and maykr proxy Angelika hit the street for a short while on Second Saturday and snapped a few shots:

Above and below: Go North

The Gentling performing at Zahra's
Faeries galore at Zahra's Studio
Chill

Ugly dolls at Echo

Speaking of Ugly, Mo Rocca had an amusing take on the subject on the most recent CBS Sunday Morning Program........which folds in with some things that I've been reading and listening to. more on this soon.... this is my cliff hanger.

The Beacon Art Postcard Archive continues...

Thanks to everyone who has added postards to the Beacon Art Postcard Archive. When I went over to add some more myself, I saw that there were many that have come in. It's been great to be reminded of shows from three to five years ago. As we get further on, I may post a couple of images here and there of some memorable shows.....

If you've added some cards, drop me a line and let me know, I'd like to list everyone that is contributing to the archive.

Thus far contributors to the archive are: Van Brunt Gallery, Thomas Huber, Franc Palaia, Tony Moore, pearldaddy, Open Space, Go North, Hermitage, bau

We've started filling in holes that exist in prior years from 2007 back. We need assistance tracking down cards from galleries in Beacon that have closed, such as LoRiver Arts, Collaborative Concepts, Kiesendahl & Calhoun, The Beacon Project Space, Exposures Beacon, Wildwood Gallery, EcoArt Space, Minetta Brook, Freshman Fine Arts, Mart, Finders Keepers and any others that are escaping me.

Also, if you're an artist with postcards that relate to shows in which you've participated outside of the area, and coincide with your time in the Beacon sphere, please pass those along as well as it offers a more extensive image of artists working and living in this area.

This an ongoing project. If you have some cards you'd like to contribute, let me know via email, or simply drop them off at bau.

Staying within the lines

Two items in the NY Times today exhibit a form of restrained geography......(I don't know how else to phrase it).
First in the travel section, an item by Jane Margolies chronicles her recent visit to Dia:Beacon. At the end of the article she lists places to eat in Beacon. The featured eateries, Marlena's Kitchen, Jamaican Spice, Cup and Saucer Tea Room and Homespun, all on the West End clearly define that invisible borderline that marks the outer limit of many a Main St. visitor's trek into town. It's fascinating to see that delineation plotted out in words, leaving foresaken and undiscovered, any possible treasures to be found at the foot of that yonder mountain (or foothill as it would be considered in my present locale out West).

Secondly, in the "Connecticut" section of the Times, Ben Gennochio writes up an exhibit called Framing and Being Framed:The Uses of Documentary Photography at the Center for the Arts at Weslyan University. Given the item is in the "Connecticut" section and solely pertaining to one exhibit, I imagine that art venues in CT might relish the opportunity to step out of the shadow of their noisy neighbors, and enjoy a such a feature all to themselves. Gennochio's write up offers a straight forward plan in text form of the work in this singular exhibit, but the contour map of conceptual terrain, is quite different from its physical cousin. I think an opportunity was lost here in not alluding to a broader gestalt that can amplify the context for the Wesleyan exhibit and its focus as the current exhibit at The Hessel Museum at Bard - The Greenroom, also examines the use of the documentary motif and includes the work of two of the same artists: Matthew Buckingham and An-My Le. Context, after all, is an essential element in the purpose of the Documentary, both fictional and actual.
In the interest of full disclosure, I work on the exhibition crew at CCS/Hessel. I'm not shilling for the museum, just referencing the affinity between the two exhibits.

Framing and Being Framed:The Uses of Documentary Photography remains on view through December 7. A panel discussion related to the exhibit, Eye of History: The Camera as Witness will take place at the CFA on November 7 from 4:30-6:30 with a reception to follow. Panelists include: Wendy Ewald, Eric Gottesman, Susan Meiselas, David Levi Strauss. Admission is free.

The Greenroom: Reconsidering the Documentary and Contemporary Art at the Hessel Museum will be on view through Feb 1 and is part of a longer term project examining the documentary form in contemporary art. There is a full slate of exhibition related talks and performances through the run of the exhibit. The link above lists other curatorial and art related events in addition to the Greenroom events. Curatorial Scrutiny is a series of talks instituted by new CCS Graduate Program Director, Maria Lind, are open to the public and examine aspects of the curatorial process.
The next Curatorial Scrutiny talk takes place on Oct. 20, 1-3pm in the CCS Bard Seminar Room, and the topic is the role of documentation in the artworld with guest speaker, Berlin-based artist Natascha Sadr Haghighian and respondent, Marcia Acita, Assistant Director of the Hessel Museum. Each of these talks follows this speaker and respondent format. I'm not sure how that plays out. I just pray these talks will be available in podcast form (sooner than later) because they sound interesting, and the mid afternoon scheduling pretty much prohibits my attending.

Maykr, meet Globatron. Globatron, meet Maykr

I recently mentioned Emil Alzamora's interview on globatron.org. Well, there's another interview on that site: mine.

Based out of Jacksonville Fla, Globatron is the alter ego of Byron King. Byron told me he and his young family are thinking of moving up to the Beacon area in the not too distant future. The ball's in maykr's court now to reciprocate and find out more about Globatron. The site appears to be well ensconced in the Jax art community with a few dispersed outposts. I think Byron and his energies would be a welcome addition to this community.
Sadly, as my email correspondence with Byron was flying back and forth over the past two weeks, I learned about his battle with a brain tumor which is growing and considered possibly malignant. Byron has set up a cafe press shop to help raise funds for his medical costs. Emil has donated an image to the shop, I'll be doing so very shortly, and I expect to be doing some shopping there. There is also a paypal link on the Globatron homepage to donate to the cause.

Elizabeth Winchester interview on flashfilm.com

Flashfilm.com, a Japan based website with features on art fashion and lifestyle recently posted an interview with painter, printmaker, former bau member, Elizabeth Winchester.

Live Stream from Floor One Gallery

This is a test. Ok, it is 8:43 in Denver, and in my mailbox was a link to Ustream feed of Floor One Gallery. That is what your are watching right now, in case your interested. I've been able to embed the feed here in this post. Very cool.

Live TV : Ustream

Eye Candy Friday: anyone lose a lunch?

Above is a walk through a Martin Creed exhibit in Milan. Martin Creed might easily be considered the Adrian Monk of the art world. I recently listened to a podcast of a talk Martin gave at MoMA earlier this year, where he and his interviewer Pablo Helguera spent a full minute talking about whether they should sit or stand for the discussion. They stood. Then, several minutes later, they sat. the talk is available at Itunes U.He's a peculiar dude by nature, and that nature is cultivated conciously as his working persona. A funny exchange comes toward the end of the MoMa talk when an audience member asks"

"Was there ever a point that you had to de-intellectualize yourself to be like this? I mean were you once, like really, um, sophisticated? "

"Do you think I'm not sophisticated? "

"Kind of. I don't know if your feelings are sophisticated, but your literal thought process is really casual, which comes across as not sophisticated."

"I dunno. I think all that you hearing are my words, not my thoughts. "

"Did you use to be more cerebral?"

"Did I use to be more cerebral? No no, I've always been equally cerebral. "

The aspects underlying Martin's work are becoming more relevant to my reflections on my own work. I've posted a bit previously on Creed's music.
Here's a little number called Words (I think):

7: Out of this World at Rockland County Art Center, and upcoming Charlotte Shulz review

Charlotte Shulz has several drawings included in the group exhibition "7:Out of this World" at ROCA in West Nyack. The exhibit also includes work by Gabe Brown (who shows with Van Brunt), Richard Deon, Michael Lucero and Portia Munson, Glynis Sweeny and Ruth Waldman. The exhibit opens on Sunday the 12th, and will extend to December 21. There's a reception on Sunday from 1-4pm. The exhibit is curated by Daly Flanagan and Lynn Stein. The participating artists are all reside in the Hudson Valley:

...whose work focuses on the unconscious mind and alternative realities......While these artists may not necessarily consider themselves surrealists, their ideas and motives can be compared to the surrealists' intent of connecting to the subconscious mind and challenging our preconceptions of reality. They use irony and surprise in their work, allowing viewers to see what is beyond the ordinary.

Also opening at ROCA on Sunday, is a media project by Elaine Buckholtz: "Middle Sticks In Living Color 2008", and an exhibit of work by Haegeen Kim called Portrait collections: Nights always have been long and good.
Looks like ROCA has a new website. The Center will be holding its annual Gala fundraiser on Oct 19 at Restaurant X in Congers, NY.

Charlotte also has a review of her show in Mills College Art Museum in Oakland, CA from this past Summer in the upcoming Fall issue of artUS.

Second Saturday, Oct 11, 2008

I'm in Denver through the 17th, so I'll miss this week's openings back in Beacon.


Patrick Winfield is back at Open Space with his polaroid montages, alongside the work of Denver photographer Kelley Shroads. The reception is happening from 6-9pm. The show runs to Nov 2.


Zahra's Studio has gone all faerie on us with paintings by Janîce M. Leotti. The reception is happening from 6-10pm. There will be a reading by Roland Capalbo and music by The Gentling.


Go North is opening a reception for a two person exhibit featuring Kirsten Nash and Jim Zellinger. The reception is happening from 6-9pm.


Floor One Gallery will be holding an interactive, participatory event called Recognize from 7-10pm. This event will be linked live online to another event hosted by the Studio (R) Evolution Art Studio at the Gear Factory in Syracuse.

For those of you who are fans of anaba, Martin Bromirski has an exhibit called Circus on Mars, opening this week in Hudson, at the John Davis Gallery. At least that's what he claims. Bloggers have been known to make things up. I've been suckered by anaba once before. But, then again, I am a bit gullible. The gallery's website doesn't have it listed. If it is happening, there will be an opening reception on Saturday from 6-8pm, and the exhibit will run through Nov 2.

Finally, Collaborative Concepts will be holding a mid run celebration for the Saunders Farm Project on Saturday from 2-6pm (rain date, Oct 12).

Willkommen bis Oktober

Für mein bayerisches Strudelkins
Here are some images from my stroll through the openings held Saturday,Oct 4.

Cara Wood-Ginder at Hudson Beach Glass:

Ted Kawalerski at The Beacon Institute for Rivers and Estuaries:

Colin Barclay at Van Brunt Gallery:

Drywall as pothole remedy.

Everything's coming up babies

My creative juices are directed toward transforming inanimate objects. Some others, it seems, have the gumption to divide their making tendencies in such a way that leaves room for a little genetic research and family planning.
Congratulations are in order for Kathy Feighery & Matt Hereford and Sue and Steve Rossi. Both couples saw the arrival - possibly on the same day - of baby day girls this week.

Last weekend for Comix at Bau, Colin Barclay at Van Brunt Gallery

One of the exhibits closing this weekend is Comix at bau. This exhibit represents a recent tangent that's emerged in Grey's work; the embedding of readable comic book imagery in the layering typical in his paintings. His paintings which embody the quixotic erosion of neglected billboard that form gestural mosaics have, in this group, been populated by strata of comic book characters along with selective, appropriated text bubbles.
I talked to Grey a bit last weekend after the Spirit of Beacon Parade. He was amused by the elevated level of response to this work coming from a broad range of visitors. It's not unexpected, but a little surprising that just a little bit of the recognizable makes a huge difference in how the general public responds to a body of work. Also amusing are the number of comic book fans (nearly exclusively men) that have come into the space and linger, talking comics. I had a similar, though less extensive experience with a couple of porn enthusiasts during my Skin Trade exhibit at Go North in 2007. It's really interesting when, as an artist, you tap into an area for which a portion of the population has a real passion, and who reach out to you and geek out, as it were, recognizing a common affinity, when for you, that subject is simply a vehicle, or a visual trope through which your able to explore elements more germane to your purpose as an artist. I can imagine that Erica Hauser has a similar, bifurcated audience appreciating her work. I'm not belittling this interaction. That's the heady hope that as an artist you can tap into such a spring of responsiveness from a viewer, regardless the departure point. It's a fascinating rorschach experiment, whether that connection proves to be fleeting, or if a deeper connection between maykr, viewer and work is established. An example of Grey's more typical non-objective work is on view in the backroom, providing the opportunity for the subject driven viewer to link fundamental elements present in both the representational and the abstract works.
This conversation with Grey got me thinking of the prejudices that artists have, imposing on their own work, barriers against which they won't dare push up against. The maykr's version of the Maginot Line, where if one were to cross (be it abstract artist stepping into the world of representation, or high minded auteur dipping into the well of low brow - and of course, vis-versa) his intent might be tainted, and the world would be altered for the worse. Of course, that's what growth is, and ideally the world will be altered by such a trespass. Positively so. This suddenly brings to mind another opening happening in town tonight which I spaced out when I posted this info the other day. Colin Barclay at Van Brunt is opening tonight with an opening reception from 6-9pm. Here you have a body of work that is perennially popular among folks with the means to fork out for it, but I think I might wet myself if, at the opening tonight, I were to see any sign of growth, or development beyond the cascade of one note paintings we've been treated to for the past several years.

Wilfredo Morel reception/fundraiser in Red Hook NY Oct 4, 2008

On Oct 4 from 3-6pm, The Greig Farm at 223 Pitcher Lane in Red Hook (12571) will be hosting a reception and gourmet BBQ for Pieces of Joy, and exhibit of steel sculptures by Wilfredo Morel.
The reception is a fundraiser to benefit the Hudson River HealthCare Farmworker Medical Care Fund.
(Now as with many things lately, I dropped the ball in posting this event in a timely manner, as the RSVP date for this event was Sept 26. But give it a shot, call: 914.734.8736.
Admission for the reception/dinner is $45, $10 for children 12 & under.

Wilfredo is the recipient of the 2008 Dutchess County Executive Art Award for individual artist.
Coulter Young has been helping with the promotion of this event, and passed this info on to me. Sorry for waiting to the last minute Coulter.

Openings this weekend at Hudson Beach Glass and the Beacon Institute, sculpture dedication at Hiddenbrooke

Philipse Manor Beach Club © 2008 Ted Kawalerski

The Beacon Institute will be opening a new exhibit of photographs by Ted Kawalerski with a reception on Saturday, Oct 4 from 5-7pm.

Cara Wood-Ginder, Goldfish, acrylic, oil and pencil on wood, 10" x 8", 2005

Hudson Beach Glass is hosting an opening reception tomorrow evening in the upstairs gallery for an exhibit by Cara Wood-Ginder called Objectification. The reception will be held from 6-8pm and the exhibit will run through Nov. 15.

There will be a dedication of a peace totem created by Matthew Kinney on Sunday, the 5th at Our Lady's Garden, next to the chapel at Hiddenbrooke beginning at 4pm.

Spirit of Beacon Day 2008 pictures: Beacon Artists At Large and Beacon's youth sample the future.

Talk about a super soaker. The Spirit of Beacon Parade went off as planned with uncertain weather looming last Sunday.
Here are some images from the Beacon Artists At Large parade entry. As part of a spontaneous collaboration with the Beacon Community Center, some students on one of the Center's afterschool programs drew depictions of what they want to be when they grow up. These drawings were then adapted into a large parade friendly format.

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George Mansfield's contractor in the foreground.
The getting soaked at about the midway point.

I'm not sure of the true identity of this masked marcher. Perhaps I've seen him before?

Who doesn't want to be a ninja.
Chris Ancliff with the dance teacher.

Dan Spitzer and his kinetic monster - a worthy aspiration

Taking a post-parade rest.