Inadvertent Galleries and Almost-Art

A binary ode to minimalism at...is it Jeff Wilkinson architecture?

Roberta Smith reflects on the moments of "almost art" that she encounters throughout NYC in her NY Times piece on "inadvertent galleries."  It's a nice piece on looking and seeing.
It's a piece that I think draws out some of the more poignant aspects of the Windows on Main St. exhibit - and many other psuedo-public art projects.  It's generally not what exists in the project or the "art", but usually what happens outside of it - and most likely what happens after it's gone that is most interesting.
Having one's very act of seeing gently tweaked opens up the possibility of seeing things around us in another way.  A new way.  I think that changed state - reached through the exercise of looking at art -  is at the heart of Roberta's piece.  And it stands at the core of what I think is the greatest power and potential of the WOMS exhibit (even if particular works of art aren't particularly good).
In his essay in the catalogued selection of works from the NY Public Art Fund (Plop: Recent Projects of the Public Art Fund), Tom Eccles offers up an analogy (which I am paraphrasing) that if an artwork in a gallery or a museum is akin to that which you might hang in a place of prominence, over the mantel or a sofa in the living room, a work of public art is more like that painting or photo on the wall at the back of the hall near your bedroom.  That work in the hall neither demands or commands your full attention like the one over the mantel;  your relationship with it is far more informal, yet perhaps more consistent, and it's likely that this is the work that exerts the most influence on how you see through the day.

Of course, I'm a geek in regards to this notion.  I'm tripping out any number of times each day on what I see around me....and what I think I see around me.



The image at the top of the post and the one just below here are just two examples of superb "almost art" that Roberta writes about in her piece.

Even without the dude in the pink shirt, this window is an exemplary expression of a weird, native conceptualized environment.

My midnight waffle courtesy of Theresa and Liam Goodman

In respect to actual moments happening WITHIN the scope of a WOMS work, Liam and Theresa Goodman (Gooby) will be distributing free waffles* at Tas Kafe on Saturday, Aug 27 from 9a-12.  This is the second free waffle give away, and I must say the waffles are good.
I even penned my own testimonial quotes in honor of the waffles:


"These waffles are well worth waking up at 11pm for"
"This was the best waffle I've eaten all year.  It's also the only waffle I've eaten all year, but that should not diminish any of it's bestness."

Beacon Open Studios weekend; some images

The Mill's movie set-like exterior.

The Beacon Open Studios was pretty colossal this weekend.  I was only able to make it to a portion of the spaces.  Here are a few images of what I saw.

 

Above and below:  Stephan Spaccarelli's space at the Mill.

 

 

Above, Greg Slick's studio and below, Sara Corson's  portrait setup, both at the Mill.

 

 

 Alice Vaughn's Hudson River Bindery workspace at Beacon Studios - which is a name I've given up using.  Bulldog is what spills from most folk's lips still.

 

 

Jean-Marc Superville Sovak's stack in the library gallery of the old high school

 

 

Kirsten Kucer's drawings.

 

 

Theresa Gooby's napkin installation above, and her plastic bag works below.

 

 

Thomas Huber's work above and below.

 

 

Richard Bruce's studio.

 

Virtually everywhere I went, I encountered this baby stroller woman, let's call her "Kathy Feighery" and her adorable daughter whom we'll simply refer to as "Tess".  I swear she was intentionally following me.  She did it so well that her arrival in a location actually preceeded mine...very clever.  There was an episode of South Park where Ginger kids (a term I had never heard) run amok, led by the character Cartman.  Obviously, I was starting to get nervous.

Elia Gurna's work in her studio.

 

Outside Stephen Dickens' and Marsha Aliaga's Dirt Floor Studio.

 

Marsha's stair installation above and some of Stephen's paintings below.

 

The next several images are from my own open studio:

 

Below, some of the goodies provided by the Funky Baker.  I'm really trying to pimp her stuff. MMm, its good. These marble topped brownies that a surprisingly rich, Rich cocoa flavor.

 

 

 My now-upstair-neighbor, Marc Schreibman's photos on the front of the house.

 Above:  Elia Gurna's installation on our porch.  Below:  Inside the kitchen, Peter Iannarelli's work appropriated from byproducts of my studio labors.

 

 

 Stephen Dickens and friends krafting sound at the BOS after party at Spire Studios.

 

 Indeed.

Kudos to Theresa Gooby in pulling this off, with the assisstance of BACA, and other helpers.  My impression is that it was very successful over all.  Saturday seemed awash with visitors and Sunday featured a steady stream of people despite the threatening rain. 

A survey is being prepared to collect the feedback from artists which will shape the event next year.  And indeed, there will be an event next year, Theresa's already laying out her approach.

If anyone has any thoughts, any input from the weekend and what they saw, throw down some comments here.

I now have many more artist links to add to the sidebar.

Homecoming: Beacon Open Studios this weekend.

I was struck by a strange sensation shortly after entering the Beacon Open Studios kickoff party/opening reception tonight.  I suddenly had the sense that for the first time in a very long time, I was seeing a whole bunch of familiar faces all together in one place.  This isn't a great accomplishment seeing as I simply don't make it out like I used to, but it was a crazy vibe and it felt different somehow.  I then realized that part of that vibe came from standing in a crowded Van Brunt Gallery of another time.  With the same intense power a familiar scent has to thrust one back into the past, being in that space with a crowd had the effect of taking me back to VBG openings of yore,   What a heavy retro feel and a good one too.  I wasn't the only one; this same feeling was commented on by several of the other old farts I spoke to.  It was refreshing, and I got a little buzzed from it

I've been feeling indifferent to heading out to openings around town over the past year. Not to knock the efforts of any of the joints that are exhibiting in town recently, but I'm just burnt out.  I'm just not feeling it that much anymore.  I've been wondering if time has come to pack up this blog.  I haven't fully resolved that question for myself, but I've begun pulling back and trying to devote more time to offline studio endeavors, and perhaps shift the focus of what I write about here, when I write.  Everything must run its course, and change is mighty fine, even as it makes you pang for what you miss.  I'm loathe to admit my vulnerability for nostalgia, and I'm sure what I felt tonight was unadulterated nostalgia (I'm cringing as I'm writing this), but what I think is great about this is that the group show on the walls in this space and the opening itself teased out that sense of a gathered community which isn't as easy to achieve now as just a couple of years back when this community was much smaller. 

It was pretty cool.  I think I'm ready for Carl to move back into his old space.

Where Carl used to sit.

Anyway, I'm very interested to see how this open studio weekend shapes up.  Theresa Gooby's strategy of splitting the event up over two days definitely has its pros and cons but it's an assertive approach to tackling the specific challenges of such an event, and one that hasn't been tried yet, and I like that.  While this structure could prove problematic for visitors from out of town who will have only a portion of the studios available to them on a single day trip, I respect the benefit of giving resident artists a chance to visit at least some of their neighbors studios.  It's good to give the dancing monkeys a little entertainment for themselves whilst taking a break from mugging for the tourists.   Kudos to Theresa for pulling this together in the manner she has, and also to BACA and the Newburgh Art Supply and ZUZU's for sponsoring the event. Now comes the real test.

Visit the Beacon Open Studios blog for the full overview.  Tomorrow from 10-4 pm, studios on the East end of town will be open, and the West enders will be open on Sunday from 11-4 (Today's Poughkeepsie Journal article had the schedule reversed.)  BOS HQ will be open all weekend long at 460 Main St.

Spire Studios will be hosting the BOS closing party on Sunday beginning at 5pm.  

For those coming into town on Sunday, take note that the Spirit of Beacon Parade will be happening that day (weather allowing) and traffic patterns will be affected on 9D and along Main St. until late afternoon.