subtext: COLOR BLOCK – ascending
subtext: industrial / commercial housing
subtext: environment
subtext: craft / photography + house building / book making + graphic design
PETER SUTHERLAND, ‘NEW PROMISE LAND INC.’, 2019
published by ETUDES BOOKS, PARIS / limited edition of 300
text / Interview by LOLA KRAMER
more info: ‘NEW PROMISE LAND INC’ / PETER SUTHERLAND / ETUDES BOOKS No. 20 . . . . HARD COVER, FIRST EDITION, MARCH 2019
note: available at select indie / art bookshops – NYC.
above 3 images via Instagram @petersutherland
image via Instagram @etudesbooks / Blue Books
~PETER SUTHERLAND . . ‘New Promise Land Inc.’ / Etudes Books, Paris |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | May 23rd, 2019, 8:38am
subtext: EMILY JANOWICK aka @pleather_mommy / Instagram – ascending
subtext: ‘Mother’ culture – ascending, & sure enough, see: Mother Culture – 2 posts above !!
subtext: ‘craft-based’ art, as in . . edible pill-making (/!!) – ascending to conceptual art
subtext: ‘color block’ – aka bold color graphics – ascending
subtext: graphic design – ascending
if . . .
you are in a David vs Goliath kind of mood-y, this is your anti-Whitney tonic.
actually they go pretty well together / this weekend’s study in . . art world / yin yang.
EMILY JANOWICK’S ‘WATER WORKS’ . . . at PATRICK MOHUNDRO’s Soho street corner pop-up: pad_gallery
Sat May 18, 2019 / 11 am – Sunset / Wooster & Spring ?
as pop-up / cutting edge, and stubbornly indie rebel – as it gets / esp in Soho, esp these days. this decade, whatever !!
EMILY JANOWICK / ‘Vitamin Shoppe’
and no, the corner ain’t named after the Sacklers !!
@pleather_mommy: “Eat my drawings this Saturday @pad_gallery ! ‘WATER WORKS’ – they’re nontoxic”.
image via Instagram @pleather_mommy (Emily Janowick)
EMILY JANOWICK . . .
EMILY JANOWICK . . .
EMILY JANOWICK – magic brew in a glass jar.
all 3 images via Instagram @pleather_mommy
pad_gallery / Wooster & Spring . .
typical set-up.
image via Instagram @pad_gallery
~EMILY JANOWICK . . ‘WATER WORKS’ / pad_gallery, Soho / pop-up today !! |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | May 18th, 2019, 9:49am
‘DAISY CHAIN’ . . the inaugural exhibit / of new artist-run gallery: A.D.
OPENS FRI MAY 17 / 6 – 9 PM
runs thru . . . JUNE 23, 2019
A.D. / ANNO DOMINI / 19 MONROE ST, L.E.S. / CHINATOWN, NYC / BASEMENT
HRS: SAT & SUN: 1 – 6 PM & BY APPOINTMENT
featuring work by:
MAGGIE LEE, CLAIR MOREY, MITCHELL ALGUS, ERNST YOHJI JAGER, NIKHOLIS PLANCK
A.D. > > > is a new gallery project presented by: PHILIP HINGE, NICHOLAS SULLIVAN & NICK IRZYK.
FLYER IMAGE BY: NICHOLAS SULLIVAN
A.D. / BEST GALLERY LOGO – IN A LONG TIME (!!)
~’DAISY CHAIN’ . . A.D. INAUGURAL EXHIBIT / OPENS FRI MAY 17 |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | May 16th, 2019, 1:03pm
‘MAY WEST’ at VICKI PROJECTS, NEWBURGH, NY
3 Montreal-based artists: LORNA BAUER, SIMON BELLEAU, MEGANE VOGHELL
. . . UP THRU JUNE 1, 2019
SIMON BELLEAU, ‘The Prey’, 2019.
wood cane handle / 4 x 2.5 x 4 in.
SIMON BELLEAU. ‘The Dresser’, 2019.
wood / 48 x 24 x 9 in.
SIMON BELLEAU, ‘The Table’, 2019.
wood table, MEGANE VOGHELL drawing, avocado pit /48 x 36 x 22 in.
MEGANE VOGHELL, ‘Arbre, trampoline et bete (entre l’arbre et le graine)’, 2019.
pencil, grahite, charcoal. gouache, dry pastel, oil pastel & acrylic on paper / 11 x 14 in.
note: all images via VICKI PROJECTS
check out: SIMON BELLEAU – WEBSITE
check out: MEGANE VOGHELL – FLICKR
~SIMON BELLEAU, MEGANE VOGHELL . . ‘MAY WEST’ / VICKI PROJECTS |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | May 15th, 2019, 10:46am
CRAFT / ART
LIFE / DEATH
that’s a snake chasing . . its own tail.
the only labels that should be bantered about are: effective ? sustainable ? happy ? healthy ?
and if not, explain.
LORNA BAUER brings hand-blown glass . . to ‘MAY WEST’ / VICKI PROJECTS
up thru . . JUNE 1 / BY APPOINTMENT
327 LIBERTY ST., NEWBURGH, NY 12550
Montreal-based artist, LORNA BAUER exhibited these ‘reflections’ . . on the generic ‘plastic’ water bottle.
LORNA BAUER, ‘Sitio Bottle’, 2018.
mold- and hand-blown glass / 24 x 9 x 4.5 in.
that pop . . says: “STOP” !!
or / STOP & LOOK . . . !!
all 3 images via Instagram @lornabauer
they almost look like Penguins.
which is very strange / how ani-mal-istic they seem.
and re: penguins, btw . . happy ? healthy ? sustainable / NOT !!!!
image via Instagram @danieljgiordano
check out: LORNA BAUER – ARTIST PORTFOLIO WEBSITE !!!
note: shirts, shirts, everywhere !!!
~LORNA BAUER . . GLASS WORKS / ‘MAY WEST’ / VICKI PROJECTS |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | May 14th, 2019, 2:54pm
SAMUEL BOEHM & DANIEL GIORDANO PRESENT: ‘MAY WEST’
FEATURING 3 MONTREAL-BASED ARTISTS:
LORNA BAUER, SIMON BELLEAU & MEGANE VOGHELL
OPENING SAT MAY 11 / 6 PM
running thru . . JUNE 1, 2019
VICKI PROJECTS, 327 LIBERTY ST., NEWBURGH, NY 12550
HRS: BY APPOINTMENT
‘MAY WEST’ ???!!!
is that a riff on . . . MAIS OUI ???
could . . . be.
note: super great . . how this image self-animates !!!!
as you scroll down – the screen.
~’MAY WEST ‘ . . VICKI PROJECTS, NEWBURGH, NY / OPENING SAT MAY 11 6 PM |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | May 11th, 2019, 11:14am
JUST CAN’T RESIST . . A WAR of the SHIRTS !!
SYNCH . . NATION !!
CRAFT: CAN ALSO BE QUITE PLAIN-SPOKEN / JUST PLAIN OLE FABRIC / and . . QUITE BANAL !!
and yet, speak . . volumes /
unless . . it’s the Emperor who wore no clothes ?
ah, the iron-y.
Plaid game . . on !!
DISTRESSED / WORN-OUT ? CUT-OUT & most def: edgey.
DAVID KENNEDY CUTLER . . . ‘Ring Around The Collar’, 2019.
inkjet transfer and acrylic on canvas, Permalac, button, thread, aluminum armature, hardware
5.5 x 6 x 5 in.
in ‘BIG RINGER’, curated by ANDREW GUENTHER, ANDREW EDLIN GALLERY
up thru . . . JUNE 8, 2019.
PHOTO: NANCY SMITH
our boy Walter, always ahead of the game.
and, as ‘Americana’ – as they make ’em (painters).
WALTER ROBINSON . . . ‘Target Mens Red Plaid Long Sleeve Button Down Shirt’, 2016.
acrylic on canvas / 28 x 28 in.
in . . .
‘WALTER ROBINSON – SHIRT PAINTINGS’
CHARLIE JAMES GALLERY, L.A.
OPENING . . . TOMORROW, SAT MAY 11 & also running . . . thru June 8, 2019.
more on the show: CHARLIE JAMES GALLERY – WALTER ROBINSON ‘SHIRT PAINTINGS’
~’BIG RINGER’ vs WALTER ROBINSON ? IT’S A > > TIE !! |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | May 10th, 2019, 8:19am
GOTH BEGETS CRAFT: GAME of THRONES & LORD of THE RING / HEAVY METAL / DEAD ANIMALS, FLOWERS & HERBS / BLACK VELVET
CRAFT . . can have / a DARK SIDE.
‘BIG RINGER’ . . . ORGANIZED & CURATED BY ANDREW GUENTHER / aka EAT THE LEAF
OVER 100 ARTISTS . . . RE-IMAGINE THE ENGAGEMENT RING.
UP THRU .. JUNE 8, 2019
ANDREW EDLIN GALLERY
FRODO MIKKELSEN, ‘Untitled’, 2019.
silver plated marten skull / 1.8.x 1.6 x 2.8 in.
was . . . Frodo wearing an invisibility cloak at the opening ?
image via Instagram @andrewedlingallery
CHRISTIAN HULTQUIST, ‘I love you like ham sandwiches’, 2019.
ginger, velvet string, and fabric (with attached paper) / 1.25 x 4 x 12 in.
one really can’t underestimate the influence of ‘GAME of THRONES’ & ‘LORD OF THE RINGS’ /
in contemporary visual . . culture.
DESTINY MONTAGUE at the opening . . . with her ‘Big Ringer’ – on the hand model.
DESTINY MONTAGUE, ‘Invasive Species’, 2019.
water caltrops (trapa natans L) . . cast in bronze / approx. 3 x 4 in.
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH – unless otherwise noted
~’BIG RINGER’ . . OPENING PIX !! – PART III: FRODO & DESTINY / CHRISTIAN HULTQUIST |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | May 10th, 2019, 7:33am
‘BIG RINGER’ . . . ORGANIZED & CURATED BY ANDREW GUENTHER / aka EAT THE LEAF
OVER 100 ARTISTS . . . RE-IMAGINE / THE ENGAGEMENT RING
UP THRU . . . JUNE 8, 2019
ANDREW EDLIN GALLERY
MORE:‘BIG RINGER’ – ANDREW EDLIN GALLERY
PIX FROM THE OPENING – PART II / SAT APRIL 25, 2019
NICHOLAS STEINDORF / right: BRIAN WILLMONT
woof . .
I was so glad to find out NICHOLAS STEINDORF’S 3 part, sultry offering . . was all about being (the only) ‘multiple edition’, in the show – and, not about wanting maybe . .. 3 wives ?!!
NICHOLAS STEINDORF, ‘ONION RING RING’, 2019.
Burger King onion ring, resin / 1 x 1 in.
BRIAN WILLMONT, ‘Monument to Eternity’, 2019.
Acrylic paint, 3.5 x 3.5 in.
from the show’s curator . . ANDREW GUENTHER,
who paints under @andrewguenther_art & makes jewelry under @eattheleaf.
the ‘south’ side . . of eternity & desire.
ANDREW GUENTHER, ‘Fly’, 2019. Resin, dead fly. 1 x 1 in.
SASHA FISHMAN, ‘Sticky & Toothless’, 2019.
Lost teeth, resin, gold leaf, polymers, found pearl, hot glue, urrethane, vinyl, brass. 3 x 3 x 3 in.
ALEXANDER DESCHAMPS, ‘(C)ASH 4 GOLD’, 2019.
Brass and acrylic / 0.75 x 1 x 1.25 in.
JONATHAN TRACY, ‘Desiccated Cartouche’, 2019.
Various putty, ABS plastic, Lapis lazuli, and gold foil.
4.5 x 2 x 1.75 in.
ALICIA GIBSON, ‘Dilirium of Negation’, 2019.
Synthetic hair, brass ring, wire, and costume jewelry.
3 in. in diameter.
ALICIA GIBSON’s “memento mori” . . surprised me the most, just as to: scale.
in the Instagram photos, it had seemed sized to fit a finger, but it was larger.
it was kind of even: monumental on the ring scale !! and, way deep in meanings, too . .
mortality, death, vanity of earthly life & the “transient nature of all earthly goods and pursuits” / google
a reflection on: eternity in a deep, strong ancestral way. a strong bond, maybe even unto death.
TAMARA SANTIBANEZ, ‘Ring’, 2019.
Polymer clay, acrylic paint / 5x 3.5 in.
picture that / upright, on your engagement finger.
it’s also so easy – to break a marriage / slightly chip a sharp point, and each time – more of the bond
. . chips away.
ANTONE KONST, ‘Strong Ring’, 2019.
Airplane wire (steel), acrylic. / 1 x 1 in.
all love should only be so strong, and stay, so . . tender.
THOM COWAN, ‘Partners’, 2019.
Clay, coral, acrylic, and wire / 7.5 x 7 in.
THOM COWAN’S ‘ring’ . . covered all the bases, ‘partners’ going through cycles,
and ups-and- downs . . is pretty much it.
it helps to have some – playfulness.
his piece reminded me of ANTONE KONST’S . . recent, over-size ‘FREE PEDDLER’ sculpture at Socrates Sculpture Park / Annual 2018. in the loopy-ness of form, and the sense of inner weariness, even though the story seems playful, the craziness of biology, reproduction, and the animal world in general.
then, there’s that . . ‘ball & chain’.
The ‘Free Peddler’ . . also had that sense of being ‘chained to a situation’, a life of endless trekking / hawking trinkets and wares, even if the exchange was free.
the word: FABLE comes to mind.
THOM COWAN . .
at the opening with his piece, to the top / left side.
that other piece above, is by . . DOUG YOUNG, ‘Chromium Alum Ring’, 2019.
Chromium alum, paper, paint, sterling silver / 5 x 5 x 5 in.
it is probably . . the biggest ‘ rock’ in the room, rock n roll.
(as Walter Robinson . . would say.)
the other ring hinted at.
BRANDEN KOCH, ‘today’s growth, tomorrow’s rings’, 2019.
gouache, ink, and acrylic polymer on cut pine.
4.5 x 2.25 x 1.25
there was a ring, and even on occasion, a non-ring (!!) for every mind-set.
though, this one looks like it should be embedded into our heads.
please don’t burst my hopes, with your reality.
reach for the rainbow.
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH
~’BIG RINGER’ . . OPENING PIX !! – PART II |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | May 8th, 2019, 10:30am
subtext: CRAFT / ART / CONCEPT
utilizing made-by-hand / DIY ‘skills’ that very much leaned to the . . improvised, passionate & one-of-a-kind.
meshed with a strong poetry of mind / & a symbolism . . that went well past: sublime & hit all the bases,
from skeptic to lustful / tempestuous & powerful / to sweet & gentle / & even flat-out: wary, hurt, scared, and often, just plain ole . . “it’s complicated”.
and, even . . “No”.
if you are seeing art – this weekend / this is a must-see, local venue . . swing by !!
‘BIG RINGER’ . . .
ORGANIZED & CURATED BY ANDREW GUENTHER / aka EAT THE LEAF
OVER 100 ARTISTS . . RE-IMAGINE / THE ENGAGEMENT RING
UP THRU . . . JUNE 8, 2019.
ANDREW EDLIN GALLERY
more: ‘BIG RINGER’ exhibit – ANDREW EDLIN
PIX FROM THE OPENING – PART I / SAT APRIL 27, 2019
ANDREW GUENTHER . . must have had a mighty vision, of tiny things interacting . . when he first dreamed up this show.
because he not only held it together, but surpassed all expectations . . .
the range of the works, and the diverse emotional ‘bases’ – they hit, was a kind of miniature kaleidoscope of marriage commitment, seen through the eyes of contemporary art, and, that should really be stated as . . cutting edge / underground contemporary art.
these were not your mainstream pros flaunting their wares. these were for the most part, voices from the frontier.
I expected the work to be bold, which it was. maybe outrageous, perhaps lovely, even lustful . . and knowing Andrew, most likely, in a proto-goth, heavy metal way: contrarian. and, that – it was. and more.
what I did not expect, was the polished to a fine moment / inspired . . presentation.
I had sort of envisioned rows of plexiglass shelves, maybe display counter-tops / instead, what you get is a series of ‘specific’ conversations – in small settings, with each ring, or ring, NOT !! . .
showcased – as if a miniature theatrical stage play was at ‘hand’.
I’ll have to start calling Andrew – ‘Shakespeare’, from now on.
oh, the stories . . that got told !!
just riffing off a little, as in tiny, but tradition-heavy . . ring.
RING BY – MARK THOMAS GIBSON, ‘Behold’, 2019.
ink on paper. 14.5 x 10.25 in.
well, first of all – everything was supposed to be a ‘ring’ (!!), and not bigger than 5 in. in any one direction !!
you only know what you’re in for, when you move past the entry desk, down a brief corridor, and arrive into the main room, like a ‘reveal’. the first thing I wanted to find, to help bring the show into perspective . . was the most contrarian thing in the room, and this saturated print-like drawing !! . . was it.
right there on the first, street-facing, front wall. Ka-boom.
2-D not 3-D, larger than 5 in. & def . . not wearable.
but a ‘poster’ image, for LOVE – DIVINE !!!! none-the-less.
this was a bell ring-er / and it’s song was glorious. it had a perch, like . . ‘head of the table’.
it lent a kind of in-your-face rebel / goth, black & white vibe to the proceedings & set a tone, for sure.
ecstatic. and not in a rapper bling bling way either.
more . . as in : American outsider / ecstatic painter.
so this is how the presentation . . went.
small groupings . . on shelves or stand-alone tables / as perfect and concise, as an Emily Dickinson poem.
NANCY SMITH, ‘Sewing Machine Ring: Won’t you marry me, my darling millennial crafter?”, 2019.
thrift-shop silver-plated band, miniature dollhouse cast-iron ‘antique’ (fly-wheel) sewing machine. 2 x 1-3/4 x 1/2 in.
note: the ‘fly-wheel’ / i.e. it is hand-operated / as opposed to electric, & now monster / computer programmed machines.
and, there was my ‘ring’, squarely established – just below the Mark Thomas Gibson drawing.
it looked really profound, I was surprised. the way it was displayed, it really did speak to how surprised & honored I was to be included . . in a crafts-based, but nonetheless highly . . rebel / hard-core improvised show.
it did seem to speak – to this generation.
left: SARAH SCHECHTER, ‘Magic Ring’, 2019. Tinfoil, acrylic paint, and flowers. 5 x 5 in.
right: RYAN KITSON, ‘Ruby Ring Toy’, 2019. Ruby, resin, pottery, plaster, glass. 7 x 4 x 4 in.
it was astounding to see my common-sense ring – a practical ode to a generic diy generation / sharing a table with these 2 wild & crazy pieces, pieces that could not be more different – if they had tried to out-do each other, in advance !!
‘INFINITY’ – thy very definition is a 100+ NYC artist show !!
RYAN KITSON, . . . it’s complicated (!!)
NANU AL-HAMAD, “I Don’t”, 2019. (!!!)
Matches, jewelry box. 3 x 2 x 3 in.
opps, so much for romanticism, or is that incredibly romantic in a deeper way ?
great metaphor, if you’ve been married, no more words – needed.
just laying it – out. very straight-forward. elegant, but harsh. just like life.
in fact I think, ‘my’ table . . was the heavy metal one. everything was kind of dark, serious and goth.
since my piece was more of a riff, a pun, an ode !! a sentiment / I can only conclude I got in under the wire, on the basest of reasons, being the hard surfaces, and / ‘cast-iron’ is a heavy-metal – after all.
I thought the contrast of themes gave a great tension, in fact, all the display settings had this energy going on.
PRISCILLA FUSCO, ‘Untitled’, 2019.
stoneware/porcelain. 2.5 x 4 x 1.5 in.
white is the new black, esp when it is bone-colored, and skeleton-looking.
ANDREW GUENTHER, ‘Model for Ring’, 2019.
ABS plastic, wire and wax. 1 x 1 in.
this was Andrew’s ring !!
goth as only goth can be. ancient, like a magic spell, like a well-worn bone.
with blood tints at the . . beginning.
MIA GISELLE ANTER, ‘Guardian of Solitude’, 2019.
Brass, sterling silver, mirror.
3.25 x 1.5 x 1.5 in. / 3.25 x 2 x 1.5 in.
yes, definite . . a spell-casting / dark arts, heavy metal – table.
MIA GISELLE ANTER . . at the opening.
her ring was like a mirror.
skills / magic / black magic, craft / witchcraft.
spells / potions, passion . . everything a ring of such promise & often fearsome responsibility: should be.
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH
~’BIG RINGER’ . . ORGANIZED & CURATED BY ANDREW GUENTHER / ANDREW EDLIN GALLERY / OPENING PIX !! – PART I |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | May 2nd, 2019, 5:11pm
