though we are about to change gears, and head upstate to the Shakers /
and their time-defying American craftsmanship & ingenuity /
and, the beauty of old ‘things’, especially historic diy crafts /
it feels appropriate for this moment to say . .
we are closing out on a long-running sci-fi vibe – with CHIE SHIMIZU !!
with a great sense – of WONDER !!
never under-estimate the work on the wall of a small start-up gallery – with such great friends & neighbors, that its founder, artist ALEXANDER DESCHAMPS . . literally called the place, Neighbor – is all I can say.
it’s so curious, not to say entertaining, and ironic – that from vibing outer space aka sci-fi, we’re still twinning with ‘Home’ and ‘Garden’ . . but more, as expressed through the ‘neighbors’ / the people who inhabit – those homes & gardens !!
CHIE SHIMIZU . . whose ‘ancestor mask’ stares you down at the raw indie Neighbor’s, located in a basically nondescript, but colorful depending on your outlook / Chinatown mall in NYC – has just come off of a very accomplished, head spinning 3 person show in Tokyo !!
titled, ‘Echoes from New York’, the show ran MAY 3 – June 12, 2023 at . . .
LURF MUSEUM, SHIBUYA-KU, TOKYO.
at the Roof Museum & sponsored by the United States Embassy.
here’s a glimpse of the show, from her Instagram page: @chieshimizu_
CHIE SHIMIZU, #Noh Mask, Lurf Museum
CHIE SHIMIZU, in ‘Echoes from New York’, Lurf Museum
PHOTOS: via Instagram @chieshimzu
~CHIE SHIMIZU . . & LURF MUSEUM / SHIBUYA-ku, TOKYO / with a side of NEIGHBORS |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | June 15th, 2023, 3:33pm
we are not alone – if we are surrounded by . . NEIGHBORS !!
& . . ANCESTORS.
CHIE SHIMIZU . . has art-scene-context / resonating ancestor-calling, mythic sculpture portraits – as well /
in the spirited, pretty much . . off-the-wall / inaugural group show, ‘Friends of Neighbors’,
NEIGHBORS, Chinatown, NYC
weekends thru end of June 2023 / HRS: 12 – 6 PM
CHIE SHIMIZU, ‘Head No.3’, 2023
wall piece, sculpture
Ultracal, plaster, pigments, seashell powder, white gold leaf, bamboo.
13 x 8.5 x 7 in.
images courtesy Instagram @neighbors_chinatown
CHIE SHIMUZU, ‘Head No.3’
@neighbors_chinatown: “Chie Shimizu creates exquisite contemporary sculpture that draws on classical Japanese motifs and and culture. She blends the past with the present with jaw dropping elegance. The figures in her work stare at you with a soul piercing gaze, their origin enigmatic, timeless, and powerful . . . the sculptures represent a sort of worldly balance. They are playful, but also spooky, they are heavy, but at the same time light as a feather, they are yin, but also . . yang.”
“Shimuzu’s technical ability cannot be understated. Outside of the studio, she also works as a teacher and for companies that make massive public sculpture. And yet, she is humble and kind, and generous. In this way, she espouses the balanced energy that radiates from her work.”
I would say it bit differently – just from seeing the work, and not knowing her at all – as Neighbors does. I would say: it is as balanced / as an ancestor of power would be in the infinite moment of . . truth.
Approach with care & utmost – respect.
PHOTOS: via Instagram @neighbors_chinatown
~CHIE SHIMIZU / ‘Friends of Neighbors’ / NEIGHBORS / CHINATOWN |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | June 15th, 2023, 1:41pm
no, we are not alone /
even if this just be our archetypal myths that still – ghost us.
ISABELLE FRANCES McGUIRE: ‘LOOP’
extended thru . . . SAT JUNE 17, 2023
KING’S LEAP / LOWER EAST SIDE, NYC
ISABELLE FRANCIS McGUIRE, ‘Bust2{“Assassians Creed NPC”, “New United States Flag”}, 2023
wax, resin, cotton, chain mail, leather, motion triggered sound device, wood.
66 x 15 x 14 in.
image courtesy King’s Leap website
~ISABELLE FRANCIS McGUIRE . . ‘LOOP’ |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | June 15th, 2023, 1:16pm
yep, we are most def traveling . . a SCI-FI ROAD !!
ISABELLE FRANCES McGUIRE – ‘LOOP’
her first solo presentation with King’s Leap – opened April 20th
& has just been extended thru . . SAT JUNE 17, 2023
KING’S LEAP, 105 Henry St., Store #5, Lower East Side, N.Y.C.
HRS: WED – SAT / 12 – 6 PM
all photos via Instagram @kings_leap /
except last photo, which is from their website.
see: more pix & info / King’s Leap
ISABELLE FRANCES McGUIRE, ‘Bust1 {“Elvis”, “Modern Warfare II NVG”}, 2023
animatronic Elvis bust, night vision goggles, wood
66 x 20 in.
ISABELLE FRANCES McGUIRE . .
ISABELLE FRANCIS McGUIRE . .
ISABELLE FRANCIS McGUIRE, “SuperBaby1(Unmanned)” {“BB”}, 2023
Bridge Baby replica, wood
66 x 6 x 8 in.
image courtesy KING’S LEAP
~ISABELLE FRANCIS McGUIRE . . ‘LOOP’ / KING’S LEAP / L.E.S. / EXTENDED THRU SAT JUNE 17 |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | June 8th, 2023, 7:42am
“WE ARE DEFINITELY – NOT ALONE” – MILITARY WHISTLEBLOWER ?!!!
A LOOK BACK – AT FORWARD-LOOKING / FUTURE-VISION . . ARTIST MATT LEINES !!
apparently, we are still rocking a SCI-FI VIBE !!
MATT LEINES, DESERT ISLAND COMIC BOOK STORE & GALLERY, BROOKLYN.
PHOTO: NANCY SMITH, NOV 4, 2008.
MATT LEINES, ‘The Pilot’, 2009.
acrylic and collage on wood.
27 x 16 in.
from . .
Matt Leines, ‘The Essential Collection’ exhibit,
Greenpoint Terminal Gallery, Brooklyn, March 2014.
PHOTO: NANCY SMITH
source: BRETT BACHMAN, NEWS NATION
‘DAVID GRUSCH – MILITARY UFO WHISTLEBLOWER COMES FORWARD’ / JUNE 5, 2023
the Air Force veteran claims U.S. has an active UFO RETRIEVAL PROGRAM /
and, “alleges the U.S. has even retrieved bodies – from other species.”
kind of fun, when an ‘art site’ /
leaves the ‘gentle’, if somewhat ‘brutalist-leaning’ terraces of Bushwick – towards the end of an art scene / dominated by house & garden;
and backs up – just by chance / into a mainstream sci-finews feed.
what up – world !!
true or false.
I dunno, but something future-vision / is definitely up & . . boiling !!
all I know is NYC sure looks like Mars today / the dusty red planet, for real.
c/o Canadian wild fires.
ARCHIVAL PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH
~MATT LEINES . . A LOOK BACK |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | June 7th, 2023, 9:17am
well, we might be outta Home & Garden / but . .
sci-fi still beckons.
and, if future hi-rez, micro nano . . hi-tech sonograms allow us to see the ‘seeds’ of our unborn babies,
and they are clearly alien, and look like this /
well, we might just be / back home – among the neighbors !!
MATT LEINES, ‘untitled’, 2022.
ink on paper / 12 x 9 in.
image c/o of the artist, thank you !!
one of the many gems to be found in . . .
‘FRIENDS of NEIGHBORS’ . . . !!
NEIGHBORS, 75 EAST BROADWAY – CHINESE MALL, 2nd FLOOR / CHINATOWN, NYC
HRS: 12 – 6 PM
IG: @neighbors_chinatown
~MATT LEINES . . ‘FRIENDS of NEIGHBORS’ / NEIGHBORS / CHINATOWN MALL |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | June 2nd, 2023, 8:24am
‘FUTURE PLANNING’ . . !!!
Yep, we are out of home, and garden / & off to CHINATOWN !!
well, maybe still in garden, somewhat !!
DAVID KENNEDY CUTLER is among good company !!
in the inaugural group show . . .’FRIENDS of NEIGHBORS’ . . !!
NEIGHBORS, 75 EAST BROADWAY, 2nd FL, CHINESE MALL, CHINATOWN NYC / IG: @neighbors_chinatown
OPENING THURS JUNE 1 / 6 – 8 PM
HRS: THURS -SUN / 12 – 6 PM
DAVID KENNEDY CUTLER, ‘Perennial’, 2023.
Inkjet transfer, acrylic, Permalac, aluminum, armature wire, button.
15.5 x 11 x 6.5 in.
image via Instagram @daviddkennedycutler
~DAVID KENNEDY CUTLER / INAUGURAL GROUP SHOW / ‘FRIENDS of NEIGHBORS’ / NEIGHB0RS, CHINATOWN / OPENING THURS JUNE 1 |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | June 1st, 2023, 8:40am
and, here’s . . FREDDY:
at the crossroads – from which the mundane hits on the mystical,
and reverberates – into the great unknown.
MATIAS ANON – ‘LIGHTER PAINTINGS’
MAY 20 – JUNE 25, 2023
FREDDY, HARRIS, UPSTATE N.Y.
HRS: BY APPOINTMENT – CONTACT GALLERY / info(at)freddygallery.biz
I want to say: BURN THE HOUSE DOWN . . !!
but, this show is just way too elegant.
though it definitely – lights a really big spark.
MATIAS ANON, ‘Lighter Painting (Red)’, 2023.
Urethane on canvas, BIC lighters.
14 x 7 in.
MATIAS ANON, ‘Lighter Painting (Red)’.
MATIAS ANON, ‘Lighter Painting (Yellow)’, 2023.
Urethane on canvas, BIC lighters.
11.75 x 6 in.
MATIAS ANON, ‘Lighter Painting (Yellow)’.
MATIAS ANON, ‘Lighter Painting (Black), 2023.
Urethane on canvas, BIC lighters.
16.75 x 6 in.
detail, MATIAS ANON, ‘Lighter Painting (Black)’.
MATIAS ANON, ‘Lighter Paintings’ – Install shot.
ok, one more / no can – resist.
MATIAS ANON, ‘Lighter Painting (White)’, 2023.
Urethane on canvas, BIC lighter.
24 x 8 in.
ALL PHOTOS COURTESY: FREDDY, HARRIS
Photography: KATYA KIRILLOFF
~MATIAS ANON / ‘LIGHTER PAINTINGS ‘ / FREDDY / HARRIS, NY |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | June 1st, 2023, 7:06am
TALK ABOUT: REAL COMMUNITY / from the ground roots, up . . !!
(and, only maybe . . sci fi / more like: Future Present)
‘FIELD of DREAMS’ – LAVENDER COUNTRY COMMUNITY GARDEN / DETROIT
SUNDAY, MAY 28 / 2 – 6 PM
12333 MacKAY, DETROIT
unveiling of . . . NEW SCULPTURES by:
KAYLA POWERS, MARISSA JEZAK, ARIA McMANUS, HENRY CRISSMAN, PHILLIP BIRCH, & DENISE KUPFERSHMIDT
with . . . current sculptures by: MAYA DAVIS, DMITRI HERTZ & ORLANDO ESTRADA
SUNDAY SERMON by RALPH HILL with music by JONNY CAMPOLO
& A BIG !! SHOUT OUT !! . . to: JEFFREY TRANCHELL / founder of JEFF’S DETROIT.
~MEMORIAL DAY COOK-OUT & NEW SCULPTURES / LAVENDER COUNTRY DETROIT / SUN MAY 28 |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | May 24th, 2023, 3:08pm
SUNSET POETRY READING . . !!
BABA YAGA
5821 NY – 9G, HUDSON, NY 12534
behind the garage – 8 PM
~SUNSET POETRY READING / BABA YAGA GALLERY HUDSON / SAT MAY 25 |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | May 24th, 2023, 2:30pm
