~LUCAS AJEMIAN & JULIEN BISMUTH/OPENING PIX

les lettres

next week – is the last week – to catch !!
LUCAS AJEMIAN and JULIEN BISMUTH – ‘LES LETTRES TRISTES’
NOV 21, 2008 – JAN 10, 2009
FOXY PRODUCTION – 623 W. 27th ST. – CHELSEA – NYC
note: the gallery is closed DEC 25 – JAN 5, 2009 – inclusively for holidays !!


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. . . if you, literally, like your art with a capital A – form, function, design and meaning? – you should make a point of catching this show – before it closes.

PHOTOS FROM THE OPENING – FRIDAY NOV 21, 2008

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JULIEN BISMUTH

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LUCAS AJEMIAN, daughter MADELAINE, 3, and wife, STEPHANIE CONWAY.

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JAY SANDERS drops by. if you’ve ever been to Greene Naftali – you’ll recognize the face.

Lucas # 4
TAN LIN.
Tan Lin can best be described as a conceptualist/sensualist/author/poet/writer/artist.
One of his most notable projects is: ‘BlipSoak 01’ (Berkeley, CA: Atelos 2003) – in which he states:
“A lot of people think great works of literature should be memorized. I think poems and novels are most beautiful at the exact moment in which they are forgotten.”
His most recent book is: ‘Plagerism/Outsource’ – a project that chronicles Heath Ledger’s death through SMS messages and RSS feeds.

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the first thing one sees on entering the gallery – are Lucas and Julien’s handmade newspapers – a weekly discourse highlighting their project, and incorporating the words and images of invited guests – free for the taking.

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LUCAS AJEMIAN and JULIEN BISMUTH – 4 different ‘set pieces’ – each comprised of a floor sculpture of green powder coated steel, and including – a 2 channel video loop with audio. Dimensions variable.
(series of 8 + 2 AP)

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LUCAS AJEMIAN and JULIEN BISMUTH – steel floor sculptures.

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video frame – LUCAS AJEMIAN and JULIEN BISMUTH

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directional sound speakers were very amusing.

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another element in the exhibit – a framed series called: ‘A HOLE IN COPENHAGEN’ – 2008. collage, wood, acrylic paint, and ink.

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LUCAS AJEMIAN and JULIEN BISMUTH, ‘A HOLE IN COPENHAGEN’

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LUCAS AJEMIAN and JULIEN BISMUTH, ‘A HOLE IN COPENHAGEN’.

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in the back room, our favorite piece – LUCAS AJEMIAN and JULIEN BISMUTH – ‘LA TABLE TRISTE (A is for 4)’. 2008 mixed media, Dimensions variable.

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it was all about letters. and meanings and form and style. not to mention flat vs. 3-Dimensional and studied vs. random and haphazard !! yesterday, today and tomorrow !!
artist studio and gallery presentation.
there was also a small pinpoint wall projection – here is a frame that states: “E is for . .” in green.

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big and small. studied vs. free form. flat and 3-D !! color and no color. paper letters. cardboard letters.
letters alone, and letters in words with meaning.

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‘found’ letters and . . . solid brass letters.

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‘flat’ letter-making utensils !!

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and home-made 3-D constructions.

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can you spot – the tip of the literal – capital A – for Art ??
hint: it’s orange.

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Capital A – is 3-D !!

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drawings on the table – that have nothing to do with letters ? or do they.
maybe these jars speak to half-full content ? or just to the dreams within letters.

lucas # 22
tubes of drawings like an architect would have tubes of plans – on his table.

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some have actual letters, made-up words – some are more like – visual poems, and therefore: letters ?

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today’s paper – a study in fonts – it went up on the table !!

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there was even a conceptual letter ‘G’ – hanging in the space under the table.

lucas # 34
letters to love ?

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letters to roll around ?

letters # 41
LUCAS AJEMIAN and JULIEN BISMUTH – ‘Les Lettres Triste’ – love letters to Capital A – art ?

from the press release: “Les Lettres Tristes (The Sad Letters) refers to the Lettristes, the members of the avant-garde group, established in mid-century Paris, who used letters, hieroglyphics and other graphic symbols to create wildly experimental films, poetry, and art-works.”

PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH