ANDREW SMITH, the Brit who penned . . . ‘TOTALLY WIRED – ON THE TRAIL OF THE GREAT DOTCOM SWINDLE’
essentially the story of rise and fall of JOSH HARRIS and PSEUDO – and the DOTCOM BUBBLE impact on the world around them – leading up to where we are now !!
set foot on this lovely island of NEW YORK CITY, from his home base in London, back in OCTOBER of 2008.
The author of the critically acclaimed and international best seller: ‘MOONDUST’, he had come to research his next project – JOSH HARRIS and the glorious DOTCOM DAYS !!
perhaps as befitting someone who had just successfully documented and brought to life on paper – the lives of the last 9 remaining ‘moonwalkers’, the surviving astronauts who had gone to the moon and come back – he arrived from his tiny bit of over-ambitious island to land, set foot – on our over-reaching bit of water-surrounded island – on a very, very auspicious moment.
right off upon his contacting me, I told him to meet me at the corner of HOUSTON and BROADWAY, on the very fringes of SOHO, a very wired ‘corner’ with a lot of history, being the site of the original PSEUDO headquarters !! lo and behold, the building had just been bought and was going through commercial changes – but, there on the glass plate front door, for all to see – was a HUGE smearing of what looked like . . . sand and glue.
it looked quite awesome and deliberate . . . some sort of street ‘tag’ at worst, magic tantric Drune symbol – at best ?
yes, even ANDREW SMITH, who had interviewed the astronauts who had walked on the moon – was impressed !!
I had to contact JOSH – who was up on the FARM, at that time, and ask: what the F ?
turns out key Pseudo early player, CAL, aka JUDGECAL aka the KING of THE NYC VAMPIRES, for real dudes (!!) – had just expired under mysterious circumstances. a drug OD ? extreme auto-eroticism did pop-up on the inner ‘chat’ lines – or just a fatal failure . . . to be able adapt and move on, survive . . . the rock bottom collapse of PSEUDO ? these were the circumstances of his death. he was still quite young, and either out of deference to his defining star role at PSEUDO, or as an angry gesture against the place that had put him up, and then brought him down, in other words back at ya PSEUDO !!
and, of course the merry MJ LUVVY – the wizard of OZ himself: Josh Harris.
and we had just walked upon it – all unknowing – in that ‘exact’ sweet spot between it going up, and before it came down.
that’s the way things went at PSEUDO. and around JOSH HARRIS, it’s hard to put a word on that kind of cosmic harmonic – that we all felt over there – but photos, and ‘natural born’ timing, aka RADAR – speak louder than words.
PSEUDO – you can’t fake that !!
and, come to think on it, looking back now – maybe that group signage, vampire originated … was the hex that brought eventually brought Josh down, and I mean, really down – too.
conclusion: never fight with a Vampire.
see: ANDREW SMITH, INTERVIEW re: ‘MOONDUST – IN SEARCH OF THE MEN WHO FELL TO EARTH’.
oh, yeah.
see: ANDREW SMITH – ‘MOONDUST’ Publishers Guide. normally, I’d say don’t look back – but it, that be real good stuff . . . real-time interviews with the real men who walked … on the moon. how can you beat that, no-brainer.
after a bit of a chat … and a few drinks, seriously I don’t remember a word that transpired, but we were drinking Brazilian mojitos !! I took him to see some local ‘cutting edge’ art.
luckily, in another totally auspicious NYC minute !! – there was an opening reception, at the fly-by-night, now you see it, now you don’t, way under the mainstream radar – nearby ANONYMOUS GALLERY, which is now transplanted to MEXICO CITY . . bye the way. shout out to: JOSEPH !!
at any rate: we caught the work of some really bonafide street artists, in particular, the super awesome SP.One / GREG LAMARCHE, who I had followed intensely for a long time. and yes, I do believe, in my heart of hearts – that, that white ‘N’ is for NANCY !! I had just posted a real positive review of a more recent show, a street ‘container’ pop-up – for him.
ANDREW SMITH – beside a big, signature ANTHONY LISTER canvas, also in the OCT 2008 show at ANONYMOUS.
the evil rats. forget the Vampires. the rats – really spelled out the name of the mainstream art game – in this town.
and then – I took ANDREW SMITH over to the late night opening bash – for the – 2008 NY ART BOOK FAIR !!
that’s the money shot dudes, FOR THIS NY ART BOOK FAIR 2012 WEEKEND, or what !!
t-i-m-i-n-g is all !!
when it was still in Manhattan, still in its nascent state, and staged on 15th St. – in the former PHILLIPS de PURY AUCTION HOUSE.
ANDREW IS WITH . . . artist & musician – PHIL COTE of BOBO !! a great Indie band outta Philly, if there ever was a great band, outta PHILLY – this is it.
if you know anything – on this type of stuff, you know: BOBO rules !!
art wise, too.
well, that’s the way – we rolled at PSEUDO.
ALL PHOTOS BY & COPYRIGHT: NANCY SMITH. NYC OCT 26, 2008
~ANDREW SMITH . . . |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | September 28th, 2012, 11:23am
‘TOTALLY WIRED’ – THE STORY OF JOSH HARRIS & THE EARLY DOT-COM DAYS – at PSEUDO !!
A NEW BOOK – BY BRIT AUTHOR – ANDREW SMITH – WILL BE FEATURED ‘NEWS’ – THIS WEEKEND !!
along with where to find the best NEW zines, etc !!
IT’S NY ART BOOK FAIR – WEEKEND . . . !! and this is a BOOK, is it not ?
on a bunch of totally wired & visionary guys, who took their dot-com millions – and hyper-fueled the NYC underground art scene . . . for a few really great, hyper-charged years !!
SO, JUST CURIOUS . . . ANYBODY COOL ENOUGH IN THAT WHOLE ‘ART’ BOOK FAIR – TO BE STOCKING – THIS BOOK !!?
huh, why do I bet, NOT !!
PS1 MOMA – not as totally cutting edge as it HYPES itself, out to be !! or what ?
more to post !!
but I’ll say this – the PSEUDO CREW – the real inside guys, who were there at the beginning – just gave this book, ‘TOTALLY WIRED’ – a big thumbs up !! – they say it reads true, loud & clear !!
it’s available on: AMAZON … ‘TOTALLY WIRED – ON THE TRAIL of the THE BIG DOT-COM SWINDLE’ !! – by ANDREW SMITH
P.S. and just in case, I am wrong, ha !! send me your iPhone photo – see contact at top left – of the book at the NY ART BOOK FAIR 2012, along with the distributor table info – and I’ll post it !!
along with ANY other message you want to put out, as well . . . and well, I’ll even throw in $10 bucks, to boot !!
as if . . . !!
back in the JOSH HARRIS days, that reward would have been a cool grand, at least !! plus we’d be having the after party – to end all after parties. thus the legend was … and, it was ALL TRUE !!
I know – I was there.
note: PIX OF THE PSEUDO CREW, THEIR TAKE on THE BOOK & PIX of ANDREW SMITH – COMING UP – SO, STAY WIRED !!
~’TOTALLY WIRED’ . . . |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | September 27th, 2012, 11:51am
coming up this weekend . . .
FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC:
FRI SEPT 28, 2012 12NOON – 7PM
SAT SEPT 29, 2012 11AM – 9PM
SUN SEPT 30, 2012 11AM – 7PM
with a PREVIEW & FREE MUSICAL PERFORMANCE to-nite, THURS SEPT 27,2012 / 6-9 PM
SUN FOOT and MALCOLM MOONEY will perform in the PERFORMANCE DOME.
MOMA PS 1 in LONG ISLAND CITY, QUEENS – BE THERE, or BE SQUARE !! BOOKS !! ZINES !! you name it !!
BIG HOUSES & SMALL INDEPENDENTS !! artists, writers, designers – all rolled into one locale !!
if you want to be ‘spurting blood red’ !! – i.e. on the bleeding edge of what’s happening – here’s your capsule of a chance.
see: NY ART BOOK FAIR
UP-DATE: THURS SEPT 27, 2012 / 8:19 PM !! ….. HERE’S THE LOW-DOWN on the ART BOOK FAIR !!
1. CINDERS: you can find them under the TENT !! in the SCHOOLYARD. plus STO says . . . he’ll be bringing new books, and zines – too. he will probably have some artist silkscreen editions as well.
2. APENEST & CREW: a new zine featuring artwork – by BRIAN WILLMONT, CODY HOYT, OWEN RUNDQUIST & ALEXANDER De MARIA – will debut at the VISUAL FIELD PRESS TABLE.
where you can also find past issues of APENEST !! go for it.
3. DESERT ISLAND: GABE FOWLER is debuting a new book – just published by DESERT ISLAND – a first in what he hopes will become a series of books published by DESERT ISLAND.
it’s a very explicit and wicked book, it’s a book of far out line drawings – it’s a comic book . . . . ok !! it’s a hipster’s twisted sex manual !! . . . it’s by HEATHER BENJAMIN and it’s called: ‘SAD SEX’ – !!
. . . it comes in a brown paper bag. yes, it’s that bad.
‘SAD SEX’ – by HEATHER BENJAMIN – the debut PUBLICATION – from BROOKLYN’S – DESERT ISLAND !!
~NY ART BOOK FAIR & UP-DATE: CINDERS, APENEST & HEATHER BENJAMIN’S ‘SAD SEX’ at DESERT ISLAND !! |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | September 27th, 2012, 8:44am
YES !!
the BROOKLYN COMICS and GRAPHICS FESTIVAL is !! moving up on the calendar to: SAT NOV 10, 2012 / 12-7 PM !!
SO – SAVE THE DATE !!
it used to happen . . . in the first week of DEC – when the field was wide open, as everyone in the NYC art world (per se !!) – decamped to MIAMI, for the MIAMI BASEL ART FAIR.
you know what they say: when the cat’s away – the mice will PLAY !! and play they did !!
only in its 4th year – the Brooklyn Comics and Graphics Fest – is NOW big enough to take on the BIG boys – SO, come on over !! and, see what took over a big slice of your art world pie !!
and you thought you had it locked down – ARTFORUM style. ha.
and, yeah it’s in . . . BROOKLYN !!
GABE FOWLER, of DESERT ISLAND one of the festival’s founders, along with DAN NADEL of PICTUREBOX, and BILL KARTALOPOULOS . . . confirmed this to me – when I dropped by the store earlier – this week.
he gave me some NEW BUZZ TO POST, as well:
it’s just been confirmed, YES !! comic book artist . . . CHRIS WARE will be doing the festival’s signature poster this year !! it will be a long format, commercially printed poster, going for about $20. as Chris will be in the ‘house’ – you can get him to sign it, too.
if you know CHRIS WARE’S work – you are jumping up and down our of your mind – right now !!
if not, here’s a good place to start: artlovers – SPX 2012 & CHRIS WARE POSTER !!
in fact, that appears to be CHRIS WARE’S illustration, that just popped up – on the: BROOKLYN COMICS & GRAPHICS FESTIVAL – WEBSITE !!
ILLUSTRATION BY CHRIS WARE – COURTESY: BROOKLYN COMICS & GRAPHICS FESTIVAL
‘MONOPOLY’ meets SCI FI head-on !! – anybody else out there – get it ?!!
ha. I even see a little MOEBIUS in there too. RIGHT ON !!
BROOKLYN COMICS & GRAPHICS FESTIVAL 2012 – CARD DESIGN BY: JOEL SPEASMAKER.
see: thisisforest.com
PLUS: just to show how cutting edge these guys – REALLY are !!
LEAVE IT TO – the comics and graphics fest artists – to really SCRAMBLE – an INFORMATION GRAPHICS aka INFOGRAPHICS !! – FESTIVAL BUSINESS CARD.
ha. ha, so friggin there – as they say in BROOKLYN.
here’s how it appears, below, actual size (2 x 3-1/2 in.) . . . yep, there’s magic in them there FONTS !! and COLORS !! and COM-POSITION !!
ha. read that !!
THERE is always something new, and FRESH OFF THE BLOCK OF SOMEONE’S MIND !! and way outta the BOX – just around the very next table – at this fair.
yep, it is my VERY fave fair – in NYC ? . . . . in the world !!
I haven’t missed one, and I ain’t gonna miss this one either, though I bet it’s gonna be as crowded as hell – so get there early !!
scroll down & check out the posts starting with: ‘HEY, JUST BECAUSE . . .’ on the left-hand navigator/archive .. on this homepage, for: DEC 2011 & catch . . . last year’s PHOTOS & coverage !!
the highlight FIND of last year was – J.T. YOST: talk about (your !!) great bleeding edge graphics, and hilarious narrative – inside and out.
visuals . . . and content. right on & beyond . . . !!
see: artlovers – J.T YOST – ‘IT’S DREAM TIME, SNOOP DOGGY DOG’ !! – DEC 2011
J.T. YOST – free handout ‘bookmark’ – BROOKLYN COMICS & GRAPHICS FESTIVAL 2011.
see: birdcage bottom books
where they are featuring a new anthology: ‘DIGESTATE’ – (!!) – 288 pages of comics by 55 artists – that looks to be a RIOT …
they also seem to have ‘tweaked’ their birdcage bottom books – logo !!
damn I liked the first one . . .
well nothing is written in stone – esp in the comic book – world. or the digital world, either, for that matter.
hurray. for CHANGE !! SECOND CHANCES & FREE-DOM !!
SHOUT OUT !! to my JOSH HARRIS / PSEUDO PALS – on that one.
P.S. got something special for you guys . . . COMING UP this weekend . . . for whoever is still reading, listening ? all the way down here . . . HEADS UP !!
‘TOTALLY WIRED’ is a book, no ?
and this is NYC ART BOOK WEEKEND – so, YOU are up next !!
wonder if anybody in the NY ART BOOK FAIR is cool enough to be stocking it ?
I bet not !! FUCK ‘EM, we are taking over, no matter what !!
gonna hi-jack the ‘art book fair’ weekend . . . PSEUDO – STYLE !! – just like back in the . . good ole glory days.
just you watch – and see !!
yep, that’s what I did at PSEUDO – it’s called: art world P.R. …. hijack !!
GUERILLA ADVERTISING, anybody ?
we did it – before the formal ‘term’ – existed !!
and the next thing you know – from PSEUDO . . . I was heading up a top ‘event’ column – at artnet.
and so it goes.
so, PSEUDO you, NYC !!
PSEUDO is BACK !! in a BOOK !! – BIG TIME !!
hey, we already did . . . the movie.
GET IT: ‘TOTALLY WIRED .. ON THE TRAIL of the GREAT DOT-COM SWINDLE’ – by ANDREW SMITH – on AMAZON.
AND NOTE: yep, that’s a 5 STAR – CUSTOMER REVIEW !!
~BROOKLYN COMICS & GRAPHICS FESTIVAL – update !! incl: CHRIS WARE, J.T. YOST & PSEUDO !! |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | September 27th, 2012, 8:43am
CHRIS WATTS – ‘AMERICAN GODS’
SEPT 1 – OCT 4, 2012
GENOME GALLERY – 120 BREVARD COURT – CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA
“a mixture of photographic elements and paint on large-scale canvases along with similar workings on paper. WATTS remixes vintage originals form LIFE, Ebony, and Jet magazines in such a way as to comment on socio-political issues that are both SINGULAR and UNIVERSAL.” ~ gallery website
for more info on the show: CHRIS WATTS at GENOME
‘PEDEGOGE OF YOUNG GODS’ – by CHRIS WATTS – IMAGE COURTESY: GENOME GALLERY
plus, dig that GENOME GALLERY – LOGO !!
~CHRIS WATTS … ‘AMERICAN GODS’ . . . N. CAROLINA |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | September 26th, 2012, 9:18am
the card for the show:
image: ‘Psychic Color Pour’, single-channel vidoe, 6:39 (looped)
ALAN and MICHAEL FLEMING – ‘GAME ON’ at THE ACTIVE SPACE
SEPT 14 – OCT 12, 2012
OMG – IS IT JUST ME GOING CRAZY – AFTER A BIG, BIG NIGHT OUT DRINKING at BROOKLYN BOWL, or what ?!!
with some ole PSEUDO / JOSH HARRIS pals – more on that this weekend !! ‘TOTALLY WIRED’ – RIGHT ON !!
but I swear, I do detect an heart-felt echo (!!) of all-American, magazine glossy illustrator – NORMAN ROCKWELL, in that card . . . image or what !!
and I don’t mean, just cause it’s 2 guys !!
something . . . about the matter-of-fact, yet warm hyper realism, and classic composition ?
it really hit home, when I posted the CHRIS WATTS – magazine referenced painting – above post !!
which although it uses actual ‘original’ source magazine illustrations – has a more ‘street art’ feel.
whatever . . . yeah it was a big NIGHT OUT !!
NORMAN ROCKWELL, ‘TATTOO ARTIST’.
ALAN and MICHAEL FLEMING, frame from: ‘Psychic Color Pour’.
ALAN and MICHAEL FLEMING frame from: ‘Psychic Color Pour’.
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH. BROOKLYN, NY, SEPT 14, 2012
~FLEMING BROS …’PSYCHIC COLOR POUR’ |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | September 26th, 2012, 9:02am
ALAN and MICHAEL FLEMING – ‘GAME ON’ – ‘THE ACTIVE SPACE’ – BUSHWICK, BROOKLYN, N.Y.
SEPT 14 – OCT 12, 2012
SOME PIX FROM THE OPENING:
MICHAEL (left) and ALAN FLEMING.
to see more of their work, their subway clip is featured on the homepage !! & their bio, hit: spatialinterventions.com
LUCY SMITH (left), the show;s curator – with ASHLEY ZELLINSKIE, THE ACTIVE SPACE studio Director.
for more on: THE ACTIVE SPACE
KYLIE KLEVEN, left knitting – and STEVE MAY.
They just came back from ten days in ICELAND (!!) with STEPHEN WEST (!!) – checking out the local crafts, and stockpiling Icelandic LOPI WOOL – which Kylie is knitting with above.
if you don’t know who STEPHEN WEST is: check him out !!
STEFANI, a girl after my own heart: she doesn’t like to be photographed – BUT, SHE DOES LIKE – TO GET AROUND !!
the last time we caught up with her – was just about a year ago, at JOCKO WEYLAND’S ‘ELK’ PARTY/ZINE/ART SHOW – at FAR ROCKAWAY !!
at that time she was doing some kind of gig or residency at EYEBEAM, in TRIBECA. now she’s the Education Director at 3RD WARD !!
see: 3RD WARD
on the right: YULIA TOPCHIY of CoWorker Projects.
with her, at left: SEYHAN. and that’s Yulia’s son – ANTON.
fashion photographer JANIRA MARTINEZ.
see: JANIRA MARTINEZ PHOTOGRAPHY
NICHOLAS STEINDORF . . also in the MASTERS STUDIO PROGRAM at YALE.
we first met him when CoWorker presented a selection of his video clips at ENTWINE.
check out: NICHOLAS STEINDORF – he’s changed the site up – since we last checked in !!
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH. BUSHWICK, BROOKLYN, NY. SEPT 14, 2012
WITH ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY: KATE CERIGO
~FLEMING BROS …’GAME ON’ / the people |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | September 25th, 2012, 9:39am
ALAN and MICHAEL FLEMING – ‘GAME ON’ – THE ACTIVE SPACE – in BUSHWICK, BROOKLYN. NY.
SEPT 14 – OCT 12, 2012
gallery hrs: FRI-SUN 1-6PM /or by appointment
OMG: talking bout . . . BROOKLYN and BUSHWICK !! . . . . . BREAKING NEWS !!!!!!!!
BILL and HILARY went to ROBERTA’S for pizza over the weekend !! . . ha. so there !!
see: the Gothamist
BUT BACK TO – THE SHOW !!
the first thing you notice right off, is that though the work looks super serious – it’s also got a real wicked fun streak !! running all the way through it.
case in point, this cardboard box – that was sent out as a huge jpeg file on the press release. turns out, in fact – to be quite small. yes, I cracked up right away.
scale is such a funny thing. esp with digital imagery.
as NORA EPHRON said so rightly: fact can be so much funnier than – fiction !!
see: the initial artlovers post based on the ‘GAME ON’ press release – with an updated photo on the NEW YORK CITY SUBWAY: “If you see something, say something” – ‘parcel’. no doubt, it all adds up to – something !! intention, or NOT !!
the piece is titled, ‘A Sea Shanty’, 2011.
cardboard box, accumulated postage. 6″ x 6″ x 6″.
“An empty box mailed back & forth between the artists during the year that they were living apart.”
the first time I saw this work was in their smallish studio – during the BUSHWICK OPEN STUDIO WEEKEND of SUMMER 2012.
so it was great to see it all laid out with room to breathe – and displayed in such a professional space.
it was also clear that the installation took a deliberate direction that utilized the space well, esp by displaying a few of the 3D or sculptural pieces – down the center. with the other work, displayed in alcoves that jut out of the walls.
down with the white box !! – while maintaining the best aspects of it – clarity !!
NEW YORK CITY: the ‘break-down the box’ mindset – had this framed set hanging – in an alcove – instead of being conventionally hung on the wall.
ALAN and MICHAEL FLEMING – ‘Correspondence’, 2011.
set of 4 double-sided framed pairs of postcards and Polaroids. 11 x 17 in. each
“A series of postcards with prompts for an action accompanying by a Polaroid documenting that action.”
here’s the reverse.
apart from loving all things ‘souvenir’ – I also really relished – how the conceptual aspects of the work were hand-in-hand with the visuals. strong, smart, clean, to the point !!
original to the max.
expressive.
CHICAGO.
the ‘GAME-ON’ referred to in the title – is the interplay that developed between these twins when they were separated for a year, one staying in Chicago, and the other heading out . . . for our lovely city !!
you start to realize, that one: it’s all about ‘socialization’ and ‘bio’ dynamics – in the truest sense . . . but of course, it’s also site specific !!
each project is different, yet each has a ‘deep heart’ and speaks to a ‘super personal bio bond’. the conceptualizations twist and turn – and ultimately belie their magazine glossy, ‘information graphics’ – hyper realism.
it’s a nice tension, a visual/conceptual tension – that’s at play here, too. GAME-ON.
CHICAGO’S reverse !!
it’s a nice contrast: NEW YORK CITY vs CHICAGO.
I bet a hand-writing expert could go to town, here . . big time, TOO. the writing samples look pretty close, except one twin presses down harder – on the page.
here’s a view of that project – looking out from the shallow alcove into the main space.
this ‘handcrafted’ piece . . . contrasted with the purely pictorial sets, and (nicely) broke up the exhibition space – towards the back.
ALAN and MICHAEL FLEMING, ‘Conjoined Chairs’, 2011
wooden chairs, 36 x 24 x 24 in.
“On the same day, at the same time each artist went to a thrift shop in their respective neighborhoods and bought a wooden chair. Each chair was cut down the middle, swapped and then reassembled.”
well at least they were the same height – seat-wise !!
and both are wooden, could have been you know: modern faux leatherette vs. Victorian shabby chic !!
a lot of the ‘GAME-ON’ projects tried to see how psychic – the Bros were, long distance.
back in their studio, they had told me that when they were growing up, they used to come down for breakfast dressed in the same shirt, and then proceed to fight over who would get to wear it.
turns out, they are NOT so psychic – but the pictorials express a lock-step – that beats words.
their subway clip – looped in another ‘alcove’ area.
where they also sometimes spontaneously jumped into – ‘game-on’ mode !!
aka performance art.
the little bit of gossip that was circulating in the room, was that one bro was a better dancer than the other !!
so funnie !! apparently ALAN, at left – knows all the hip hop moves, and studied dance.
but hey, it takes two – to tango, you always need the straight guy too.
the eternal wisdom of all great entertaining duos – BOB HOPE & BING CROSBY – spring to mind, I don’t know why, I’m not that old !! maybe it’s their “ON THE ROAD” schtick – playing out here, too.
the big YIN YANG / BIO DYNAMIC – site specific-ized !!
it’s actually when you see them, side by side, that you realize just how in lock-step – they are !!
ALAN and MICHAEL FLEMING, natural-born artist/performers – at play !!
always – questioning – the bio bond.
. . . it was only when I dwelled recently on KELIE BOWMAN and her CINDERS/FLA futuristic fantastic take . . . on self-portrait photography, while highlighting specific locales – site specific is the functional word – albeit with masks and many hand-made elements, that I realized . . these guys are coming from the same place, just in a different ‘style’.
both spectrums speak to ‘pairings’ or social human bonding.
both: are both the ‘subjects’ – and the ‘photographers’, themselves . . . who take the pix.
check: staged or narrative photography.
both are making statements about the ‘physical’ environment, which they have chosen, to comment upon it, and draw our attention to it – by their photo ‘capture’.
both say: look at me, I’m swinging through the world habitat or city – in this great questioning act of creativity.
while KELIE and company are more about: primitive, handcrafted shamanistic poetry, the FLEMING BROS. are more ‘informational’ graphics & pictorial – more obvious about defining the rules of the game. but both are games of BIO ADAPTABILITY – heading into the unknown.
PIX – OF SOME THE PEOPLE AT THE OPENING – WILL POST TOMORROW – SEPT 25, 2012.
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH. BUSHWICK, BROOKLYN, SEPT 14, 2012.
WITH INITIAL REPORTING BY: KATE CERIGO
~FLEMING BROS … ‘GAME ON’ / the installation shots |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | September 24th, 2012, 10:46am
actually, another CINDERS artist . . . is off and running !!
ARTWORK BY – ALLYSON MELLBERG, COURTESY: CINDERS BLOG
that would be ALLYSON MELLBERG who has a solo show up in Paris right now.
titled, ‘ENDOGENUS’ it runs SEPT 6 – OCT 13, 2012
GALERIE LJ – 12 rue Commines – PARIS
dig that title: ‘Endogenus’ – !!
well, first off the google translation – is way off !!
as far OFF as you can get !!
ALLYSON MELLBERG – is a SHE !! not a he !! and no, as far as I know – SHE hasn’t MUTATED EITHER !!
and the gallery slideshow of the exhibition, installation shots, doesn’t do her work – any justice.
she’s a great artist. I would say if KELIE BOWMAN is an artist/shaman/observer (!!) . . . ALLYSON MELLBERG is like an artist/shaman/biologist !!
both, Kelie and Allyson are futurists, for sure.
but Kelie is more site specific – looking at OUR world, for example taking photos of herself, usually in social situations – as with a partner/artist or artists – that presents a commentary of some kind, both on her locale – and the cultural/political ‘temp’ – i.e. ‘temperature’. more often than not, hitting a hidden nerve that vibrates both backwards – and into the future.
nod to the next generation: FLEMING TWINS for making this more ‘apparent’. remember their recent summer photo of themselves with their heads buried in the sand ? GAME ON – DUDES !!
as well Kelie makes art, drawings, watercolors, silkscreens – that transform into illustrations which have a narrative that reflects the cultural discussion – and moves it, on. usually in a very soft, but still haunting, totally metaphorical way . . . even though she is ‘addressing’ – the BIG questions !!
Allyson is more of a solitary animal. she makes works depicting single humans: male, female, child. she addresses society as a whole – through her renderings of life – as is, as imagined, and as in: degrading – the sure as hell – natural BIO degrading of our ‘habitat’.
this show in Paris, my observations based only on the galerie ‘slideshow’ images, duh !! – I didn’t leave my body and go there aurally !! – astral projection, dudes !! – NOT !!
though the word, astral projection (!!) does to come mind, hand-in-hand . . . with the (internet) web !!
but back to show:
is kind of what happens when a foreign body attacks us, except in this case – it is not attacking, but liking, which can some time amount to the same thing, if you know what I mean, reproducing, sharing . . . that is killing us off !!
DON’T get me wrong. I’m all for the sharing – but this was kind of a small-minded effort on behalf of the gallerist – in the way they hung the show and/or the photos by which they represent it. just compare this huge photo file image, below, from the CINDERS blog (the originating source gallery) to what the Paris galerie puts forth, digitally. there is a big drop in communication – skills.
it’s not the GROUPING – that is important in Allyson’s work – it’s the single image.
although obviously – any sharing of this work is great – and I’m thrilled to see Allyson’s work in PARIS !!
it might just be the difference between an artist-run space, check F.L.A. – Kelie Bowman’s new artist-run space !! post below – vs. a more conservative-type space. or maybe it’s just the difference in getting your ‘graphics’- up to speed ?
but . . . bottomline: as long as they are supporting the real art & the REAL artists – that’s great . . . but, do we miss CINDERS, in a physical space – or what ?!!
first off, the work was FRESH off the line – so you could buy in, for not much !!
yeah, most def !! I scored a great ALLYSON MELLBERG drawing, and a pretty decent-sized one, too – for like $60, unframed and with just . . . a little bit of haggling !!
two: the Cinders crew were all artists, so the shows they put up were all done from an artists’ point of view. (ditto this ‘blog’.) either they had some kind of accessory ‘scenery’, designed and produced by Kelie or Sto, or they were huge salon type hangings with HUGE energy – anything to BREAK DOWN that damn white box.
as opposed in short: to the way this galerie above . . . boxes in Allyson.
and plus, CINDERS put up great one-off photos – on the web, to telly transport for all.
three: there was a dynamic context provided in the background, in that just behind the front exhibition space – was a zine bookstore (!!) – so all these ideas and cutting edge conversations – that informed the (often) purely ‘pictorial’ art on the walls in front – was there, backed in, in ‘verbal’ format, to be freely flipped though. and the nascent ideas, bounced back and forth – between the art and the zines. and vice versa.
vice – nice word.
I think we’ll end there – because that’s what Allyson’s work is all about, despite its pretty aspects. innocence vs. vice.
trying to maintain the natural gene flow – into the changing environment aka progress. as we impact it in ways we don’t even fully understand, yet.
ALLYSON MELLBERG, left, with CINDERS co-founder, artist & musician, STO.
at the opening of Allyson’s solo show at CINDERS, BROOKLYN, ‘AN UNEARTHLY CHILD’, SEPT 12, 2010.
ALLYSON MELLBERG (b. 1977) is originally from RACINE, WISCONSIN – but has been CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA based for quite some time now.
PHOTO: NANCY SMITH
ALLYSON MELLBERG – work on paper. she uses only colors which she makes herself – organically. like from walnut shells.
check: Peruvian weaving – and how wonderful their ancient color dye knowledge was/is, just saying. full prism spectrum.
no disrespect to Allyson – her hues mark the spot, she inhabits . . . right on !!
PHOTO: NANCY SMITH, ALLYSON MELLBERG, ‘An Unearthly Child’, CINDERS, BROOKLYN. SEPT 12, 2010.
ALLYSON MELLBERG also makes sculptures, though I prefer her drawings, because they are so mysterious by about 1,000 to one. I put this photo up – mostly so you can get a sense of the scale of her drawings, my bad !! I know.
and so you can see – what a CINDERS installation – looked like. box, NOT !!
PHOTO: NANCY SMITH, ALLYSON MELLBERG, ‘An Unearthly Child’, CINDERS, BROOKLYN. SEPT 12, 2010.
~ALLYSON MELLBERG . . . in PARIS |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | September 23rd, 2012, 7:33am
‘REWILDING FLA’ – the inaugural show of F.L.A. GALLERY – a new collaborative project between KELIE BOWMAN and JOHN ORTH – OPENS TODAY, SEPT 22, 2012
the show runs thru OCT 20, 2012
the start-up project features the work of the two founding artists, KELIE BOWMAN, recently based in Brooklyn, (though I believe she originally hails from Florida) and JOHN ORTH, of GAINESVILLE – and guest artist SERRA VICTORIA BOTHWELL FELS.
F.L.A. GALLERY – 10 N. Main St – GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA
from the CINDERS BLOG – POSTED SEPT 7, 2012:
For the inaugural show, artists KELIE BOWMAN, JOHN ORTH and SERRA VICTORIA BOTHWELL FELS . . . “create new wilds inspired by the Florida landscape. The state’s visual vocabulary includes: oaks dripping Spanish moss, sandy sunny days, shell strewn beaches, palmettos, cypress knees, loud and flashing thunderstorms . . . “
JOHN ORTH showed several times at CINDERS GALLERY, when it was located in an actual physical storefront on Havemeyer St. in Williamsburg. his work is very hands-on, no industrial fabricators here !! . . . usually using wood and very on edge. like they say: GAME ON.
see: ‘UNSUNG’ – George Ferrandi & JOHN ORTH, NOV 4 – DEC 28, 2008 – Cinders Archive
we most recently caught up with KELIE – at the BOATEL LAUNCH PARTY, ROCKAWAY – MAY 31, 2012. where she decorated the SEA WOLF.
see: BOATEL LAUNCH PARTY – artlovers archive – MAY 31, 2012
ALL IMAGES – COURTESY: F.L.A.
~REWILDING FLA ..with KELIE BOWMAN . . . OPENS TODAY |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | September 22nd, 2012, 9:05am
