HANGING ARTWORK by IVANA BASIC, THE LAST BRUCENNIAL 2014.
PHOTO: NANCY SMITH.
IVANA BASIC . . is the name of artist who did that ‘GIRLS ONLY’,
ghostly strange haunting transparent beautifully realized and articulated, melancholy and erotic,
a hanging piece – in the window of the BRUCENNIAL 2014 exhibit.
it hangs like a heavy gauge piece of mylar, as opposed to fabric.
so it doesn’t flutter, but upside . . it is both transparent, and opaque depending on the light,
time of day, and . . how you walk around it.
a self-described ‘multi-media’ artist, according to her website – she was born in BELGRADE, SERBIA.
no date of birth is provided.
she holds a Master’s Degree from the TISCH SCHOOL of ART, NYU & a BFA from the School of Art & Design, University of Belgrade, Serbia.
and, wouldn’t you know . . she has an amazing online / portfolio website.
AND, the site is very playful . . tech-wise.
she is definitely a ‘materials’ person, as well as an incredible draftsperson.
this is: the link to her website / IVANA BASIC,
where you first encounter this beautiful ethereal image:
it is animated, with the wind blowing through the leaves on the tree, and the long blue grasses shiver.
the image can also be ‘pulled’ out – horizontally – neverending / infinite panels keep repeating across the screen.
if you play around a bit, one of those endlessly articulating panels will turn . .
into an animation of ‘rushing’ water under your cursor.
if you ‘TAKE THE BLUE TOUR’ – and then, if you are really persistent . . you will become a ‘traveler’, whether you are saying good bye or hello – is up to you.
if you follow the ‘SELECTED WORKS’ option, you will find her ‘ABOUT’ & . . PORTFOLIO.
where you can find:
IVANA BASIC, ‘THE SKIN’, c-print. year 2009.
a series of photographic portraits.
model: ALEKSANDRA ZIRAVAC
location: Belgrade, SERBIA
IVANA BASIC / THE SKIN
~THE BRUCENNIAL – FOCUS: IVANA BASIC |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | March 20th, 2014, 3:10pm
THE LAST BRUCENNIAL – ‘GIRLS ONLY’
MARCH 7 – APRIL 4, 2014
837 WASHINGTON ST, MEATPACKING DISTRICT, NYC – HRS: WED-SUN / 12-6 PM
VICTORIA CAMPBELL . . with her self portrait behind her.
CATHY MOOSES, in the MFA Program at YALE, with her portrait.
LEILA FEUER has work in the show . .
LEILA FEUER.
it was a kind of listening/watching post – with a blanket to lie on placed on the floor, and a video loop that screened on a small monitor, close to the ground.
needless to say, it was all digital. LIGHT, LIGHT, and more LIGHT. almost psychedelic.
music, sound, and . . strange strange soft ‘porn’ naked / musing ?!!
not to forget the ‘aboriginal’ weaving, the artisanal Indian blanket – a nod to traditional women folks art / folk art. that fronts the piece, think on that. and that you ideally rest on, to watch the . . ‘contemporary’ female – photo dance.
LEILA FEUER, screen image.
LEILA FEUER, screen image.
the only art dealer I saw . . AMY LI – of ALTERNATIVE ART SPACE/166 MOTT ST.
AMY has put on some very interesting & cutting edge shows since she opened her storefront gallery, this past Fall 2012. the most striking that immediately come to mind – the ‘glyph’ drawings of W.C. BEVAN, and the larger wall-scaled mystical, and drama-filled works . . of ALEXANDRA EASTBURN.
there is some buzz that she is collaborating with JOSH HARRIS of QUIET, PSEUDO and WE LIVE IN PUBLIC . . to present a series of 2 week shows highlighting the art of some of the artists who worked on those projects. stay tuned.
I see her space is now going under the name . . AMY LI PROJECTS !!
nice.
and her gallery Facebook page is . . looking good !!!
DEFINITE, check out: AMY LI PROJECTS/Facebook
artist MIDORI OKUYAMA, with alternative downtown gallerist . . AMY LI.
Midori has work in the show.
AMY LI grew up in the rough but colorful streets of Lower East Side CHINATOWN – so that’s always great to see a kid from the hood, who grew up in those very streets, make a stand – very authentic.
as they say, the real deal.
painting by MIDORI OKUYAMA. strange, dramatic. Asian, and I mean that in a good way.
PHOEBE MORRIS . . ‘KUNST’ / art.
great signage.
thinking about it, the show was not as ethically diverse as you might expect – being supposedly ‘from the ground up’ – in NYC.
LUBA DRUZD.
though cultural diversity, and even more important . . ‘conceptual’ diversity could be found, if you looked hard enough.
KIM ALTOMARE.
IVANA BASIC. mixed media.
a strange ghostly piece, beautifully articulated. it was transparent, and played with the ‘light’.
it was distinctly sad, it really seemed to be saying something profound about . . the darker side of being a woman, a girl.
to-nite it makes me think of L’WREN SCOTT, the ‘glamorous gazelle’, as they call her in the fashion press, who sadly took her own life this week – I guess she just had had . . enough. she had long legs, too.
life is . . hard. esp if you have . .. feelings, as tender as these.
IVANA BASIC.
seen from the reverse.
LOLA MONTES.
LOLA had an array of 3 matching, small paintings on paper. this is the last of the series, I liked it the best.
it was also very passionate, dramatic. though coming from a much more expressionistic canon – it also seemed to address dark sides, confusion, and inner conflict. (purple) emotions that burst forth from a deeper place.
heartfelt.
free form.
detail. LOLA MONTES.
at the BRUCENNIAL 2014 – GIRLS ONLY !!
it was reported in the press that one of L’WREN SCOTT’S last social media posts was:
“FASHION IS THE ARMOUR TO SURVIVE THE REALITY OF LIFE”.
I think what was so sad about her suicide, was how she came from really nowhere . . culturally. adopted Mormon small town Utah. yet there was something in her unknown gene pool (?), in her genetic gift re her model looks, and in her soul – that propelled her to dream, to believe in herself, and accomplish much. that was so so far beyond the scope or imagining . . of her actual childhood, and upbringing.
unless you want in include . . making dresses for her Barbie dolls.
you look around at all the hurtful greedy things people do to each other, even between lovers, even between family, let alone strangers, ethnic groups, and competitors, and you really have to wonder . . what the hell were they thinking, and . . how do we survive at all.
painting . . by OLGA SOPHIE KAUPPINEN.
howling, howling at the moon. battle scars, and all.
MORE PIX – to follow.
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH
~THE BRUCENNIAL – OPENING PIX – PART II |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | March 19th, 2014, 4:18pm
THE LAST BRUCENNIAL – ‘GIRLS ONLY’
MARCH 7 – APRIL 4, 2014
837 WASHINGTON ST, MEATPACKING DISTRICT, NYC – HRS: WED-SUN / 12-6 PM
the BEST of the – OPENING NITE CROWD !!
THE DOWNTOWN STARS . . COME OUT TO TWINKLE & MINGLE !!
on the right – DJ, musician and artist SCOTT MOU, with his girlfriend, CHARLOTTE de LARMINAT.
note the jacket.
Charlotte has a piece in the Brucennial.
Scott told me he had been very busy during last week’s fashion week, DJ-ing.
the last time I caught SCOTT was way back in FALL 2004 at LITTLE CAKES !!
see: ART LOVERS NEW YORK – FALL 2004
CHARLOTTE de LARMINAT, mixed media. BRUCENNIAL 2014.
note the old wood base, and metal frame-working. nice contrast with the huge violet bow.
not to forget that . . middle part !!
hardcore girlie, or what !!
ABIGAIL CHAPIN . . of THE CHAPIN SISTERS.
founded in L.A. in 2004, the band is now NYC-based, and their newest record, A DATE WITH THE EVERLY BROTHERS, is not only mighty fine listening – but has great graphics, style, and . . well, visual p-u-n-c-h.
next image, check.
for sure, hit: THE CHAPIN SISTERS – SING THE EVERLY BROTHERS . . ‘LOVE HURTS’ !! . . . sweet.
but, back to the opening . .
CHARLOTTE de LARMINAT definitely had the BEST LOOK, and JACKET – FEMALE.
yes, it is the real deal . . . hurray for HOME DEPOT !!
authentic utility jackets have always been fun, esp on the street.
they have always been a huge thrift shop find, or a personal badge of honor, esp if you or someone you know – actually works for a corporation that hands out – uniform/work gear.
but, quelle / how on point, this week.
did you catch the ‘bad try’, ill-conceived high-couture version of a work jacket unleashed on an unsuspecting fashion audience in Milan – by MOSCHINO COUTURE last week ?
McDonalds, NOT !!
Marc Jacobs, NOT !!
any merit ? NOT !!
TIME NEWSFEED reports: the JEREMY SCOTT first-time collection for MOSCHINO . . is described by STYLE.COM’S TIM BLANKS as . .
“a mutant hybrid of Ronald McDonald and Coco Chanel” – !!
actually, those words are too kind, in my opinion. it’s really – NOT very good.
see for yourself: MOSCHINO McDONALDS by JEREMY SCOTT/ugh!!.
leave it to the art world to have the final say – the real deal, rules.
thank you Charlotte de Larminat, for that timely note.
though funny, a lot of SCOTTS . . in the news this week, L’Wren Scott, Scott Mou and Jeremy !!
more conservative fashion, as in pricey vs alternative . . did have its moments, but they were rare.
it was – a real downtown crowd.
street style . . ruled !!
you’ve really got to dig this silver surfer’s solution of sporting short pants, in this case – baggy athletic shorts – ala Pharrell Williams, in cold weather – dark grey wool tights !!
and looking – good !!
still talkin’ fashion . .
cutest local kid . . from the hood. love how those headphones are so . . well: MAD MAX !!
make that 2 !! local kid . . street stars !!
I’m guessing it’s pretty politically incorrect to say aloud – but he has got the JEAN MICHEL ‘radiant’ look, down – for sure.
it’s unknown whether he has . . the talent ?
but something is going on there, for sure.
he also had the best ‘hand-colored’ jacket by far.
I’m thinking it’s hand-painted – because his belt matches !!
BEST COLORS – FEMALE !!
is that the new floral – TOP SHOP jacket ?
while we are at it, BEST TATTOO SIGHTING: goes to a female !!
GIRLS . . love their tattoos !!
BEST MEN’S – shirt !!
EAMON. best hipster look, and dude looks to be good-natured . . to boot !!
BEST MENS JACKET – BHQF hardcore style !!
to BERND NABER: BEST WHITE ‘SHADES-LIKE’, FRAMES. indoors – natch !!
and, BEST . . HAT !!
BERND has been on the scene for a long long time, at least back to the early 80s . .
he’s definitely . . an opening fixture & a party down hard fanatic.
though his soup-ed old convertible parked outside many an opening – has probably garnered more fame, than he has !!
so, I’m happy to report, BERND NABER . . has finally achieved some real fame, for himself.
or is that . . notoriety !!
he and a few of his dearest pals star in that DUMPSTER DIVING DOCUMENTARY, ‘SPOILS: EXTRAORDINARY HARVEST’ – !!
that just burst upon on the scene a few months back !!
BUT not to worry, it’s a just a passionate ‘hobby’ for Bernd. sorry to burst the narrative bubble,
sorry to break the ‘pity’ spell, but he actually owns the property that features at the film’s beginning, and it’s in Brooklyn – so go figure !!
funny, how you can come to NYC and spend your whole life trying to make it, only . . to back into success by way of a well-loved . . pastime !!
ain’t that the truth !!
oh yeah, BERND NABER . . the art world’s newest break-out movie star, and his pals dumpster dive big time.
and yes, TRADER JOE’S . . is his FAVE !!
good cheese.
watch: the trailer / ‘SPOILS: EXTRAORDINARY HARVEST’ – a film by ALEX MALLIS
and with those fighting words, dumpster diving and success in the art world in the same sentence, we’ll leave you to contemplate your own private Idaho potato.
er, I mean dreams . . .
for awhile.
MORE PIX FROM THE ‘LAST’ BRUCENNIAL OPENING, 2014 – POST TOMORROW !!
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH
~THE BRUCENNIAL – OPENING NITE PIX – PART I |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | March 18th, 2014, 10:00am
BREAKING NEWS: L’WREN SCOTT, 49 committed suicide in Manhattan this am / MARCH 17, 2014
well. truly, so sad, the tabloids & news outlets worldwide – have the story.
love how they call her . . a ‘gazelle’.
see: MICK JAGGER’S GIRLFRIEND CCOMMITS SUICIDE/NEW YORK POST
1. I found the news so sad, but also so ‘NEW YORK’.
according to published reports, she texted her assistant “to come round” – at approx 8:30 this morning, so it was her assistant . . who found her hanging, less than 2 hrs later at 10 am.
nice job . . to assign to the assistant. so NEW YORK.
it was PHILLIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN’s assistant who found him dead, too.
I guess somebody’s got to do the dirty work.
and jump . . to it !!
that’s exactly half an hour to get dressed, and 1 hr to get there, at rush hour – no less.
2. talkin about . . ‘GIRLS’ and ‘GIRLS ONLY’ – ART.
FILE THIS UNDER: EVERYBODY IS AN ARTIST – IN THE FREE-FLOWING, & TRULY ‘UN-CURATED’ DIGITAL WORLD !!
and, then along comes a curator / an editor with sharp instincts … who, well picks up the thread, and passes it on. throws the ball back up in the air, and hopes it gets some play.
BONNIE FULLER. classic.
so, just maybe, a by-the-gut editor at a major celebrity/tabloid news outlet . . is a FINE ART CURATOR ?!!
source: HOLLYWOOD LIFE by BONNIE FULLER
BONNIE FULLER: “somebody posted this image on L’WREN’s Facebook page, about 2 hrs after she died.
eerie, or inspired ?”
I’m going with . . inspired !!
I remember being really struck by this image when it first surfaced in a fashion ad or fashion lay-out, in an art mag ? a bit ways back – but I can’t remember the source ?
TIM WALKER, ‘The Dress Lamp Tree’, England. 2002.
image via MICHAEL HOPPEN CONTEMPORARY
and, I’m thinking it’s got to be a L’WREN SCOTT DRESS COLLECTION – that is featured ?!!
yeah. GOOGLE IMAGE/SEARCH at work !!
the image is by noted London-based FASHION & ART . . PHOTOGRAPHER: TIM WALKER.
it was originally shot for L’Uomo Vogue 2002, and it was more recently showcased in an exhibit of his work, titled ‘DREAMSCAPES’, at the BOWES MUSEUM, in North East England, summer 2013.
I think I caught sight of it re the museum exhibit, and probably via print. as in a magazine, not online. prob a fashion magazine.
I remember the image striking me – as very unusual, and very brilliant. very poetic.
very BROOKLYN !!, in fact.
it was also featured on the NEW YORKER, 2010 . . where TIM WALKER says, regarding this image, that he was . . inspired by a display of dresses he saw hanging from the ceiling of a vintage shop, “In winter the lights would glow through them.”
light, light, and more LIGHT !!
maybe he was a friend of hers, I don’t think that’s far fetched.
it’s a beautiful beautiful tribute, it’s a loving, but wistful, sad .. good-bye.
ghostly. sad. illuminated !!
so we have the visceral instincts of a tabloid queen, Bonnie Fuller – to thank for keeping that image visible, and up & running . . in the media pool.
and no worries, a beautiful trail . . follows upon the tiny drop of a tear.
see: TIM WALKER PHOTOGRAPHY
TIM WALKER – from his book: STORY TELLER
TIM WALKER – COVER/ILLUSTRATION, ‘PICTURES’.
this is for all my young graphic designer friends, but esp DAN CASSARO !!
I’m thinking bout that . . super fab SVA CLASS of 2008 graduation book !!
this kind of pictorial ‘riff’ – off of those old ‘engraved’ book covers is, well . . timeless.
from a little sadness – a big tree grows.
~L’WREN SCOTT, R.I.P. / goes out NYC ‘STYLE’ & . . TIM WALKER ‘CALLS’ . . THE DREAM |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | March 17th, 2014, 2:26pm
like I said about the whole FAIR WEEKEND in general,
too many MARNIES, not enough . . LENAS !!
though there were a few good live wires, for sure.
THE LAST BRUCENNIAL – ‘GIRLS ONLY’
it’s still up, runs: MARCH 7 – APRIL 4, 2014
837 WASHINGTON ST – MEATPACKING DISTRICT, NYC – HRS: WED-SUN / 12-6 PM
say what about . . . MOTHER’S MILK ?
artwork by . . RAQUEL NAVE / BRUCENNIAL 2014.
girrrrls !! the mother of us . . all !!
I started off writing this, first by tracking the web – to see if I was right about the WHITNEY BIENNIAL. check.
I had called it as lousy, way before it happened – just from the Whitney press / advance curator line-up & kinda stalking their ‘accomplishments’ online. when it’s piles of crap, oops I mean text – and no strong images, not one spark, not one live wire in sight, you know right away – it’s a lost cause. in a city that has kids like 15 WARREN ST throw up a cutting edge group show, high on the talent, coming straight down on issues, and with a super exciting & dynamic presentation, all done with NO budget, a ‘found’ venue, and only 3 weeks to get it altogether, sorry this is just NOT acceptable.
you don’t have to take my word for it,
check out: “WHITNEY BIENNIAL DISAPPOINTS . . .” – ANDREW RUSSETH, THE GALLERIST !!
he did make an interesting observation:
“In a sense, though it feels like an honest description of today’s art world, which is deeply riven, between money and the museum, pop culture and the underground, and marked by competing visions. The Biennial captures – or is perhaps just caught up in – this fraught, tense moment, but it is unable to make anything fruitful out if it”.
WAVERLY MADEL / BRUCENNIAL 2014.
of course being ALL WOMEN, doesn’t mean . . the wars stop !!
personally I think they just heat up – and get more vicious.
contrary to this image which states: all men fight, all women embrace. (?)
o.k. maybe they are . . arm wresting ?
but it does let the genie out of the box, and really it stood out for me, for it’s pure visual graphic and strength of imagery vs 3/4 of what was . . some very bad art, some very, very wishy-washy stuff. just look at the rest of the stuff in the photo. ugh.
and, jeez – down with ‘re-invigorating’ abstract art – already !!
well, anyway . .
after reading that Gallerist take on the BIENNIAL, I noticed MICHAEL H. MILLER, also of the Gallerist – had penned a lyrical, even POETIC low-down on the BRUCENNIAL, titled: ‘LADIES NIGHT’ – !!
I had to laugh because almost word for word he had captured my issues, and where we diverged . . it was like a perfect mirror image !! I mean it was such a huge offering, the show – with hundreds of art works, and yet our top ten list matched up . . like MAGIC !!
though at some point, he veered more mid-level blue chip, which I found succinctly BANAL. whereas I being more of a hardcore ‘scout’ dog . . veered more solid underground – maybe that’s to be expected. but my thinking is: give me an A or give me underground, and skip the mediocre.
as in . . CAROL BOVE – Peacock feathers ? give me break, so done with that, and years ago.
but, the shared conclusion is clear.
no, the masses do not rule. and the art zone is a pretty harsh place .. itself !!
a real . . cutting floor !!
if, you don’t like the heat – for sure, stay out of the art kitchen.
like I said, live wires are hard to come by, but in a roomful of wishy-washy wannabes – they sure stand out . . “GIRLS” !!
‘DUSTY’ YELLIN, or was that . . ‘DOLLY’ YELLIN ?!!!
no mistaking DUSTIN YELLIN . . as a gender ‘interloper’ / BRUCENNIAL 2014.
MICHAEL MILLER started his post . . with this statement:
“an email leaked last night from a ‘BRUCE INSIDER’ said that several men had snuck into the show using fake names.’ – !!
check !!
could this be another gender ‘interloper’ ?
the name card attributes the work to: RUIZ, ESTHER.
could that be RUIZ – as in . . . RUSE ?
we both ALSO agree that the BHQF/BRUCE HIGH QUALITY FOUNDATION can’t be taken so ‘seriously’, meaning, they joke around !! so . . serious, schmerious / enough already with the art world !!
critics & collectors alike, enter at your peril.
‘RAQUEL NAVE’, I just don’t know, if I believe that, either.
ESTHER RUIZ ?
damn if I didn’t stop flat in my tracks for this piece. so hard, so hardcore, so with . . LIGHT !!
the way a woman could be . . with child.
succinct, contained, brief and yet . . completely open to worlds of speculation . . and poetry.
I wanted to pick this up and walk away with it. like a futuristic suitcase under my arm.
strike me dead, if I am wrong, but this so looks like a BHQF ‘founder’ . . artwork.
if not, then I’m awarding it best ANDROGYNOUS piece in the show, and my sincere apologies, Esther – whoever you are !!
BAD ART . .
MICHAEL MILLER continues:
“if one thing doesn’t catch your eye, move your head a few inches in any direction and something else will.”
MORE BAD ART . .
MICHAEL MILLER:
“I cower in the face of the volume of work here, and the quality of a lot of it, and am left with only a . . LIST OF SOME THINGS I SAW THAT I LIKED.”
likewise.
at the top of his list, and mine:
1. ANTONIA MARCH’S . . ‘Toilet Bowl’ with the seat removed and the words ‘GIRLS ONLY’ written on the side.
check !! so hard-surfaced and so . . hard-core.
so right on. think about it. does girls’ art belong in the can ?
does basing a show solely on gender . . belong in the can ?
does this amount to a true representation across the board, NO.
do democratic art shows belong in the can / is the ‘toilet’ – the missing curatorial vision ?
how about just jail ‘bait’ for the many so-called critics in this town – whose writings veer heavy on the art historical associations, with little else in the way of creative or truly ‘evaluative’ musing ?
plus such a nice hard ‘foil’ to all the ‘re-invigorated’ abstract art, and wishy washy girly stuff.
it was like bumping into a wall, in a roomful of creative ‘haze’.
the rough black script – was good too.
2. MICHAEL MILLER also liked:
DANIELLE HO’s “wispy” portraits of PHILLIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN.
hard to believe, I know, but the art world is NOT that self-involved that it doesn’t take note of the tragedy of dead ‘poets’, missing airplanes, and, are we, or are we not – at war ?
BANKSY goes one-on-one with SYRIA – in TIMES SQ today / google it.
DANIELLE HO / BRUCENNIAL 2014.
DANIELLE HO / BRUCENNIAL 2014.
RAQUEL NAVE / BRUCENNIAL / 2014.
MICHAEL MILLER liked . .
3. “VITO SCHNABEL, the BHQF’s dealer canoodling with HEIDI KLUM”.
damn dude, don’t you have a cellphone – I mean just cause you are a writer doesn’t mean you can’t catch a photo every now and then, the line between writer and paparazzi isn’t really all that wide.
it’s called: OBSERVATION 101 !!
well anyway, I’m sure Michael Miller did NOT pull a CHARLIE FINCH, and yell out at the top of his lungs, VITO LOVES THAT MOTHER’S MILK !!
we are both likin’ it – but I would have grabbed a photo.
and come on, this is the stuff of what . . makes the world turn.
though speaking of which. and CHARLIE FINCH.
OMG do we really need another artinfo / gungho high school version . . re-spilling the aggregate press releases ?
dumbing down . . the art. and the scene.
damn, artnet news. if it’s not the death of artnet – as we knew it.
and, the PATRICK McMULLAN photos ? yours to love, losers !!
4. MICHAEL MILLER liked:
“A photograph of a JENNY HOLZER installation that featured these words projected on the side of a building: ‘To acquire a political meaning you don’t even have to be human. Raw material will do, or protein feed, or crude oil.’ ”
I mean, sometimes a picture . . is WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS !!
5. MICHAEL MILLER liked:
“A wood sculpture by Z. BEHL of an antelope skeleton, into whose rib cage a naked man stepped. he waited there for most of the opening, silently standing as if in the frame of a guillotine and ready to accept any jeers from the crowd.’
well, not an hour or so, into the opening, it was a CHICK inside the antelope. photos don’t lie. the big diff ?
the boy was hairy, and the chick was . . buff.
but, that ‘guy’ to ‘girl’ transformation – wasn’t the only thing that changed – with the night !!
oh oh check that out . . your typical ‘GALLERISTA’ with a PRICE LIST, at right !!
6. rolling in at number 6 – on the MICHAEL MILLER liked list:
he ended his post, thus:
“A European man who asked me, ‘Is there a price list?'”
he thought it was pretty damn droll that a man had approached him to inquire after the . . ‘price list’.
it was a one-liner that we all got !!
no matter how you defined it.
1. how could you ask, of course there is a price list.
2. well, who expects a group that stands for such playful ‘subversiveness’ – to have a price list.
(we do !!)
or,
3. more likely scenario:
they never ever get it together to have one ready, and printed out – by opening time.
a very par-for-the-course kind of thing for big / amateur type / ad hoc art shows of this nature, and a big headache, a boatload of ‘grief’ for all writers . . who then find it impossible to correctly attribute & describe the work.
NOT !!
and, I thought my price list experience was pretty funny too.
for an ‘alternative’ show.
I had a gallerista, on the VITO SCHNABEL staff, yes I asked . . .
approach me, and inquire upon seeing how intently I was viewing the work . .
“if I’d like to see .. the price list ?”
Price list. priceless.
normally I would not document the ‘staff’, but damn if I didn’t catch her in the ambiance.
so, o.k. I didn’t catch VITO and HEIDI, but I caught the . . ‘PRICE LIST’ !!
JUDY CHICAGO PLATE / BRUCENNIAL 2014
I hated all that in your-face-explicit porn feminist stuff. all of it.
Mr. Miller admired quite a few of it, in fact all of it.
stuck on the floor, stuck on the wall.
this archival Chicago piece was as close to va jay jays – as I wanted to get !!
so we differed there.
on that, we – parted ways.
read: ‘Ladies Night’ . . MICHAEL MILLER / GALLERIST
it was a fun opening, MORE PIX TO FOLLOW !!
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH
~THE BRUCENNIAL – ‘GIRLS ONLY’ !! |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | March 13th, 2014, 2:01pm
NOTE: extensive BRUCENNIAL 2014 opening nite – pix . . will start posting – this THURS !!
but first . . .
SENASPACE GALLERY PRESENTS:
A SOLO EXHIBITION BY . . CHRIS UPHUES – ‘NITE LITE’
curated by MELISSA McCAIG-WELLES.
the show opened MARCH 6, 2014
and runs thru . . APRIL 6, 2014
so, no – it was NOT just a one night stand, for the ART FAIR WEEKEND !!
you can STILL head downtown . .
to see what a true ‘alternative’ ‘underground’ storefront space looks like, today.
circa 2014.
SENA SPACE – 229 CENTRE ST – JUST NORTH of GRAND.
GALLERY HRS: TUES-WED, FRI-SUN: 12-8 PM
the minute I caught sight of the storefront window . . I KNEW, I was in the RIGHT place.
so ‘pop’, and c-h-e-e-r-y !!
so, on-the-other-side-of-the-street . . from what everybody else is shoving down your throat.
LORDY !!
f-o-r-e-v-e-r keep me FAR, FAR from the MADDENING . . ART FAIR MASSES !!
so, off-the-wall, re: all the so-called & predictable ‘cutting edge’ art they are non-stop . . shilling right now.
so simple, and yet so . . flat-out one-of-a kind.
so playful. and, so .. well, POP !!
FUNNY. and way, way VULNERABLE. like being ‘artistically’ . . naked.
border-line autistic.
YOU, did get . . that, that when I referenced HANNAH HORVATH aka LENA DUNHAM – it was a GOOD THING !!
that was the over-all deal breaker . . with all the art fairs. and the WHITNEY.
rooms and rooms of too many MARNIES !! and not . . . enough LENAS !!
too much ‘packaged’ goods, and not enough, CRAZY LIKE HELL . . LIVE WIRES !!
A GOOFY LIVE WIRE – but I like that.
like playing stupid, when you are really really smart.
LENA !!
kind of goofy, but WATCH OUT.
GOOFY . . got it all over YOU !!
also speaking about . . 80s art !!
funny, how all everybody talks about now is, JEAN MICHEL BASQUIAT.
what happened to his twin from another planet . . KEITH HARING ?!!
back in the day, HARING over-shadowed Jean Michel.
what happened, why the big turn-around eclipse ?
HARING too played out, commercially ?
I’m thinking this work brings . . KIETH HARING, and his brand of pop art – back to the table.
CHRIS UPHUES . . ‘SWAN’.
note the table corner at the left, I put this in just so you could get a sense of the scale.
note how the colors – very rainbow-like, very Spanish ices on the hot summer city street corner, echo the colors in that storefront ‘a flower grows’ . . assemblage.
have you ever scratched a ‘black’ waxy pad, and made the colors underneath . . come to light.
I have. have you ever seen ‘black’ light paintings on velvet.
have you ever wondered about . . the human condition ?
have you ever wondered about walking the earth. your path, and trying to make sense of it all. especially, if you veer towards the peaceful. and gentle. and are . . a bit of an outsider.
okay. a little competitiveness, like nudity – can be a good thing.
it’s all about finding the right ‘scale’. balance. measurement.
it’s a painting that tries to ‘signify’ . . more depth, than at first appears to be on the surface, just like LENA.
LENA is so hot right now.
NEW YORK is like the center of the world. and it’s not even a crime show.
that being said.
prepare yourselves for this . . flight of the imagination:
I look at this painting today, and I see a message.
a map . . from another planet.
a ‘construct’, a diagram with no words, no text – universal language / pure image ‘fonts’ . . from a faraway, and more highly evolved cosmos !!
a map on how to locate . . missing AIRPLANES THAT DISAPPEAR OVER . . WATER.
specifically, MALAYSIA FLIGHT MH370.
yeah, forget about a map on the human condition, and how maybe, maybe to fit in.
this is a map on the strange geometry of trying to locate, ‘finding’ a huge airplane lost at sea, and how all our hi-tech tracking fails us. so we got to fall back on . . gut-feeling and instinct, and trying to connect the dots.
yeah, play dominoes.
seeking conclusion, seeking answers, seeking . . humans so need ‘closure’.
step after step, the info seeps into the ‘tabloid’ consciousness.
~ bearers of stolen passports . . who look like BLACK EUROPEAN SOCCER STARS with double diamond studs in their ears, NOT !!
~ 2 bearers of stolen passports, one of whom is an IRANIAN teen seeking asylum in Germany, bye way of China ?!! made me think of that massacred Brooklyn band ‘THE YELLOW DOGS’ – the very vocal Iranian ex-pat band that fled to Bushwick, only to be gunned down here. ‘cool cats’ – who were driven by oppression, to become fugitive yellow dogs. got a feeling something very wrong, is going on down, here. but you sure as hell know – we are not going to know the whole truth. covert is covert is covert.
~ 20 hi-tech ‘invisibility cloak’ engineers and super communications defense contractors out of TEXAS on their way to . . China / were on that plane ?!! who’s afraid of China getting their hands on future-world hi-end weaponry, anybody ? everybody !!
~ so, if someone told you: ‘Flight MH370 was lost in an aeronautical black hole’ – seriously, would you believe that ?
~ likewise, it’s wrapped ‘in a future-world hi-tech cloak of invisibility’ . .
~ and last, but not least, so far: 2 chicks come forward with the pix to prove .. they sat in the cockpit on a past Malaysia flight – with the party-boy co-pilot of this . . doomed flight.
damn, what a glorious range of options.
it’s like . . a riddle. a game of sidewalk hop scotch. throw your stone, see where it lands.
where the rainbow . . begins, and ends.
is there a master-mind behind this universe, the walkway between ‘real’ and ‘non-real’ is getting really Tibetan.
CHRIS UPHUES . . ‘SKULL’. 2013. paint on canvas. approx 2 ft x 2 ft.
hi-tech devices . . have only made ‘reality’ seem that much more,
. . ‘tantric’.
yeah, maybe ‘tantric’ . . is the right word.
CHRIS UPHUES, ‘POP’ . . to ‘TANTRIC’ !!
funny how a little ‘happy’ faced flower springing it’s many petaled bobble head . . out of a friendly child-like computer can grow so . . w-o-n-d-e-r-o-u-s.
a reality check ?
not quite sinister, more like: everyday life or cosmic truth. take your pick.
life is stranger than . . fiction.
and no – they will cover it up, if they can.
so stick a ‘smiley’ face on it, and go back to watching . . LENA !!
back to earth, ground control . . calling.
DAVID SENA, the gallery’s founder, a fine artist and a tattoo artist himself, stands beside a CHRIS UPHUES painting in his shop, the back of which is a tattoo parlor. I would go so far as to say, an artist-run . . tattoo parlor.
DAVID SENA showed me a wall-sized series of pieces he had recently made – and exhibited in his gallery space, on his computer screen. Born and raised in TEXAS, he came to NYC to study at COOPER UNION, and after graduating, he stayed, “cultivating his fine art while simultaneously working as a tattoo artist, in NYC and abroad.”
he has a wonderful artist statement on his gallery website.
YOU should: read it for yourself !!
DAVID SENA.
apparently those large scale cut-out, and burnt (!!) wall pieces get stacked up on top of each other – and become a kind of 3-D ‘tantric’ portrait !!
could that be a . . self portrait.
dare I ask.
so, WHO . . would guess seeing how self-involved the maniac art world is, but last weekend was also a big TATTOO COMPETITION / CONVENTION.
this 1st place trophy was just brought home by DAVID SENA – it was won, I think he said by a girl wearing one of his tattoos. it says:
NEW YORK CITY TATTOO CONVENTION 2014
BEST COLOR TATTOO – 1st PLACE
downstairs is a kind of artist hang-out, think tank, work space.
COLLECTIVE HARDWARE, anybody remember them – eat your hearts out, this is the real deal.
DAVID SENA snake drawing . . there are also full scale tattoo sketches, on thin transparent papers, fluttering on the walls. like banners.
yes, those are . . burn holes.
a multi-media piece by DAVID BUTTON, I think from Britain ?
and, the next artist who will show in the space . .
art mirrors . . life.
art is a mirror that catches life, by the random glance ?
ever changing, depending on your perspective ?
and, from whence you . . stand ?
don’t get me started . . art is ‘the’ only real eyeball on the world.
I’VE GOT MY EYE ON YOU.
just keep me far, far from the maddening crowds.
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH
continues . . .
~CHRIS UPHUES & DAVID SENA !! |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | March 11th, 2014, 12:40pm
NITE LITE – !!!!!!!!!!
yo, 15 WARREN ST, here’s your Whitney Week . . home boy.
or as close as it’s gonna get. talent-wise.
Brucennial chicks. aside. (maybe).
though a guy who outright states that . . he “lives (in Brooklyn) with his monkey, Del, where they spend their nights singing to the moon” . . . really needs someone like HANNAH HORVATH (!!) – to h-e-l-p get him, across to the . . sophisticated masses.
‘NITE LITE’ – A SOLO EXHIBITION by CHRIS HUES
OPENS TO-NITE – THURS MARCH 6, 2014 / 7-11 PM
the show runs thru APRIL 6, 2014
SENA SPACE – 229 CENTRE ST – just north of GRAND ST
CURATED BY: MELISSA McCAIG-WELLES
from the press release:
CHRIS UPHUES . . presents to us a new series of mixed media paintings titled ‘NITE LITE’. Inspired by art affected by black light, ‘NITE LITE’ is heavily influenced by the art of rock album covers, t-shirts, black light posters, neon lights, U.V. rave gear and finally, religion. (!!)
UPHUES, notorious for his fine art paintings comprised of densely detailed arrangements of shapes, faces, flowers and finite imagery. His high pop street art, adorning the walls of cities around the world, come in the form of wheat pasted hearts, radiating with color, charismatic, sanguine and buoyant. In UPHUES’ new ‘NITE LITE’ series, we are introduced to these same aesthetics, yet with an added background element of black, raising the topic of how our culture interprets darkness versus light. (!!)
“BLACK LIGHT accompanies the most negative of psychic experiences but also the most sublime, resonating with the mystical experience of negative theology, the Kabbalah, the Buddhist notions of the void, and the ‘black light’ of the Sufi Mystics. Black light, as the darkness in individual lives and life alone, has not been treated hospitably in the modern world. Although modern psychology has seen darkness primarily as a negative force, it actually has an intrinsic importance to the human psyche. In this show I wish to examine the paradoxical image of of black light and the meaning of darkness as a positive and possible salutary notion towards self-illumination.” ~ CHRIS UPHUES
see: CHRIS UPHUES – GOOGLE SEARCH
even better, see: CHRIS UPHUES/ ARTIST WEBSITE – great detailed pix & background artist text
it’s that . . big sapphire blue maniac detailed . . circular, many-petaled FLOWER – that first turned me on to his work.
and, yeah .. check out the VENUE: SENASPACE . . . TATTOO SHOP & GALLERY.
the artist/owner . . DAVID SENA, calls his drawings: FIRE DRAWINGS !!!!!
I’m not gonna argue . . with that.
the guy seems . . totally off the grid.
and, apparently, he likes . . to play with MATCHES !!
SENA SPACE
PS:
LENA DUNHAM . . is hosting SNL – tomorrow !!
THIS SEASON of ‘GIRLS’ – is just so, well . . HOT !!
real true grit NEW YORK-Y . . LOVE THE STREET SHOOTS.
JENNA LYONS & . . CONDE NAST, BAREFOOT in the . . HAMPTONS & all !!
GO, LENA !!
~CHRIS UPHUES – NITE LITE . . OPENS TO-NITE !! & !! HANNAH HORVATH . . where are you when we need you .. most !! |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | March 6th, 2014, 10:40am
PUT A ‘BIRD’ – ON IT !!
it’s an all-girl par-tay !!
VITO SCHNABEL & THE BRUCE HIGH QUALITY FOUNDATION PRESENT:
THE VERY LAST, EVER . . . BRUCENNIAL
opening THURS MARCH 6, 2014 / 6-10 PM
the show runs thru APRIL 4, 2014
837 WASHINGTON ST, NYC – at 13th ST
A, C, L trains to 8th AVE/14th ST STATION
more info: BRUCENNIAL WEBSITE
really like the ‘header’ . . aluminum beer ‘cans’, they are super cute !! great graphic. fresh, original. right now, I’m lovin’ anything red and white, but mostly shiny and . . light reflective.
nice hi-def photo / reproduction too. good size. the works. all good.
and, not too far off-base, context-wise, either !!
I guess one could say: put a ‘beer can’ . . on it !!
go back & check out that: website !! . . . for graphics & visuals.
for sure, HIT . . ABOUT & PAST / left, top navigation bar.
I guess one could make a bunch of ‘cracks’ !! about . . hordes of ‘girls’ and Vito, but I’ll be elegant and, NOT !!
but, I remember when I used to hang out with Alfredo, yeah that Alfredo, ALFREDO MARTINEZ the Basquiat forger !! and big gun maker . . back in the late 90s, and every time we showed up at an opening, CHARLIE FINCH would call out at the top of lungs: ALFREDO LOVES THAT MOTHER’S MILK !!
ya just gotta love it, and roll with the jokers. Alfredo was like 18 years younger.
. . and, boy did that get under Simon’s skin.
in which case – best thing I ever did.
plus Alfredo brought me to . . Josh.
follow the breadcrumbs, is all I can say.
it’s a rough and wild world, life in the ‘fast’ lane.
~LAST BRUCENNIAL . . OPENS TO-NITE !! |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | March 6th, 2014, 10:25am
UP-DATE: MARCH 27, 2014
SERF says . . “NO, that wasn’t me.”
also noticed on BSA/BROOKLYN STREET ART – A FLEETING MOMENT OF . . PURE, RADIANT TRUTH & SHEER GENIUS !!
was that your beautiful, subversive, hand-scripted dance that played over Maya’s carefully scripted wall mural – SERF ?!!
damn that MAYA HAYUK, for losing a brilliant moment !!
she can be so brilliant, but so a-n-n-o-y-i-n-g.
MAYA HAYUK, detail. HOUSTON WALL, NYC.
PHOTO: JAIME ROJO .. BSA/BROOKLYN STREET ART
was that SERF, who jumped the shark ?
. . tagged the unfinished mural ?
I’m thinking: YES !!
here’s a modern day riddle.
what’s a tag . . if not a street bomb ?
ANSWER: a photo-bomb !!
a priceless impromptu jumping in & taking . . advantage of a great opportunity !!
and ps: JARED LETO, can you believe he’s 42 . . and he is the big winner at this years Oscars. duh !!
thank that Anne Hathaway photo-bomb and, day-old hair !!
and p.s. supposedly . . 30 SECONDS TO MARS is playing in the UKRAINE in a week or so ?!! that’s what the tabloids are . . ‘crowing’ !!
MAYA HAYUK, HOUSTON WALL, NYC
PHOTO: JAIME ROJO .. BSA/BROOKLYN STREET ART
note: the subversive SERF (?) tag / street bomb . . on the lower left of mural.
well .. actually, if you REALLY want to talk about re-vitalizing ‘abstract’ art – MAYA HAYUK definite deserves some credit and some . . media play. in fact she seems to carry the total sum of her ancestors . . with her, you know those crazy passionate Ukrainians, and their way detailed Easter eggs / this wall took on some real life with her color management. and simple pattern.
but the deal is, it was going to be street bombed/tagged anyways, and the SERF (?) tag was absolutely ‘luminous’.
it was a perfect blend of the pre-determined vs the impromptu . . but also, visually . . there was a beautiful dynamic that happened, on her ‘studied’ compositional field . . a ‘space’ play between the solid criss-cross bars, and the . . ghostly ‘enemy’ tag.
between the purely abstract and the purely . . INFORMATIONAL ‘TEXT’ font.
she should have left it.
MAYA HAYUK, HOUSTON WALL, NYC . . ‘restored’ ?!!
PHOTO: JAIME ROJO . . BSA/BROOKLYN STREET ART
re-stored ? NOT !!
ya . . lost the magic of the moment, MAYA !!
re-stored, NO !!
some other guys just came along and bombed it, but with far less .. FINESSE.
too bad. too bad, MAYA lost the faith !!
the tags that are up now, bombing the piece are . . so mundane and so solid. b-o-r-i-n-g.
though love how . . BSA street photog JAIME ROJO – caught the ‘light’ reflecting the MAYA HAYUK mural . . in the rain slicked city street !!
and of course, after years of painting the sides of barns in Philly . . MAYA knows how to throw down . . some light, herself !!
very radiant mural.
but, damn . . she should have left the ghost !!
the ‘magic’ is in the details, n’est pas ?
‘PAPARAZZI’ FLASHBACK – to FEB 11, 2006 !!
JASON AARON WALL aka SERF !! at the CANAL CHAPTER, ALFREDO MARTINEZ SHOW.
PHOTO: NANCY SMITH, NYC. FEB 11, 2006 . . artloversnewyork
yep. the infamous ALFREDO MARTINEZ . . is how I backed into THE CANAL CHAPTER, and then SEAN VEGEZZI.
ALFREDO had just gotten out of prison for the phony BASQUIAT CAPER . . word to the wise: never sell a phony piece of art to a drug dealer . . from Columbia (!!) . . and the street dudes, SERF and MINT, later to be coined as MIRF . . gave Alfredo a show, when nobody else would touch him. that is actually a hand-made, couple of feet long, ‘paper’ by Alfredo that SERF is holding. that he . . SERF painted on, with his graceful brushwork.
and which, bye the way, is now in the collection of .. YOURS TRULY !!
ALFREDO even managed to get some major major MEDIA PLAY . . in the NEW YORK POST, at the time.
he put one of his improvised big ‘guns’ . . on the street, you know in that small street triangle/island .. before Canal enters the Holland Tunnel, and the cops came and hauled it away.
another priceless photographic moment, or what !!
I think in fact .. Alfredo dropped the dime on his own street sabotage, and was hiding in the area waiting to take the shot, or more likely he had the Post photog lying in wait. as he, Alfredo . . doesn’t ever pick up a camera. something like that.
I bet SERF knows the details .. !!
read: MAYA HUYAK – ‘Tagging Somebody’s Painting’ .. BSA/BROOKLYN STREET ART
it’s actually a ‘TWO-FER’ . . !!
FARING PURTH, WALL THERAPY. ROCHESTER, N.Y.
PHOTO: FARING PURTH via BSA/BROOKLYN STREET ART
the article continues on to re-late the ‘cautionary’ tale of . . FARING PURTH, another woman street artist, bye the way (!!) & her bout of . . graphic ‘public’ attack.
and NO !!
this is, NOT – ‘JESUS SAVES’ . . !!
this is more like, JESUS . . KILLS !!
and, yeah, YOU CAN FILE THIS . . UNDER: WOMEN ARTISTS !!
that link, again ?
read: ‘Tagging Somebody’s Painting’ . . BSA/BROOKLYN STREET ART
~is that you . . SERF ? / UP-DATE . . |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | March 5th, 2014, 9:45am
oh boy . . .
you know your ‘mainstream’ art world is in trouble, when the best image of the 2014 WHITNEY / ART FAIR WEEK . . comes up from, the streets !!
and, the streets of I-T-A-L-Y, to be exact !!
via BSA . . BROOKLYN STREET ART !! GO BROOKLYN !!
talk about ‘magic’ . . in the way ‘art’ rears up her pretty little head, and screams, back: NO !!
this was the lead-in image . . that caught my eye.
MP5. for ARTE INATTESA. FORMIA, ITALY
PHOTO: FLAVIA FIENGO, via BSA/BROOKLYN STREET ART
MP5. for ARTE INATTESA. FORMIA, ITALY.
PHOTO: FLAVIA FIENGO via BSA/BROOKLYN STREET ART
detail . .
what they say ?
‘magic’ . . is in the details ?
I’m thinking . . 15 WARREN STREET – ALICE IN WONDERLAND. PETER PAN POSSE.
timeless-ness. to be exact !!
plus: graphic art. information . . loaded.
MP5. for ARTE INATTESA. FORMIA, ITALY.
PHOTO: FLAVIA FIENGO via BSA/BROOKLYN STREET ART
CROWS !!
don’t even get me started !!
let’s see, to begin with: there’s a murder of crows – !!
then, there’s crows in Science, and SCI-FI, fairy tales, and ole deep south black Folk Tales, and damn, what about those . . walkin the walk, talkin the talk, animated ‘crows’ in WALT DISNEY/check out ‘DUMBO’ !!
listen up: they didn’t call them segregation laws . . ‘Jim Crow’, for naught.
then of course, since way back: crows in Japanese art & crows . . talking to the dead in Norway !!
I’m thinking crows are a good way to symbolize the . . underground cultures, n’est pas ?
as in: caw caw call ya out !!
MP5. for ARTE INATTESA. FORMIA, ITALY.
PHOTO: FLAVIA FIENGO via BSA/BROOKLYN STREET ART
yep. MP5 pretty much . . caught the ‘mainstream’ culture: time, crow, carrot, art world and all.
read: MP5 in ITALY .. STRESSED-OUT MAGPIES & CARROT-CHASING RABBITS – BSA/BROOKLYN STREET ART, FEB 27, 2014
and, yes: MAGPIES are a species of CROW !!
and yes, ALICE IN WONDERLAND aside, guess who’s Chinese Horoscope Animal sign is . . a rabbit.
yep. yours truly !!
and, just in case you are wondering . . a flamin’ pure bred ARIES, too.
rock on, world !!
RABBIT meets RAM . . head-on collision !!
rock on . . all ye wise old, ancestors !!
~HELLO MP5 . . ITALY ?!! |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | March 4th, 2014, 11:42am
