Fairly long gap from the last but anyhow here is a new report. I'll have 30 new paintings on site by 11/11 (11/6 > New paintings). News follows...
Music
Part of the reason is that I took a break from painting in August and did some home recording that I'd been meaning to do for some time. Pretty noisy and dissonant, guitar-based, improvised, computer-altered and layered music that I did on my own. I recorded an eleven track demo and sent it around to a number of independent labels that seemed to be somewhat of a fit for what I do.
Seeing as how I haven't heard from any of them at this point I can only assume the reason for the delay must certainly be that some sort of bidding war is ocurring behind the scenes. Very soon the offers will be coming in, I'm sure.
Anyhow, much fun and nice to have finally done it. If you would like hear examples of it, feel free to download any or all of these three example. Please remember I warned you...noisy, dissonant, etc.
Three, free mp3 examples (all around 2 minutes long):
Solo.mp3 , metal.mp3 , new.mp3
If you would like a free cd of the entire demo and more, please contact me and let me know and I'll send it to you.
Painting
After that I went back to painting; this in late August or so.
South Open Studio in Boston this September this year went very well and I was happy to have had the opportunity to meet and talk with so many people. Such a nice way for people to see a lot of art without some of the barriers that art galleries can sometimes create in terms of a more formal environment (for those unfamiliar with it, South End Open Studio is just that, area artists open their studios and artists without studio space can rent space for minimal cost within an unfinished industrial soon-to-be office space. A huge number of people come through the spaces so it has turned into a very nice event).
Upcoming
I have 4 painting shows I'm participating in coming up in the next couple months:
- Affordable Art Group Show > Holliston, MA > Nov 10-12 2006
Holliston Historical Society / Asa Whiting barn
547 Washington street Holliston, MA.
For more info call 508-359-6232 or got-art@comcast.net
- CafeNation > 380 Washington, St. Brighton, MA > Dec 2006
I have the space to myself so I'll have a wall of work showing.
- Gallery Nachotta > Portsmouth, NH > Group show : "Home Show" > Nov 3 - Dec 8 2006.
- Miami Art Group Gallery > I'm now being represented by the Miami Art Group Gallery in (surprise) Miami, FL. They just opened and they will be showing the work of their artists at Art Basel Miami Beach, December 7-10.
As the official site says, "The international art show in Miami Beach (Florida) is the American sister event of Art Basel in Switzerland, the most important annual art show worldwide for the past 37 years."
New Work
In any case, all of these needed work in a fairly short time. To that end I have about 30 new pieces of varying sizes done and they'll be posted on this site in a week or so from today, Nov 2.
I'm very pleased with how they've come out and it feels to me that I get closer to whatever it is I'm trying to bring forth with each batch. I say batch because that is how I work and always have.
I prefer doing a number of pieces at once as it allows me to learn and develop ideas within a body of work as opposed to single pieces. And for me a key part of this work is the improvisational aspect to it that this multiple format of working keeps constantly engaged. Basically, it means a broader canvas to work on, so to speak.
Outside inputs
...for lack of a better word for me have included:
Reading the great contemporary writer Cormac McCarthy's new book, “The Road" (Amazon link) and then I've been rereading some of his earlier work such as "Outer Dark" and "Sutree". Dark, dark, amazing work...kind of like Flannery O'Connor, cubed.
Artwise, as always, I keep looking at the Italian Renaissance masters as the foundation for me at this point. I seem to draw more (no pun intended) from these people than any other at this point.
Much of what I do has a basis in landscape or what would appear to be landscape in some form or another. For one thing I'm interested in how incorporating elements of landscape can have implications on a number of levels. Artists I particularly love such as the painters J. M. Turner, Titian and the photographers Sally Mann and Atget are huge influences on me in terms of exploring the possibilities in this regard.
Leonardo and the way that he has done just this is always in mind, as well. As in the Mona Lisa and the mysterious and beatiful landscape in the background that contributes so much to how this painting presents itself.
Speaking of Leonardo, the drawing below of his has to be my favorite artwork and is always in my mind in terms of his touch, use of color, tone, subject matter, and how other worldly and intelligent this piece is.
On the other hand, Joseph Beuys, the late great contemporary German artist/activist/teacher, has impacted me as much in other ways in terms of how I see art and its possibilities. But all of these artists, to my mind, have one foot in this world and one foot in another.
On another note, I've heard Rothko mentioned to me numerous times as to what would seem to be an obvious influence and although I love his work (particularly his late work) it is far less of an influence on me than the artists I mentioned above.
Anyhow, perhaps I will see you at one of the shows above and again, new work on this site by 11/10. Thank you for visiting. |