Look Up Gospel Choir

New Site

2010-09-01T17:25:00.000-07:00

From now on I will be doing all of my posting at Tammy and my new website www.lookupgospelchoir.com. No more posting will be done at this site, but this site will remain as an archive of my artwork and my resume. Thanks everybody.

2010-08-20T11:31:00.001-07:00

Here is a new "look up" piece. I took the phrase Look Up and made it into a picture by turning the text into Morse Code (12 bars, 8 dots) and had intuitive fun with the structure. Look Up has played various roles in my thinking and art making but as of recent I have become interested in the Quietism movement and researching them and looking at the phrase as an antic dote to the navel gazing so prevalent in our culture (as in look up from your belly button). The modern slang, navel gazing, originates from a philosophy of contemplation that started with the stoics in Greece, and was furthered by the Quietist sect and they were an interesting group in Europe that co-incited with the Reformation. The idea with the Quietists was that if you could bring your self to a blissful, ideally selfless state of mind, that God would then inspire you since your ego had let go. That form of thought was highly frowned upon by Pope Innocent XI and the Catholic church so as a negative way of describing these folks they said that they navel gazed, as a way to describe they considered to be the inward, apathetic, selfish, form of Christianity. There are a bunch of great back and side stories to this story as well.

2010-08-19T08:20:00.001-07:00

Here are some new things. I am doing Barrett Johnson's new album cover which I am really excited about. In the mean time the above are two potential posters for the guy. Below is a new painting. I like my new "look up" painting. My whole artistic project is starting to gel for me and it feels really good. I have never overly worried about having a total sense of cohesion of thought when it came to a "project" but for the first time in my life I have become aware of a certain amount of peace, and better concentration, that comes from narrowing my focus without becoming too concerned with tying my self and brain down. I'll elaborate on this more in a bit. In the mean time enjoy. And big ups to my Japanese fan base who has no shortage of commenting energy.

2010-08-16T14:45:00.001-07:00

Two new pieces one large 5' x 7' and one quite a bit smaller 18" x 24" guy. I like these pieces quite a bit. Bringin' the gospel yeah yeah out and about. It was fun to work with text and figure some more.

2010-08-13T21:22:00.001-07:00

Tonight I finished the last of my "It's O.K." series of gospel songs (refer to earlier posts to see the rest).

lp cover lover

2010-08-13T13:29:00.001-07:00

took a surf through lp cover lover today looking for inspiration for a couple of record covers that I am working on right now. found these gems. i even fashioned my own (can you tell which one???) for funzies.

leo carillo and a new large pieco.....

2010-08-12T20:35:00.000-07:00

New jams

2010-08-11T11:51:00.001-07:00

New paintings and a studio shot. I have been painting a lot lately, YES!!!

2010-08-06T12:45:00.001-07:00

Here's a new piece.

Here's a line from Rainer Maria Rilke that struck at my brain and heart:

"Sometimes a man stands up during supper
and walks outdoors, and keeps on walking,
because of a church that stands somewhere in the East.

And his children say blessings on him as if he were dead.

And another man, who remains inside his own house,
stays there, inside the dishes and in the glasses,
so that his children have to go far out into the world
toward the same church, which he forgot."

Mmm, mmm..

Beach House: Used To Be

2010-06-30T00:43:00.000-07:00

These are for Drew who is coming to stay with us this week. They are for him in as much as he gave me an IPod with these songs on them among a thousand plus others but the video's (sans the pinche "waterfalls" cover) make me nostalgic. Drew and Amanda make me feel full of warmth.

Little Joy - Don't Watch Me Dancing - (UNPLUGGED)

2010-06-30T00:17:00.000-07:00

2010-06-11T19:52:00.001-07:00

A belief in hell and the knowledge that every ambition is doomed to frustration at the hands of a skeleton have never prevented the majority of human beings from behaving as though death were no more than an unfounded rumor.
Aldous Huxley

What a great quote. I am only beginning at 31 to wrap my brain around the hilarity and calamity and downright vanity of "ambition". It's a funny impulse that keeps pumping and keeps us going in all sort of directions, usually it seems to the degradation of our true spirit.

Two somewhat new big jams.

2010-05-18T13:00:00.001-07:00

10 points from Agnes Martin that art critic Jerry Saltz posted yesterday on his Facebook page.

1. Don’t be so hard on yourself and be ruthless too.
2. Don’t make excuses.
3. Don’t explain.
4. Don’t justify.
5.Do what you need to do.
6.Ordinary Happiness is the kind of happiness I’m talking to you about. The wild kind of happiness comes and goes. It rolls in and out like a storm. Ordinary Happiness has staying power.
7.What matters is that you write. What matters is that you show up and wait to see what shows up to meet you.
8.I once sat still every day for three months waiting for an inspiration to arrive. Three months. Every day I waited. Still. Silent. I didn’t know if it would come or not. I didn’t have faith that it would come or not. It was my job to sit and wait. It came and I painted again. But I might not have. And that’s not the point – whether I ended up painting again or not – the point is that I knew what my job was. So: I did it.
9.Spend more time in silence.
10.Walk more. While you can.

2010-05-11T17:51:00.001-07:00

I like the picture that I copied from the Alice Neel catalogue with her and Allen Ginsberg, and Peter Orlavsky. I contrast that with the headline that I read today of protesters angry about that Swedish cartoonists depiction of Muhammad as a dog. He got head butted in the face at a lecture he was giving. I imagine crowds of inflamed gnashing burning bored souls funneling their own deep fear and disappointments about life at this man. This man made an image that could make palpable, and recognizable, a reason to be angry. “My God” they would be screaming, “how dare you insult my God. Burn in hell you savage” as they rip and tear at other human beings to get a chance to rip and tear at this man, until one gets through and gets the chance to damage him.

The Neel and Ginsberg image, to me, is of a certain kind of innocence that comes of those seeking purity, beauty, humanity, and insight into our existence (even if it’s mixed with some good ol’ fashioned ego).

I guess I draw no conclusion except that I know God does not want us fierce and damaging and so set in our ways that at any cost we ravage in his name. Those question marks are what brings us beyond ourselves and if we have our eyes looking towards what is good, what is good will draw us nearer. Well, okay, there's one more conclusion, we humans can all be really disappointing at times.

So to summarize:

Making fun of who people think God is via cartoons=disrespectful and not loving

Head butting someone=downright wrong

Making good poems and fantastic portraits=good for the world

Hello blog...

2010-05-11T14:35:00.001-07:00

It has been a while since I have blogosphered. So I am reading Bernard Malamud's The Magic Barrell today which is a collection of short stories published in the early '50's. I found the book at Acres of Books last year and bought it based on the cover but after hearing "A Summer's Reading" which is one of the included stories, read on the New Yorker fiction podcast, I was all "word, I gotta read this". So today, as I sit bored at work, I have read it and I have been enchanted, laughed out loud, and had magical, visual head play as Malamud describes mid century New Yorkers, mostly Jewish refugees, and fully human characters, live out simple, sometime agonizing, lives. Really amazing and powerful. Word, you gotta read this.

Arthur Rubinstein plays Liszt.

2010-04-16T18:09:00.000-07:00

2010-04-16T18:05:00.001-07:00

I have found that if you love life, life will love you back.: Arthur Rubinstein
Of course there is no formula for success except perhaps an unconditional acceptance of life and what it brings.: Arthur Rubinstein

Inspiration of late...total stoke-ed-ness.

2010-04-13T22:10:00.001-07:00

Eric Trine let me borrow his copy of Builders of the Pacific Coast and I found the Reader's Digest Practical Problem Solver book being thrown out by my neighbor. Both of these books have really shaped my life lately.

Book 1. Eric is a maker of things who sometimes paints, where I had pegged myself a painter who found interest in building things, but never really followed through. After browsing, and then reading this book, having my mind blown, and God giving me what feels like a huge smiling nod, I quit all of my art jobs and am now repairing and painting my families commercial building, post surfing, under the Seal Beach sun (where my studio is, that my naval architect grandpa designed to look like a freakin' boat). As my best pal Earl and I are are doing this, we decided that this is what we want to do now. No more preparator work and stressing about my art "career". Earl is really good at making, building, etc. but I was always too busy painting to take him up on this awesome skill, but BAM, all things align. So we have since completely overhauled the family workshop in the boat building. The shop is usually used to store crap and build stretcher bars for paintings, and needed to be cleaned and organized to be fully functional. Earl has taken to grinding, oiling, de-rusting all tools and we are set to make (more of this on my next post). YES!!! We are ready to make and it is due in large part to going over this book and saying, I want to do this too. My favorite moment was when Earl said that we, with a ton of tools, a workshop, a desire, friends who are contractors who constantly are demoing and throwing away usable wood, (and I will add Earl's skills and my ability to be a helper monkey) would be assholes to look at this book, say "hey that's rad that those people do that" and not do it ourselves. Want us to build you a deck???

Book 2. This book is full of a million practical problem solving tips, shortcuts, etc. Cheaply acquired from Amazon, I totally suggest getting this book. It is helping me get out of post stoner 20's, suspended adolescence brain, and into early 30's, double dad mode that now knows how to quickly break up a dog fight, or deal with lost airline tickets. This may seem like a weird juxtaposition, but I need both more than I knew. I love it.

Thanks books.

Barrett Johnson t-shirt designs

2010-04-11T21:14:00.000-07:00

Here are three drawings that I did for Barrett to make t-shirts from. He will premiere said t-shirts this Saturday when he plays Hotel Cafe in Hollywood, which for the singer/songwriter set is the ultimate venue right now in Los Angeles, and Barrett is playing the coveted Saturday night slot. I'm proud of ol' Boo.
Hopefully these will translate well into tees.

Of course I would like this....

2010-04-06T21:12:00.001-07:00

My wife sent me the link to the awesome makings of artist Olga Ziemska. Her work is beautiful and these two pieces in particular have an almost uncanny kinship to figurative imagery that shows up in my own work (clapping hands, silhouette heads) . Give it a look.

2010-04-05T17:31:00.000-07:00

Just finished these three. The one in the middle has Picasso's eyes. It kind of has a great deal to do with my (and most other "painters") haunting by Picasso and for me Hockney who dealt in great volume with his Picasso ghost. But as per the other pieces from this series, they mostly are to do with me rocking out system based, abstract experiments. They are all gospel "songs" and I have begun a few choir member pieces, and a story piece.

New Jams......

2010-03-30T23:32:00.001-07:00

6's and 12's, 6's and 12's. Parameters make for good times (whoa, what a metaphor). But that's my own trip, trippers.

Hunches

2010-03-20T22:06:00.000-07:00

So luckily I've become re-interested in "hunches". A huge part of my practice is based on trying to use my intuition for choices. Trusting my eye/brain in a way that is beyond reason. "It just works" is what I try to achieve. Ol' Fred Hammersley's work and practice of hunches turned me on to the idea.

So I have re-started my ritual of working on little hunches while I'm at home with the girls. Just practice, like simple brushtrokes, collages, etc. and seeing where they go. The above is todays and yesterdays has turned into a larger piece. It's been fun and I like what has come out thus far.

2010-03-16T14:21:00.000-07:00

After Work
The shack and a few trees
float in the blowing fog

I pull out your blouse,
warm my cold hands
on your breasts.
you laugh and shudder
peeling garlic by the
hot iron stove.
bring in the axe, the rake,
the wood

we'll lean on the wall
against each other
stew simmering on the fire
as it grows dark
drinking wine.

                  Gary Snyder

2010-03-08T15:24:00.000-08:00

I was driving on Saturday night and Henry Rollins' show was on and he played a whole live record through the duration of the show by Trouble Funk, who sort of blew my mind. They were the dad's of this sub genre of DC funk called "Go Go" which also gets me fired up. The live record he played was amazing and is re-issued by Rollins' defunct label Infinite Zero, and is expensive, but out there. He said him and Ian Mackaye were driving when they first heard this record on the radio in '80 and literally had to pull over and just listen. Hence the mutant bill in the poster above. They were hooked.

2010-03-08T15:19:00.000-08:00

And another thing. I have this record in digitized form, and I love it, but I never took time to appreciate how bitchen the cover is. That bright stage light in between the fonts is rockin' it.

2010-03-07T17:04:00.001-08:00

Two new paper works and a new painting. Still sticking to my 6 and 12 system proclaiming that "It's O.K.", and believe me, unclench the sphincter, it is o.k. (life I mean, but I hope the work is at least o.k., hopefully much better than o.k.).

Delveness....

2010-03-04T20:52:00.001-08:00

Delve Clothing did a few shirts with my designs for Shelter surf shop in Long Beach and for the museum store at the Laguna Art Museum where I am in a show at the moment. We also did a sweet sign to direct people as to what to drop $20 on for the store. Thanks Ryan Bryant, as you are awesome. I endorse him as a fine t-shirt maker, beardo, and casual (in a Ray Barbee way) styled surfer I know. Buy some Delve shirts.

New gospel songs...

2010-03-03T19:22:00.001-08:00

2010 has felt like a really inspired year so far and I have been really stoked on what and how much I've been making so far. I'll start posting new stuff for the rest of the week.

The Choir hits the 'Ho pt. 1

2010-03-01T20:06:00.000-08:00

The students at NNU were amazing and did so much of the work. I brought the original drawings (view previous posts) which I turned into transperancies. I literaly brought 6 drawings and the below happened. It was magic. These kids went nuts. Monday and Tues. were spent finishing my "templates" which was basically filling in the pictures to the point that I had furthest conceptualized them, and then we all collaborated for 2 more days, which both went into the morning, to finish them out. New Grizzly Bear, Beach House, Atlas Sound, about 40 pots of coffee, and a ton of tacos helped fuel the funk.

The bottom two pictures are of a sub-concious art connection with one of my drawings, which Chris had pointed out, and the bottom picture was post a night of rooftop cigarettes, early morning painting, a couple of hours of sleep, and a snowstorm. It was an unforgettable time and Andrew, of my hosts, Andrew and Amanda, sent me home with an IPod full of new tunes which made for a killer flight. Woooord.

Idaho pt. II

2010-03-01T19:44:00.000-08:00

Idaho pt. 3

2010-03-01T19:11:00.000-08:00

Click on the collage picture because Chris, Ian, Joey and Nate really did a killer job putting in a ton of pictoral jokes in there. I mean top notch.

I'm back...

2010-02-28T13:51:00.001-08:00

Back from Idaho and I will post pictures tonight. In the mean time this quote blows my mind in the best way:

"TO BE HOPEFUL in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness.
What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives. If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something. If we remember those times and places—and there are so many—where people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act, and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of a world in a different direction.
And if we do act, in however small a way, we don’t have to wait for some grand utopian future. The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory."
— Howard Zinn

Idahooooo

2010-02-21T12:55:00.001-08:00

Here is my rally poster to be distributed around the art dept. with the hope of drumming up a group of students to collaborate on this project with me. I leave today and will be working all week and I'll be posting pictures of the outcome when I get back into town. I am really excited about having my templates be the choir members and having the collaboration be the created gospel songs. That's the music. I spend so much time by myself hoping that this work I make by myself will translate into something that will make the world a slightly better, happier place. This group art making will step up the chances for that desired goal (ideally). We'll see. I'll go in tomorrow, paint the below sketches straight onto the wall (already explained below) and then invite all of these savvy young art students to make some noise. YES!!!!

Thanks Mark

2010-02-18T11:50:00.000-08:00

Mark Dutcher posted this on Facebook today and it stoked me out so much I had to re-post it.
It's from Sol Lewitt to Eva Hesse..

Dear Eva,

It will be almost a month since you wrote to me and you have possibly forgotten your state of mind (I doubt it though). You seem the same as always, and being you, hate every minute of it. Don’t! Learn to say “Fuck You” to the world once in a while. You have every right to. Just stop thinking, worrying, looking over your shoulder wondering, doubting, fearing, hurting, hoping for some easy way out, struggling, grasping, confusing, itchin, scratching, mumbling, bumbling, grumbling, humbling, stumbling, numbling, rumbling, gambling, tumbling, scumbling, scrambling, hitching, hatching, bitching, moaning, groaning, honing, boning, horse-shitting, hair-splitting, nit-picking, piss-trickling, nose sticking, ass-gouging, eyeball-poking, finger-pointing, alleyway-sneaking, long waiting, small stepping, evil-eyeing, back-scratching, searching, perching, besmirching, grinding, grinding, grinding away at yourself. Stop it and just DO!From your description, and from what I know of your previous work and you [sic] ability; the work you are doing sounds very good “Drawing-clean-clear but crazy like machines, larger and bolder… real nonsense.” That sounds fine, wonderful - real nonsense. Do more. More nonsensical, more crazy, more machines, more breasts, penises, cunts, whatever - make them abound with nonsense. Try and tickle something inside you, your “weird humor.” You belong in the most secret part of you. Don’t worry about cool, make your own uncool. Make your own, your own world. If you fear, make it work for you - draw & paint your fear and anxiety. And stop worrying about big, deep things such as “to decide on a purpose and way of life, a consistant [sic] approach to even some impossible end or even an imagined end” You must practice being stupid, dumb, unthinking, empty. Then you will be able to DO!I have much confidence in you and even though you are tormenting yourself, the work you do is very good. Try to do some BAD work - the worst you can think of and see what happens but mainly relax and let everything go to hell - you are not responsible for the world - you are only responsible for your work - so DO IT. And don’t think that your work has to conform to any preconceived form, idea or flavor. It can be anything you want it to be. But if life would be easier for you if you stopped working - then stop. Don’t punish yourself. However, I think that it is so deeply engrained in you that it would be easier to DO!It seems I do understand your attitude somewhat, anyway, because I go through a similar process every so often. I have an “Agonizing Reappraisal” of my work and change everything as much as possible = and hate everything I’ve done, and try to do something entirely different and better. Maybe that kind of process is necessary to me, pushing me on and on. The feeling that I can do better than that shit I just did. Maybe you need your agony to accomplish what you do. And maybe it goads you on to do better. But it is very painful I know. It would be better if you had the confidence just to do the stuff and not even think about it. Can’t you leave the “world” and “ART” alone and also quit fondling your ego. I know that you (or anyone) can only work so much and the rest of the time you are left with your thoughts. But when you work or before your work you have to empty you [sic] mind and concentrate on what you are doing. After you do something it is done and that’s that. After a while you can see some are better than others but also you can see what direction you are going. I’m sure you know all that. You also must know that you don’t have to justify your work - not even to yourself. Well, you know I admire your work greatly and can’t understand why you are so bothered by it. But you can see the next ones and I can’t. You also must believe in your ability. I think you do. So try the most outrageous things you can - shock yourself. You have at your power the ability to do anything.I would like to see your work and will have to be content to wait until Aug or Sept. I have seen photos of some of Tom’s new things at Lucy’s. They are impressive - especially the ones with the more rigorous form: the simpler ones. I guess he’ll send some more later on. Let me know how the shows are going and that kind of stuff.My work had changed since you left and it is much better. I will be having a show May 4 -9 at the Daniels Gallery 17 E 64yh St (where Emmerich was), I wish you could be there. Much love to you both.

Sol

Nampa, Idaho

2010-02-16T11:39:00.000-08:00

So this project that the below posted sketches are for will take place at Northwest Nazarene University in lovely Nampa, Idaho. My friend, Amanda Hamilton, who is an awesome artist, and who along with my buddy Drew (her man toy) moved to Boise to teach there and is constantly drawing us So. Cal. -ers up there to do projects, which is great.
I will fly out on Sunday and shag ass to get this done before it opens Thursday night so I will post plenty of photo's as I go. Who am I even talking to? Myself! I'm okay with that.

Sketches for Boise...

2010-02-15T22:54:00.001-08:00

These are sketches for site specific wall pieces for a show that I'm doing in Boise Idaho next week. The idea is that these will be turned into transparencies, projected on the walls, maybe as tall as myself, and then painted directly on the walls. This whole project will be in collaboration with the art students that attend the university where these pieces will be executed. My hope is that these will act as templates that those art students will then help me fill in and add to.
I'll fill in the show details in the next few days.

2010-02-15T15:53:00.000-08:00

New American Paintings West Coast edition just came out and includes my work in it.
I am very excited about this although my local Barnes & Noble has not got it in yet.

2010-02-15T14:50:00.000-08:00

Good week for surf. Above is Da Cat immortalized in a cheesy but awesome painting I found online.

Ranting and raving...

2010-02-09T17:45:00.000-08:00

Oh Ezrha.
I just dug up this bad review of my work by an LA critic who I befriended before I read this. After reading it, and a few deep breaths, I still think she is one of the cooler more interesting, well informed people roaming the streets of this fair city and if anything, it was good food for studio thought.

Installation at Laguna Art Museum

2010-02-09T15:02:00.000-08:00

This installation that I just finished will be a part of the "OsCene" at the Laguna Art Museum that will open on February 20th. Grace Kook-Anderson, the contemporary curator at LAM has done a kick ass job on this show and I am really excited to be sandwiched between Ali Smith, and Nobuhito Nishigawara, both of who's work I like a lot. Should be fun.

It has been a long time since I got all installational with my installation but this work is part of my new Look Up Gospel Choir project and the work all feeds into it. The "it's o.k." abstractions are the gospel songs and the figures are the choir members singing and shouting and clapping. The structures and moves of the abstract bits are all based on 6 and 12 which comes from the Morse Code translation of "it's o.k." 6 dots and 6 dashes. So all of the moves come in 6 and 12. It's really fun.

All of the moves come in a call and response to eachother which makes me think of Dan Grahams Rock My Religion and how much of the way I think comes from the "yeah....yeah" of old timey spirituals, gospel, jazz, rock, back and forth.

I liked hanging it low as well to get people to have to crouch and move and stand and crouch back down if they want to see it. Like the up and down of worship or church.

At any rate it was fun and I think that it looks good and I hope that a few new eyeballs see the work.

Also in Riviera Magazine they did profiles on a few of the artists in the show and likened my work to that found in Liz Armstrong's awesome 2007 show Birth of the Cool at OCMA which is awesome for me since the show included a few of my painting heroes (but they totally greened out my piece).

oldies

2010-02-09T14:55:00.000-08:00

I found these on my memory stick of my camera. Two of them I sent to my ol' buddy Greg when he moved to New York and one I gave to Max Presneill. At any rate I really liked making these and they were made in this really fucked up transitional time where I was kind of ape-ing Steve Roden's system of letters to inches and using that to create the structures and the moves. I was really not knowing how to fit it all together and then these clapping hands popped up and made it worse, but it all made so much sense I had to press through. I think my work now owes everything to this six months of hard won ground back in the winter of 07-08, and these three were part of the battle carnage. It was post grad school and I was figuring it out on my own but looking back I really like these.

Look Up!!!

2010-02-03T21:28:00.000-08:00

While we're at it....

2010-02-02T13:39:00.000-08:00

I had never archived this on my blog. Here is an article that Sam Kho wrote for the online mag Curator for the salon that I used to curate and have since handed off to pops.

Ryan on Ryan action

2010-02-02T13:34:00.000-08:00

Anthem Magazine wrote an article on new buddy and upcoming Raid show curator Ryan Wallace and I was quoted quite a bit in the article. Way to go Ryan.

2010-01-11T20:39:00.000-08:00

puffy chair+coffee+sharpee/ballpoint+loose ideas to exercise=some posts

2010-01-04T20:24:00.001-08:00

2010-01-04T20:20:00.001-08:00

jammers

2010-01-04T20:18:00.001-08:00

Winsconsin ginsing root??

2009-12-18T15:39:00.000-08:00

This tea has been sort of blowing my mind lateley. I scavanged it out of the back of the beverage cupboard at work and it is bland and odd but amazing and who knew such quality herb root came from the heartland.

2009-12-18T11:31:00.000-08:00

Steve Roden, AND Lucky Dragons. Wooooord.

Mark Dutcher (and a long hiatious)

2009-12-18T11:20:00.001-08:00

Oh my sweet, sweet blog, it has been a long while of painting, kids, and work, work, work.

So I ran across an image (the gold x) on You Have Been Here Sometime (awesome blog) and it inspired me to do a post on Mark Dutcher who is a painter that I get so fired up about. Mark has a piece in this month's show at my gallery and he was included in our Rant show a few months ago. I love looking at what this guy makes. He's been painting for years (I liken him to a Chris Martin type who was always making work that people are just catching up to). Color, shape, generosity, not giving a crap-ness but in an honest non ironic way. Mmm, Mmm. See more of Marks work at http://www.steveturnercontemporary.com/. (the green painting image is courtesy of TRYHARDER who did covered the opening of our most recent show that Mark is a part of.)

#6

2009-10-23T14:20:00.000-07:00

Deletion, addition. I put in the little o.k.'s to match the big o.k.'s. I'm digging the f-ed up color structure.

#5

2009-10-23T14:18:00.000-07:00

Bye bye figuration, hello okko. I was getting out of hand with following those figures around the painting.

#4

2009-10-23T14:16:00.000-07:00

Whoa, Billy Graham & Dave Chapelle as Rick James praise chorus with clapping hands.

#3

2009-10-23T14:13:00.000-07:00

Figures creep in with voice blastees and I flipped the symetry becuase I didn't like the mirror from top to bottom. Side to side offers more fun possiblities.

#2

2009-10-23T14:12:00.001-07:00

anatomy and structure and layer of a painting #1

2009-10-23T14:07:00.000-07:00

I am going to document a few paintings all the way through the process. I really like to see the layers and history. This painting is going surprisingly fluid so I am going to try this on a few pieces. This is a fun illustration of how I build a picture. This painting is based entirely on a system derived from the phrase "it's o.k." being translated into Morse Code and then being structured out according to the 6 dots and 6 dashes in that phrase.

The SIte Is Up!!!

2009-10-22T10:24:00.000-07:00

Our new site for our gallery Raid Projects is up. www.raidprojects.com is afoot. We have a lot of awesome stuff on the calender including Gustavo Herrera and Spencer Douglas opening on November 7th, our Pink Flamingo Art Fair on Dec. 5th, projects in the works with Ryan Wallace, Chris Duncan, and a dual space month of shows with the fellas at Work Space gallery. YES!!

New Raid blog

2009-10-09T17:35:00.000-07:00

Jason Ramos, artist, resident, lover, and now blogger on behalf of Raid Projects. Check out the Raid blog at http://www.raidprojects.blogspot.com/ which will be hooked on to our soon to be launched wesite. Thanks Jason!!!

Grizzly Bear "While You Wait For The Others" Radio premier

2009-10-09T01:59:00.001-07:00

Good tune...

Orphan Kittites at L.A.C.E.

2009-10-08T13:53:00.000-07:00

Kristin Calabrese and Joshua Aster curated this show and let me tell you, it is the ultimate LA contemporary painter lineup (and I'm not just saying that because I was included). They did a killer job of putting this together. Thanks guys. Here's the skinny on the show from the press release:

"Everybody loves LACE! Hey, so maybe you heard about "Lovable like Orphan Kitties and Bastard Children" that was shown at the Green Gallery in Milwaukee? The show will be making a one afternoon appearance as part of the 2009 Out of Bounds annual Lace 10k. We will be stationed with all 80 cute little paintings at Circus of Books in Silverlake, 4001 Sunset Blvd., 90029.

The show is happening on Saturday, September 26th from 1 - 6pm. Come by Circus of Books, maybe buy some porn or a soda pop and see the lovelies!!

You won't believe your eyes!!To whet your appetite, here is the list of the people who made the paintings (in no particular order):

Nihura Montiel

Ryan Callis

Krysten Cunningham

Nicholas Frank

Santiago Cucullu

Tyson Reeder

Peter Barrickman

Steve Wetzel

Steven Burnham

Doug Harvey

Jacob Stewart-Halevy

Laurie Nye

Frank Ryan

Christopher Pate

Dan Cummings

Rowan Wood

Nikko Mueller

Heather Brown

Suzanne Falk

Eamon Ore-Giron

Angie Lacerenza

Stas Orlovsky

Linda Day

Lily Simonson

Karin Gulbran

Mark Dutcher

Brett Cody Rogers

Mimi Lauter

Mari Eastman

Karen Liebowitz

Ami Tallman

Susan Logoreci

Nina Bovasso

Theodora Allen

Salomon Huerta

Mary Weatherford

Tony Beauvy

Greta Waller

Lauren Lavitt

Nathan Danilovicz

Joshua Aster

Don Suggs

Karley Sullivan

Annie Lapin

Jon Pestoni

Brad Eberhard

David D’andrade

Holly Topping

Kent Familton

John Kilduff

Bart Exposito

Andrew Hahn

Benjamin Britton

Mark Licari

Robert Olsen

Caitlin Lonegan

Elana Sherr

Roger Herman

Andrea Shear

Gerald Davis

Analia Saban

Charles Karubian

Antonio Puleo

Maha Saab

Spencer Lewis

Sandeep Mukherjee

Kristin Calabrese

Kenny Scharf

Rebecca Morris

Claire Baker

Charles Irvin

Dino Rasmussen

Jodie Mohr

Iva Gueorguieva

Susanna Maing

Liat Yossifor

Allyson Spellacy

Ian Hokin

Amir H. Fallah

Dee Dee Cheriel

Sarah Lowing

Lisa Adams

Stephen Westfallps.

Lace wants you to sign up for a membership and go on the whole art walk. You can find more details at http://www.artleak.org/ We love LACE!!

all the best,Kristin and Josh

Some new paintings for your face

2009-10-08T13:28:00.000-07:00

With Raid Projects now in full swing and the Rant show up and running (see below posts for context) my blog will now return to it's original archival purposes. I have been painting a lot even though gallery/curatorial/museum stuff has been occupying a lot of time. Here are some recently finished pieces that I had neglected to post. I like my new system as it allows me to be able to meditate on the subject matter, but I can walk away from it, come back the next day, and know where I left off. It keeps the studio fun.

2009-10-08T13:15:00.000-07:00

Here are some shirt designs I threw at Ryan for this Shelter event a few weeks ago. I have not been posting in weeks due to craziness so I'm back in the sattle playing catch up. Delve continues to do awesome things so this is partially a plug for Delve clothing which you can keep up with by visiting http://thedelvemademedoit.blogspot.com/. I think Ryan only used the wave design that day for live screenprinting at Shelter.

I guess I design t's too much like a painter/picture maker but I was stoked on them at pictures so I guess that's 1/2 the battle, but I don't think the shirt selling 1/2.

I like the "weekend delvers" shirt becuase that day I had seen this big black dude on a big ass bike hauling down the freeway and he was listinging to some super cheese tunes. So I liked the idea of a tough guy, macho, weekend biker listening to Fine Young Cannibals while he rides.

Elliott Smith - Waltz #2 (XO)

2009-09-23T01:43:00.001-07:00

Sweet late song man who creeps into memory.

this friday night at the Torrance Art Museum

2009-09-14T12:53:00.001-07:00

Come join us at TAM on the sculpture deck for the free screening of Abel Raises Cain. This is a hilarious documentary made by Jenny Abel telling the story of her media prankster parents. Visit http://www.abelraisescain.com/ for more information on the film. The evening begins at 8 with an intro by Jenny and will end with a q & a session.

St. Vincent - The Strangers [live on Lake Fever Sessions]

2009-09-13T20:00:00.001-07:00

Heeeeeeeeaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrts.

Julie Doiron - Me and My Friend

2009-09-13T19:44:00.001-07:00

I love this song so it's a half stoked/half tripped post because the video was posted in 2006 which is around the time Brad Eberhard introduced me to youtube. This trips me out because time moves so quickly now that a 2006 post seems ancient. Time flies?

Ooooooh boy.

2009-09-10T19:05:00.000-07:00

This means it's official. I really do now co-own/run a gallery.

XLR8R TV Episode 31: Dan Deacon

2009-09-05T01:50:00.001-07:00

Awww Dan Deacon. I love this fellow. He'll be in LA this weekend for FYF fest. Good stuff.

Dan Deacon on NBC morning

2009-09-05T01:26:00.001-07:00

Peter Alexander this month in the big apple...

2009-09-04T17:43:00.000-07:00

Peter Alexander, who is a seminal figure in Los Angeles art, and who will be featured in my first show at the new Raid Projects in LA, opens a decades spanning show in New York this month. Congrats Peter!!

His resin pieces are beautiful and having seen them together and well lit, I am stoked for all who will get to visit this exhibit.

Newest curatorial endevour

2009-09-04T16:57:00.000-07:00

My dad hooked up the space, and we curated the show. This will be awesome. The Pacific Design Center has opened up it's vacant spaces to curators and dealers. So Carl Berg, Christopher Grimes and loads of others are turning this into an art mall of sorts, right on Santa Monica Blvd. It should be an awesome situation. Thank you to all of our artists and to Honor Fraser gallery for your generosity.

Aususta Wood's new site...

2009-09-04T11:26:00.000-07:00

Los Angeles photographer Augusta Wood who will be featured in the upcoming TAM group show Baker's Dozen. She just launched a newly updated site so absorb some of her awesomeness at www.augustawood.com.

Chris Martin Studio Visit Part II

2009-09-02T20:29:00.003-07:00

Chris Martin Studio Visit Part I

2009-09-02T20:29:00.001-07:00

Good stuff. James Kalm makes for some awesome clunky interviewing.

2009-09-01T11:15:00.000-07:00

I am going to document the life of buildup of a Ryan painting. For me, that is the magic of painting. The buildup, the layers, what comes through, how the whole thing is structured, how each step informs the next. Mmmm, so cathartic. So here we go.

New jambox

2009-09-01T11:04:00.000-07:00

http://www.thegreengallery.biz/kristin-calebrese is a link for Kristin Calabrese and Josh Aster's show called that they curated called Lovable Like Orphan Kitties and Bastard Children that will be at LACE on September 26th. All work is 11" x 11" or smaller and will be installed as part of LACE's art walk. This new piece will be in said show at said venue. I am stoked to be a part of this awesome show.

This piece follows the system explained below and the original text is "to be free" and it goes from there.

When Dividing Space Runs Amok

2009-09-01T10:57:00.000-07:00

I enjoy enacting systems and following them to the fullest degree. I've written about this before. This painting and the one's I have been working on this year have begun with a geometric laying down of the cirlcles and squares of phrases that I meditate on that I translate into Morse Code. I like the idea of talking about God (which a lot of people treat as a dead dialogue) using a dead technilogical language. Then I divide the space around the laid out code and see what happens. This one took me somewhere and shit go away from me but at least it brought me back home.

The original text says "I will not be a prisoner" which is the chorus to an old Little Wings song. But I like how it rings like an old gospel chorus. This guy needs to be wrangled in a bit but I like where it's going.

Buy-Sellf

2009-08-28T16:46:00.000-07:00

The French art collective Buy-Sellf brings the noise with some really interesting art/projects/products, like a tubular ping pong table, pedestrian half pipe or the cardboard fireplace and mantle. The ped. half pipe is going to be re-fabricated at our museum in June for an exhibition and will be placed outside on the sculpture deck. www.buy-sellf.com for more images.

2009-08-27T15:25:00.001-07:00

This kind of fires me up.

My creative friends, take the time to watch this

2009-08-25T20:52:00.000-07:00

Alison O'Daniel

2009-08-14T18:05:00.000-07:00

I'm digging on the projects and objects made by Alison O'Daniel. Visit www.alisonodaniel.com to see more work. "Double Dutch Will Take You Higher" is pretty epic.

Dante's Inferno @ TAM

2009-08-14T15:12:00.000-07:00

Click on the flier to enlarge it and get the info you need about the screening of this awesome film on August 21st at 8 at the museum. Sandow Birk and Elyse Pignolet will be doing an intro and q&a after the film. For more on the film visit www.dantefilm.com and for more on Sandow's art visit www.koplindelrio.com.
I am really stoked. As I posted below I thought the film was great so to have them come and screen it Wooord.

MegaWoosh.com

2009-08-08T22:31:00.001-07:00

Eric ya done it again...

Chuck Close Tapestry - Weaving proofs

2009-08-03T19:57:00.001-07:00

So thanks to Chuck Close's studio, the fine folks at Pace, and the super fine folks at Magnolia Editions in Oakland, we will be exhibiting the tapestry being weaved and shown in these videos. The piece will be in our January self portraiture show. This thing is massive and it is amazing to watch the insanity that is the loom. The video below with the 3 picture piece being woven is roughly a third of the piece in its entirety.

Tapestry weaving

2009-08-03T19:56:00.003-07:00

Chuck Close "Self Portrait / Five Part" Tapestry

2009-08-03T19:56:00.001-07:00

cute city

2009-07-30T22:32:00.001-07:00

It's tomato season and what do you do with all of the extra's from the garden, get capitalistical. She made $12 and bought a gumball machine with the proceeds which might even be cuter than having a tomato stand. Thanks Jen (www.blackpheobe.com) for the pic.

Dante's Inferno

2009-07-24T14:03:00.000-07:00

Today at the museum Sandow Birk mailed me a copy of the film that he made (with others) based on a contemporary take of Dante's Inferno. It was amazing. All puppeted flat drawings and props. It was funny with great voice overs (including the voice of Master Shake from Aqua Teen Hunger Force). But it was the visuals that blew me away. Composed in a lot of scenes, like the iconic Birk paintings that I've seen over the years, I was struck again and again by the visual complexity of what was happening. We are in the works to include a screening of this for our film series at the TAM, and it will most likely be the next film screened, so stay tuned for details. Also visit www.dantefilm.com which is the official movie site.

Society of Interested Persons Salon this Saturday night...

2009-07-20T21:43:00.001-07:00

Much more to come on this event and it's participants, but my first teaser is this.....
Which of these beardo's is presenting his photographs this Saturday night in Seal Beach?

Fiiiiiiilm Niiiiiiight July 17th @ TAM

2009-07-09T16:30:00.000-07:00

Yes, next Friday join us at the Torrance Art Museum for film night out on our sculpture garden deck. Bring a lawn chair, blanket, and some friends and watch video art under the Torrance stars.

This month's night is curated by Los Angeles artist Kristi Lippire and is titles "Narration, Animation, Provocation. Video Screening Pt. 2". Click on the image for the artist list which is an impressive group of folks from LA and NYC. We are stoked.

Kristi's work is awesome and she's shown at D.E.N. Contemporary, ACE, Raid Projects, Project 210 and recently had a solo show at the Riverside Art Museum.

Doors open at 8, it is free, and you can visit www.torranceartmuseumblog.blogspot.com for more info.

Wednesday surf movie night at the Callis boatyard

2009-06-28T21:29:00.000-07:00

Every other Wednesday night is surf movie night at the boat yard. Cheap beer and good laughs were shared with friends and neighbors as we watched Bruce Brown's classic Endless Summer this past Wed. under the Seal Beach stars.
E.S. was meant to kick the summer off two weeks ago but the box that I brought that night had the Seedling in it instead (wamp wamp).
For the rest of the summer we will be spanning the decades of surf movies so shoot me an email for directions and times if you want to come.

Mark Dutcher Studio Tour

2009-06-26T18:11:00.001-07:00

This was a fun thing to come across. I really like Mark's work.

Susan Collis selected as Armory Show 2010 commisioned artist

2009-06-26T15:53:00.000-07:00

Susan Collis, who will have a show at TAM in gallery 2 next spring has just been announced the Armory Show's commisioned artist for 2010. Collis joins past commissionee's such as Mary Heilmann, John Wesley, John Waters, and many more who are invited to create a small edition work for one of the most important art fairs in the world.
Collis' work turns every day mundane objects into spectacular moments of beauty. The above pictured pieces are comprised of 18 carrot white gold, diamond, silver, opals, turqoise, garnets, seed pearls, mother of pearls, fresh water pearls, coral, black onyx, marcacite, and of course, a wooden broom.
To see more work by Collis, visit http://www.seventeengallery.com/ who represents her work in London.

This is just one reason why I read David John's blog every day

2009-06-26T15:31:00.000-07:00

http://youhavebeenheresometime.blogspot.com/search/label/cones%20of%20power. I rarely am dissapointed when I peruse the 0's and 1's at You Have Been Here Sometime Before.

Thanks Apartment Therapy...

2009-06-23T12:42:00.000-07:00

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/la/apartment-therapy-los-angeles-on-the-town-tour-des-artistes-087600. Also click on the Dan's aprtment link to see art by meeeeeeee.

Film Night @ TAM

2009-06-22T10:28:00.001-07:00

The first Art House/Art Garden film night, which I will note, did not happen in our garden this time, went off splendidly on Friday. Lee Lynch and Doug Harvey brought their killer installation and film and performance of "Ned's Draw" which really made the crowd go wild. It was funny, interactive, and included a lot of interesting objects that provoked many audience questions. The movie was a true account of an old California legend about the last remnents of natives that held out in Northern California, an ambiguously gay bounty hunter, and the servant Ned who eventually shoots him.

"Passing", which Doug brought, by English artists Eric Wright & Cathy Ward, was visually haunting 8mm footage of Vegas and other Western outposts, and the narration by L.M. Kit Carson added to the tone of the piece.

And Spencer Douglas and Gustavo Herrera (pictured above) gave a small introduction before screening their stop motion piece, "Buffalo Mierde" which was also a definate crowd pleaser. Our next installment will be held, this time in our sculpture garden, on July 17th. More details to come.

This Friday night @ TAM

2009-06-16T16:26:00.000-07:00

Don't forget friends. Friday night, Doug Harvey presents Lee Lynch's film Ned's Draw which will include installation, live acting, and maybe even a reptile or three, and soooo much more. Come on down to the Torrance Art Museum.

"Where We're Going, We Don't Need Roads" TDA pt. 3

2009-06-16T09:23:00.000-07:00

This was the show Dan curated on Elm in which I had work, along with Bob Pece who's work I am re-stoked on, and Eric Trine, Amanda Paganini, Jessica Fife, and Alex. In the bottom picture is MT giving us a helping hand by helping sand. My pieces are the Rick James/Billy Graham testifyin' piece and the one with the synchronized swimmers. Woooord.