Pierogi Gallery Summer Show

Checked out the Pierogi Gallery summer show in Brooklyn last week. Went to about 10 galleries - 3 closed for installation, 4 gone, 1 closing, and 2 open. Yikes!
In true Pierogi fashion, lots of drawing in the show. Two trends in most exhibited drawings over the past 2-3 years: lots of intricate "doodling" of small shapes and abstract organic and geo forms. Actually, they remind me of those Grateful Dead/weed/black light posters you could create and/or color that were popular in the 70s. However, some of these are sophisticated and exhibit a sense of intricacy, dialogue, and an amazing amount of patience. Left is a large piece by (don't have the artist's name) done on pieces of paper, a well orchestrated mix of abstract and representational.

The other trend is the deconstructed cityscape, or exploding scape, or post apocalyptical scape. I've seen many samples of work like this from pen and ink sketchbook pieces to whole room installations. When one sees these common threads, the question arises as to why? Are these reflections of a common sociological fear? desire for destruction? Coincidentally (or not) the piece below is titled "Fear and Hope" by Johan Nobell.

The entire show wasn't abstract geo renderings. There were text-based, cartoony, and realistic pieces as well. This exhibit is up until 7/26. Pierogi Galery, 177 North 9th Street Brooklyn, NY 11211 Tel. 718 599 2144

LOVE at the Spread Art Gallery

Went to the opening last week that my piece was in - Jethro Rebollar curated this show at Spread Art Gallery in Brooklyn, titled LOVE.
It was an old school small sized gallery opening with tons of people and tons of sweat. Painting, drawing, sculpture, photo - an eclectic mix all examining Love and whatever goes with it.

Some of the work was pretty straightforward, and I thought Filip Olszewski's "18 Gigabytes of Melissa Joan Hart Images" for $2000 was hilarious (first pic below).

"LOVE" art opening in Brooklyn

I have a large drawing ("Couple", below) in a group show titled "LOVE"!
Should be a great opening, and you are invited!
JULY 17th 2009 ~ 7pm
@ SpreadArtGallery
E. Williamsburg, Brooklyn. ~ 104 Meserole St.
http://www.spreadart.org/

Here's the official lowdown: This summer, Love comes to Brooklyn. Over a dozen artists from New York and around the country will be submitting to and attending the premier Love show hosted by the Spread Gallery art + performance space in E. Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The show will exhibit a generational cross-section of celebrated working artists and designers through their reflections on love. Love as a force of good, a force of malice, force of height, of hate, a force of God, creation, destruction, oppresion, and the many experiential et ceteras.

Oh, no...no no no no no no no

Project Runway for artists?? Say it ain't so, but it was inevitable.
I heard about this awhile ago, and that Sarah Jessica Parker might be affiliated with it. I can predict the stereotypical cast: the wacko artist w/ funky hair and clothes who speaks artspeak; the black feminist lesbian; the white good looking macho guy; the insecure mousey artist; the flaming queen; the intellectual snob; the hot blonde rich chick; the political activist; and so on and so on. Just like Project Runway, Top Chef, Real World and all the rest fill their cast with stereotypical characters and polar opposites (to create drama), I'm sure this one will be no different.
"OK, artists, the Art Challenge today is to create a public monument about Angst, using only cardboard, string, play-doh, and duct tape. You have 1 hr. Good luck." Actually, that kind of reminds me of art school. And I'm sure the send-off line to whoever loses that episode will be, "Take your portfolio and go back to the drawing board."
Here's the press release courtesy of Art Blog:

[The show is] an hour-long creative competition series among aspiring contemporary artists who will create and compete to conquer the art world!

If you’re an emerging or mid-career visual artist with a unique, powerful voice that demands a bigger stage – well. . . Here. It. Is.

We want contemporary artists. Your medium could be one of many (or several of many) – painting, sculpture, installation, video, photography, mixed-media – we want voices that believe in their art and want the world to know.

*To be considered for the cast, attend one of our four regional casting calls around the country, see below.*

Go to www.BravoTV.com/casting to download an application and see what you need to bring with you to an open call.

Happy 4th of July!

Chia enjoys the annual 4th of July Parade in Asbury Park, NJ!