It has been three full months since my last post and I have no other excuse other than blogs take a long time to maintain. My month in New York flew by, during which I barely made a dent in my art schedule (seeing museum
shows, visiting galleries, etc.). Preoccupied as I was with meetings with our architect (my husband and I bought a place in Brooklyn in preparation for our permanent move back to NYC, date TBD, but hopefully by end of 2014!), and
spending time with my family, I still managed to squeeze in visits to a few artists’ studios.
First up was Duke Riley, performance artist, tattoo guru, and all around rascal. I first met Duke in Shanghai during his residency under the smARTpower project (now defunct). I was part of the team that was brought together to support his project, The Rematch, a recreation of the myth of the Chinese zodiac race (you can read all about it on his website). He just so happened to be working on a large scale drawing based on this project the day I visited his studio in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Like many of his drawings, this one was elaborate and filled with irreverent details, like a panda pierced with spears or a couple fornicating. He announced that everyone who passes through his studio has to get to work. So he had me write a few phrases in Chinese, one of which I’ve yet to tell him the meaning of. I’m sure he’ll get a kick out of it when he discovers it.
shows, visiting galleries, etc.). Preoccupied as I was with meetings with our architect (my husband and I bought a place in Brooklyn in preparation for our permanent move back to NYC, date TBD, but hopefully by end of 2014!), and
spending time with my family, I still managed to squeeze in visits to a few artists’ studios.
First up was Duke Riley, performance artist, tattoo guru, and all around rascal. I first met Duke in Shanghai during his residency under the smARTpower project (now defunct). I was part of the team that was brought together to support his project, The Rematch, a recreation of the myth of the Chinese zodiac race (you can read all about it on his website). He just so happened to be working on a large scale drawing based on this project the day I visited his studio in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Like many of his drawings, this one was elaborate and filled with irreverent details, like a panda pierced with spears or a couple fornicating. He announced that everyone who passes through his studio has to get to work. So he had me write a few phrases in Chinese, one of which I’ve yet to tell him the meaning of. I’m sure he’ll get a kick out of it when he discovers it.
More collaborations on the way perhaps?
While visiting Duke’s studio, I also caught up with Naiti Gamez, a freelance camera woman shooting images for a project about the artist. We had a lively conversation about growing up in immigrant neighborhoods (me Washington
Heights, her Miami. OK, Miami is a city, not a neighborhood), modern parenting culture, and about other projects that she is involved in. At the time, she was shooting a documentary, the subject of which I’m not allowed to reveal. Naiti was going to meet the subject of the film for the first time the next day to shoot some interview
footage. The documentary is for HBO so look out for it when it comes out; it’s a fascinating but frustrating look at the dysfunctional justice system in this country (and that's all I will say about it!).
My next visit was more about catching up with old friends but there was still some art involved. I brought along Lucianne (more on her later in the post), who is my closest and dearest friend from high school, to visit another high school buddy working at a commercial art studio in Bushwick. Claudia and her crew make reproductions of paintings and other artwork for commercial spaces (hotels, offices, etc.). Most of her co-workers are working artists doing this to pay the bills; Claudia herself is a trained photographer. One of her friends showed us some drawings he was working on, one of which reminded me of Weegee photographs from the 1930s.
Heights, her Miami. OK, Miami is a city, not a neighborhood), modern parenting culture, and about other projects that she is involved in. At the time, she was shooting a documentary, the subject of which I’m not allowed to reveal. Naiti was going to meet the subject of the film for the first time the next day to shoot some interview
footage. The documentary is for HBO so look out for it when it comes out; it’s a fascinating but frustrating look at the dysfunctional justice system in this country (and that's all I will say about it!).
My next visit was more about catching up with old friends but there was still some art involved. I brought along Lucianne (more on her later in the post), who is my closest and dearest friend from high school, to visit another high school buddy working at a commercial art studio in Bushwick. Claudia and her crew make reproductions of paintings and other artwork for commercial spaces (hotels, offices, etc.). Most of her co-workers are working artists doing this to pay the bills; Claudia herself is a trained photographer. One of her friends showed us some drawings he was working on, one of which reminded me of Weegee photographs from the 1930s.
Afterwards we headed to Greenpoint to visit Jade Townsend's studio (which at the time was in his apartment that he shares with his girlfriend Kitty Joe). He had taken over the office area of the apartment, where the walls were filled with his drawings, sketches and inspirational images. He was working on a series of drawings based on Sebastian Brant's "Ship of Fools" that were to be shown in his solo exhibition at Gallery Poulsen in Copenhagen.
Jade standing in front of one of his drawings.
The three of us chatted for some time and I wish I had taken some notes because I've forgotten most of what we touched upon. I know the Chapman Brothers were mentioned, as were horror films, the Midwest art scene, and bringing back the art patrons of yore; I suggested (in jest of course) that he find a wealthy older woman to take him on if things get really bad. Which makes me wonder, why did the art patron die out?
My last stop of the day was John Zinsser's studio, just a couple of blocks from Duke's tattoo parlor, East River Tattoo. John was one of Jade's former professors at the New School, and he definitely fit the part. I stayed much longer than I had anticipated, listening to him speak lovingly of the New York City (he's a native born son), his parents (journalists), and his childhood growing up around intellectuals and scholars in New Haven (his father taught at Yale in the 60s and 70s). He was a well of knowledge, espousing on the New York art scene, artist Marcia Hafif (whom he had just interviewed for a project he was working on), and how the internet has changed the way we view images.
My last stop of the day was John Zinsser's studio, just a couple of blocks from Duke's tattoo parlor, East River Tattoo. John was one of Jade's former professors at the New School, and he definitely fit the part. I stayed much longer than I had anticipated, listening to him speak lovingly of the New York City (he's a native born son), his parents (journalists), and his childhood growing up around intellectuals and scholars in New Haven (his father taught at Yale in the 60s and 70s). He was a well of knowledge, espousing on the New York art scene, artist Marcia Hafif (whom he had just interviewed for a project he was working on), and how the internet has changed the way we view images.
John Zinsser showing me a series of new sketches in the works.
A few days later, I headed to Crown Heights to visit Eliza Stamps. One of these days, I will need to do a full Brooklyn studio tour because there seems to be an infinite number of warehouse and industrial spaces available to artists here. This one was situated over a factory that makes kale chips (which, according to Eliza, emits the most foul smell) and was a ten minute walk from Prospect Park. I met Eliza in Shanghai when she joined on as an "extra" in Duke's project. His original plan was to have all live animals in the race but when he couldn't procure a tiger, Eliza (who was passing through on her way back from a residency in Cambodia) stepped in. She had an head to toe slinky tiger costume made at the fabric market and performed in a cage during the race. If all else fails, I think she would have a great career as a burlesque tiger dancer.
Eliza was working on several projects at once, which I guess is a trend with artists these days. They're not content with doing one thing. Duke, for example, has his drawings as well as performances and public interventions (you can check out his latest project, where he flew trained pigeons from Cuba to Florida, smuggling cigars). Jade works in drawings and elaborate installations and sculptures. John is a painter, scholar and published author, as well as a journalist (he had a column for Artnet magazine called Painter's Journal). Eliza herself was working on a new series of drawings with infinite lines but she also showed me new rope objects, watercolor tarot cards and a beautiful stone piece she made in Cambodia.
Eliza was working on several projects at once, which I guess is a trend with artists these days. They're not content with doing one thing. Duke, for example, has his drawings as well as performances and public interventions (you can check out his latest project, where he flew trained pigeons from Cuba to Florida, smuggling cigars). Jade works in drawings and elaborate installations and sculptures. John is a painter, scholar and published author, as well as a journalist (he had a column for Artnet magazine called Painter's Journal). Eliza herself was working on a new series of drawings with infinite lines but she also showed me new rope objects, watercolor tarot cards and a beautiful stone piece she made in Cambodia.
Eliza in her studio; she's standing next to a new series of small rope sculptures.
During the summer, I also had a lot of time to spend with my close friend Lucianne. We've known each other since we were 16, when the love of art and punk rock brought us together. She's now a bad-ass astrophysicist, science TV talking head, part-time artist and TED fellow. I got to see her speak at Creative Mornings at the Galapagos Art Space in DUMBO, where she talked about bringing space to a wider audience through new accessible technology. We also hung out at her friend Matt Jone's exhibition at the Bleeker Art Club. They became friends because of their love of art and science; she's a scientist who incorporates art into her work, he's an artist whose work is informed by science. Tagging along for the show was Nina Tandon, a mutual friend and another bad-ass science lady (she's also a TED fellow). She founded epiBONE, a company that works with stem cells, specifically creating bone. Hanging out with these ladies made me feel really smart for some reason, even though I would have nothing to contribute to their science conversations. Being in the presence of greatness can really make one aspire to better things. Although I haven't exactly acted on these aspirations.
My next post will probably be posted almost immediately, as I am way behind in keeping you guys updated on what's been happening in Shanghai. But before I do that, look out for my next post, where I visit the Venice Biennale!
You can follow some of the folks mentioned here on Twitter:
Duke Riley: @_dukeriley
Jade Townsend: @jadetownsend
Lucianne Walkowicz: @shaka_lulu
Nina Tandon: @ninatandon
My next post will probably be posted almost immediately, as I am way behind in keeping you guys updated on what's been happening in Shanghai. But before I do that, look out for my next post, where I visit the Venice Biennale!
You can follow some of the folks mentioned here on Twitter:
Duke Riley: @_dukeriley
Jade Townsend: @jadetownsend
Lucianne Walkowicz: @shaka_lulu
Nina Tandon: @ninatandon
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