Sawdust Maladies

Floating in the Absence of Reason (Revisited)

2012-01-26T18:31:00.000-05:00

Jim Pavlicovic, "Standing In the

Absence of Reason"

"Floating In The Absence of Reason (Revisited)" can be distilled to a simple "Lost in Discordance" and I even wrote in the previous exhibit of the same title that "the intriguing aspect of the show’s title is the word “floating”. Is the viewer floating into the “absence of reason”? Or is the “floating” the effect of the “absence of reason”? Or vice versa?"

It's an intriguing enough title that Artgroup for Gay and Lesbian Artists decided to visit the theme again. It is a theme that poses the ultimate dilemma for visual artists - interpreting the intangible and vague with corporeal imagery.

Exhibiting artists from various career levels, the eclectic imagery ranges from abstract painting and printmaking to representational drawings and paintings, collage and photography. The titles (wether they address the theme of the show more than the image and vice versa is for you to decide), contrast the theme of the show ("Standing in the Absence of Reason I" by Jim Pavlicovic), reason with it ("Left Brain Mathematics" - in green, red and blue by Stephen Cimini) and subtitle it (Thingamabob" by Hillary North). Ed Roger's painting, "For a Long Time Nothin'...", seems to be an exasperated response while Michael Tice's "Suburbia" informs us where we can float...

Ed Rogers "For a Long Time Nothing" (left) & Stephen Cimini,

"Left Brain Mathematics" (Green, Red, Blue)

"Floating In the Absence of Reason (Revisted)" is a curious collection of visual solutions by Artgroup. Using the title of the show as their only guideline for image making, they define the exhibit with humor, insight and somewhat rational reasoning.

Artgroup was founded in 1995 and meets on the first Tuesday of each month from September to May at the LGBT Center at 208 West 13th St. in New York City. For additional information about Artgroup, please visit www.artgroupnyc.org

MH Art & Framing Gallery

ARTGROUP FOR GAY & LESBIAN ARTISTS

Is pleased to invite you to:

Floating In The Absence of

Reason (Revisited)

Jan. 21 to Feb. 25, 2012

opening reception:

Saturday, January 28th

6-8 PM

featuring works by:

Dominic Montuori, Mike Tice, Steve Palermo, Tom Foral, Stephen Cimini, Larry Schulte, Hilary North, Kay Towns, Steve Frim, Karl Volk, Michael Weinert, Ed Rogers, Stephan Likosky, Tracy Phillips, John Zirkelbach, Fred Quintiliani, Richard Hatter, John Azelvandre, Jim Pavlicovic, Brent Nicholson Earle, James Schlechter

(all works are for sale)

MH Art & Framing Gallery

9 West 20th St

New York NY 10011

212-242-1252

please visit www.mhartandframe.com/

Across Generations: Modernism in 20th & 21st Century Southeast Asian Art

2011-11-04T22:07:00.000-04:00

Interaction Painting by H. R. Ocampo

“Across Generations: Modernism in 20th & 21st Century Southeast Asian Art” is a sampling of recognized Asian artists from the Post World War II Era to now. The common thread weaving through this unique grouping of artists spanning six decades is Joan Sommers.

I met Joan while curating her one woman show “Painting to the Music of Time” in New York City. The images ranged from abstract expressionist forms to representational painting in oil on canvas as well as Sum-i ink on paper. It would have been easy to say it was East meets West in the art world as this American artist studied, lived and explored the lands of Southeast Asia. But it was more than just “meeting.”

Joan embodied both East and West in her work by delving into the cultures of Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines while drawing on her Western academic art background. She embraced the ideas of her art contemporaries – Hernando Ocampo (Philippines), Mochtar Apin (Indonesia), Chalood Nimsamer (Thailand) - in the 1960s and 70s, conceptualizing and refining her understanding of the divergent philosophies of these distinct cultures.

While living in the Philippines, she was invited by Ocampo, the country’s leading modernist, to join his legendary Saturday Afternoon Drawing Group (Taza de Oro Group) where she met other Philippine modernists’ Jose Joy, Cesar Legaspi and Justin Nuyda. In Indonesia she studied the works of Mochtar Apin, a leading figure of the Bandung School and worked closely with Apin’s protégé, Yoes Rizal. These were only a few of the artists that were around her. She would tell me of their firm beliefs in art and its purpose to communicate to and for the people of their homelands. Evidence of this are the images of everyday Asian scenes displayed in “Across Generations”; there are children at play by the hills and rice fields, workers harvesting their crops, a hill tribe woman carrying a bundled child on her back. These are representational images that are universal for the artist and the viewer; prints and paintings from an observational point of view.

Interestingly, as you view the works of these Asian painters and printmakers in this exhibit, you witness their exploration of color and form as images become more abstract and fluid. Interconnected personally and culturally, they investigated a variety of mediums and modes for their dialogue in modernism. This dialogue has become a kind of sacred transmittal from an older generation of artists to younger artists, such as Rizal, Tilokwattanotai and Kantawong.

“Across Generations: Modernism in 20th & 21st Century Southeast Asian Art” is a small, yet important, mosaic within the larger tapestry of the art world. Ocampo, Apin, Cabrera, Rizal, Nimsamer, Sommers, Tilokwattanotai et al, weave in and out of each other independently yet are unified through their exploration of ideas.

We celebrate the works gathered for this exhibit and hope to inspire future generations of artists to explore as fervently as their predecessors.

(“Across Generations: Modernism in 20th & 21st Century Southeast Asian Art” is accompanied with a catalogue, available at lulu.com)

Transporters: Professional Women Photographers at MH Art & Framing Gallery

2011-04-10T20:18:00.003-04:00

“Beam me up, Scotty” is one of the most famous catch phrases to make its way into pop culture in the last fifty years. While on occasion most of us would like to be able to be transported instantly, our technology has not quite evolved to the point where our bodies can be disassembled in one place and reassembled in another in any amount of time. However, since the invention of the wheel, attributed to the Mesopotamians, circa 3500 BC, humans have invented all kinds of ingenious vehicles to move themselves and their cargo from point A to point B.

MH Art & Framing Gallery in conjunction with PWP (Professional Women Photographers) presents an exhibition of photography that shows us anything and everything that takes us from here to there – planes, trains, tractors, trails, trucks, bicycles, cars, submarines, rockets, elephants, wheelbarrows, baby buggies, roller skates, pogo sticks, (possibly even including one of those elusive “teleportation” devices!) as members of PWP, an organization of over 200 photojournalists, fine arts and commercial photographers, explore their personal vision of what it means to “be transported”

Hung salon style to accommodate a large number of images, this light hearted exhibition will amuse, surprise, inspire, interest and intrigue you with its take on this ubiquitous aspect of the human condition. To mark the opening of “Transporters” MH Art & Framing Gallery and PWP invite the press and public to a reception in the gallery on Saturday evening, April 16, 2010 from 6 – 9 PM.

Professional Women Photographers is a not-for-profit 501 (c) (3) organization based in New York City. PWP has been supporting the work of women photographers for over 30 years, providing forums and student awards to encourage artistic growth and to stimulate public interest in the art of photography.

(press release by PWP)

Transporters: Professional Women Photographers

April 9th – May 14th 2011

Reception

Saturday April 16 6-9pm

MH Art & Framing gallery

9 West 20th St

NY, NY 10011

212.242.1252

www.pwponline.org
www.mhartandframe.com

Zev Jonas at LZ Gallery in NYC

2011-03-28T00:37:00.007-04:00

The work by Zev Jonas’ that was initially introduced to me years ago were of various animals. Two images immediately come to mind. One was of a polar bear swimming in a tank with the reflections of onlookers visible in the glass. The other was a penguin with a figure behind it working intently on the environment in which it was encased. There was no Photoshop used, nor traditional darkroom methods of image manipulation or double exposure of film. The images seemingly felt like there was some sort of “digital age trickery” involved. But, there was no “trickery”. Just good photography.

They were curiously ethereal as I imagined these onlookers with the bear to be ghostly images wandering around in an exhibit of captured living beings. It led me to imagine the duality of the image: life with death.

Zev’s intent was to “explore a quiet sense of solitude” while he “looks towards the tension between isolation and connection while considering the relationship we have with our surroundings.”

You may or you may not see the correlation between my reaction and Zev Jonas’ intent. But, what is overwhelmingly evident is how this photographer sees the world not just around him, but beyond him. In his upcoming series of work exhibiting at LZ Gallery in NYC, he continues to study what mankind sees in himself in a one man show titled "Passage”.

The idea of duality persists in these photographs of faces on placards, billboards and magazine pages. The moments captured by his camera are of faces that we may at one time have considered perfect or idealized, but they are scarred or weathered and worn from time. While these adjectives may feel ugly in its description, there is something sublime within the image. It is both ugly and beautiful as man’s iconic definitions of beauty become distorted, faded, worn and eventually destroyed. It is the perfect metaphor for not just man himself, but his ideologies.

This is “Passage”. It is Zev Jonas looking in from the furthest edge of man’s self awareness. His lens is focused on us as we look outward and inward and create our ideals. This is "Passage", where those ideals by man are challenged by the timelessness and perfection of nature's way.

Zev Jonas ~ Passage

April 14 – April 30, 2011

Reception

Friday April 15 7-9pm

LZ Project Space

164 Suffolk Street, New York, NY 10002

www.nystudiogallery.com/

zevjonas.com

Union: Artgroup for Gay and Lesbian Artists

2011-03-06T22:43:00.002-05:00

MH Art & Framing Gallery and Artgroup for Gay and Lesbian Artists present “Union”. Watercolors, photography, mixed media and other mediums created by Artgroup offer their perspective on the theme of this exhibit.

Abstract form, such as Larry Schulte’s, “Flag”, to expressive figure painting in Karl J. Volk’s “Beauty and the Beast” and the symbolism in "One Body, One Blood" by John Azelvandre are compelling self definitions by each artist through their chosen medium. (Mr. Azelvandre’s image, pictured above, is the reason why our call to artists are thematic. The energy of his brushstroke and color harmony is handled beautifully. More importantly, even without the title, the image addresses the concept immediately. It is something to be seen in person!)

Artgroup for Gay and Lesbian Artists’ interpretations touch cultural and political landscapes. Using literal and allegorical imagery, the artists explore the physical, intellectual and spiritual aspects of the show’s theme.

Union

Artgroup for Gay

and Lesbian Artists

March 3rd - April 4th

Opening Reception:

Thursday, March 10th

6-9pm

MH Art & Framing Gallery

9 West 20th Street

NY, NY 10011

212.242.1252

http://www.mhartandframe.com/

http://www.artgroupnyc.org/

Chromatogenous Conversations

2011-01-10T17:41:00.143-05:00

Any good artist's palette is personal and distinctive. It ranges from the muted to the vibrant and from the harmonious to the contrasted. Artists understand the relationship of color to itself and how color creates depth, form and atmosphere. What MH Art & Framing Gallery will show you in "Chromatogenous Conversations" is the relationship of three different artists with their palette.

Abstract painting, surrealist imagery and expressive figures are bound together by the synonimity of the palette by these disparate artists. This is artwork that uses a vibrant and kaleidoscopic dialogue that ultimately speaks contrasting narratives.

Michael Tice renders representational images and figures linearly while embolding his paintings and prints with primary and secondary colors. The seemingly simple color compositions by Stephen Cimini are deceivingly complex. Marble dust and wax are added to the pigments, creating a surface texture and character that seems to come from a creative hand that is closer to nature than man. James Emory Bridges explores color by travelling through surreal worlds. Mr. Bridges' humorous titles, "Man Overboard (Seascape with Psychotic Features)" and "The Venus From Mars is Hungry Tonight", contrast the twisted, colorful view he invites us into. He engages you with his narrative within the narrative.

Simply put, MH Art & Framing Gallery invites you to join us in the celebration of vibrant color in these three artists' work. Be bold.

Chromatogenous Conversations:
Artwork by James Emory Bridges,
Stephen Cimini & Michael Tice

January 29th - February 26th

OPENING RECEPTION:
Thursday, February 3
6-9pm

Mh Art & Framing Gallery

9 West 20th Street

New York, NY

Hours of operation:
Monday thru Friday 10-7
Saturday 10-6

small works: joan sommers

2010-12-01T15:53:00.003-05:00

If I may, Joan Sommers is the Matriarch of the "small works" show at MH Art & Framing Gallery. I relish the moments that I share with her when she visits from North Carolina. Her insights and wisdom from her art experiences across the globe are enlightening and entertaining.

One of the first conversations I had with Joan was about Katherine Kuh (!904 -1994), the modernist art historian from Chicago. We remarked on Ms. Kuh's insights to collecting art and the importance of collectors meeting the artist to better understand the work they're creating.

Meeting Joan explains a lot about her own work. She is the Western artist studying Eastern techniques in southeast Asia in the sixties. It is her "desire to blend and balance ideas of contrast and similarity, continuity and disruption" that inspires and drives Ms Sommers. She is Yin-Yang incarnate.

Ms. Sommers early studies were at the Art institute of Chicago and the Massachusetts College of Art and Design in Boston. She studied with Diana Kan in NYC, and became a member of the Sumi-e Society before returning to China to study Landscape painting at the National Academy of Fine Arts in Hangzhou.

She has exhibited in Europe, Asia and the United States and directed workshops on Chinese and Japanese painting techniques in many countries. Her works are included in collections across the United States, Europe and Asia.

Joan has also studied Buddhism and the works of Thai, Philippine and Indonesian artists to enhance her understanding of Asian art and culture. Hernando Ocampo was one of those artists. Meeting in a small cafe across from the American Embassy in Manila, Joan and up to thirty artists would discuss the direction of their art with Mr. Ocampo leading the dialogue. Other artists she knew at that time were Cesar Legaspi, Alfredo Roces and Tiny Nyuda.

These magical events are evident in the seemingly effortless brush strokes seen in her imagery.

Joan explores the abstract with Sumi ink in "InkSplosion" and "InkCells" and combines East and West techniques with Chinese brushwork and collage in "Grecian Dancer I". Flora is captured with her works "Summer Splendor" and "beauty opening".

Simply put, "you feel the Zen."

MH Art & Framing Gallery presents her work in the "small works" exhibit from November 6th through December 31st. The gallery is open from Monday thru Friday from 10 - 7 and Saturday 10 - 6.

MH Art & Framing Gallery

9 West 20th Street
NY, NY 10011

www.mhartandframe.com

212.242.1252

small works: amanda mathews

2010-11-16T12:30:00.004-05:00

Amanda Mathews resides in Astoria, NY. She writes poetry in between molding clay, painting curvy women and illustrating books for fellow writers. Friday nights she can be found perched at the end of the bar at the Nuyorican Café sketching poets on stage. If you feed her wine, she probably won’t bite…probably.

Amanda Mathews will also pour her heart out while you pour her that glass of wine. Having the luxury of knowing her personally, I see the work and the auto-biographical narrative. I see how her figures weep, lament and search as she does with herself when painting, sculpting and writing poetry.

Amanda breaks down the forms of her subject matter geometrically in the same way she breaks down the emotions of the circumstances of life that surround not just her, but all of us. We see her through the titles of her work ("Irreplaceable", "Letting Go" and "Trust"), and share the observations of her relationships with peers, colleagues and herself ("The Down Lookers" and "The Bearer of Unwanted Things"). Even in untitled works (above), we sense her lament. A figure holds herself in what seems to be a sparse environment. Stylized blades of grass reach up towards the figure and the sky while flowers, seemingly empathic, wilt with the figure.

If you do see Amanda at the end of the bar at the Nuyorican Café and she happens to bite while you feed her wine, let her feast. It is when she indulges in the world around her; in the happenings of the heart, that we too regale in her creative spirit.

MH Art & Framing Gallery presents her work in the "small works" exhibit from November 6th through December 31st. The gallery is open from Monday thru Friday from 10 - 7 and Saturday 10 - 6.

MH Art & Framing Gallery

9 West 20th Street
NY, NY 10011

www.mhartandframe.com

212.242.1252

small works: jennifer arlia

2010-11-12T18:52:00.002-05:00

Jennifer Arlia "is an archivist of emotional Richter scales. She favors self portraits and still-lives to highlight the quiet moments that ordinarily might be overlooked. She challenges viewers to pause and reflect on both the beautiful and harrowing aspects of daily human existence..."

What Ms. Arlia has written in her Artist's Statement holds true, but is only a partial admission in regards to the honesty in her work. Using a Fuji Instax camera, Jenn presents seven Polaroids of New York in her series "NY In An Instant".

The medium works well with the imagery. You sense the instantaneity of the photograph; from her eye to her mind to the printed image in the firing of a synapse. In a digital age of crisp imagery over-saturated with color and repeated ad nauseum on television or in rotating NYC billboards and the top of cabs, Jennifer Arlia contrasts those slick digi-pics with Polaroids of scenes we avert our eyes from..

These are quiet moments of New York too. She brings us the vastness of the Williamsburg Bridge and spaciousness of a tree lined street in a format not bigger than 2 1/4" x 3 3/4". She fits a school bus stop sign in one shot and a garbage can in another thereby creating a quiet geometry in her "NY In An Instant". But don't let the small format fool you. They are filled with a unique honesty from a photographer's eye who sees the beauty in the world of what we discard or ignore.

This is Jennifer Arlia and her work. An honest view and dialogue of how she sees the world around her. A view that reminds us that the definition of beauty is broad and truthful and only exists in the acceptance of what we call ugly as well. In the end, that is beautiful too.

MH Art & Framing Gallery presents her work in the "small works" exhibit from November 6th through December 31st, an opening reception will be held for the artists on Saturday, November 13th, from 6-9 pm.

small works: caitlin hackett

2010-11-09T15:56:00.003-05:00

"Specimen" by Caitlin Hackett graphite on paper 9 x 12

Caitlin Hackett is a superb draftsman with a unique and strong view of the relationship between man and nature. That makes her an incredible artist with an incredible vision.

She has explored this relationship since childhood, growing up in the Pacific Northwest, running through the redwood forests and imitating the wild animals that would inspire her as an adult. Given a choice between adulthood and being an animal, she would surely have decided to be the latter. It is her self awareness, the awareness of her environment and the realization of the delicate balance between the creatures of this planet that drives her to create these macabre yet stunningly beautiful images.

I don't want to bore you with "art speak". I truly love her work.

Her work is immense. The large drawings envelop you as you view them - drawing you into the world she has created of morphed birds and rodents. Half man and half beast creatures splay themselves across tree branches and flora. It's delicate line work in pencil and ink with washes of color that, as delicate as it is, quite simply hits you over the head.

Caitlin Hackett is a forest sprite corralled in the city of New York; she lives the dichotomy of her vision.

MH Art & Framing Gallery presents six of her drawings in the "small works" exhibit from November 6th through December 31st, an opening reception will be held for the artists on Saturday, November 13th, from 6-9 pm.

"small works" at MH Art & Framing Gallery

2010-11-09T13:08:00.004-05:00

MH Art & Framing Gallery presents "Small Works" as their Fall/Winter show running from Nov 6th -Dec 31. Join us on Sat, Nov 13 for an opening reception featuring local artists that have become part of the MH Art & Framing Gallery family.

Through past exhibits in our gallery and through shows throughout the tri-state area, we have become familiar with the work of the artists participating in the "Small Works" show. Jen Arlia, Justin Chirico, Lynda D'Amico, Caitlin Hackett, Cristina Havens, Heather Jeremy, Zev Jonas, Amanda Matthews, Jim Pavlicovic & Joan Sommers offer their paintings, drawings, and photography for art collectors this Holiday Season.

"small works"

November 6th through December 31st

Opening Reception

Saturday, November 13th

6-9pm

MH Art & Framing Gallery

9 West 20wth Street
NY, NY 10011

www.mhartandframe.com

212.242.1252

"Get Rid Of Old Friends and Acquire New Enemies"

2010-10-04T17:42:00.001-04:00

"Get Rid Of Old Friends and Acquire New Enemies" was a headline for an ad campaign I found in a gaming magazine. Within the context of the ad (I think it was for Gamestop) it made sense. You'd trade in your old games you've enjoyed and purchase a new game to play.

I decided to take the ad's headline and place it next to current newspaper headlines.

"Get Rid Of Old Friends and Acquire New Enemies" is mixed media on canvas (20 x 48 unframed) and is currently exhibiting at MH Art & Framing Gallery.

word! spoken & seen

September 25-October 30 2010

Featuring works by

Lynda D'Amico, Zev Jonas, Kim Kremer

Nick Rosal & Katie Steward

MH Art & Framing Gallery

9 West 20th St

New York NY 10011

212-242-1252

www.mhartandframe.com

Amanda's "Lure"

2010-09-12T12:45:00.005-04:00

"Lure" by Nick Rosal Mixed Media on Canvas 24"x24"

Amanda and I talk art, design and life. Usually over a cocktail.

She is always exploring herself as an artist and a writer. Reading at an open mike at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe or taking painting and sculpture classes are just part of who she is. She’s a brave, single mother of two taking on the cold stance of NYC.

She surrounds herself with the world of art through museums and galleries. She absorbs thoughts, words and ideas by delving into the poetry community. I watched her as she took her passions and combined them.

Creating images for poet’s words.

So I wanted to try it.

She gave me a few of her written pieces for me to play with and this is the painting that I created from her poem.

Lure (by Amanda Mathews)

Your kind of gentle frightens me,

whispers of quiet fish guttings,

bones swimming lonely in darkness

when you’d throw me back.

Blind to other lips you’ve kissed,

or the stainless steel hook

that dangles sharp,

from your tongue

word! spoken & seen

2010-09-12T12:17:00.004-04:00

“Word! Spoken & Seen” is a gathering of artists and poets.

The symbols of our languages are painted, designed, treated as a texture or subtly used and inferred by the artists and photographers participating in this exhibit. To further the celebration of “Word!”, three poets present their written works with readings during the opening reception.

With “Word!”, the viewer observes the relationship between the word and image as one supports the other. Katie Steward’s graphic design background is the platform for her bold use of typography in her design and narrative on “How to Win a Fight with a Polar Bear”. Zev Jonas finds partial words in environments with his photography, creating a visual juxtaposition with the surrounding images. Alluding to the still life, Kim Kremer photographs objects over newspapers, thereby creating a subtle textile with the columns of text.

Also in the exhibit, Lynda D’Amico paints a mantra on three dimensional objects, invoking the meditative feel of a repetitive phrase in the the texture of her cursive writing. She presents, as well, paintings on canvas with images of a solitary bird accompanying a word or a phrase; soliciting the viewer to decipher the relationship between the two. Nick Rosal’s work is inspired by the poetry community, news articles and headlines. In “Lure”, Mr. Rosal renders images of fish bones and a hooked figure. Images that struck him from a written work by Amanda Mathews with the same title. The poem itself is handwritten below layers of glazed hues of blues and greens, peaking out behind the depths of color.

Curated by distinguished poet, Patrick Rosal, the featured poets (Purvi Shah, Sejal Shah & R.A. Villanueva) present the spoken word on the night of the opening reception.

Purvi Shah’s debut volume of poetry, Terrain Tracks (New Rivers Press, 2006), won the Many Voices Project prize and had the honor of being nominated for the 2007 Asian American Writers’ Workshop Members’ Choice Award. Other notable artistic achievements include being awarded a 2010 travel and study grant from the Jerome Foundation and receiving the Virginia Voss Poetry Award at the University of Michigan in 1994. Beyond her extensive work in poetry, including her first publication in 1996, she has published non-fiction articles on community activism as well as reviews of contemporary South Asian literature.

Born in Ahmedabad, India, Purvi lives in New York City, where she recently served for seven and a half years as the executive director of Sakhi for South Asian Women, a community-based anti–domestic violence organization. She is currently consulting on the issue of violence against women and working toward a second collection of poetry.

Sejal Shah’s writing has appeared or is forthcoming in journals including Denver Quarterly, The Kenyon Review Online, Drunken Boat, Indiana Review, as well as Indivisible: A Contemporary Anthology of South Asian American Poetry (University of Arkansas Press). A native of Western New York, Sejal currently lives in New York City and teaches creative writing at Marymount Manhattan College.

R.A. Villanueva lives in Brooklyn, NY. A finalist for the 2010 Alice James Books/Kundiman Poetry Prize, his writing has appeared or is forthcoming in journals such as Bellevue Literary Review, Indiana Review, Virginia Quarterly Review, AGNI, McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, The Collagist, and DIAGRAM.

word! spoken & seen

September 25-October 30 2010

Featuring works by

Lynda D'Amico, Zev Jonas, Kim Kremer

Nick Rosal & Katie Steward

Opening reception

Saturday October 2, 2010

5-8pm

Poetry readings

at 6pm

Featured poets:

Purvi Shah, Sejal Shah & R.A. Villanueva.

MH Art & Framing Gallery

9 West 20th St

New York NY 10011

212-242-1252

www.mhartandframe.com

Stand by My Art

2010-04-24T10:43:00.003-04:00

An old friend swung by the shop. Michael is the former proprietor of the Kavehaz in NYC. A small Jazz club that was in SoHo and then Chelsea, I had performed there in different bands as well as being the house guitar player for the Monday night blues jams. He knew me as a musician first and was surprised when he saw a small portfolio of my work. Michael also exhibited and sold original artwork in his restaurant and didn't think twice to give me a one person show there. I've always been appreciative and grateful for his generosity.

As he sat across from me, we talked about the economy, our new directions in careers and the difference between selling art in a gallery space and in his restaurant. It was obvious that there was more of a need to be aggressive in sales in a gallery because the "walk ins" would linger for five minutes and be out the door. At the Kavehaz, Michael sold art because people would sit hours at a time in his space and, invariably, spend time with the art.

Being a figure painter, I was comforted by Michael's insistence that my work would be fine for his space then, that the nudes weren't overtly sexual or erotic. This reminded me of a story he told of another artist's figure paintings that showed at the Kavehaz early on.

Michael was downstairs in his office and came up to check on the floor only to find that a customer had sat with a friend at a table underneath one of the small nudes hanging on the wall. To his surprise, she had covered the art with her coat! He walked over to her and asked that it be removed and her reply was that she felt uncomfortable with the image in front of her. Michael is charming and witty, but he can be firm. He politely explained that it wasn't her place to decide what can or can't be viewed on the walls and that this could easily be remedied by moving to another table. All she had to do was say something.

Conversely, I remembered another one man show Michael gave me when he moved the restaurant to Chelsea. Most of my "hits" were hanging there. "Question of Fertility", "Labyrinth", "Profane Kiss" adorned his twenty foot walls. Over one large round table was "Leave Me Alone". It was a full figured African American man whose back was toward you. Around him in the background were various figures encircling him, also nude, reaching out to grasp him. The way the piece was hung, his butt was directly over the center of the table.

I was told nobody wanted to sit there for the duration of the show and Michael still kept it on the wall.

I appreciate and admire Michael for being brave enough to stand by the artists who have showed at his space. The art world needs more people like him; appreciators of art who have integrity in what they do and believe in the work as much as the artist does.

Thank you for the impromptu visit old friend!

Fundamental Matting Design 101: Balance

2010-04-21T17:21:00.007-04:00

These past years in the shop, I've taken an educational approach to selling our frame designs that support the art our clients bring in. The key phrase in that sentence is "support the art". We're all artists here, and often you'll hear me say "as much as framing costs can be, when you leave the room you want to remember the art and not the framing." Being artists, we use our color theory, knowledge of design and composition to enhance what your focus is on the art - not to distract from the visual.

As much as we try to apply our design knowledge to a client's work of art, we also know that it is their personal aesthetic that we are trying to achieve. However, there are fundamental "weight and balance" theories that shouldn't be ignored.

Examples "A" and "B" illustrate a balance with even borders. Image "A" has even sides on the mat with thicker yet equal sized borders on top and bottom. The image of the Calla Lilly is a strong vertical composition. Decreasing the width of the side borders of the mat exaggerates the vertical feel.

Example "B" is the same flower with a mat that has even borders all around it; a standard display yet, effective. This approach displays the art "as is" without influencing the viewer with the borders.

Used more with strong horizontal compositions in art, a bottom weighted mat (example "C") "supports" the flower. In the case of this image, the added width on the bottom border of the mat balances out the dark, negative spaces of the artwork on the bottom half of the painting. Conversely, it lessens the focus on the Lilly itself because the value of the mat equals the value of the flower (Compare example "C" to "B").

While I understand the need to stay within budget, squeezing your art into a ready made frame to get the visual effect of example "D" must be avoided. Thin top and bottom borders do not visually "support" the art and the wider side borders counter the natural vertical feel of this piece of art. The best rule of thumb on visually balancing art in a mat is to keep your bottom mat border equal to or larger than the side and top mat borders. Visually support the art!

Study the balance of the borders in the examples above. The artwork in each diagram is exactly the same size, yet each mat design creates a different feel on all of them. Also, keep in mind that each piece of art has its own unique visual, textural and compositional qualities. The approach to balance will vary per piece.

Finally, don't be skimpy on the mats. A wide border gives the eye transition from the frame to the art, allowing the eye to rest before it reads the art. A mat border can be too small, but never too big ~ in my opinion.

Remember, artists are in the business of the visual arts and are selling to visual people. How the artwork is finally framed can determine a successful sale in a gallery or the presence in a room.

(painting above by Nick Rosal "Calla Lilly" 18 x 24)

please visit www.nicholasrosal.com

Vexed In the City

2010-04-11T16:21:00.002-04:00

I was blown away when I heard about the next reality show that will hit the TV screens in America’s homes in the coming months: Bravo’s “Work of Art”. I’ve rewritten what I’ve wanted to say a dozen times or so - all I can say is I have mixed feelings about Sarah Jessica Parker’s TV project. I don’t watch reality shows at all (I watch the news - that’s kinda’ real) so this may not be much of an informed opinion. But I’ll mouth off anyway...

It’s good that TV wants to bring art to the masses, we need to educate the general public that art goes beyond the “function” of being decorative. Most people have never gone to a museum much less do the arduous task of gallery hopping. Hopefully, this will make it more accessible, pique their curiosity and get non-arty people to be pro-active on self educating themselves past Thomas Kinkade and animation cels.

What I worry about is what TV does to people’s perceptions. The producers won’t just document the process of these artists, I’m sure some episodes will have moments of “staged” issues just to create more conflict for the sake of entertainment. If not, all it takes is a sly casting director to find the right “artists” to make the conflict. There’s enough good and bad stereotypes of what artists do and look like. We don’t need more. If that is the case, then viewers will miss out on what the creative process is.

Additionally, the idea of judges seems ridiculous, yet a realistic necessity. Art is judged everyday by art advisors, gallery/museum directors, collectors and peers, so why not have judges? Maybe because I consider judges to be on the same line as critics ~ and anyone that knows me knows how I feel about critics...

More disturbing for me is the idea of art in a competitive environment.

Art is not a competition for me and if it is, I compete with myself. My paintings are my thoughts, feelings and spiritual realizations. I argue with them, confide in them, challenge them to challenge me.

Got it Sarah Jessica Parker?

I’m commercial free...

AMERICANA

2010-04-11T13:20:00.009-04:00

"Brooklyn Pow Wow" by Joan Katz

"Rhetoric" by D. Brandon

There is iconic imagery that is quickly identifiable as America. Then there are images that can smite you with its harsh reality because it is a part of America that we prefer to not see.

“Americana”, exhibiting at MH Art & Framing Gallery, invites you to view how the members of PWP see the nation we live in with their photography. There are familiar images of this country; white picket fences, new and worn American Flags and logos of world re-nown American corporations, all of which are instantaneously recognizable as "Americana".

There are also photographs that remind the viewers of the history and future of America. Joan Katz's "Brooklyn Pow Wow" is a celebratory image of a Native American in dance; reminding us of the roots of this nation. Then there’s D. Brandon's image of President Obama, "Rhetoric", which acknowledges a divided perspective of the current direction of The United States.

"Money's Worth" by Wendy Ploger

"Elevated Flags" by Barbara Leven

Social issues are cited in the show as well. Wendy Ploger documents an ironic scene of dashed American dreams as a homeless man sits below a Charles Schwab ad that asks you “Is your money getting its money’s worth?”

Then there is the artistic eye of photographer Barbara E. Leven. Using the elements of the American flag, a subway car and the reflective surface of an office building, the artist distorts planes and creates a mosaic of shape and altered form in "Elevated Flags".

Granted, the exhibit is not all inclusive of the views and definitions of “Americana”, but it is a point of convergence for the PWP. With almost fifty participants in the “Americana” exhibit, the show is an analogy of what America is; a diverse montage of ideas, views and perceptions.

AMERICANA

APRIL 17th - MAY 22nd, 2010

Opening Reception:

Saturday, APRIL 17th

6-9 pm

MH Art & Framing Gallery

9 West 20th Street

NY, NY 10011

212.242.1252

please visit www.mhartandframe.com

PWP (Professional Women Photographers) is an organization of nearly

200 photojournalists, fine arts and commercial photographers.

Professional Women Photographers is a not-for-profit

based in New York City (www.pwponline.org)

All images above are (c) the artist.

Links to view more work of the artists above:

www.dbrandonphotography.com

www.wendyploger.com

www.barbaraleven.com

Ideas Here! Get yer Ideas!

2010-04-06T08:04:00.001-04:00

There have been countless times when I have heard artists talk about their work with guarded secrecy. I recall hearing one artist say, "I don't talk about my work because I know someone will rip it off."

Granted, it's always a possibility, but I always felt that sharing ideas was a form of "cross pollination" of concepts. It created fertile ground for dialogue and debate thereby honing concepts or creating new ones.

We share ideas freely in the shop. We are painters, photographers and musicians. We know that the collective experience of our artistic backgrounds can guide us through difficult moments of artist’s block or launch us into a visual/conceptual/musical adventure.

Sometime ago, Matt and I were talking fondly of our childhood toys. Being a generation older, it was humorous to see that one of the few toys that we had in common was the toy soldier. We compared our usage. Did he make small battlefields in the backyard? Did he use firecrackers or small dirt bombs to defend against waves of attacks from the unseen armies of other soldiers, monster lizards or the uber-sized pet turtle that monstrously grew from an evil scientist’s experiment?

Either way, the memories made me smile and my eyes lit up when he nonchalantly mentioned that he wanted to paint a series of toy soldiers.

“DING!”

A light went off in my head and I realized that these (by my generation’s standard) innocent, small plastic toy soldiers could help me articulate my perception of violence in our culture. Something weighing on my mind for the longest time.

Eventually, I painted “Not A Toy”.

There was enough of an understanding between me and Matt that our approaches to painting were independent of each other. While we may share the same desire to explore an image or concept, in the end, we will have created a separate dialogue. “Not A Toy” and some of the paintings that followed would never have been created if we adopted the attitude of “guarding our secrets”.

Conversely, I have had colleagues ask permission to “borrow a concept” they saw from a painting of mine. Another fellow painter wanted to “re-do a painting I created” his way. I have yet to say “no” to any of these requests - I’m too curious to see what another artist’s perception and execution are on similar concepts.

So, that being said - there’s still a lot of “art speak” going on in the back of the shop. We share ideas, critique each others work (as well as whatever work we may be framing at the moment) and mock each other.

I’d have it no other way.

Floating In the Absence of Reason

2010-03-07T19:26:00.004-05:00

Analyze the title, “Floating In The Absence of Reason”.

The intriguing aspect of the show’s title is the word “floating”. Is the viewer floating into the “absence of reason”? Or is the “floating” the effect of the “absence of reason”? Or vice versa?

Conceived by the Artgroup for Gay and Lesbian Artists, the exhibit explores these questions in a multitude of mediums with abstract, representational or literal imagery.

The titles of the artwork themselves evoke a notion of irrationality and its effect (if that is the way you want to define the title of the show). How absurd is life if we are, “Spiraling Away” (by Michael Tice) or sitting in front of an “Orange Mud Pie” (by Stephen Cimini). Even “Haunted Room” (by Miguel Tio) conjures up the experience of what is beyond the realm of reason as well as “Snake Dancer” (by Hilary North), which would confound any sane person to engage in.

Additionally, Artgroup’s collection of artwork challenges you to explore the intangible concept of “lack of reason” by using a tangible method with two dimensional imagery; a rational approach. It is an eclectic display of talent, broadly defining the show title within the experience of each artist that has contributed to the show. Yet, as each image is unique to itself, the collection of work is a cohesive visual addressing the show title.

FLOATING IN THE ABSENCE OF REASON

Artgroup for Gay and Lesbian Artists

MARCH 6th - APRIL 10th

Opening Reception:

Thursday, march 11th

6-9 pm

MH Art & Framing Gallery

9 West 20th Street

NY, NY 10011

212.242.1252

please visit www.mhartandframe.com

Painting Instructors and a Tough Cookie

2010-02-08T11:29:00.005-05:00

"Horrible"

That was the answer texted to me after I asked how the first night went in a painting class for a friend. It was so frustrating for her she decided to call me to talk about it.

This particular friend doesn't have an academic art background, but she's talented and draws and paints in watercolours with intriguing results. Her imagery is thoughtful and soul searching which compliments her raw painting skills. She has a lot of promise. So when she elected to sign up for an art class, it made sense to me.

She's also bold and brave and seemingly throws herself passionately towards the things that enrich her life, whether it be art, poetry or friends. It was her boldness that had her introduce herself to me on a train platform because she was intrigued by the Picasso book I was absorbed in. It's her natural curiosity and fearlessness that impressed me when I saw her on the same train platform prepping for a welding class.

So, I wasn't surprised to hear that her first class of the day was sculpture, which she took to very easily. I was surprised, however, that she was completely defeated by the painting class that ended her day - until I heard the specifics.

During the studio class, the instructor had set up a model for the students to paint. As the class progressed, I was told that the instructor would "correct" her painting by scraping the oil off the canvas and repaint the area for her. From what I understand, not once did the instructor "instruct".

My friend informed him earlier in the class that she "had no formal art classes". She was more comfortable using watercolour paints and had never used oils before. Throughout the session, her instructor would tell her she was "mixing the wrong color", didn't know how to thin or apply her paint and continually scraped paint off her canvas without articulating any form of direction.

What a punk. Well, that's what my knee jerk reaction was anyway.

I don't know why an art instructor (or any for that matter) would use an approach that would make a student feel so discouraged.

I've had those same instructors; the ones that just redraw over what I've sketched, scraped paint off my canvas or even redesigned my design without explaining to me their thought process. I understood her frustration. I understood so much I promised myself I would never take that approach when I taught.

Teaching painting is all about teaching technique and the process. Teaching "art" is a different monster...

I realized teaching painting was part psychology; I had to understand the thought process of the student. Once I recognized how my students thought and problem solved, I introduced painting techniques that would direct them towards their natural tendencies (ie. painting fast and expressively or deliberate and analytically). This allowed them to grasp the technique faster and limited the "fear factor" of a new medium. I would then introduce alternative approaches to painting as their confidence grew.

In defense of the instructor described above, I don't know if he had the same luxury that I had; a small enough class to instruct beginning painters on a one on one basis. Either way, I feel what needs to be guarded, cultivated and nurtured, is the creative spirit in a student. It's easy to lose and hard to regain.

My friend is still painting - tough cookie that she is...

Details, details, details...

2010-01-18T15:49:00.010-05:00

There were three elements that inspired me to create MH Art & Frame's upcoming show, “Vintage Fashion Accessories: Celebrating the Art of Vintage Fashion”.

The first was Stacy LoAlbo's illustrious book of which we used the title to name the exhibit (“Vintage Fashion Accessories" published by Krause Publications and available directly from the author at www.incogneeto.com). Within these 256 pages, Stacy shares her knowledge, passion and observations of the changing fashion styles of the past. It's a comprehensive visual documentation of shoes, handbags, hats, jewelry and more. It's an impressive, informative and enlightening book which is why I approached her about showing the photography at the shop in conjunction with a book signing to help promote it.

Secondly, my wife Heidi, has been insisting that I make a "jewelry box frame" for her. She's been asking for three years. Interestingly enough, Stacy wanted to show items from her shop and the collaboration between Incogneeto in Somerville, NJ and MH Art & Framing in NYC began!

Above is a sample of one "jewelry box frame" made for the show. Enclosed is a daisy necklace, a silver filigree from the 1930's. Pinned to black velvet, the necklace is under Tru-Vue UV glass and framed with a silver leafed, floral motif frame from Roma Moulding. Hinged and latched, the box can be hung strictly for display or used functionally.

Definitely cool on the walls!

The last reason, but never the least, is the inclusive attitude I have to art. Everything that we touch has been designed by an artist. From the desk that you're leaning on, the cup you're currently sipping your coffee from to the graphics on this and other web pages that you visit.

The fashion photography was an easy fit for this gallery show. What I don't want to go unnoticed are the small, intricate details that peek at you, hiding, waiting to be found like a child playing peek-a-boo. There's a pendant with an image of a bird and as you look closely, you realize the bird is made of feathers. Then I look at a beaded purse with a small silver detailed latch or the silver bracelet with faces of which the eyes move on the middle face. I am drawn to the orange bracelet made of blocks and smile when I realize the small blocks are mah-jong tiles. It's fun!

I don't have the historical knowledge of these items as Stacy LoAlbo does. That is her expertise. But what I've taken note of is the yin-yang of these items. How they are playful yet serious; delicate looking yet durable. I admire the craftsmanship, the design and the artistry.

“Vintage Fashion Accessories: Celebrating the Art of Vintage Fashion”

2010-01-04T13:44:00.006-05:00

The combination of framed fashion objects, fashion photography and the book, “Vintage Fashion Accessories”, demonstrates the broad brush of creative design and artistry with fashion in mind. MH Art and Framing Gallery in NYC will persuade you with that contention in the exhibit, “Vintage Fashion Accessories: Celebrating the Art of Vintage Fashion”

Other than the “fashion statement”, there are the historical and cultural associations with vintage clothing and accessories. Stacy LoAlbo, “The Vintage Maven”, has given us a lesson on that sentiment in her new book, “Vintage Fashion Accessories”. The pages are filled with fashion photography of dresses, hats and accessories with artfully cropped images of product shots by Jimmy Lin and Marguerite Ruscito. A book more for the “fashionista” or vintage collector, it easily crosses the boundary of art as it emphasizes the beauty, uniqueness and sensuality of these vintage items spanning an era that starts in the stylish early 1900’s to the plaids of the 70’s.

Photographer, Jimmy Lin, will display fashion and product shots that are featured in the book as well as additional imagery from his repertoire. Marguerite Ruscito completes the photography exhibit with her fashion photography. All accessories and clothing photographed for the book are from Stacy LoAlbo's vintage clothing boutique “Incogneeto” in Somerville, NJ.

MH Art & Framing Gallery will also be featuring vintage items from the boutique to demonstrate object framing. The vintage items will be encased in a frame, hinged at the face, subsequently creating a wall mounted jewelry box.

To celebrate the “Art of Vintage Fashion”, Stacy LoAlbo will be available to sign her book the night of the opening reception.

Incogneeto will also have vintage fashion accessories, the night of the opening reception, for purchase.

All photography is for sale.

“Vintage Fashion Accessories:

Celebrating the Art of Vintage Fashion”

featuring accessory items from Incogneeto

with fashion and product photography

by Jimmy Lin and Marguerite Ruscito

JANUARY 16th - FEBRUARY 27th

Opening Reception:

Saturday, January 23rd

6-9 pm

Join us and meet “Vintage Maven”, Stacy LoAlbo

of Incogneeto for the book signing of

"Vintage Fashion Accessories"

Saturday, January 23rd

6-7pm

MH Art & Framing Gallery

9 West 20th Street

(between 5th & 6th Ave.)

New York, NY 10011

(212)242-1252

hours of operation:

Monday thru Friday 10-7

Saturday 10-6

please visit

www.mhartandframe.com

www.incogneeto.com

www.spicyricecracker.com

"Faces" at MH Art & Framing Gallery, NYC

2009-11-09T15:26:00.005-05:00

We know the face. We know its proportions and have created standards within those proportions to define what we might call beautiful, ugly, fierce or comical. We know it because we see it everyday in the mirror, on our co-workers, friends and partners. We have countless idioms using the word. We may be in the “face of danger”, “lose face” or “save face” and “face the music”.

At MH Art & Framing Gallery, we present the works from a wide range of artists (Lauren Curtis, Matt Dery, Zev Jonas, Connie Kocur, Wendy Letven, Robert O’Connor, Jim Pavlicovic and Nick Rosal) using different mediums as they display their “Faces”.

Included in “Faces” are portraits created to capture the likeness of the subject while other faces are rendered stylistically; capturing not a physical likeness but the prevailing mood the artist (Lauren Curtis) is trying to portray. Photographers contrast the traditional drawing and painting mediums as they explore “Faces” in inanimate objects (by Zev Jonas) or the self as Jim Pavlicovic faces “elements of beauty and love” as he pays homage to Walt Whitman's Calamus edition of “The Leaves Of Grass”.

Decisively, each image is a face onto its own. It is the face of the artists’ technique, philosophy and approach to their work. It is the face of their art.

FACES

NOVEMBER 14th - JANUARY 2nd

Opening Reception:

Saturday, November 21tst

6-9 pm

MH Art & Framing Gallery

9 West 20th Street

NY, NY 10011

212.242.1252

www.mhartandframe.com

NO MORE GUITAR HERO!

2009-10-16T13:17:00.006-04:00

I was appalled at this article I found on line: "Why Bill Wyman is wrong about guitar games"

After reading it and the comments made after the article, I had decided than mankind has gone deeper into the abyss of ignorance and idiocy. The idea of common sense no longer exists.

While there are valid points, the fact of the matter is you are comparing a game to a "craft". It's not unlike the uproar from traditional artists with the advent of graphic/illustration programs for computers. The program, either design orientated or game orientated is a tool onto itself. The digital age has its place here, but these design programs and games have their own niche and should not be compared to actual paint or a real guitar.

To have a guitar in your hands as you fall into the rhythm with the bass and drums is just as much about not playing as it is about playing. Music is a dialogue. Musicians listen to each other and allow one instrument to be more vocal while the rest sit back in harmony. They will take turns letting each other speak louder or softer and they will, in unison, lilt in rhythm and timbre. In the hands of musicians, instruments will respond to each other.

More specific to "Guitar Hero" and playing music, the article states:

There are also more fundamental links between the two skill sets. "The essence of
maintaining rhythm, developing hand-eye co-ordination and a sense of timing
that you gain from playing these games is helpful,"

My argument against this is that making and playing music is NOT "hand-eye coordination", it's hand-ear coordination. My experience with "Guitar Hero" admittedly, is limited, but you are playing along to a song and striking colored keys on your "instrument" in time to colored bars that appear at the bottom of your screen. That is hand-eye coordination. It does not teach you the most fundamental action of music which is hearing what you are striking.

In regards to "maintaining rhythm", the game can help with that, but it reminds me of a few experiences in my childhood and in the studio as an adult. As a youth taking guitar lessons, my father insisted that my instructor avoid using the metronome during lessons and practice. His reason? To develop an inner pulse, to be a self time keeper. As an adult recording in the studio, my band mates and I never liked the "click" track. (When laying separate tracks down on a recording, some musicians hear a track with a metered click to keep time, ensuring that the musician(s) keep to the beat.) We felt that the music lost its lilt, pulse or organic feel. While a helpful tool in some cases, the click track can make a recording seem almost mechanical.

Interestingly enough, my friend Matt (Quan James of the Frozen Gentlemen) wanted to do a project called "The Lost Ringo Tapes". Matt had the brilliant idea of programing rhythms (possibly additional instruments?) to Beatle tracks that didn't feature Ringo on drums. He said it was a difficult project because all the Beatle songs "sped up and slowed down". They had a lilt.

While "Rock Band" and "Guitar Hero" have you playing along to downloaded songs that may have that "lilt", it isn't too far from the metronome experience. It is the same recorded song (hence, the same 'musical' experience) without the most important interface that is needed in playing music: another human being.

I'll give kudos where needed. The article quotes Alex Rigopulos, co-founder of Guitar Hero and Rockband creator, as saying the game "offers an intriguing counter argument to the Wyman hypothesis; that these games actually encourage more people to play a genuine guitar." I'm glad the game can inspire kids to try a creative outlet. I just wonder about the motive of wanting a guitar this way.

I wanted a guitar because I wanted to write stories like John Lennon, make statements like Dylan, cry on the guitar like Stevie Ray and pour my heart out like Hendrix. The guitar was a vehicle for my thoughts and emotions - not an extension of a game.

In the end, "Rock Band" and "Guitar Hero" are fun games, but they are just that and nothing more: games.

"The Beasts" at MH Art & Framing

2009-09-02T07:51:00.015-04:00

There is a fascinating relationship between man and beast. We have domesticated this planet's creatures and put them to work. We have created myths and falsehoods while searching for facts and truths about them and turned them into symbols for the sole purpose of personifying man's emotions and thoughts. We've objectified them.

Three artists exhibiting in "The Beasts" contrast these relationships in separate mediums.

Caitlin Hackett combines her imagination and strong drawing skills to create neo-mythological creatures, both fascinating and grotesque. She explores the idea of "human denial of our animal nature and of humans as the dominant species". In one piece, Ms. Hackett illustrates herons' torsos folding open from a zipper that seemingly is attached to the creature. The image alludes to the strained relationship between man and beast due to the facade a costume or a mask creates, a theme she continually explores.

Through photography, Zev Jonas documents a ritualized slaughtering of an animal during the "Eid-al-adha, a festival celebrated by Muslims in commemoration of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience". There are sobering images of a youth carrying "the beast" to the ritual, a carcass bleeding on the floor of a slaughter room and a fleece hanging innocuously on a bicycle. The images, presented in storyboard form, disturb yet edify.

The third artist, painter Nick Rosal, uses figures and "beasts" to create a narrative relying on western symbolism. Interestingly, the dialogue is reinterpreted when allowing eastern and other cultural interpretations to redefine the image. "That Which Is Rebuked" illustrates an owl screeching towards a male figure. What is it that the figure is denying in the symbol of the owl? Is it "wisdom" as is the interpretation in western symbolism? Or is it "death" from Native American cultures? In Hindu beliefs, the owl is a vehicle of the Goddess Lakshmi (personifying fortune and beauty). The personal experiences of the viewer redefine the painting.

"The Beasts" is an obvious study in these three artists' interactions and perceptions on this specific subject. To view each artist's grouping of images is to experience what man habitually denies collectively in our modern age: nature.

"The Beasts"

Rituals, Symbolism & The Surreal

Caitlin Hackett

Zev Jonas

Nick Rosal

September 5th through November 7th

Opening Reception

Saturday ~ September 12th

6-9pm

MH Art & Framing Gallery

9 West 20th Street

New York, NY

10011

www.mhartandframe.com/Events.html

Process This, Please...

2009-09-02T00:34:00.002-04:00

Matt (one of our framers and a painter in his own right) and I were in the gallery space of the shop, viewing a new painting being prepped for an upcoming show. It happened to be mine. As I was viewing the work I had done, I was thinking about how it started in my mind and how the image ended up on the canvas.

I asked Matt, "Does your pre-conceived notion of an image in your head get executed faithfully to the canvas when you paint? Or does it change?"

His response was that he always had an idea on where he would go conceptually or what to do next (in executing the concept), but "things" would come up during the course of the painting, either instinctively or accidentally, that would inherently change the image.

I responded that, image wise, I either work out an image to convey a specific idea or I have an image that "just pops into my head" and I need to "flush" it out. For the most part, the images are created as I conceived them in a general sense, but color, minor compositional changes (eyes averted left or right? Hand open or closed?) tend to occur during the process.

For me, painting is like life. We know what the outcome will be, but it's about the process that enriches us or in this case the painting. If you know the ends, you must allow yourself to explore the multitude of means.

"You are lost the instant you know what the result will be." ~ Juan Gris

There's truth to the statement, but I also believe it's about the process. To argue Senor Gris' quote, I don't think you truly know what the result will be anyway. Or is that his point?

I once heard Georges Braque had said that he "didn't finish paintings so much as abandon them." That being said, if there is no end, there is no foreseeable result.

No foreseeable result?

Make the best of the process!

Quality Culture

2009-08-27T21:12:00.002-04:00

Maybe I'm not an authority on movies because I haven't sat in a theater in three to four years. Or maybe I am because American movies haven't appealed to me.

The same goes with television. I felt like I was missing out on pop culture when I couldn't connect with friends because I never saw, well, "Friends" (or a single prime time viewing of "Seinfeld", "American Idol" and all the other prime-time must sees). A lot of it had to do with the fact that I didn't even own a TV for four or five years, but the fact of the matter is, I didn't miss it.

But, another fact of the matter is you can feel the pulse of a culture by looking at what the general population responds to. It doesn't look too good for America.

Is it because the MTV generation has finally gotten a foot hold in corporate offices? Is there a room full of Hollywood CEO's diagnosed with ADD making split second decisions on what the summer blockbusters will be? Are producers bored of reading scripts longer than three pages long because that's not how it's done in the real world or at least the latest hit reality TV show?

Look around. We have rehashed movies from the TV culture of the '60s (Star Trek), a quadrilogy of "Terminator" movies are stuck in a time loop, blockbuster movies are based off of comic book characters - stuff my parents, teachers and neighborhood tough guys and cute girls made fun of me for or scolded me on.

Where did the writers go?

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy an escapist movie as much as anyone else, but it seems to me there is an imbalance of quality films out there (much less TV). I see more special effects instead of developed characters. I'm getting drawn in by the immense doses of eye candy and "heart pounding action" as opposed to intriguing story lines.

Quality is never an accident, it is always the result of intelligent effort.
~ John Ruskin

You go John! But, if quality requires intelligent effort, what hopes do we have for our future if we're constantly cutting and slashing budgets in education with the arts the first to go?

I think there are many hands in the demise of quality in our culture. Yes, education has a big part of it, but, the social sensibilities that are prevalent at the time in question has an affect as well. When society leans either conservatively or liberally I sense an impact on the visual arts world. That, in effect, impacts grants to independent film makers, visual artists and arts oriented organizations.

Another fact of the matter is just good old plain money. If it makes a buck off the masses, then let's make it. Plain and simple.

So where do we go from here if we want to change all of this? How do we get quality story telling in movies, literature and the visual arts prevalent again?

I don't know - it seems so complicated. I may as well get answers from a Gypsy's card reading.

Or maybe that's how all those CEO's at Disney, MGM and everyone else in the industry do it...

Just Let Go

2009-08-20T11:48:00.003-04:00

I started a series of figures with animals about ten months ago. The series came to fruition and is now being prepped to show at MH Art & Framing Gallery in "The Beasts" show.

I originally had no idea how to approach these paintings or even why I wanted to do them. It was just a series of images that came to mind that I needed to put to canvas. I was aware of the idea of Native American Spirit Animals and how our being "walks with them" so that may have been a subconscious influence. However, after much thought I realized that there was a strong connection between man and beast and how they represent our emotions and beliefs either ominously or auspiciously through symbolism.

But, this series did more than have me research man's relationship with animals through symbolism; it was another pivotal moment for my growth as a painter.

I had already finished two paintings and was starting a fourth ("Wisdom of Motherhood" pictured above) and was in the middle of the third ("Knowledge Rebuked"), but had found myself almost immobilized on "Knowledge Rebuked". I had blocked in the sky and started defining the figure and the owl, but the image felt "stiff". I wasn't happy with the progress and was struggling to move forward.

The painting sat in the studio for two months untouched with the underpainting of "Wisdom of Motherhood" next to it, also untouched. I didn't know what direction to go in.

It wasn't until I sat with a colleague and fellow painter, Lynda D'Amico, that I started to peel away the layers of doubt as we discussed our own approaches to painting. I admitted I was insecure of my painting skills and I had spent many years trying to get "tight" with my rendering. I also told her I had an instructor's advice ringing in my ears when I painted which was my "work is better when I keep it loose".

While I wanted to take heed of my former Pratt instructor, I also wanted to prove him wrong; it was the rebel in me. But now that I found myself struggling to be precise with my technique, I also realized I needed to find a happy medium. I also recalled how people remarked on how they responded to the energy of the brush strokes I created when I worked fast. It was counter intuitive for me to work in that fashion at this point because I had an old roommate who insisted that I needed to put more paint onto my canvas. I was visiting my peers in my head and it left me reeling! As Lynda and I discussed how we, as painters, are constantly second guessing ourselves, I found myself in the middle of a Nike ad and decided to "just do it".

Lynda coaxed and prodded me to be more "zen" and let the paintings happen. That there was a need to have the process be organic. Put the brush to the canvas and let the paint do its own thing. I still didn't know what "do its own thing" meant when I visited the canvases again. But, I figured it was akin to letting the muses visit me.

I needed to "let go".

I skipped the half completed painting, "Rebuked", and went to the "Wisdom" piece because it only had the underpainting on the canvas. It had less guidelines, so to speak. I attacked it with brush in hand. I worked quickly but, with intent. Then it happened.

I dripped where it wasn't supposed to and I left it there...

In the process of growing as a painter, I needed to unlearn what I was told, what I knew, what I defined as "right" or "correct".

I let it go.

Is That a Zombie?

2009-06-21T10:21:00.004-04:00

I am frequently asked the meaning of these "zombie people" that were hanging in the window of the shop.

The fact of the matter is it was inspired by a frustrating night of trying to order a sandwich through a new kiosk system at the neighborhood deli. You would figure after the kiosk prints out the ingredients of the sandwich for the deli clerk, you would get something that somehow resembles what you wanted. It's futile.

I was flabbergasted at the idea of technology, once again, trying to make life easier (presumably for the deli clerk and the hungry consumer) at the expense of human contact. Sadly, either way I've ordered, the clerk never gets it right. So, I might as well talk to him while he errs through my sandwich!

But, this isn't about making bad sandwiches. It's about how we are removing ourselves from humanity with every new invention. I see people who would rather text a person instead of hearing the emotive value of conversation. E-mail, while now a necessary form of communication, deletes the organic feel of the hand written letter. Touch screen order kiosks for my sandwiches remove me further from my charming deli-clerk and i-pods isolate some people into an audio world for every waking hour. What's even scarier are the children who don't know what it's like to get dirty at a playground because they're playing with someone across the country in a virtual world created by a video game. Actually, forget getting dirty at a playground - how about playing with another child instead of a joystick!

I'm not trying to get rid of the technological advances man has made. I'm trying to remind humanity that there is a fundamental need for balance. Don't make that kiosk a wall between me and the clerk. Give me the option to talk to him or her. Love your music via i-pod (although I have an argument against MP3s - that's for another time), but don't forget to listen to the world around you too (or for the messenger on the bike headed right at you while you're crossing 5th Ave.) Play all the video games you want as long as you remember to go splash in a puddle during a good rainstorm. It's balance, Yin Yang and maybe even a little Wu Wei thrown in for good measure...

This painting is about imbalance. Each figure stands "soulless" because of man's over reliance on technology. The desire and need for ease in life has made it harder to be what we are - human. We aren't willing to accept the idea that our foibles and flaws are something that can just as easily make us greater instead of lesser. Because of that, we want our machines to be perfect for us.

Even though we are imperfect in using them.

They're ALL Self Portraits!

2009-05-04T14:03:00.004-04:00

While an artist makes a conscious decision on what image to create, there are many subconscious decisions that eventually appear in his/her work. I especially took note of this when I was a painting instructor for a small art studio in Cedar Grove, NJ.

Each student was introduced to a basic understanding of handling paint. As we progressed, the fundamentals of color theory, composition and form would be stressed on each painting created. With each new painting I would also show an alternate approach in starting a painting for the purpose of finding a technique that would feel natural for each student.

It was important for me to take this approach because my experience with instructors wasn't always a positive one because in the end they instructed me to paint like them. I was determined to avoid the same mistake and guide each student to their own natural style. But before that, I saw to it that they understood that they had different approaches available to them.

As their expertise progressed and each student become more comfortable with their developing skills, I noticed that they would gravitate towards a painting style that fit their personality.

The students that were detail oriented, meticulous and deliberate enjoyed the process of creating an under painting and glazing pigments over it, a painting method that can be tedious. The students that tended to have more spontaneous personalities used direct painting techniques, slapping paint on to canvas with stiff brushes and palette knives.

I use these extreme examples to prove the point. Other student personalities showed through their work as well. I've had very playful students whose brushwork seemed - well, playful! It covered the gamut. From the brush strokes, choice of color and treatment of subject matter, it all was a peek into the personality of the artist.

While I'm not a psychologist, I found it fascinating that the connection was staring me in the face. And while this may seem obvious to some, I have met art lovers and connoisseurs who couldn't look beyond the image and into the psyche of the artist.

(The best analogy I can remember on how the obvious can escape us is a government study that looked at the "relationships between the personality characteristics and risky driving behaviour of drivers..."

Basically, if you have an aggressive personality, will you drive aggressively? Seems obvious to me, but the tax payers had to foot the bill to give the government a definitive answer.)

As I recall the students I have worked with, I remember their paintings as well as the person behind the canvas. In a more general sense, I find the art and the artist's personalities that walk through the shop are connected as well.

So, as I look at art, even if the image is far removed from having a likeness to the artist who has created it, I find myself looking intently at the work to see the artist as well.

(Above: "Bittersweet Memories I" (self portrait) oil on canvas 48" x 48"

I Paint; Therefore I Am (a Painter or an Artist?)

2009-05-03T18:10:00.001-04:00

I was standing at the design counter of the shop, perusing my e-mail when someone walked in through the shop doors to view the landscapes that were hanging on the wall. MH Art & Frame currently had the "Catskills & Beyond" exhibit on the walls, displaying oil paintings by Geoff Barbey and Marianne Kuhn.

I looked up from the screen and asked if there were any questions that could be answered and the gentleman replied, "No. I'm just enjoying the work. It's beautiful."

I nodded and sat back and started to play that cat and mouse game that is called "selling art." A few moments later I approached the gentleman with a price list in hand and started going through my "love art" pitch.

He put his hand up and said he wasn't here to buy. He found the paintings to be "stunning" and was pleased to see traditional works hanging in a gallery. He appreciated the energy of the strokes and the use of color. He also remarked on the painters ability to create depth and atmosphere. The customer then admitted that he too was a painter which explained his keen eye.

I was starting to lose interest in the conversation, knowing that this was not going to be a sale when my interest was piqued with his further admission:

"I'm not an artist, I'm really a painter"

This was an opinion I held close to my chest as opinions in art are just that - opinions. But, the fact of the matter was, this "painter" audibly announced what I felt can be a discernible difference between visual artists.

Without going into a long winded diatribe of the definition of art (because in a sense, I don't believe in one), the "painter" is the brush handling, the technique. It is the use of skill and knowledge of color, composition and medium. The painter "exercises" these skills.

The "artist" creates the idea. The original concept that fails or succeeds in evoking an emotion or thought needs to go beyond the exercise of skill.

A lot of this belief refers to previous blog entries where the analogies to music stress the same point. After all, if you've learned all the scales, rhythms, chords and practiced every sonic temperament of your instrument to the point of perfection, what is the use if you can't write a good song?

By no means do I feel that landscapes, floral and still life painting can not be included in the realm of art. They can and will be in that realm if painted with a sense of "artistry."

(Above top, "Early Autumn, Montclair" by George Inness and "Lone Tree" by Egon Scheile

More Than What You See

2009-04-22T16:37:00.012-04:00

I miss the "old crew" I hung out with, artists and musicians that wouldn't hesitate to voice an opinion on the work being created by me or my colleagues. It wasn't a formal "critique", just a bunch of loud and honest friends all of whom had either their foot or whole body in some part of the art world whether it was literary, performance or visual. We're all "grown up" now and have moved to different parts of the city or out of the city all together.

I had moved out.

Needing to have that creative outlet, I joined an art association in NJ hoping to meet like minded painters. It so happened that they were having a group show featuring member works, so I joined and hoped that the opening would lead to new colleagues, contacts or relationships with other "art geeks".

I submitted the painting above (Untitled 30 x40 mixed media on canvas - sold).

At the opening, I discovered artists from different career levels as well as painters beginning to learn the craft. Some of the works were extremely ordinary (landscapes, still lives and florals) while a select few were visually intriguing or technically challenging. While I viewed my surroundings, a woman pulled me aside to ask about my painting and why this nude woman was bound in red cloth.

Anyone that knows me knows I prefer not to talk about the work I create, hoping the viewer is willing to study the imagery him/herself and find their own clues to the narrative I've created. In this instance though, I decided to briefly explain the intentions of the imagery:

"I knew a someone who was very emotional, often acting out their feelings and thoughts almost uncontrollably. It was to the point where I felt the decision making in her life was irrational. The cloth represented how she would 'wrap herself up' in her emotions to the point where it would blind her and also make her immobile. In this particular case I chose the red to represent her anger and how it affected her. Rudimentary symbolism, but a 'moving' image for me."

I went on saying that I didn't want to title that piece for the very reason that it was "rudimentary symbolism" and that I wanted the audience to make their own opinions.

Her response? "I hope this angry woman isn't coming here to the show!"

I was dumbfounded! I had created an image that was a statement on what I felt was a common social behavior that needed to be addressed and her only thought was that the person in the painting may show up.

As I stood in front of my painting, I was also accused of "being sick" for creating "erotic imagery of bondage."

As amazed as I was at the responses to my work, I also felt relieved that I created imagery that people were reacting to. Sadly, I can't shake the sense that some people don't have the ability to find or use their own insight. We are in a phase of literal thinking, it seems. I recall Ani DiFranco in concert stating (and I paraphrase) that "America has forgotten what analogies are."

Well, hopefully I just reminded you.

Man, I miss my old crew.

Faith

2009-03-14T09:11:00.005-04:00

Back in 2002 I had exchanged "letters" with the editor of Art Times Newspaper after he wrote an article entitled "Peeks and Piques" (November 2002) whereby he dismisses art that is not representational. His argument was that "the greatest miracle of all would occur if we could see the world - even for an instant - through the eyes of another." It was his need to not only "see" what the artist saw, but to be transported there.

His disdain for non-representational work continued, describing abstract imagery as "shapeless mass of colors and forms." I argued the point by saying that other artists had just as much to show us (citing Motherwell, Pollock, Twombley etc.) though not in a representational way. They showed us a world of "texture, energetic line, and muted or vibrant color."

I closed my letter by stating he may have a lack of faith in his own "miracle".

* * * *

There have been a few shows/exhibits around me that I've been involved in from a curator/installer point of view these last few months.

One was at our gallery/frame shop (MH Art & Framing Gallery) where I realized (again) that the confidence of the artist was just as important as the quality of the imagery in the show. Katherine Kuh (former curator at the Art Institute of Chicago in the 60's) said that selling art was easier once the collector met the artist. The prospective collector made a deeper connection with the art, identifying the artist in the work once they realized the relationship between creator and created.

I always kept this in mind when I worked with the artists that hung in our gallery and tried to keep them at ease during the opening. After all, how can you convince someone there is exceptional work on the wall when you present an insecure artist too wracked with anxiety to talk about it?

Confidence in yourself as an artist and what you do is key. You're selling your work and yourself! (faith?)

That said, I'm on my way to help a friend hang his senior thesis show. There's obvious anxiety. It's not about sales this time, it's just about "getting the grade" or, as I see it, acceptance from peers with a reward.

There's some nervous chatter as we hang up the phone. My only words of "ease" was warning him that he's going to hate his own work once he hangs it in the space because it'll be in a different environment than he's been looking at and working in these past few months. I say, "It happens to me all the time when I have a show" and "don't worry, you'll think you suck after it's hung" not to be mean, but because it's true. There's always doubt in the work you do and that's what drives an artist (or at least me) to do more work. (Before I get massive e-mails for my callous quotes, let me just say that we talk to each other that way anyway - it's our relationship.)

I'm sure I'm going to have to quote myself:

"Confidence in yourself as an artist and what you do is key. You're selling your work and yourself!"

The way I see it, as an artist, you believe in what you're creating at that moment. You believe every color choice and brush stroke. You believe in the image and the emotions and thoughts it evokes. So, if you believe in it at that passionate, consuming creative moment, believe it when you exhibit it (yes, it is equivalent to baring your soul) and "keep the faith."

Diego Rivera said it best for me, "I've never believed in God, but I believe in Picasso."

Statement on Statements

2009-02-14T13:53:00.006-05:00

So, it's a crisp Saturday afternoon in February and one of our framers and my friend Matt just reviewed his artwork with me for his senior thesis.

As we discussed everything about his work from the palette to concept and composition, the idea of writing the statement for his professor came up. That in itself got me irritated as I started to think about all the times I had to write an artist's statement. I never quite understood the need for it and as a gallery owner and an artist, I felt the art should be strong enough to make its own statement.

I understand the need for an artist's statement for the sales associates as a tool, but I've argued that the need to have an open interpretation with minimal influence from the artist broadens the market of a client base. Interpreting a symbolist painting for a client is like handing over the crossword puzzle with the answers filled out in pencil; just so the next person can fill it in with pen.

Conversely, what kind of a statement do I need to read while viewing an exhibit of still lives, florals and figures? Even with installation art, you could just give me the title and let me figure out if the artist communicated the concept. If I can't figure it out - one of us is stupid - and I'm willing to accept that.

I have had to write statements for gallery owners just to get into a show. I even started one statement by writing, "personally, I don't believe in artist statements...". Obviously I had to rewrite it.

The esteemed but controversial Polish/French modern artist, Balthus, was quoted as saying:

"Painting is a language which cannot be replaced by another language. I don’t know what to say about what I paint, really."

The quote not only states the difficulty of describing one's own work, but states that painting is a language of its own.

Sorry, Matt, that you're caught up in the bureaucracy of the academic art world, but it exists in the real art world as well. Knowing that - I hope your school teaches creative writing. Take a class in small business too while your at it. Marketing helps as well. Any interest in print and web design?

Anyway, that's my statement - for the day. Don't grade me.

Impasto Vs. Impostors

2008-12-28T09:56:00.010-05:00

Howard was a tall man - loud too. His voice boomed while he talked as I drove over the Williamsburg Bridge to the printers to inspect proofs of his artwork. It was to the point where my ears would ring as we got out of the car. What was even louder was his painting palette.

His palette knife technique had energy and his color usage was bold (sometimes a softer pastel use would take over). What I didn’t really care for was his subject matter. Scenes of docked sailboats in Portofino or Sausalito, lakeside views of Il Lago Como and seaside panoramas of Mykonos were frequent imagery. Cobblestone paths weaved in and out of European vistas overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. Pretty. Very pretty.

But not my flavor.

Despite my attitude towards his paintings, he was very supportive of the work I was doing. He often reminded me of how he was a late bloomer in the “fine arts” and that he came from a graphic design background. He was incredibly passionate about what he painted and talked excitedly about the trips he was planning for the purpose of collecting reference material. The man truly loved what he did. I know because he said so - loudly.

Conversely, I briefly worked with an artist whose work seemed to morph every time I saw him. We had met at ArtExpo NY a few years before he was brought in to the publisher’s - his paintings were of typical cafe scenes at the time. The following year at ArtExpo were more of the same imagery, but with a slightly revised palette.

When we were formally introduced at the studio in the publisher’s production facility a few years later, I reviewed his slides and discovered that his work changed from year to year. After speaking with him at length, I got the distinct feeling that this artists primary motivation was to treat painting as a commodity. (This is definitely another blog in itself, but I believe that there is a hierarchy to the creative process; think “Lazlo's hierarchy of needs” for the painter). I followed my hunch and the short of the long is, I discovered he changed his painting style often to fit in with what was selling at that time! He was trying to “catch the wave” of what was popular so he could boost sales of his own paintings.

Predictably, his body of work lacked focus. As I mentally reviewed personal experiences with the artist, recalling our conversations and his observations, I felt that there was a lack of integrity in his work.

While that opinion may seem harsh, it led me back to all the “Howards” that I knew.

I may not have cared for Howard’s color palette, technique or subject matter, but there was passion and sincerity in the work! And while his work wasn’t “deep enough” for me and seemed overwhelmingly decorative and commercial - it is who Howard is.

Stand up Howard. You worked hard to get where you’re at and you’ve made a lot of money doing it. While I may not like your work, I like your character as a painter.

I appreciate your integrity as a painter.

Please hear that loud and clear, Howard - above your own booming voice.

Mom Taught Me to Share...

2008-12-13T09:59:00.005-05:00

Dear "Mr. Smith",

Upon reading (your) e-mail, I have no choice but to remove the painting from tonight's opening.

You state: "The idea was transformed into my own presentation and title." and while presentation and title may differ slightly, the fact of the matter is the concept remains the same and this previous statement alludes to your appropriating of the sculptor's concept.

Elements of the sculpture have been reused in your painting as well as placement and composition: a figure with "white face", a head within the torso area above an egg.

These are essential visual elements in "Ms. Jones'" sculpture and your addition of limbs doesn't, in my opinion, drastically reinterpret the sculpture, nor does it add or enhance it conceptually.

As a painter myself, I feel that the most important device an artist has as a creative person is the concept.

It is my opinion that there is no regard taken to "Ms. Jones'" execution of her concept and while it is of different mediums (from three-dimensional to a two-dimensional plane), the minimal changes, visually, aren't enough.

I am sorry that this action needs to be taken, but in the best interest of the gallery and my beliefs in the creative field of visual arts, I restate that your painting submission is to be denied.

Nick Rosal
Gallery Director

The above letter was written to an artist the day of an opening. Unfortunately, ("Mr. Smith" is not his real name as is "Ms. Jones") this action had to be taken to protect the rights of the artist and the integrity of the gallery.

Stealing. Stealing another artist's idea! 'nuff said...

As I spent the day with damage control, I recalled one of my favorite quotes:

Stealing from another artist is called "appropriation." Stealing from yourself is called "style." - Alfred Hitchcock

In our own shop, we discuss our concepts openly; knowing that having each other as sounding boards can help refine our ideas. More importantly is the understanding that even if we end up sharing these concepts, our individual styles and how we execute the concept will, inevitably, create imagery unique from each other.

Regardless of the disheartening behavior from "Mr. Smith", the artists in the shop continue to discuss our projects, share our concepts and help each other with our craft.

Because mom said "share" & "be honest!"

Jammin'!

2008-12-06T08:04:00.005-05:00

There’s always a difference when you listen to a classically trained guitar player and an ol’ Delta Blues guitar player. It’s not just the genre of music, it’s the tone, the “feel” or vibe that can differentiate the two. But even within the same genre (let’s say pop/rock for this example) a difference can be heard between two players.

The methodical arpeggios of Robert Fripp is ‘heady’ compared to the wail of Stevie Ray Vaughn. Even Eddie Van Halen can seem ‘overly academic’ when compared to the Rock Guitar God Jimi Hendrix. While Axl Rose’s hired guns can shred the axe better than most on his latest album, some of their solos don’t quite fit the song like, say, George Harrison’s guitar solo on “Something”.

Guitar solos - they’re like paintings. They all need to work compositionally, create texture, need to fit the context of the ‘environment’ and should be memorable with its statement; and like artists, every guitar player works within (sometimes without) their technical background.

Many musicians describe each other as “techies” or “feel players”, meaning the musician described is either very schooled in their playing, or more into making a statement with less pyro-technics. A good example is when Eric Clapton effectively stated that he would rather make a stronger statement in his music with one note in twelve bars than twelve notes in one bar; hence earning the moniker, “slowhand”. He wanted to be more of a "feel" player.

Sometimes I get so consumed with “getting it right” in my paintings that I forget to “feel” what I’m doing. I need to get back to that, to feel what my statement is!

I came across this quote the other day:

“My instinct about painting says, 'if you don't think about it, it's right.' As soon as you have to decide and choose, it's wrong. And the more you decide about, the more wrong it gets.” Andy Warhol

Simply put, I needed to be reminded that painting with my heart is just as important as painting with my head.

Let’s hit the studio and turn that knob to “11”!

Frame Shop Benefits 101

2008-11-14T13:05:00.006-05:00

The major benefit of owning a frame shop in NYC is not only meeting artists, gallery owners, and designers, it's also the dialogue that's created from the art that comes in.

In the fall of 2007 RL Fine Arts in NYC in conjunction with the Estate of F.N. Souza, exhibited the artist's "chemical paintings" hand picked by his daughter.

The story goes, Souza came to the US because he was promised a one man show in Chicago. The gallery owner reneged on the deal and penniless, Souza somehow made his way to New York. Without any money or materials to paint with, he pooled his resources and developed "chemical paintings"; a process whereby a solvent was applied to magazine pages so the ink can be manipulated to create new imagery. Pages of cigarette ads, pornography, fashion and interior design pics were turned into still lifes, figures and city/landscapes by softening the ink on the page and reapplying it. Some images were reinforced with a stroke of black ink - the process was incredibly insightful.

As an artist I wondered if it was passion, obsession, compulsion, dedication or a combination thereof that drove Souza to create a new medium to fulfill his creative process. Regardless, I admired his persistence.

I also admired Matt's (one of my framers) curiosity.

As we discussed the process and compared this artist's devotion to his work to our own, we decided to try to replicate Souza's technique. We purchased all kinds of magazines and dug up catalogues so we could experiment.

The question was "what kind of solvent did Souza use?" The finished images had a "sheen" to it. Was it because he used a varnish as a solvent or was it simply a chemical reaction with the ink and turpentine?

Assuming the artist was penniless to the point where he could not afford Damar Varnish we experimented with turpentine.

I failed miserably, but Matt was impressive as he sought out the proper magazines that would react to the turp. I had realized that the printing process had changed since my days in Advertising and Graphic Design. Printers were now using water soluble inks and papers with a varnish on them. Turpentine wouldn't work on every magazine because each one was processed differently!

Matt went through dozens of kinds before he got to the point where he could recognize which ones were workable. After that, he was inspired enough to create a dozen images in the manner of F.N Souza (one of which is pictured above).

It was a fulfilling experience for me, even though I personally failed. If anything it was inspiring for me to see Matt get inspired, obsessed or impassioned with the discussions of this artist's work.

We're still learning!

Scratching My Symbiosis

2008-11-13T11:25:00.015-05:00

It seems I've written more about music than painting these past few days; obviously I feel that there is an undeniable relationship between these two arts for me.

The bond between the two stems from what I have learned from each trade. I had majored in art thinking that the academic disciplines would aide my natural visual art talents.

However, music was mostly self taught. There were only three summers of guitar lessons: when I was in third grade I took lessons from the girl who played the folk mass on early Sunday mornings at St. Francis Church in Metuchen; my 8th grade lessons were with my friend's older brother who was in a Jazz Band and another summer when I was an 'adult' living in Brooklyn, I found a guitar teacher just to get my "chops" going. None of the lessons were anything near formal, I didn't even learn to sight read with my last instructor. It was all about learning chords, their structures and scales. Mostly, I just used my ears.

It was while I was charting chord changes for the horn section in my band, that I was made aware of the freedom in non-learned arts and the shackles that academia can have on creativity.

My trumpet player was amazed at these chord changes in the "turn around" for a bluesy ballad I wrote. (I think it was [C7 / C7#9 / Cm7/D7#9 /] - with the minor chord confusing him.) Another colleague turned to me and, pointing to her head, said, "you didn't major in music - you're not wedded to these learned music 'rules'."

Granted, I went by what I wanted to hear and (I was told) if I was formally trained, I probably wouldn't have stuck a Cm chord in a song keyed in G (although it has been done, generally it's not the norm but then again - neither am I). This scenario also prompted me to try to understand music theory more for the purpose of communicating to my band mates. I started studying with a more formal approach to music.

I immediately made a connection to my painting. I had been struggling with the task of "correctly rendering" a section of a commission painting. However, after my 'enlightenment', when I got to the easel, I threw out the "rules I was wedded to" and attacked the canvas.

I was free!

Looking at my music and art then, I realized that I had to break free of all the restricting rules I learned as a visual artist and conversely, learn the rules of music for the sake of communicating my music ideas. It was a Yin-Yang, a balance of thought and emotion, controlled technique and loose abandon. Eventually, my music grew from the disciplines I applied to it from art and my art grew after shedding those same disciplines and reverting to my instincts.

My creative lives were now interdependent, they became symbiotic disciplines that opened my eyes and ears to new approaches in different mediums.

You're Only As Good As Your Last Gig

2008-11-10T15:55:00.014-05:00

I did it on a whim. My guitar teacher (of maybe a half dozen lessons over a summer) and ex-band mates were doing it, so why couldn't I?

I had never participated in a "battle of the bands" so, I didn't know how to feel when I drew the long straw and found out we were playing last. At the time, I had left "Sez Who" and started "Pocket", a rockin' trio with me on vocal and guitar. Bill and Frank were on drums and bass and weren't too far off from being the NY version of John Bonham and John Paul Jones of Led Zep. I won't fool myself, "Pocket" was a great band because of how 'locked in' those two guys were and sound men, emcees and the crowd on the floor told us so.

Anyway, the rules of the battle were simple. Play three or four songs in fifteen minutes and get off the stage for the next band. Judges would be there to score on originality, technique yaddayaddayadda... Oh, and it will go from 9pm to 2am and nobody can go over their time slot - "we're keeping to the schedule!" Yeah, RIGHT!

It was a small bar on 7th Ave. and "I can't remember St." in Park Slope, Brooklyn. The "sun room" area of the pub was the "green room" and all the bands packed their gear in there and waited, and waited, and waited... Bands played throughout the night. My old band "Sez Who" played some new material as well as a song I had written for them. Then my guitar teacher played and I thought it was all over for me. The one band that perked up my ears was "Puppyhead", a hard rock, almost punk, three chick trio that sounded really, incredibly good two weeks earlier in another club. My band was booked on that same night just fifteen blocks away - and they had my head bobbin' while they were rockin' that night!

The owner didn't think so this night and pulled them off the stage after their first song - they came back into the "green room" crying.

After hours of listening to local bands playing their stuff, we looked at the clock and realized that we were running over on time. Two hours over! It was FOUR O'CLOCK! when we hit the stage - And when we hit it there wasn't a judge to be seen in the whole damn place!

Until we played the first four bars of the song...

Then they came running out of the back room holding pool sticks! Apparently - they were listening from the game room for the last two hours as they shot stick and downed beers - and as I looked past these judges leaning on their 16oz , just chalked cues, I saw the lead vocalist of my former band and my guitar teacher, three tables apart, grooving with their heads to my song.

I smiled and looked down at the judge in front of the stage who had his hands cupped around his mouth so I could hear him yell, "Just play ONE MORE! You ALREADY WON!!!"

It felt good that night! Though I don't look at art/music etc. as something that should be competitive, I felt like I had proven myself as a song writer, proven something to the ex-band mates who I left for "artistic reasons" and to my guitar teacher who said I needed to break out of my "stock shit"!

That night, Bill, my drummer, and his cousin were whooping it up in the van as we headed home with the gear. It was a broken, skipping record of Long Island/Queens boys yelling colloquial exclamations of "Un-FUCKIN' believable!"

The other bands I've played in have been wonderful experiences, but this was a wonderful experience and a win! But, unfortunately that was the last time I was in a band with that kind of euphoria.

Our next gig I actually got called by a club owner to fill in a slot that was cancelled by another band. We bombed. Funny enough, the crowd there thought that was how we played - all the time! It was then that I realized that we were only as good as our last gig and at that moment - we sucked.

As soon as that dawned on me, I went nuts booking the band as much as possible, not wanting the bad taste of a poor performance to linger. Every band I was in since then I would take that same approach. The memory was so indelible, I applied that concept to my art...

I'm only as good as my last painting.

You See What I See?

2008-11-08T19:43:00.005-05:00

I used to think that creating art was strictly about observation. Not just in painting, but in all the arts.

One memory I have when I was a musician was of me sitting in the backyard of a friend’s (Laura) family house in Chevy Chase, Maryland. It’s an early summer morning with the smell of coffee drifting from the kitchen as I lie in a hammock on the back porch, morning sun caressing my face and my guitar draped over my lap. I’m not playing, it’s too early and I don’t want to wake the folks inside. My fingers are just caressing the strings.

As I lie there, I hear a song bird sing four distinct notes. I don’t have perfect pitch - maybe relative pitch when I was playing music more regularly (I struggle to identify keys instantly unlike my colleagues) but my fingers moved along the fret board as I plucked the strings and I found myself playing the bird’s song note for note on the first try. What was more exciting, was the fact that the bird answered!

I played the phrase almost a half a dozen times and the songbird, to my amusement and surprise, answered each time. Mrs. Jones came out of the house to freshen my cup of coffee and witnessed the scene as well and was just as impressed.

For years I thought about that moment fondly and I often wondered if that observation of a bird’s four notes and man imitating those notes (sans guitar) was a similar scene thousands of years ago when man decided to organize sounds into notes and notes into chords and chords into progressions and finally chord progressions into songs. Did music start from a simple observation?

Having more experience in the visual arts, I feel more confident saying so about painting. Man painted bison, deer, horses and hunters on their cave walls in Lascaux, France. Though rudimentary by standards set by some artists today, the paintings are a result of a simple observation. And while one can argue that some modern paintings can’t illustrate a narrative similar to the previous example, a Jackson Pollack or Cy Twombly image surely is an observation of color, texture and line.

* * *

Now let me confuse you.

If twenty people saw an accident and they described it twenty different ways, where is the truth in the event? It’s now twenty “observations” of a singular occurrence.

* * *

There was a wonderful restaurant along the Hudson River in Irvington, NY called “Fuffi’s”. The chef at the time was from CIA and the owner, Johnny, was an Albanian Immigrant who wanted to prove to his previous business partner that you can still have a successful restaurant with a “funny name” if the service and the food are good. Johnny was right.

When the place first opened, the bar might have sat six people and there were maybe five or six tables to eat at, it was small. Working behind the bar (which I eventually did for a few nights) there was absolutely no room and if a waiter or busboy needed something behind the bar, it wasn’t too far off from playing “Twister”.

On this particular night, I sat at the bar as a patron with Johnny on the end closest to the kitchen, he reminded me of a patriarchal figure at the end of a long serving table. He was, effectively, blocking access from the kitchen to the restaurant. As he looked up from his papers and books, undoubtedly related to the restaurant, he saw two entree dishes obviously abandoned by what were ravenous clientele. Unfortunately, the busboy and the manager, Renaldo, walked out of the kitchen just as Johnny eyed the debris on the bar.

They both caught Johnny’s ire as he barked orders to bring the dishes to the washer and clean the bar. The busboy hustled to the plates from behind that bar’s small workspace, picked them up and turned to get back into the kitchen only to see it blocked by Johnny, Renaldo and now the dishwasher who heard the ruckus.

Renaldo waved his hands at Johnny, yelling “Whaddya’ want? Eh?”, and continues with a bombardment of Albanian rattle that was so fast that even if I did understand the language I wouldn’t have.

Annoyed that his busboy couldn’t perform his designated task, Johnny shakes his head and proclaims that he’s tired of everyone being “lazy” as he sees the plates being passed from the busboy to Renaldo to the dishwasher.

Renaldo defends his staff with “Lazy? Lazy?!!! That was teamwork! You see that?” and then turns to me and asks, “Well? Whaddya’ think Nick? You call that ‘lazy’ or ‘teamwork’?””

I’ll tell you what I think. I think I was put on the spot and while this whole scene unfolded in front of me in thirty seconds, I was contemplating what had transpired and how these two men had two separate observations (Johnny observing a "lazy" busboy handing off plates to coworkers and Renaldo proudly observing the "teamwork" being displayed).

Johnny and Renaldo were still looking at me, waiting. “Well? Whatdya’ you call it?”

My answer was what I had observed, “I call it a small bar!”

They both rolled their eyes and responded in unison, “Figures - from an artist!”

* * *

So, now I’m all screwed up and paint whatever comes to mind and when someone walks up to my paintings and asks me what it’s all about, I ask “Well, what do you see? What does it mean to you?” Often times they see something different than what I had intended and when they describe what they see it lets me in to what they think and feel and more importantly shows me another side of myself.

Well, that’s my observation.

Poor Starving Artist is Half Right - Maybe

2008-11-04T14:24:00.015-05:00

Growing up, my parents tried to steer me away from the creative fields of art and music because they didn't want me to be a "poor starving artist". Well, I became an artist anyway and although I'm far from rich, I'm not exactly poor and I've never been starving either. But, even if I didn't become as "successful" as I have been the last bunch of years, I still doubt I would've been starving; nor would any other artist I know.

In the early years of my creative life, I made due with what little I could afford. Every scrap of canvas or sheet of paper was saved to be utilized later as a surface to paint on. Dumpster diving wasn't out of the question for those materials either.

I also perfected squeezing every last drop of oil paint out of my tubes before cutting it open with a razor blade to scrape out the residual pigment. While I don't go that far with my toothpaste, the 'squeeze' technique is applied to my morning hygienic routine on that tube of paste.

There is an old Zen saying " What is learned in one craft can be applied to another."

That being said, there isn't much of a difference between the palette of paint in front of me or the palate of my tongue. The idea of color harmony is a similar theory to harmonious blends of flavor with spices and herbs. French Ultramarine blue and Alizarin Crimson make a more favorable blend of purples as well as the marriage of tomatoes and basil, and just as a dominating color can overpower a visual (unless intended to do so) so does too much salt or onion or garlic for the balance of flavor.

Those lean years made me creative with the food I ate. Ask me a dozen ways to serve up a potato and I'll give it to you! Can't afford Chicken breasts and Marsala wine? Turkey breast and leftover beer will do in a pinch! And what you can do with a whole roasted chicken for the week?!!! Mmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Don't get me wrong. I've had my share of failures. Just as I've accidentally painted six fingers instead of five, I have discovered the hard way that plain yogurt as a dressing base doesn't replace every mayonnaise dressing base. But as an artist we need to be fearless and grow by experimenting and learning from both the successes and failures - as long as your failure isn't burning down the house (from either turpentine or that T-day turkey - or both).

This past weekend was my dad's 80th birthday and Heidi and I made a big spread for him, his wife and all of my siblings and their significant others. After looking at the roast beef, sesame coated tuna steaks, portobella mushrooms and pomegranate salad, I realized my journey as a cook, though long, was coming to fruition (with the help of my wife) and being creative with the same palette/palate through these passing years is a lesson I still crave and nurture.

So, while I'm not a starving artist, I do hunger for more time and ideas in both my painting and cooking!

Pass the gravy please?

“Do - Re - Mi“ - Know what I mean?

2008-11-02T01:26:00.004-04:00

So - here I am sitting in a bar in Penn Station, New York having a scotch with Coop. I missed my train and my wife is mad at me because I am WAY late. As we sit there talking about the plans for the evening, the “gentleman” (okay - the “guy”, “dude” - whatever) sitting next to me bumps into me and holds up a dollar bill and says, “This yours?”

“Nope!” I reply, whereby the bartender replies, “Uh, yeah. That would be mine!” and politely lifts it from his scissored pointer and middle fingers.

We look at each other perplexed at the bluntness of the waif like bartender muscling her way to the greenback; and this stranger’s only retort is, “So you guys here to see “Phil”?”

I assumed he was speaking of bassist Phil Lesh, of Grateful Dead fame, who was performing at the Nokia Theater that night. We replied with a resounding “Nope! Just got out of work and we’re on our way home!”

After the exchange, Coop went into the history of NY small concert venues. Surprisingly, this ‘stranger’ chimed in with his concert experiences and matched the wiser “elder” Coop venue for venue as they rattled off NYC club venue legends like The Bottom Line, The Bitterend, The Paramount Theater etc.

Soon to follow were the lists of concerts seen between the two (of which I saw only a minute fraction of) which included Phish opening for Santana in Hamburg, The Allman Brothers and Derek Trucks (sans Dickie) at the Beacon to John Mayall and his lefty and upside-down lead guitar player at the Bottom Line (where Coop, just that day, was fondly speaking of the ticket girl that worked there back in the day - hmmmmm...) as well as blues dudes and ‘Jazzbos’ that were wildly admired.

‘Twas a five minute conversation and during a quick drink
Coop and this stranger connected on a music history link!
(Let me stop there...)

The ‘dude’ left announcing he was on his way to see ‘Phil’ and after exchanging pleasantries, Coop declared. “Ahhh, Music! The international language! Wherever you go - you can talk about it!”

He’s right - it is international. And that is what makes music so damn beautiful!

One day I was streaming some “world music” in through the computer. Heidi (my wife) perked up her ears and asked me who this wonderful performance was by. I told her it was traditional Iraqi music (love the percussion!) and emphatically announced, “What kind of world would we have if musicians ruled it!???”

I’m sure she thought, “Deaf and broke...”

But in my mind, as I allow optimism to coax my memories, I recall images of sitting in Sam Ash and/or Manny’s Music on the 48th St. ‘music strip’ and nodding knowingly at the dude laying down a bass line as I grooved a guitar riff with him without speaking a word or knowing his name; or the memory of putting on “that song” or “that album” as a friend or lover nods in agreement as soon as the first note is played; or the “whoop” of the crowd as the familiar beat of a party tune pulses through speakers at a club or a wedding or a Bar Mitzvah...

We don’t need to speak a word as we recall those fond memories triggered by a song that’s rocked out gutturally, silkily sung in soul or belted emotively in a Germanic Aria. The words are lost in different languages, but the nuances, emotion and spirit are still the same in the music - and it is the SOUND of a ‘do’, ‘re’ or ‘mi’ that can speak more than any word.

All that from a dollar...

It's About That Fine Print

2008-10-31T13:26:00.006-04:00

The guys at the shop are all music fanatics - so we tend to share our faves with each other. Matt is a musician (as I once was in a lifetime ago...) and Coop is a radio DJ (formerly of WBGO Jazz in Newark, NJ and currently on a Friday morning stint at WRSU in New Brunswick, NJ).

We recently gave each other a small, fun project where we took the 1st solo album by each Beatle (John's "Plastic Ono Band"/Paul's "McCartney"/George's "All Things Must Pass" and Ringo's "Beacoups of Blues) and mixed what theoretically would've been the "Last Beatle Album" (pick one Ringo tune, two of George's and mix and match Paul and John). It was interesting seeing (and hearing) the songs picked and how they were arranged in a 48 minute format.

This project of course, led to other music discussions; one of which was the idea of making a mixed disc of music that "referred to itself". A "Six Degrees of Separation" mix so to speak. The idea was to pick a song (Let's say Tom Waits' "Jersey Girl) and fill the disc with music that related to the musician, musicians they may have played with or another musician who covered the song.

Using Waits' "Jersey Girl" as an example again, I can add Bruce Springsteen to the song list because he covered that song and also add "The Ramones" who covered Waits' "I Don't Wanna Grow Up". I can then add to this list "Bat Out of Hell" by Meatloaf because Max Weinberg who played drums for Bruce, played drums for Meatloaf on that disc as a session man.

Get the connection? This could go on and on...

This idea brought back memories of how music used to be for me and Coop. In the age of downloading music to your computer and ipod - or sharing highly compressed music files (which is another blog into itself - yeeeccchhhhk!!! on those high compression rates!) kids these days miss out on info of the performer and back up musicians because they don't have the luxury of sitting back with their tunes with headphones on and take the time to read the back of the album cover (or cd liner notes) to see who played with who!

Yeah - I sound like an old man - but if it wasn't for those liner notes (as well as some cool graphic design) Pat Metheny Group wouldn't have turned me onto Jaco Pastorious and Michael Brecker which turned me onto Dave Holland and Ornette Coleman which led me to Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie which led me to The Allman Brothers and Derek Trucks which led me to Pakistani music and Poppa Chubby...

I can keep going...

The point is this: how do I find out if this funky bass player played with anyone else or if that cool sax solo was played by someone I already know with just a downloaded wav file?

I never thought I'd miss that fine print...

All Things New

2008-10-29T17:08:00.001-04:00

Blogging is new to me - so please be patient as I edit my brain and offer something of value to you. Or maybe no value at all...

I am an artist in the NY Metropolitan area living in Northern New Jersey. My wife (Heidi) and I own a frame shop in the Flatiron District/Chelsea with a gallery space. Many visual artists, interior designers, gallery owners, collectors and general "I love art" people walk through our doors for their work to be framed. When they walk out I find myself redefining art - or something - after I've interacted with them or the artwork they've dropped off. It all seems new again!

I not only enjoy looking at the art that comes through these doors, but I find myself inspired as I meet and talk with my peers of different career levels. People inclusive of all that inspiration are my very talented employees that make up a creative field of writers, painters, illustraters and musicians. They not only inspire me - they challenge me! All this being said, I hope I can find time to post regularly as I recall these art and non-art expereinces that keep my trade fresh and new.

In regards to the piece above: "Meditation" (Oil on Canvas 60x60 inches) is an older piece and how I've contemplated the power of 'oneness' - woman and child being one being for 9-10 months. The meditative affects of creating life...