Pittsfield Contemporary

I will be showing new work at the Pittsfield Contemporary show this weekend at the Lichtenstein Center in Pittsfield.

If you can make it to the opening (Friday at 5:30) please come by.   I'll try to post some photos.
should be a fun time.

 "Tools of the Trade" - 2010

summer showing #1

I got word this morning that I got juried in to the 9th Annual Berkshire Arts Festival over the July 4th weekend at Ski Butternut in Great Barrington.  I am hanging 4-5 paintings in a group show - in a white walled gallery on the grounds - not as a table/booth. 

It is called the "Insiders Art Fair Gallery Show" and is only local Bekshire Artists.  should be interesting.
Around 8,000 people are expected to attend the Festival over the 3 days, so I should have lots of new eyes on my pieces.

The director emailed me to say "I am sure that you won't be showing the work that is not for the innocent general public. Although  I like it..." (I submitted Marla, Jazu, Justice, Bash Bish, and self-portrait 35)

problems of the flesh.... would it really be so scandalous?  hmmnn... now I've got to find out.

Fast Food/Still Life

This painting, "Fast Food/Still Life," has been an idea I have had for quite some time.  It has been lingering in my mind for a little over a year.  I decided to act and follow through the idea and realize the picture.  I wanted to treat the subject like a classical still life painting, and focus on the objects.  I chose fast food because it is so ubiquitous and not something that would normally be treated to a still life, plus I loved all of the hidden extras that fast food comes with (globalization, marketing, obesity, overfarming, immigrants, science, genetics, capitalism, etc...)

Here is what actually happened:
The concept was to visit McDonald's, Dunkin Donuts and Burger King and buy the items that are targeted at children.  So a Happy Meal, a Kid's Meal (plus the toys), a 6 pack of Munchins, and one burger from each place (found on their "Dollar Menu"), were set upon a table and I painted them.  All food was unwrapped and put down on the table exactly as it comes out of the packaging. In total, I spent $12.  All the food purchased is visible in the still life (minus about 8 ketchup packs). 

Following a page from "Super Size Me," I accepted every extra they threw my way (like sauces, and ketchup, and salt and pepper) and I got a ton.

Even though my intention was (and still is) to show the horror of the food, and to display it exactly as it is served - no glamour or fancy product photography - I became absolutely fascinated by the color and textures in this "food", and quickly became more interested in painting exactly what I saw.  It became an American Landscape.  The color of McDonald's french fries are golden and Burger King's are more translucent, chicken mcnuggets are golden green.  burger buns are orange - but the cheese is even MORE orange -  the wax paper is a visual treat of reflected blues, oranges, greens, purples and reds.  The entire picture was an exercise in texture and color relationships.  The food/packaging is remarkably reflective and the colors were found everywhere.  the munchkins were very light - mostly air, and sparkled.

For those who care how it ended, ALL the food became hard after being out for one hour.  All smells dissipated after half an hour (no match for turpentine and oil paint) and by the next day, of course, it looked exactly the same, and did so for the rest of the week, and then I had to throw it out in disgust.  None of the food was ingested.  it was all given to the garbage.  Although I did drink the Apple Juice afterword, but don't tell anyone.

In an age of Fast/Immediate/Now, I wanted to slow down and look at what we as a society are doing, what we target at children, and what passes for food.

New Work

coming soon - I've been busy-

Idle hands are the Devil's tools, but boy does he make cool stuff sometimes...

Falling Water

I finished my first painting in almost 2 months.  "Bash Bish Falls"  48" x 32" oil on canvas.  I had no desire to finish this one when I initially started it (March) because I couldn't find a reason for it.  My mind wasn't into it.  I stayed away from the studio for this entire time and occupied myself with new media and materials - like welding - (pictures might follow of these explorations).  I wanted to do more than a "landscape".

It seemed like I had given up on it, or at least I had lost interest in following through on this idea - I was starting to consider what I might paint over it.  All I had was a loose drawing on the canvas from when I visited and a slight indication of some rocks.  I wasn't sure I could pull off the composition I wanted.

I was out for a walk last weekend and went to see a gallery show, I was overcome with a bit of a "creative rage" and knew I had to make something of this image- or at the very least make a horrific mess -  and break through this creative block.  There really was no choice.  It was my duty.  I left and went directly to the studio.  I completed 90% in a two day furry.  I think it is the legend of these waters that propelled me through.  I see her legs.

Bash Bish Falls is a waterfall in the SouthWestern corner of Massachusetts.  The story states that a native woman (a Mohican Indian named Bash Bish) who lived here was sent to her death over the falls for adultery.

I find the surging water powerful - especially in the Spring when their is so much volume. The last time I was here was in 1999 and I did a small sketch in roughly the same place.  I think I've come a long way since then.  I know I understand quite a bit more now.

Burn baby, burn

Today I set fire to a number of older pieces that I have been carrying around for a few years.  Most of the pieces date from 1993-1999. 

There might be more, but today's fire consumed around 15 pieces.  I recently moved, and so I am going through 5 portfolios worth of work that I've been carrying around for  17+ years now. This picture is from 1994,  during the RIT years, a project where we had to paint 3 images in monochromatic color schemes.   I chose 3 violent images.  Two were war images (Vietnam- one is a woman having shrapnel removed from her hand) and the one pictured above is of R. Budd Dwyer. 

crazy days.

New Pics

Finished a few new paintings and posted them to the site.