Electric Windows

Drifts of weaponized enamel are hanging heavy over Beacon's east end of Main St right now. 

I'm preparing for an early morning departure tomorrow so I breezed through the Electric Windows goings on really quickly early this afternoon.
It's an exciting vibe that's happening down there, especially with the addition of space at the Roundhouse and the Viera building to be adorned with artwork.  Adding to this sense of excitement is the already visible work done as part of the Roundhouse rehab and development - a new vista of the falls has been opened up with the removal of various vegetation on the corner of Main & E. Main. 

Congratulations to the folks at Open Space and Burlock et al.  Even from my early observation, the whole deal is shaping up successfully.
For your viewing pleasure, here are a few images.  In the interest of time - since I should be doing other things right now - I'm forgoing captions for the moment. .....I'll be adding them shortly.

 

Preparation for Electric Windows

The artists working on the Electric Windows project which is happening today got a headstart on their preparations yesterday.  Open Space's blog has some photos of artists getting to work on their pieces.

Electric Windows 2010 happening this weekend in Beacon

 Once can catch through the window a glimpse of the current Electric Window works 

which have held up rather well since 2008.

I spent the better part of Saturday night sipping some heavenly-cold-and-cheap beer at Open Space.  One the walls - Electric Walls is a group exhibit featuring the artists who are participating in Electric Windows this weekend.    The weather forecast is looking good for Saturday afternoon when the East end of  Main St will be closed to automobile traffic and artists will set up shop in the street.

 One view of the Electric Walls exhibit. A full listing of artwork is included in Open Space's online store.

This year's Electric Windows will be significantly bigger, gracing the faces of three buildings.  The Roundhouse and the Viera building will join the original Electric Windows building, constituting three points of an "Electric Triangle", if you will, at the junction of Main St and E. Main St. 

An image from the morning-after installation of Electric Windows 2008 works.
via maykr.com

The Electric Windows After Party is taking place at the Piggy Bank starting @ 10pm.
The artists participating in Electric Windows this year are:   Big Foot, Buxtonia, BoogieRez , Cern ,Chor , Boogie  , Chris Stain , Chris Yormick , Depoe , Elbow Toe ,Elia Gurna , Ellis G, Erik Otto , Eugene Good, Faust, Gaia, Joe Iurato, Kid Zoom, Mr Kiji, Logan Hicks, Lotem & Aviv , , Michael De Feo, Peru Ana Ana Peru, Paper Monster, Peat Wollaeger, Rick Price, Ron English, Ryan Bubnis, Ryan Williams, Skewville
, Ultra

Works On Paper Sale in Denver - August 7, 2010 12-5pm

 

On Saturday August 7- in Denver-, I'll be holding a sale of works on paper - a Trunk Sale of works on paper.  I'll be including drawings, paintings, collages, prints and anything else I can dig up from the past 15 years or so.  For this sales extravaganza, I'll be returning to my old 'hood in Denver's Golden Triangle.  Michele Mosko has generously offered the use of her gallery Michele Mosko Fine Art at 136 W 12th Ave for the day.

If you or someone you love is in Denver and in need for a little bit of artwork to get you through the rest of the Summer, then this is the event for you.   Feel free pass this along. 

I'll be posting updates here on the blog and on my website at www.christopheralbert.com/events

Another Artwork Giveaway: Annual 2007 edition

 Ligature:opperher, 2007

I forgot to mention in my previous post that as a way of commemorating the release of Annual 2007 I'm giving away two small paintings from 2007.  These two Ligature paintings are done in oil with acrylic on canvas and are 9"x12" in size. 

Ligature:vidiez, 2007

Each painting will be given to a different person via a blind drawing of names culled from the Facebook Fan Page.  If you want your name tossed into the hat, you can either join the fan page - or you can simply shoot me an email (info[at]christopheralbert[dot]com) indicating you want to be included and I'll put you in the mix.

The drawing will happen sometime in mid Aug.  and the recipients will be announced shortly after.

Annual volume 1: 2007 has been published

 Annual 2007 front cover.

One of the projects that I've been working on is creating an annual inventory/index of the work I do in a magazine format.  2007 is the first volume and has just been released. 
I chose to start with 2007 because that year was pivotal in a couple of different ways (a change in studio space and two personally significant exhibits) and because I'd be pressing my luck to try to assemble my memories any further back.  The my mindset I was in and the work I did in preparation for the two exhibits I had that year has influenced greatly what I've done since.

 a page from Annual 2007

 

Anyway, I expect to produce one volume each year.  Each publication in the series will follow the work I produce and the projects in which I'm involved in a given year in chronological order.  
The form of the presentation is sure to evolve, particularly in the first few volumes as I catch up to the current year.  They are not intended as polished catalogues; they are, collectively, an unvarnished visual index (failures and all) presented as concisely as possible, without excessive explanation. At the end of each volume will be a section with text to add some context for the individual works, but I feel that as the project advances, the progression of images will be sufficiently revealing about the causes, effects and inspirations that drive character of the work I create.  I believe the value of each one will grow as it is joined by each proceeding issue that pushes forward the visual time line.  As each year progresses and an additional issue is added to the collection, they will speak to one another, highlighing various narratives that emerge withing the work.

another page from Annual 2007

I realize that this is a geeky and narcissistic endeavor, but it is one that will prove to be of value to me in aiding my memory and contextualizing the things I have done.  I also think that this may be of interest to those folks who have been following my work....and those who might be interested, but can't quite follow what I'm doing.

The Annuals are being published through magcloud where they can be purchased online.  There is a free ipad version available through magcloud.  In the near future, there will be a pdf version available on my website.  I will also have copies available for purchase at my Works On Paper "Trunk Show" in Denver, CO on August 7, 2010.

I expect to have 2008 published by the end of September, and 2009 completed by the end of the year at which point I'll start a regular Spring/Summer schedule of publishing the previous year's edition. 

Open House Poughkeepsie opens today.

I'm not exactly sure what this is, but it's awesomely cool.  

Through the window I saw see shelves full of reclining baby Jesuses.

A crazy (and shapely) work progressing outside Red Bone Tattoos, 444 Main St..

Yesterday I met up with Matthew Slaats in Poughkeepsie to stroll along the stretch of Main St. known at Middle Main.  Matthew is organizing an art event called Open House Poughkeepsie.  Beginning today with an afternoon VIP tour followed by a reception at the Clinton House and continuing through July 30th, artist installations, performances and guided tours will inhabit the roughly 6 block stretch.

OHP's opening reception is happening at Clinton House, 5-7pm.

In addition to today's opening, a series of walking tours, a movie night and a closing reception are planned, as well as other performance based events.  Click on the flyer image below for those details.

While strolling, we had occasion to speak at length with one of the property owners who has a resevoir of thoughts on the topic development of Main St. in the area. Open House Poughkeepsie is one part of the broader effort to develop and promote the neighborhood at the heart of the mission of the Middle Main organization and more conversations like the one we had yesterday are the ideal kind of results of projects like this.  Culture is not just about art, and there's a lot of pressure brought to bear on the field of art to reinvigorate cultural and economic development of a place.  The best thing that art as a discipline - in all its forms can do in an instance such as this is to start a conversation - even to set the conditions in which a conversation can start - but then the rest of the constituent parts that make up "culture" need to come to the table. 

While walking, we met Kirsten Olson installing her exhibit at Barrett ClayWorks, which is among the art offerings that are tied in with the OHP project, but will have its own opening reception on 7/17 at 6pm.  Olson, whose exhibit caps of her time as artist in Residence at the ClayWorks, is a new member of bau in Beacon and will be exhibiting her work there in August. 

I dig how the reflected grass rhymes with the forms of the Olson's sculpture....and vice versa.

An installation of t shirts by John McCartin at Yalexa, 519 Main St

The kork project space is acting as an auxiliary site for the OHP project, documenting and linking the cultural happenings in one part of the city with another. 

 Some lunchtime options for the staff of Bailey Browne CPA & Associates on the kork project space.

So often, (speaking from experience here) projects like this have a very limited impact on areas outside of the immediate area, and we at kork's recognize difficulty and we're lending a little cross town moral support.  Further, for the month of August, after the project has concluded, kork extend it, serving as repository for reflections on the project from artists and curator and visitors

OHP Participating artists include; Dana Bol, Teresa Cichra, Roberto Cruz, Kate Drag, Simon Draper, Stasia Fernandez, Nestor Madalengoitia, Linda Malave, Ty Marshal, Humberto Rodriguez Maya, John McCartin, Kirsten Olson, Shannon O'Leary, Franc Palaia, and Amos Scully.

In Beacon: James Westwater & Catherine Welshman

James Westwater's Postcards and Matchboxes show at Van Brunt Gallery runs through July 25.  It's clean and compact, full of formalized precision and personal narratives constructed from other people's histories.  Well worth seeing. 

Of course, I'm sort of a sucker for paintings on boxes, and James uses the format to his advantage.

---

Another artist that consistently puts on a show worth seeing has a new one opening this Saturday, July 17 at Hudson Beach Glass.  Catherine Welshman's New Paintings runs through Aug 29.  There's an opening with music from 6-9 on Saturday, and an artist reception on Aug 14th.

I finally took a moment and searched for the 624713 Collective which is apparantly responsible for this poster pasted on the West End of Main St.  It's a loose collective of "artists and art afficionados" who are mobilized in the pursuit of "Art for All."

What's my name? WHAT'S MY NAME?

 PsuedoPainting 54"x54" acrylic on vinyl

The sudden events of the week resulting in installing my work at the Daniel Aubry Gallery also gave me my own Work of Art type challenge: make a sign with my name for hanging outside the gallery.  I have various other projects that I'm ensconced with, but making this psuedo painting/sign last night was a quick, fun diversion.

New York Magazine just published a weekend travel spread on Beacon and included a link to maykr.com. 

Having a site link to one's own site, particularly a notable one fills (this) one with warm euphoric feeling.  It's like catching the eye of a hot girl across the room and she doesn't break off the contact in disgust - except without the terrifying pressure of needing to know what to do next which that follows that initial instant of euphoria which results in (this) one (i.e. me) breaking eye contact out of utter embarrassment.  (Am I the only one that has this reaction?)  Of course, I don't have to worry about that anymore...because I don't look at girls across the room anymore, and I don't blog at maykr.com anymore.  I'm just doing it here now. 

Although the maykr twitter feed of relevant Beacon art stuff and more is still there at maykr.com, as are relevant links, the blog is now more of an archive of a moment in time.  Changes will be coming to the site, though - in time.

Spamwerk & 9 Days a Week on view at Daniel Aubry Gallery opening on July 10

Fetishes: My boxers paintings are grouped together here as one work entitled 9 Days A Week.
Afropat 1 and 2 are on the right

I've got several works on view at the Daniel Aubry Gallery in Beacon, opening tomorrow, July 10.  The works in the gallery are the Spamwerk paintings and the Fetishes paintings.  This whole arrangement happened so quickly this week, I'm not sure about all the details of the show, there will be a reception tomorrow for Second Saturday, I imagine starting at 5 or 6pm.

The Spamwerk paintings are installed on a wall adjacent to some larger Purvis Young works from the gallery's holdings.  I'm digging having the Spamwerk pieces, which themselves are rough and made of re-purposed materials in such proximity to the Young's, but by comparison they feel a bit precious - like little jewels.

The complete group of Spamwerk in a cluster.

This is an incredible small Purvis piece that uses scrap carpet as a framing device. 

( I couldn't get a really good unblurred shot.)

Some other items in the gallery - I don't have any specifics on these pieces.

Art is also a friend of mine; a Mexican guy. Nice guy

In honor of tonight's episode of Work Of Art, I'm posting this old favorite from Creature Comforts.  It seems especially germane to Bravo's competition show.  That a show which is purportedly seeking out the Next Great Artist - presumably an iconoclast who defines a current edge of creative expression and reflection - is shoe-horned into a tried-and-tired format exudes a kind of democratic blitheness that is echoed in the animated crowd-sourced rumination on art.  There's a cheerily banal quality to the show; really not much worth commenting on any further than I've already done.  I'll continue watching - it's too hot to do anything else - to see how it ends.

Internal Rhyme

Angelika pointed out to me today the incidental rhyme that's happening in my small, in process, painting on the left, and her photograph on the right.  Not only is the parallel compositions uncanny, but the fact that these two pieces ended up on adjacent walls.  I guess this is one of those two-artists-living-together, kind-of-in-the-air types of occurances.  It's not related, but all I'm thinking about right now are those images where people look  like their pets.
Angelika is heading to Germany on Weds to finish up her MFA.  Angelika's photo in the picture above was taken this spring in Nuremberg and it's one of the works that will be part of her installation in her graduate group exhibit happening in Berlin at the end of the month.  Some peripheral material and information on her thesis project is included on her 2nd yr MFA blog.  The exhibit's catalog is in the form of a boxed set of postcards from each artist. 

Fourth of July in Beacon, NY

a decorative mash up on the walls of Max's on Main.

We stopped into Max's yesterday for a couple of burgers.
Afterward, I was back in the studio collaging rectilinear forms from scrapes of Netflix envelopes.
Sitting there, pasting these scrapes together, I ruminated on the nature of luxury.  I realized that the ability and freedom to have the time to do such a task is the epitome of luxury for me, one more satisfying and precious than any acquired bauble.  In fact, I can't muster a drop of saliva for any form of traditional American definition of luxury.  Freedom of expression and self determination may, in theory, be a basic human right, but in practical terms, these things are indeed indulgent luxuries in a world where many live without such benefits.   Another luxury so many of us here in this place, in this country, flaunt is our freedom to forget of how fortunate we are.
This was originally a much longer post.  But I'll just leave it at this. 

Pinwheel 3, 2010  5"x5"