Open Studio Prevue

DEWALT Today, Tomorrow Die Welt 2010 oil on printed paperboard.

A component of the Beacon Open Studios is an exhibit of all the BOS participating artists that runs through October 3 at Hudson Beach Glass.  The exhibit is an efficient way for studio visitors to sample work of the artists, then plan a more efficient studio visit itinerary by honing in on the artists they in which they are more interested.

My contribution to the show is the tiny painting above.  I'm rather tickled by it.  I debated as to whether or not this should have been my submission , but I'm glad it was, particularly since the exhibit is fairly dense and this piece puts no real strain on the linear foot capacity of the gallery.

Above: my piece sandwiched between works by Mario Rusich and Eric Wilkerson (neither of whom do I know, which is pretty much the story these days as there are so many new faces who have moved to Beacon recently, it's hard to keep up.)  Below: Angelika's contribution which is a call for collaborator bakers to alter or expand upon her chili bread recipe.

I didn't snap many photos at all, but there are some nice pieces in the show.  You'll just have to check it out for yourself.

A classic Iannarelli nest of plastic utensils.  This one has particularly anthropomorphic tines.

Down on the street, some literate soul has augmented this Collective 624713 poster.

On the board at kork: Sharon L Butler

Kork, Poughkeepsie's favorite project space is hosting the work of Sharon L Butler for the months of September and October. 

Siding 6 and Siding 7, both oil on wood, 9.75"x12"

The work Sharon selected to exhibit are two paintings that find their roots to her residency in one of the Habitat for Artists structures that were erected in Spire Studios' parking lot in 2008.   I think Sharon and I were the two artists that spent the most time in our habitats over the course of that Summer, but out schedules were such that we were never there at the same time.

Sharon's artist book, Habitat, also on view.

Here's the kork press release:

Any Art Star worth the laurels bestowed upon him will tell you size matters and in keeping with that age old assertion, the kork project space in Poughkeepsie, NY is pleased to be dominated by two monumental paintings by Sharon L Butler.  

Size, of course, is relative.  

The two paintings and artist book on exhibit are the results of Sharon's residency with the Habitat For Artists project during the Summer of 2008.  

The geometric paintings represent a portion of Sharon’s response to the experience of working in a rustic 4'x5' studio space that was erected as part of an enclave of temporary studios on the grounds of Spire Studios in Beacon, NY.  The paintings embody a sense of space much larger than the dimensions of the pieces themselves.  The clusters of forms are like expanses of space and time folded origami-like to fit within the confines of the works’ borders.  In this way, the paintings are an analog to the circumstance of their creation.  Presented with a workspace of extreme limitations of size and amenities, the artist compresses her impulses and intentions in such a way as to maximize the function of the tiny studio without compromising the essentials at the core of her vision.  It’s an example of the alchemy of art where, in both process and product, the result is a sum greater than its parts.

When confronted by the expansive habits of the art world elite that populate diary dispatches of Art Forum, it can be easy for a small project space existing on the wall of an accountant's office to feel inadequate or somehow marginalized.  Although we at kork are no strangers to the machinations of the international art world (kork's Jan/Feb 2010 offering was a project by Canadian artist Anthony Easton), it would be disingenuous of us to deny that our lustful thoughts occasionally linger over the possibilities of what might be if only we could breakthrough into the big time art leagues that reside somewhere outside the confines of our base in Poughkeepsie, NY.  But as Dorothy's experience in Oz made her realize there is no place like home, Sharon's Butler’s installation reminds us that a ‘no’ place can be home for creating and sharing work of significance, whether it’s in an outhouse-sized studio with fewer amenities that your typical outhouse, or a bulletin board with aspirations of some cultural import.

Go North!....and Cross the River

Detail of a doodle by Dan Weise of Thundercut and Open Space done during a public 

art panel talk in which we both participated at Dia:Beacon in 2009.

For those folks in Beacon NY still mourning last Summer's closing of Go North, there's a chance to recapture a bit of the spirit of that space channeled through the Samuel Dorsky Museum in New Paltz, NY.   Karlos Carcamo and Greg Slick have teamed up again to curate the exhibition "The Illustrious Mr. X: Museum Collection as Character Study" which will be on view through July 17, 2011.  The boys have fashioned the exhibit as a biography of a fictional character, enlisting selections of the museum's collection to flesh out a portrait of this Mr. X.  The exhibition is divided into eight sections or chapters that explore different aspects of Mr. X's life and nature.

We attended the opening on August 27, but managed to see almost none of the show for all my chatting with I was doing folks before we were all herded into the adjacent theater to catch a performance by the group Cave Dogs which was pretty cool, at least the first two acts, which is all we stuck around for. 

Karlos and Greg will be giving a curators' talk on Sunday, October 24 from 2-3pm.

Karlos and Greg delivering remarks at the opening reception.