Hi Ann! Please introduce yourself and tell us a little about your background. How did you come to the art field?

Thank you for letting me share my art expressions and experiences. It’s been an interesting journey!

I grew up in Southern California and I have two brothers and a sister. My dad is deceased; he was a great man. My mom is very active in all aspects of life. She’s an amazing person.

I started painting after I had my gymnastics accident. I tried to do a summersault off a balance beam, I landed on my neck and pinched my spinal cord. I have a C1-C2 spinal cord injury which means I’m unable to use anything from my neck down and normal breathing is impossible. I spent nine months in the hospital learning how to adjust to my new normal way of life. It’s a life time of learning. Since I was five when I had my accident, I didn’t have any prior knowledge of art.

Thelma Steinberg, a family friend taught me how to paint. She put the paint brush in my mouth and I started painting. We started in junior high school. I had a lot to learn but I throughly enjoyed painting with Thelma.

You paint with your mouth. When did you start painting?

Yes, I do since I don’t have the ability to paint with my hands. I started painting when I was ten years old, five years after my accident.

Were you painting with your hands before or is it something that came to you after?

No, I didn’t paint with my hands before my accident. I was using my hands for every day use and to play tennis, snow & water skiing. We have an active family. 

What do you enjoy about painting?

I enjoy designing, colors, and composition. I call it ARTITUDE, I made this up for myself; it’s putting my attitude and thoughts into art and ignoring my to do list and ignoring the rest of the world while I am painting. I noticed when I didn’t block out my other responsibilities my mind was distracted and my thoughts were partially about the painting and partially about my other duties. I didn’t have my best painting days when I was doing this. This is how Artitude evolved; now my painting time is more enjoyable and I am in the moment.

I find art is healing; it’s creative, peaceful, and emotional. Art gives me a positive emotional feeling when the scene is evolving and is becoming the design that I had envisioned. This is not always the case so I do appreciate the days when all of the elements come together on the canvas.

How are you inspired?

I am inspired by the beauty of the world, the natural and man made beauty. True, not all of the world is beautiful but I am encouraged to emphasize the positive attitudes of people and cultures, animals, nature (from the tallest to the smallest forms), the oceans, lakes, and trees. I am inspired by the world around me such as the beauty in a garden, going for walks, the creativity and beauty in people’s homes. I see beauty in magazines, books, movies, colors and design in award shows, staging, beauty of the beach, the amazing colors of a sunset, the activities at the park. I love watching people laugh, talk, and interact with one another, seeing the kids play, watching the animals play with each other, the positive energy and activities in a stadium, the space shuttle is extremely exciting to me. Life is art, and when my world doesn’t make sense an abstract painting will be created.

How extensive is the role of Art in your life?

Art plays a very active role in my life. When I am designing and experiencing life, I see art everywhere and I try to capture it in my mind and I’ll take a photograph of what I see to reinforce my memory.

Who is your favorite artist?

Claude Monet. I think he uses vibrant colors and I admire his brush strokes and the movement in his paintings.

Do you have a particular genre that you prefer?

Definitely Impressionism.

How extensive is the field of artists, people who paint with alternative ways other than their hands?

I don’t know, but I do know that there are many other people such as I who paint with their mouth, as well as people who paint with their feet. Art is healing and people will do what they have to do to create a painting. It’s fascinating and impressive what people can do.

Have you ever felt discouraged or frustrated? What would you say to someone in a challenging situation?

Yes, at times I get frustrated at my situation!!! At times it’s difficult not to do something for yourself; it would be so much easier and faster to do things independently of other people. My spinal cord injury, SCI, creates problems: for example, I sit a lot and that can give me pressure sores which are difficult to heal and there’s not a lot of options to heal them. It can drive you crazy! I don’t wish what I have on my worst enemy.

For me, my mind is critical in handling every situation. I would suggest to other people to have a positive attitude and outlook on life. My motto is “inch by inch life’s a cinch, yard by yard it’s hard, and mile by mile it’s a pile.” In essence chew a little of life at a time; this reduces stress and the feeling of being overwhelmed. Try to avoid being angry; it takes a lot of negative energy which is not good for your body. Learn breathing techniques to relieve stress and anger.

Use your mind to control your emotions, attitude and thoughts. Stay positive and think positive thoughts and be involved in activities that are exciting for you. For example, be involved in writing music, poetry, a script for a play or for Netflix, make a viral video, paint, watch and write about sports and if you are able to be physically involved in sports, then play sports. It’s also good to volunteer somewhere, help other people, believe in God, be around good people, be good to other people, take good care of yourself. Keep busy!! Keep your mind thinking about the next positive step. It’s fine to be angry for a short time then let it go and move on. Be patient, use your humor to laugh and to enjoy life. Kindness matters! Be grateful for what you can do and for what you have.

Basically accept, adjust, and move forward; this is your new normal. Don’t give up and don’t give in. If need be ask for help. It might be hard but it’s fine, yet don’t cry wolf. Lastly “no” whining, screaming or complaining.

What do you think of Art therapy for people?

Art therapy is extremely important.

I know for a fact that art therapy has saved people from depression and suicide. Art gives people a purpose and a way to express their feelings. It’s even more important for people who have had an unfortunate accident or a life changing disease. For people who are in rehabilitation, art allows people to think about what and how they are going to paint instead of their situation which often brings sadness and frustration. A person’s outlook can go down fast and art can keep their mind in a positive direction.

My friend was an artist before he had a stroke after which he wasn’t able to move his right hand, his painting  hand. He was seriously depressed. Thank God he eventually learned to use his left arm to paint. It was hard for him and he missed what he had, yet he was grateful that he could paint again. He is an amazing artist.

Can you cite a specific example from your life when art was helpful? 

Yes, art lets you use your imagination. For a history class the teacher asked me to paint a person in history and to report on what I was painting. I painted Abraham Lincoln and talked about his accomplishments.

The post The Inspiring Story of the Fine Artist Ann Ruth appeared first on Artiholics.

In the fair city of Perugia, after the long period of social restriction that even Italy had to face, the Alessandro Berni Gallery has scheduled—from today until October 18, 2020—the exhibition Life Scroll, a solo show by Kentaro Chiba, a Japanese contemporary artist.

Life Scroll is the title of a complex, ever-changing, daily scroll drawing that began in 1991 and is still ongoing. Now, it is 19 meters (62 ft) of parchment that is unrolled along the perimeter walls of the beautiful space in the historic center of Perugia. It is the only work on display that narrates 29 years of daily activity in which signs and drawings alternate in a non-stop meditation, and the result is a strip full of meaning that allow a glimpse into the feelings, life, thoughts, and emotions of the artist. The piece is loaded with contradiction, because it consciously contrasts Western perspective expression and mirror projection with the Eastern contra-perspective, which is more of a birds-eye view and isometric projection method.

It is an abstract space-time dimension in which the artist’s daily activity follows, translates, and communicates in an incessant stroke—alternating scenes of life with animals, surreal architecture, expanses of water, imaginary cities, insects—flying over forests and almost organic grids. There is not a single black and white stroke that does not need the communicativeness of color that would distract from deep introspection and intentional, conscious, automatic drawing.

The viewer must leave preconceptions behind and let himself be accompanied in the exploration of this dream landscape, letting his gaze wander to travel in the artist’s conscious and unconscious, which merges with his own.

The human and artistic evolution of Kentaro Chiba is all there, translated into these 19 meters of parchment, a living document of an existence dedicated to artistic expression, growth, observation, and translation into signs.

Life Scroll is 29 years of creativity condensed in 19 meters of walking in someone else’s life. It is a rare experience of communion, curiosity, and understanding.

You can see the visual installation of Life Scroll here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?

We are faced with a work of art that has the characteristics of free sincerity, which is more typical of nature than human nature.

Life Scroll touches deep feelings during its dialogue with the heart and mind.

Alessandro Berni Gallery is an independent reality linked to the most prestigious international fairs such as Scope Miami and Scope Basel, Aqua Miami, the Dubai World Trade Center, and others.

Kentaro Chiba (Tokyo, 1953) received his BA in Fine Arts from the National University of Yokohama, Japan 1978 and his MA in Fine Arts from Nottingham Trent University, UK. In 1998 and 1999, he studied at Central St. Martins Art College UK as a guest student. He lives and works in Fujisawa, Japan.

Among his awards and participations: 1992, Artex Tokyo (Golden Prize); 1994 Osaka Triennal (special award) 1999, Liverpool Biennale, United Kingdom. 2017, Artifact Gallery, New York City; 2018 The Silent Witness, group show Onishi Gallery New York City; 2019, Life Scroll, solo exhibition, Milan, MyMicroGallery; 2019 The Silent Witness – group show – London Camden Image Gallery; 2020 Life Scroll, solo exhibition, Alessandro Berni Gallery, Perugia.

The post Life Scroll, the Living Draw by Kentaro Chiba, on Show appeared first on Artiholics.

Clio Art Fair is a unique form of fair because it gives artists the freedom to use different types of material to create their work and they can deviate from the accepted art practice and definitions, unlike in the usual concerns in the art business where there are too many rules on how art should and should not be; after all art is about freedom to express yourself and your thoughts right?

To celebrate or to make famous are the terms that define the Greek word “Clio” and for the second time in 2018, the 7th edition of Clio Art Fair is going to do as per its meaning and norm; to celebrate and make famous works of already affirmed creative minds. The world of art will converge in New York City and this weekend will undoubtedly be an amazing one for artists and art lovers. The four spectacular days from 11th October- 14th October 2018 will be defined by dialogue between artists and collectors, artists and curators, positive energy, colors, and free public viewing. Art lovers will get to see different artworks not forgetting the faces behind them and there will be a chance to buy any piece of art that you will love from paintings, sculptures, digital art and more. Talent from all over the world will all be under one roof.

From October11-14, a group of 69 worldwide artists will be exhibiting their works, they will showcase their prowess and prove their creativity and originality as far as art is concerned. These creative minds will convince the world that art is beautiful, art is capable of bringing people together and that it is a career just like any other. The 7th edition of Clio Art Fair has the privilege to showcase thrilling works of artists such as Francesca Schwartz, Paulina Cerda, Amanda Armstrong, and Emiko Aida among many others.

Art is always up for grabs with every edition of Clio Art Fair and with its unique approach to art, it continues to highlight the achievements of artists. From upcoming artists to the well-known ones, all stand a chance to exhibit in New York. Clio Art Fair is home to creative artists sharing their expression of art to the world.

The post Making The Independent Artists Voices Heard appeared first on Artiholics.

On Saturday Dag Hammarskjold Plaza on 47th Street and 2nd Avenue in Manhattan came alive with body paint, camera shutters, simulated camera shutters (on smart phones), and a literal ton of bare skin, for the second ever Bodypainting Day.

King of the body painting world, Andy Golub has pulled it off once again, breaking all kinds of records for previous “group outings,” this time with 100 fully nude models and 80 artists painting on this year’s theme “What The World Needs Now.”

I was there for the first two hours of what turned out to be an all day event, so with most articles about this event you are seeing mostly the finished product – fully painted models. I captured the sketching phase, or the initial lines and the base coat.

It is interesting to see how the artists all had different techniques for how to start working on the various models, which came in all shapes and sizes.

Written and Photographed by Cojo

The post Artists & Nude Models Take To The New York Streets For Bodypainting Day (NSFW) appeared first on Artiholics.

New York – Saturday, March 8, 2014

This year the first of the Armory Arts Week press previews was for  Spring / Break Art Show in an old school house (called The Old School) in Little Italy. It’s a cool step away from the traditional art fair because it not only focuses on the curator as key, but also has a hard-on for “new media” art, which means you will be seeing either video or projection art in almost every room, and if no video there is usually some auditory component.

Sometimes it is fun to be surprised by art, going into a show without knowing any of the players is like going to a movie not just without any spoilers, but also having no knowledge of the plot or cast. That was my experience last year when I first attended Spring / Break 2013. I was a blank slate. Having never been to the fair previously I was green to the rundown elementary school layout. It seemed disjointed and reminded me of a cross between PS1 and the random dilapidated school buildings turned solo artist exhibitions you see at the Governors Island Art Fair.

This time I settled right in. I knew some of the artists and curators personally ahead of time and was able to more easily identify the work.  It was fun to see how each curator played with this year’s theme for the fair PUBLICPRIVATE.

Entering the building and checking in I wandered into the first room which had an eaten away pillar which reminded me of the box from Frieze except made out of garbage.

Passing through that room I encountered a hallway full of blood illuminations by Jordan Eagles I have been to several Jordan Eagles blood shows when he worked in solid form, but these 13 projectors really filled out the space with a hemo-glow. Curated by Tracy Causey-Jeffery.

Jordan walking through the corridor.

Jordan’s silhouette in blood.

Ducking out I spun around when I heard my name called. It was art writer / curator Benjamin Sutton. I had seen some of his install pics on Facebook and instantly recognized the room he curated by the unmistakable ceiling cats by artist Caroline Wells Chandler.

Benjamin getting interviewed by Samantha Katz from Whitewall Magazine.

Samantha Katz.

The piece that was his starting point for building the show was this grotesque sculpture “Selfie as a Chocolate Chip Cookie,” also by Caroline.

I climbed up on the radiator to get this shot.

“Rule 34; Charm” by Sigrid Sarda. Made with real maggots dipped in gold, wax, real human bones & hair.

This room was curated by Jessica Hodin, The director of the Bleeker Street Arts Club.

Jessica jumped behind this transparent piece.

Jessica Hodin.

Assistant Director of Bleeker Street Arts Club, Anita King.

They have a new show titled FEELING HUMAN, with an opening reception this Sunday, Mar 9, 2014 from 1-4pm featuring some artists from this exhibit. 305 Bleecker St., NY NY 10014

Artist Lucas Zallmann poses with his fridges.

You open them up to find metal dildos and books.

Curated by Wills Baker and Sarah Sulistio.  Sarah is seen here talking with Spring/Break Co-Founder Andrew Gori.

A few photos by Carl Gunhouse.

A piece by Jacob Rhodes from Field Projects.

Curated by Chris Bors seen here with an original piece of his own.

Lia Chavez performing Luminous Objects

Which is curated by Tali Wertheimer, seen here, who is opening a new gallery called TWO RAMS on March 16th.

Artist and curator Max Razdow standing in front of one of his drawings.  I met Max last year when he had his own booth at Volta NY.

Curator Kari Adelaide.

Artist Jesse Bransford and his drawing experiment based on rolling a RPG die titled “Dice Drawings Set Five.”

Singing Bruce Springsteen with a mask on, mask off, show is over.  Crystal Curtis

Group Show curated by David Alexander Flinn

Room with projectors by Rin Johnson audio by Michael Valinsky.

Iphone cases by Collin Munn

I asked three staircase docents if they knew who made these streamers and none of them had a clue.  One said the girl with the yellow purse who was just here.  One said the girl with the green purse who was just here.

It wasn’t until I found a map.  Coralina Meyer.

Founders of the Spring/Break Art Fair, Ambre
 Kelly and 
Andrew 
Gori.

Andrew Gori.

Art by Alex McQulkin which was a collaborative piece she did with her mom.  She commissioned her mom knit a pussy riot mask for her.  She then wore the mask, took pictures of it, and then drew the mask.  This drawing is the end result.

Art by Alex McQulkin & Michael St. John.

This is a piece made by hand cutting out individual diamonds from Sotheby’s catalogs and pasting them together.

Curator Marina T. Schindler

Pin-up style art by Walter Robinson, curated by Ambre Kelly & Andrew Gori

Wall of small pieces depicting Jerry Saltz doing things, by Ambre Kelly, curated by Andrew Gori.

The next room I photographed parts of Liminal Reclamations curated by Tracy Causey-Jeffery and Amy Kisch.
We Are Made To Endure, Portraits of the Donner Party by Robert Saywitz

A room playing all of Woody Allen’s Oscar Nominated films while a toy train goes in a circle referencing recent allegations.

As well as A Universe in My Throat, 2012 by Kevin Bourgeois

Golden Coin by Patrick Meagher

Nightfall by Devin Powers.

Photo and video pieces by Rachel Garrard

Private Drive-In.

By artists Fall On Your Sword and Sarah Bereza (pictured above).

Inside the bug.

I blew out the shot with a flash so you could see the paint work on the car by Sarah.

Sit in the bug and enjoy a superfast loop of scenes from movies that take place in the front seat of cars, including this scene from Grease, as well as that famous 1955 Back To The Future scene with Marty McFly and his teenage mom.

Spring / Break Art Show is located at Old School, 233 Mott Street, NYC and costs $5
All work from the show can be purchased online at SpringBreakArtFair.com

Thursday, March 6 –  Sunday, March 9
Noon – 8pm Daily

Written and Photographed by Cojo “Art Juggernaut”

The post SPRING/BREAK Art Show Is Your Elementary School On Psilocybin appeared first on Artiholics.

New York – Friday, March 7, 2014

After checking out the opening reception for the first ever Clio Art Fair Jamie Martinez from Artefuse and I grabbed a train up to 55th street for the opening night party for The (UN)FAIR. Being press and a media sponsor of the event we buzzed the massive line and shot upstairs.

The first thing you couldn’t help but notice was that the place was packed.

I walked into the masse following a siren’s song and found a woman singing while standing right next to a beautiful Norman Rockwell painting, not the first (or ten thousandth ) thing I expected to see at THE (UN)FAIR but a pleasant surprise. Into the next room where for a few bucks they print your face on a t-shirt onto a baby’s body.

I quickly passed to the next room which had an intricate floor to ceiling vision obscuring sculptural installation.

On the wall beyond hung a few of those meta art world comic strips that Hyperallergic publishes. Into the large room where on the right is an interactive musical installation where you can play a series of instruments by pressing old school arcade buttons.

& Jerry.

Ben & Jerry’s ice cream served to you by THE ACTUAL Ben & Jerry. After meeting Jerry, and initially guessing wrong about which ice cream hippy I was talking to I got some cookie dough ice cream (and you just had a taste memory of that flavor). It hit the spot and I ended up coming back a few more times over the course of the night. (Just FYI, THE (UN)FAIR has free unlimited Ben & Jerry’s for the run of the fair).

I ran into fellow Artiholics Jen Wallace, the curationista of THE (UN)FAIR and got a picture with her.

Her partner James Wallace who was acting as greeter to the elevator crowds.

While talking to him one of the poet performers walked into the hallway and started reciting poems for us from memory, and they were great (anyone know who this guy is?)

Last year, the first year of THE (UN)FAIR, the show only occupied half of the entire floor space on the third floor. This year the space was twice as big with two additional new large rooms making way for some large paintings.

As well as an area for performance.

Vivian & Artist Gigi Chen.

And a massive projection piece, nearby which there are a few large patches of comfy AstroTurf where you can lounge out eating popcorn and ice cream while drinking wine in a small stackable mason jar like the most bizarre Willy Wonka factory picnic.

Max Noy, and Jamie both from Artefuse.

Artist Mark Parsons and one of his CartoGraphiPOP sculptures.

Jen and Mark Parsons.

Artiholics writer Betty T. Kao is doing a performance piece called “Belly Full of Artifacts” at The (Un)fair. Photos by Lauretta Prevost.

She will be performing again there on Saturday from 8 – 10 pm.

Artiholics is a media sponsor The (UN)Fair.

THE (UN)FAIR is located only a few blocks away from The Armory Show.  500 W 52nd St. New York, NY 10019

March 5th – 9th, 2014
11am – 8pm free

Opening Party: 3/5, 8-10pm free
Benefit Party: 3/6, 8-10pm $20 click here
Closing Party: 3/9, 8-10pm free

Written and Photographed by Cojo “Art Juggernaut”
(*editor’s note: I will finish crediting these photos and hyperlinking to artists websites next week when I am done seeing all these fairs and have time)

The post THE (UN)FAIR is Back, Bigger, & More Popular Than Ever – Opening (Photos) appeared first on Artiholics.

Once again the week has arrived where the titans of the art world (global art world) flock to NYC for Armory Week to take in the art work and show off the art wares.  Parties, social climbing, art writers, buyers, dealers, artists, and gallery inbetweens swap stories and mingle in converted warehouses, armory’s, post offices, and climate controlled piers along the Hudson river.

The week takes it’s name from the Armory Show, which is the grandaddy of all of the week’s fairs, but any seasoned art traveler will now that the Armory is just the tip of the art fair iceberg.  Satellite fairs pop-up and take orbit, each with it’s own respective gravity and collector base, trying to pull the titans toward them, and each year the satellites either get larger, or fizzle out.

We all know that in NYC, time is money.  Rather than spend a lot of both shuttling yourself around town without any direction as to which fairs  (and social affairs ) might appeal to you, we at Artiholics.com have created this handy guide to NYC Armory Week.

Listed in descending order from Most to Least expensive:

THE ARMORY SHOW:  March 6th – 9th 

General Admission: $40  |   Students – $20  |  Armory / VoltaNY Dual Pass: $50

Wednesday – March 5, 5pm – Midnight @ MoMA | The Armory Party $175 – $10,000 Tickets
Thursday – March 6, 12pm – 7pm
Friday – March 7, 12pm – 7pm
Saturday – March 8, 12pm – 7pm
Sunday – March 9, 12pm – 7pm

Featuring: 200+ Of The largest art galleries in the world showcasing their artist’s most sellable work, the worlds top collectors, art writers, etc.  Art wise you will see: Lots of Drawing, Painting, Sculpture, Neon, Random Artists In Costume, Collage, Interactive Art, New Media, Photography, Performance art, etc..

Celebrities / Celebrity Artists I’ve Personally Spotted Here: Peter Max

Unofficial Art Patriarch: Kenny Scharf & Damien Hirst.
Notable Artists / Gallerists Associated With This Show:  Damien Hirst, Barry McGee, Kenny Scharf, Tracey Emin, John Wesley, Jenny Holtzer, Olaf Breuning, Yayoi Kusama, Julian Opie. Nancy Chunn, Marina Abrovonich, Kehinde Wiley, Retna, Ryan McGuinness, Nick Cave, Chuck Close, Gagosian, Chitra Ganesh, David Kramer , Kim Jones, Pierogi, Warhol, Basquait, etc.

Coolest thing I’ve seen here: The variety of Blue Chip and Museum Artists’ work in one place.
Possibility of Live Nudity: Not Good

Ever Seen Live Performance or Live Art at The Armory Show? Yes, I’ve seen a Marina Abrovonich performance, although it was with an actor not Marina.  Live drawing by Ai Kowada Gallery’s Fukuhara.  Also weird performance artists doing their thing in the crowd.

The Scoop on The Armory Show From An Artiholic:
This is the one show all the satellite shows revolve around.  It has anywhere from 200 – 300 international galleries represented in a given year, and is a lot to take in, and a lot of walking.  Make sure to wear your comfy shoes and prepare to see a lot of neon, glitter, and museum quality presentations.  The sculptures are as polished and pristine as it is possible to make them, the wall paint is flawless.  If you go to as many of the art fairs as I do will start to feel like you walking through a brand new IKEA after a while (the scale of the two piers are enormous) .  If while you are seeing world class art in this familiar Big Box Store format your eyes  become blurred and the work starts to become indistinguishable from Norwegian furniture, take a seat in their cushy bar areas and get a drink.  You don’t need to push your eyes that far, the brain can only accept so much eye candy before it goes into shock.

For the price of admission you get access to both the Modern show, and the contemporary (each with it’s own pier), so you can see work from older masters, as well as the masters that are still alive and working today (based on which pier you are checking out).

Positives: Buying the Armory / Volta NY combo ticket for $50 is the best deal in town.  There is a shuttle bus between the two venues, and you get to experience the opposite worlds of the big box store IKEA experience of the Armory, along with the intimacy of Volta NY. You will be seeing the best most sought after artists in the world hanging in a show that is only up for an extended weekend, buying frenzy is a thing to behold.

Negatives: The size and scope of this show can be daunting and overwhelming to a beginner, just start at one side and work your way through it to the other side, move to the next row and do it again.  Think of it like a giant supermarket, but instead of cereal and canned goods, you are looking at artwork worth 10’s to 100’s of thousands of dollars by artists you have seen at The Whitney and The Met.  You will not see these galleries taking to many risks. At SCOPE, The Unfair, and Fountain artists aren’t paying the insane per-square-foot rates as at The Armory so they can go edgier.  This show is squeaky clean – most booths on a factory produced precision.  If you prefer to see a little of the artist’s hand (blood, sweat, and tears) mixed into the paint, you might want to check out some of those other fairs.

Location: Piers 92 & 94:  711 12th Ave New York, NY (@55th Street & the West Side Highway)

Website: https://www.thearmoryshow.com/
View Our Armory Show Photos From Previous Years

SCOPE ART FAIR:  March 6th – 9th 

General Admission: $25  – Student $15

Thursday – March 6, 3pm – 6pm (Platinum VIP Preview Gala)  –  6pm – 9pm (First View Benefit & Press)  $100
Friday – March 7, 11am – 8pm
Saturday – March 8, 11am – 8pm
Sunday – March 9, 11am – 7pm

Featuring: Drawing, Collage, Sculpture, Painting, Performance Art, New Media, Neon, Photography.

THIS YEAR’S SCOPE (SPOILERS): SCOPE Art Fair NY 2014 VIP Opening Reception Was Packed (Photos) – Artiholics

Celebrities / Celebrity Artists I’ve Personally Spotted Here: Ron English

Unofficial Art Patriarch: Ron English.
Notable Artists / Gallerists Associated With This Show:  Augusto Esquivel, Jordan Eagles, Karim Hamid, Ron English, Banksy, Luke Chueh,  Russell West, gilf! Hiroko Tsuchida, Gabriel Barcia-Colombo, Andrea Stanislav, HuskMitNavn, Kikyz 1313, Camille Rose Garcia.

Coolest thing I’ve seen here: Performance art piece where a female artist walked around the fair nude from the waste down.
Possibility of Live Nudity: It’s Possible.

Ever Seen Live Performance or Live Art at SCOPE? Occasional Live Painting, Occasional Live Performing Installation, Occasional Live Music.

The Scoop on SCOPE From An Artiholic:I’ve personally attended the 2009, 2010, 2012, and 2013 incarnations of the fair.  It’s one of the satellite fairs that didn’t have a permanent home until 2013 and was constantly competing with Pulse as they have very similar vibes, that is until Pulse decided to slide into May and be a part of Frieze Week, thus freeing Scope up to take control of the more serious emerging contemporary art galleries.  I watched this fair bounce from Lincoln Center, to a tent on the West Side Highway, and finally to it’s current NY location in the giant post office building Skylight at Moynihan Station next to Madison Square Garden.

Scope is a good dowsing rod for what trends are most likely to be prevalent thought-out all of the art fairs during Armory Arts Week.  Mostly pretty good art, there are some major international galleries represented, as well as a lot of NYC talent.  Scope is what galleries at Fountain aspire to graduate up to.

Positives: A ton of good work, lots of roaming artists, friendly gallerists.  The show has really come into its own since Pulse left.  A good mix of low and high brow to appeal to a wide audience.  Gets a lot of solid press, and a lot of sales.

Negatives: Some galleries are obviously not yet ready for prime time and stick out like a sore thumb.  When you start to notice trends, you will see them repeated and repeated in multiple booths. Location is far from Armory. 

Location: Skylight at Moynihan Station 360 West 33rd Street, W 33rd St, New York, NY 10001

Website: https://scope-art.com/
View Our SCOPE Photos From Previous Years

THE ART SHOW:  March 5th – 9th 

General Admission: $25

Wednesday – March 5, 12pm – 8pm
Thursday – March 6, 12pm – 8pm
Friday – March 7, 12pm – 8pm
Saturday – March 8, 12pm – 7pm
Sunday – March 9, 12pm – 5pm

Featuring: Solo Shows, Museum Quality Gallery Shows, Drawing, Painting, Sculpture, Collage, Photography

Celebrities / Celebrity Artists I’ve Personally Spotted Here: John Leguizamo

Unofficial Art Patriarch: Andy Warhol & James Rosenquist
Notable Artists / Gallerists Associated With This Show:  Keith Haring, Andy Warhol, Rosenquist, Henri Matisse, Mark Rydan, Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele, George Condo, Ray Johnson, Phil Guston, Wim Delvope, Sperone Westwater, Charles McGill.

Coolest thing I’ve seen here: The Egon Schiele / Gustav Klimt exhibit.
Possibility of Live Nudity: Not Good

Ever Seen Live Performance or Live Art at The Art Show? No, this is a serious art fair.

The Scoop on The Art Show From An Artiholic:

This fair is decades older than The Armory Show and has a sterling reputation as presenting some of the best in the business.  Blue chip art, museum art.  Most of what you will find here by artists who’s names you will recognize from your Christie’s and Sotherby’s catalogs.

Positives: You will see museum quality work, amazing drawings and paintings from many dead modern artists, and some current living blue chip artists, as well as original portraits of famous artists.  If you are a fan of really good drawing, and seeing drawings by some of your favorite dead artists, this is a good place to get a glimpse of artwork that exists outside of museums and is sold to private collectors.

Negatives: This is a lot like the Modern section of The Armory Show.  It is old masters, mixed with some more elite contemporary artists.  The crowd is extremely highbrow and it’s easy to feel under-dressed when attending.

Location: Park Avenue Armory – Park Avenue at 67th Street, New York City

Website: https://www.artdealers.org/artshow.html
View Our THE ART SHOW Photos From Previous Years

INDEPENDENT:  March 6th – 9th 

General Admission: $20

Thursday – March 6, 6pm – 8pm (Private Vernissage)
Friday – March 7, 12pm – 7pm
Saturday – March 8, 12pm – 7pm
Sunday – March 9, 12pm – 6pm

Featuring: Sculpture, Kinetic Sculpture, Collage, Car, Interactive Art, Neon, Animation, New Media, Painting, Photography

Celebrities / Celebrity Artists I’ve Personally Spotted Here: John McEnroe

Unofficial Art Patriarch: Dan Flavin
Notable Artists / Gallerists Associated With This Show:  Ella Kruglyanskaya, Steve Claydon, Thomas Julier, Oliver Mosset, David Shrigley.

Coolest thing I’ve seen here: A random DeLorian with no flux capicitor.
Possibility of Live Nudity: Not Good

Ever Seen Live Performance or Live Art at Independent? No

The Scoop on the Independent From An Artiholic:

To me this fair always felt the least like a fair, and even refused to call itself a fair.  The floors have big open spaces in the middle rather than the sectioned off walls that the other art fairs are known to have, all the galleries share the same light.

Since it started The Independent has always been free admission to the public, and the focus has been more about the art than the selling.  It is many people’s favorite fair because of the amount of sculpture, and minimalism and distinct lack of drawing and painting.  I am in the minority, and the lack of drawing and painting drives me up the wall.

I don’t know exactly what changed with Independent’s business model,  but this year it costs $20 instead of costing nothing to get in ($20 is a distinct price increase from free).

Positives: A ton of big sculptures on four floors.  The possibility of a random car in the middle of one of the floors.  The permanent Dan Flavin instillation on the staircase in between floors is always inviting – not technically part of the show, but a welcome break from the different levels.  Top Floor Cafe, with Roof Access

Negatives: Extreme lack of drawing and painting. Super snobby curators who really don’t want to talk to you, which is another thing that makes this unlike the other art fairs where the exhibitors actually want to interact.  I have hundreds of photos I’ve taken of artists and curators at the various art fairs, and Independent is the only art fair I have taken zero shots of any curators or artists.  I am acting the same as I do at the art fairs but never get approached.  Located in Chelsea it is close to other art openings, but far from The Armory Show piers.

Location: 548 West 22nd Street between 10th and 11th Avenues in the heart of the Chelsea gallery district.

Website: https://independentnewyork.com/
View Our INDEPENDENT Photos From Previous Years

VOLTA NY ART FAIR:  March 6th – 9th 

General Admission: $15  |   Students – $10  |  Armory / VoltaNY Dual Pass: $50

Thursday – March 6, 11am – 2pm (Guest of Honor) 2pm – 5pm  (VIP / Press Preview)  6pm – 9pm (Public Vernissage)
Friday – March 7, 10am – 8pm
Saturday – March 8, 10am – 8pm
Sunday – March 9, 10am – 5pm

Featuring: Solo Shows, Drawing, Painting, Sculpture, Collage, Interactive Art, New Media, Neon, Photography

Celebrities / Celebrity Artists I’ve Personally Spotted Here: Delroy Lindo

Unofficial Art Matriarch: Amanda Coulson
Notable Artists / Gallerists Associated With This Show:  This changes every year, as all booths are solo shows.

Coolest thing I’ve seen here: Very focused solo shows that aren’t like the typical art fair.  The ability to see a depth to an artist’s work, unlike the other top tier fairs that would only showcase one or two pieces by each artist.
Possibility of Live Nudity: Not Good

Ever Seen Live Performance or Live Art at VoltaNY? Yes, I’ve seen Break Dancing & Pastry Eating Contests

The Scoop on Volta NY From An Artiholic:
Volta NY rules.  It is the offshoot of The Armory Show so it has the top tier credibility of The Armory, but also has the intimacy that comes with solo shows.  It feels like you are attending 90 gallery openings where the artist is in attendance, and you are the only guest.  You get a real one-on-one experience with each booth and are able to engage with the artists.

It is an invitational show, and all the artists have to be represented by a gallery, so there is no room for amateurs, and no buying your way in.  I have had nothing but positive experiences with Volta NY, and since they moved down to SoHo from their previous residency at  7 West 34th Street they really have the space you need to fit everyone and not feel like you are walking around a fair in a converted office.

Positives: Buying the Armory / Volta NY combo ticket for $50 is the best deal in town.  There is a shuttle bus between the two venues, and you get to experience the opposite worlds of the big box store IKEA experience of the Armory, along with the intimacy of Volta.  This is a show I would love to one day solo in, and you can’t get much higher praise from me than that.

Negatives: If you don’t like meeting artists, or seeing solo exhibits, and prefer to see more salon style gallery showings presenting a diverse group of artists from a gallery’s stable, then you won’t like this show.  If you aren’t planning on attending The Armory, this show is kind of out of the way in relation to the other shows.

Location: 82 Mercer Street., New York, NY  (Between Spring and Broome Streets)
Website: https://ny.voltashow.com/index.php
View Our VOLTA NY Photos From Previous Years

FOUNTAIN ART FAIR:  March 7th – 9th 

General Admission: $10 – VIP Pass: $50 – Weekend Pass $15

Friday – March 7, 12pm – 7pm (VIP Press Preview / Open to the public)  7pm – Midnight (Opening Night Reception) Music Lineup: DJ Nick Zinner
Saturday – March 8, 12pm – 7pm (Open to the public) 7pm – Midnight (Saturday Night Event) Music Lineup: THE DEEP!
Sunday – March 9, 12pm – 5pm

Featuring: Solo Shows, Drawing, Painting, Sculpture, Collage, Interactive Art, New Media, Neon, Photography

Featuring: Drawing, Painting, Sculpture, Live Painting, Live Performance, Performance Art,  Music, Collage, Car, Interactive Art, Neon, New Media, Photography

Celebrities / Celebrity Artists I’ve Personally Spotted Here: Mia Tyler
Unofficial Art Matriarch: Swoon
Notable Artists / Gallerists Associated With This Show:  Alison Berkoy, The Murder Lounge, Brian Leo, Dave Tree, Casey Porn, Jonny Fenix, Veng, Victor W. Cox, Ryan Cronin, Chris Smith, Alex Emmart, Rob Servo, Leah Yerpe, JMR, Brandon Friend, Christina Ray, Mighty Tanaka, Leo Kesting, Front Room, Munch, Dacia.

Coolest thing I’ve seen here: Nude Body Finger Painting.
Possibility of Live Nudity: Very Good.

Ever Seen Live Performance or Live Art at Fountain? Yes, tons.

The Scoop on The Fountain Art Fair From An Artiholic:
I love fountain, it is such a fun fair to attend and you get a lot of bang for your buck.  Lots of good artists, also a lot of not so good, but the needles in the haystacks are in the numbers at this fair.  This is truly the independent fair as usually it’s one artist, or a group of artists splitting a booth on their own.  No galleries need be involved, although a lot of booths are represented by galleries.  It’s one of the cheapest art fairs for artists to get work in (per square foot) so the bar is set a little lower than a Scope or Pulse, and leaves the door wide open to untrained artists, street artists, and Brooklyn artists on the rise.

You will see a lot of drawing at this fair, a lot of painting, and a lot of pop.  I have heard it referred to many times in art circles as “amateur hour” but there are generally some stand outs in the masses, and as years go by you will start to see artists who got their start at Fountain’s careers shoot them up to larger galleries, and land them larger exposure at the top tier fairs like Scope and Volta.

You will be likely to meet a lot of artists if you wander around this fair, as most booths are artist run.  It is a great way to talk to artists and have them talk to you about their work.  Almost everyone is friendly and open here, and there is very little pretension.  You will find a few street artist wanna-be-banksies aka Mini-Banksys, who don’t want to have their photo taken, which is annoying as fuck, and almost comical.

When I  first attended this fair in 2009 it was on the frying pan pier.  In a tent that leaked when it rained.  There was a basement floor called the Murder Lounge where a small collective of Greenpoint artists would always show together. Fountain in gaining credibility and exposure has moved several avenues over to the Lexington Ave Armory and now has a solid foundation and doesn’t have to worry about dark clouds.They still have a section of the new location called The Murder Lounge, but it’s more of just a tribute.
Fountain is a 1917 work widely attributed to Marcel Duchamp. The scandalous work was a porcelain urinal, which was signed “R.Mutt” and titled Fountain. Submitted for the exhibition of the Society of Independent Artists in 1917, Fountain was rejected by the committee, even though the rules stated that all works would be accepted from artists who paid the fee.  The exhibition took place in the building where The Fountain Art Fair now resides almost a hundred years later.

Positives: A lot of fun, a lot of really great artists and a lot of good drawing.  Live painting, performances, music.  It is almost like getting a first glimpse into the unsigned talent of the art world.  You see what bubbles up from Brooklyn, Queens, and the outer boroughs before it gets snagged up by the machine.  The Friday opening night reception is the most fun you will have at any of the art fairs with open bar and live music – it becomes a party – and I will see you there.  If you are a fan of drawing, street art, illustration, comics, lowbrow, or graffiti, you will really enjoy yourself.  If you are a collector you can find a great deals on artwork by emerging artists here, and fill your apartment for a fraction of the price you would have to pay at the other fairs.

Negatives: Depending on your perspective, you will either come away loving, or hating Fountain.  If you like drawing and painting, you will have a good time.  If you really enjoy The Independent, you will probably not like Fountain so much.  If you are looking for Museum Quality work, you will not like Fountain.  It is very unpolished, but that’s what gives it it’s underground handmade charm.  Although I have a great time at Fountain it is one of the lower tier fairs and doesn’t get much love from the mainstream art press, but art blogs and Scene and Alt magazines like Paper are all over it. 

Location: Centrally Located at the 69th Regiment Armory (Lexington Avenue & 26th Street)
Website: https://www.fountainartfair.com/
View Our Fountain Photos From Previous Years

SPRING / BREAK – $5

THIS YEAR’S SPRING/ BREAK (SPOILERS): SPRING/BREAK Art Show Is Your Elementary School On Psilocybin- Artiholics

CLIO ART FAIR – $FREE

THIS YEAR’S CLIO ART FAIR (SPOILERS): The Clio Art Fair 2014 Inaugural Show Opening Reception- Artiholics

THE (UN)FAIR – $FREE

THIS YEAR’S (UN)FAIR (SPOILERS): THE (UN)FAIR is Back, Bigger, & More Popular Than Ever – Opening (Photos) – Artiholics

MOVING IMAGE- $FREE

NEW CITY ART FAIR- $FREE

The post Artiholics New York Armory Week Art Fair Travel Guide 2014 appeared first on Artiholics.

THE ART SHOW:  March 5th – 9th 

General Admission: $25

Wednesday – March 5, 12pm – 8pm
Thursday – March 6, 12pm – 8pm
Friday – March 7, 12pm – 8pm
Saturday – March 8, 12pm – 7pm
Sunday – March 9, 12pm – 5pm

Website: https://www.artdealers.org/artshow.html

About THE ART SHOW (In Their Words)

Gallery presentations at the 26th annual Art Show, organized by the Art Dealers Association of America (ADAA), will feature thoughtfully curated solo, two-person, and thematic exhibitions by 72 of the nation’s leading art dealers. The Art Show takes place March 5 through March 9, 2014 at the historic Park Avenue Armory, with a ticketed Gala Preview on Tuesday, March 4. All ticket proceeds from the gala and run of show benefit Henry Street Settlement, one of New York City’s most effective social services agencies. AXA Art Americas Corporation has also returned for the third consecutive year as Lead Partner.

Featuring: Solo Shows, Museum Quality Gallery Shows, Drawing, Painting, Sculpture, Collage, Photography

Celebrities / Celebrity Artists I’ve Personally Spotted Here: John Leguizamo

Unofficial Art Patriarch: Andy Warhol & James Rosenquist
Notable Artists / Gallerists Associated With This Show:  Keith Haring, Andy Warhol, Rosenquist, Henri Matisse, Mark Rydan, Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele, George Condo, Ray Johnson, Phil Guston, Wim Delvope, Sperone Westwater, Charles McGill.

Coolest thing I’ve seen here: The Egon Schiele / Gustav Klimt exhibit.
Possibility of Live Nudity: Not Good

Ever Seen Live Performance or Live Art at ADAA THE ART SHOW? No, this is a serious art fair.

The Scoop on The Art Show From An Artiholic:
This fair is decades older than The Armory Show and has a sterling reputation as presenting some of the best in the business.  Blue chip art, museum art.  Most of what you will find here by artists who’s names you will recognize from your Christie’s and Sotherby’s catalogs.

Positives: You will see museum quality work, amazing drawings and paintings from many dead modern artists, and some current living blue chip artists, as well as original portraits of famous artists.  If you are a fan of really good drawing, and seeing drawings by some of your favorite dead artists, this is a good place to get a glimpse of artwork that exists outside of museums and is sold to private collectors.

Negatives: This is a lot like the Modern section of The Armory Show.  It is old masters, mixed with some more elite contemporary artists.  The crowd is extremely highbrow and it’s easy to feel under-dressed when attending.

Location: Park Avenue Armory – Park Avenue at 67th Street, New York City

Written and Photographed by Cojo “Art Juggernaut”

The post The Art Show 2014: What to Expect appeared first on Artiholics.

THE ARMORY SHOW:  March 6th – 9th 

General Admission: $40  |   Students – $20  |  Armory / VoltaNY Dual Pass: $50

Wednesday – March 5, 5pm – Midnight @ MoMA | The Armory Party $175 – $10,000 Tickets
Thursday – March 6, 12pm – 7pm
Friday – March 7, 12pm – 7pm
Saturday – March 8, 12pm – 7pm
Sunday – March 9, 12pm – 7pm

Website: https://www.thearmoryshow.com/

About The Armory Show (In Their Words)

  Loren Munk – James Kalm Report.
Jordan Eagles & David Meanix.

Featuring: 200+ Of The largest art galleries in the world showcasing their artist’s most sellable work, the worlds top collectors, art writers, etc.  Art wise you will see: Lots of Drawing, Painting, Sculpture, Neon, Random Artists In Costume, Collage, Interactive Art, New Media, Photography, Performance art, etc..

Celebrities / Celebrity Artists I’ve Personally Spotted Here: Peter Max

Unofficial Art Patriarch: Kenny Scharf & Damien Hirst.
Notable Artists / Gallerists Associated With This Show:  Damien Hirst, Barry McGee, Kenny Scharf, Tracey Emin, John Wesley, Jenny Holtzer, Olaf Breuning, Yayoi Kusama, Julian Opie. Nancy Chunn, Marina Abrovonich, Kehinde Wiley, Retna, Ryan McGuinness, Nick Cave, Chuck Close, Gagosian, Chitra Ganesh, David Kramer , Kim Jones, Pierogi, Warhol, Basquait, etc.

Coolest thing I’ve seen here: The variety of Bluc Chip and Museum Artists’ work in one place.
Possibility of Live Nudity: Not Good

Ever Seen Live Performance or Live Art at The Armory Show? Yes, I’ve seen a Marina Abrovonich performance, although it was with an actor not Marina.  Live drawing by Ai Kowada Gallery’s Fukuhara.  Also weird performance artists doing their thing in the crowd.

The Scoop on The Armory Show From An Artiholic:
This is the one show all the satellite shows revolve around.  It has anywhere from 200 – 300 international galleries represented in a given year, and is a lot to take in, and a lot of walking.  Make sure to wear your comfy shoes and prepare to see a lot of neon, glitter, and museum quality presentations.  The sculptures are as polished and pristine as it is possible to make them, the wall paint is flawless.  If you go to as many of the art fairs as I do will start to feel like you walking through a brand new IKEA after a while (the scale of the two piers are enormous) .  If while you are seeing world class art in this familiar Big Box Store format your eyes  become blurred and the work starts to become indistinguishable from Norwegian furniture, take a seat in their cushy bar areas and get a drink.  You don’t need to push your eyes that far, the brain can only accept so much eye candy before it goes into shock.

For the price of admission you get access to both the Modern show, and the contemporary (each with it’s own pier), so you can see work from older masters, as well as the masters that are still alive and working today (based on which pier you are checking out).

Positives: Buying the Armory / Volta NY combo ticket for $50 is the best deal in town.  There is a shuttle bus between the two venues, and you get to experience the opposite worlds of the big box store IKEA experience of the Armory, along with the intimacy of Volta NY. You will be seeing the best most sought after artists in the world hanging in a show that is only up for an extended weekend, buying frenzy is a thing to behold.

Negatives: The size and scope of this show can be daunting and overwhelming to a beginner, just start at one side and work your way through it to the other side, move to the next row and do it again.  Think of it like a giant supermarket, but instead of cereal and canned goods, you are looking at artwork worth 10’s to 100’s of thousands of dollars by artists you have seen at The Whitney and The Met.  You will not see these galleries taking to many risks. At SCOPE, The Unfair, and Fountain artists aren’t paying the insane per-square-foot rates as at The Armory so they can go edgier.  This show is squeaky clean – most booths on a factory produced precision.  If you prefer to see a little of the artist’s hand (blood, sweat, and tears) mixed into the paint, you might want to check out some of those other fairs.

Location: Piers 92 & 94:  711 12th Ave New York, NY (@55th Street & the West Side Highway)

Written and Photographed by Cojo “Art Juggernaut”

The post The Armory Show 2014: What to Expect appeared first on Artiholics.

With just five days into the Kickstarter campaign, founders Maxwell Bogue, Daniel Cowen and Peter Dilworth got over $1.9 million in pledges and undoubtedly surpassed their goal of only $30,000… (you can see our initial report here).

So, what is the 3Doodler you might ask?

The 3Doodler is a pen which heats up plastic sticks and releases them.  Once the plastic comes out of the pen, it cools really quickly and solidifies into wherever you lead the pen!  This allows you to “draw in 3D”.

Brilliant!

To develop such creative technology, it undeniably takes minds that are programmed to think outside of a box.

So, I got to ask the founders Maxwell, Daniel and Peter exactly how they did it:

What inspired you with the idea to create the 3Doodler pen?  How was it birthed?

The idea came about as we frequently use our own 3D printers for rapid prototyping.  We wanted to see if the process could be sped up and made “freer” by placing the parts of the 3D printer in a pen form.  The first iteration was called the teacup, basically an extruder with a handle.  It worked horribly, but it did work.  The team then added to this, creating a unique cooling mechanism and evolving to the 3Doodler you see today.

Are you developing any new products?  If so, how do you find time to develop them?

Yes, we recently announced some new products at CES.  The first is a holder for the pen, which makes storing the 3Doodler in between doodling easier, while also doubling as a moveable platform to allow you to create larger structures with far less hassle.  3Doodler will also be launching the first in a series of changeable nozzles, allowing users to extrude plastic in different shapes and sizes; as well as DoodleBlocks™; silicon molds that can be easily “filled in” with the ABS or PLA plastic from the pen.  The molds come in various shapes including stars, numbers, and letters, making it effortless to create perfectly shaped objects.

What were your biggest challenges leading up to the launch of the 3Doodler?  And any advice to our readers with product ideas of their own?

Prepare, prepare, prepare.  If you think you have something that could get very big, I’d recommend reaching out to media before the launch.  The idea that you can just throw it up there and see how it does might work for smaller projects, but for something really big, you need to reach out.  Logistics are important as well – you need an idea or a basic plan for how you’re going to deal with the craziness.  If you’re thinking of launching on Kickstarter, talking to a Kickstarter veteran is helpful as well.  I spoke to Joe Schlesinger (of Arcbotics) a lot about the pitfalls he hit with Kickstarter. You’re going to get a ton of emails.  My girlfriend took a few weeks off from work, just to help us answer them.  We had some amazing help to strategize and execute the whole campaign.  In short: it’s really important to prepare completely – have exactly the right hands and brains on deck.  There aren’t really any negative points about our Kickstarter experience – but if we were to give advice for those considering it, we’d say be prepared for the amount of emails and publicity, and try and get back to all enquiries if you can!

Thank you all for sharing your knowledge and process with us!  If you would like to purchase your own 3Doodler, check it out here:  www.the3doodler.com

Written by Laura West

The post Into The Minds of the Creators: 3Doodler appeared first on Artiholics.

Last night after leaving the Drunk-Tank Pink show in Chelsea (an orgy of pink), I headed down to the Lower East Side for the opening of The Black & White Show (an orgy of chiaroscuro),  Dacia Gallery’s annual group Holiday Exhibition.  This year the theme was Black & White (guests were even suggested to dress in B&W – which I did) and contrary to what I would have imagined, it wasn’t a big leap to go from a monochrome show to one in grayscale.Dacia Gallery is a cool little artist run space (founded by artist Lee Vasu) that focuses heavily on drawing, and more specifically figurative drawing and figurative sculpture.  They were the first gallery I ever saw Leah Yerpe‘s work in, and now she’s skyrocketed.  For a small space, they are building quite a reputation for launching new talent.

SQUISH by Niamh Butler.

SCIENTIST by Nikolina Kovalenko.

Artist John D. Cahall with his portrait which was hand chiseled into drywall and framed behind plexi.  He claims to be the first artist to use gyspum Sheetrock as a portrait medium.

GIRL by John D. Cahall.

I met up with sculptor Bob Clyatt, whom I had initially met a few months earlier when he had a few pieces in a show at Whitebox.  After speaking with him a bit he informed met that I had missed the Art Talk at 7:30.  Dacia does something unique at it’s openings.  Something that is part gallery / part art school, where every artist involved in the show takes turns talking about their work for a few minutes each.

SAINTLY, SCHOLARLY, EARTHLY  Triptych by Victoria Selbach.

Artist Victoria Selbach in front of her triptych.

Beautiful sketches of bodies overlaying one another by Sol Kjok.

 Artist Sol Kjok in front of her drawings, white wine, grapes, and a bottle of coke.  I liked her when I was introduced to her by

Bob Clyatt: “This is Cojo, he’s -” 

Sol Kjok: “Oh, Cojo from ArtSucks?! I love your blog!”

I ran into an old friend from back in the day, illustrator and animator Richard Borge who I haven’t seen in over a decade and didn’t expect to see in an art gallery.  I actually initially mistook him for Jon Kessler. My bad!  Good to see you Rich!

Dacia Gallery Black & White Show
53 Stanton Street at Eldridge
Lower East Side, NYC

Dec 12, 2013 – Jan 17, 2014

Featuring work by: Carla Berger, Rachel Burgess, Niamh Butler, John Cahall, Joseph Cavalieri, Bob Clyatt, Mary Cook, Jamie Greenfield, Pressa Hall, Christian Johnson, Sol Kjøk, Ruth Kleinman, Dana Kleinman, Nikolina Kovalenko, Heather Morgan, Francis Nguyen, Shari Rubeck, Victoria Selbach and Mike Selbach.

Written and photographed by Cojo “Art Juggernaut”

The post Orgy of Chiaroscuro: What’s Black, White & Photographed All Over? appeared first on Artiholics.

If you’re traveling into New York City or are lucky enough to abide in the area this holiday season, I highly recommend stopping by Forum Gallery to catch a glimpse of leading figurative artist, Steven Assael.

Channeling the grace, technique and voices of Old Masters, their souls are left whispering in the air as they’re brought to life in the drawings created by the delicate hands of Steven Assael.

Steven Assael is known in America as one of the top representational figurative artists who marvelously captures intimate psychological portraits in fine detail. Every piece has its own story to tell as a human image is captured in moments of stillness and muted scenes.

A realist, Assael works from life and is selective in the way he represents a human figure.

Allowing the pencil to drift into essential lines, this organic detail gives a spaciousness and a haunting tonality to his pieces.

It was astounding to witness the individuality he managed to capture in each of his portraits.  The eyes possess a distinct personality, even in the most complex expression.

Assael has fine-tuned an incredible technique that really warrants one to look up close at the technicality.  Using graphite and crayon, he is able to capture exceptionally intricate detail, tasteful space, unique personalities and a mastery in his craft.

This exhibition will not disappoint.  It will leave you breathing in the elegance of Steven Assael’s new drawings and wanting to see more.

Steven Assael: New Drawings will be on exhibit at Forum Gallery from November 21, 2013 to February 1, 2014. Be sure to stop by!

Written by Laura West

The post Steven Assael: New Drawings appeared first on Artiholics.

Artist Andy Golub, whom I teamed up with for my Art Sucks 10th Anniversary Party, is breaking boundaries, and pushing the floodgates open once again as far as the legality of performance art and public nudity in New York City.  Today is the two year anniversary of his arrest in Times Square for painting fully nude models (for  public lewdness).

Soon after he was cleared of charges he struck a deal with the judge that he could paint topless models in public during daylight hours, but they couldn’t take off their bottoms until it was dark out.

After a long battle it’s gotten even bettter, earlier this month he and the city have reached an unprecedented understanding that will allow him to work with fully nude models during daylight hours.

Good thing for Andy (as well as all other performance artists), there are a few unique little known exemptions when it comes to art and public theater in NYC.  Although smoking is illegal almost everywhere, there is an exemption for actors allowing them smoke on a stage if it’s part of a performance… turns out full nudity is legal in New York if it’s for a “a performance, exhibition, or show”

To attend, just show up.  It’s a public spectacle.  Bring a camera and take pictures of fully nude models on the streets of NYC becoming works of art straight from Andy’s imagination. According to Andy in an interview in DNA Info as sited in The Village Voice:

“I’m not just painting the body,” Golub explained, “I’m also relating to the person and feeling their energy and vibe and feeding off of that. The art in many ways becomes interactive and collaborative, and doing it in public means we don’t just share that process, but include the public.”

What:        12 Models, Nude Bodypainting
When:        Wednesday, July 31, 4:00-7:00PM
Where:        53rd Street & Broadway, NYC
Contact:        For interview and photo opportunities, please contact Andy Golub at andygolubart@gmail.com or 845-480-3330

Written and Photographed by Cojo “Art Juggernaut”

The post Artist Andy Golub is About To Paint 12 Fully Nude Models on the Streets of Manhattan in Broad Daylight appeared first on Artiholics.

I just saw this one minute car commercial and don’t know what to make of it…it seems flawed (above).  I saw it on The History Channel tonight, and found it online with only 98 views, so it must have just launched today.   It starts with a dopey 30-something-year-old white guy opening his eyes to his birthday surprise present from his wife.

What other uses are there for easels?!

The dopey husband whom is obviously an “artist at heart” and must have previously revealed to her some secret desire to plein air paint is in such awe of how perfectly insightful she was to have given him this gift.  He reacts as anyone would.

The classic “I accidentally clicked on 2 girls 1 cup while eating chocolate pudding” expression.

Thus begins a montage of the husband and wife team driving in their Subaru Outback to various out of the way locations so she can sit around in the car humoring him as he “follows his passion.” Allowing him to set up his easel and paint in nature.  We can only assume she waits devotedly in the car with her smart phone to keep her company, building up “comment karma” on reddit while reconnecting with old high school ex boyfriends on facebook.

Good thing they have that $23,495 station wagon.  If they had any other car, he wouldn’t be able to get to all of these exotic locations (which are all accessible by roads) or be able to lug around THAT GIANT “PAINTING EASEL”

Painting at the swamp.

At the beach.

In the rain while in a forest.

In the mountains, pretty sure he had to climb up there, the car ain’t that good.

But what you don’t see is the guy setting the easel up in these locations.  That’s because it would blow the illusion.  The premise of the commercial is flawed, in that you would need the big car to lug around big things in order to follow your passions (or help your mate follow their passions while you sit in the passenger seat playing virtual solitaire).

There is a reason plein air painters have special easels for painting in the outdoors.  They are collapsible for easy portability.

That’s right my friend, they fold up into themselves making a solid wooden box.  The easel itself weighs just over 10 lbs, collapses down to box which you can carry over your shoulder in a bag (which it comes with), or by the handle which is built in.  It stores all your paints and palate safely, brilliant invention really.

   It holds canvasses no larger than 34-1/2 inches max. So basically, instead of dragging his wife out to the hinterlands in that tank, he could have gotten a smart car, a mini cooper, a VW bug, or just rented a zip car.

While in the rain, in the woods, the sun breaks through the trees.  This moment strikes him with inspiration, and he paints his first abstract painting, smash cut to husband and wife having coffee at home in front of a wall of his mostly figurative work.

The punchline to the commercial comes with the BIG REVEALl…He doesn’t know how to paint “realistically” after all.  You assumed he needed to be in these extreme conditions to be able to pull the raw realism out the environment.  Something that is hard to do when painting from pictures alone.

His Art Sucks, but it’s only a BIG REVEAL to US.  It’s no surprise to the wife.  He hasn’t been hording all of his work in a locked box, not letting her get a glimpse until he would unveil a fully hung exhibit.

No SHE actually HUNG ALL OF HIS WORK UP.   How do I know? Because she hung his most inspired piece UPSIDE DOWN!

She doesn’t care about his work, or if it’s good or if it’s shit.  She will pat him on the back and hang them on the wall of their dining room salon style as though it’s a giant refrigerator door.  Like a mom displaying her child’s elementary school crayola doodles.

His wife knows his art isn’t great, knew it from the first painting.  This bitch has been humoring him (while secretly resenting the decision she made in choosing that “painting easel” as a gift), yet still accompanies him on these “painting adventures.”

She does it because…

“It takes him places he’s always wanted to go.  That’s why we bought a Subaru.” – Wife

She “LOVES”  him – the key word , (as if we couldn’t tell by her condescending voice the entire time).

Written by Cojo “Art Juggernaut”

The post A Car Commercial That Humors Your Shitty Art World Dreams appeared first on Artiholics.

I met artist and graphic designer Pierre Bernard Jr. many years ago over Myspace when we were both two NYC based illustrators doing our thing in the big city.  Pierre at the time was an artist for Late Night with Conan O’Brien and I was the lead artist at Maxim Magazine.  Over the years we have kept in touch sporadically as he moved to California with Conan from Late Night to The Tonight Show With Conan O’Brien, and now to Conan on TBS.  As Conan does with much of his staff, Pierre has been used as an on-air character, playing himself throughout the years.

 Some of you may remember on Late Night he had his own segment called “Pierre Bernard’s Recliner of Rage” where he would “rage” about different art related issues while sitting in a recliner.  Pierre is a very laid back and passive guy, so his version of raging never exceeded normal speaking voice levels, which is what made it hilarious.


I recently wrote about the various competing Drink n’ Draw live drawing sessions happening in NY, and apparently this isn’t just an East Coast fad.  For the past 3 years Pierre has been tightening up his drawing skills by attending multiple live drawing classes every week in Los Angeles. He is a huge proponent of drawing from live models, and even talked about the benefits of it with Conan on the air back in 2010 (see above video).  After three years of live sessions, and amassing a giant collection of drawings, Pierre has decided to make an art book:

18″x 24″ And Other Sizes:  A 3 Year Collection Of Life Drawings.
Pierre decided to take a swing at crowd sourced internet funding for the printing of this book, which is very dear to his heart. Five days ago Pierre’s   18″ x 24″ And Other Sizes Kickstarter campaign ended unsuccessfully, just shy of half way to his funding goal. In a facebook message to his fans following the Kickstarter closing Pierre posted:

“Sad news, I did all I could and many of you were there for me but it just wasn’t enough to make this campaign succeed. But it was a good fight and I can’t thank everyone of you enough for backing and believing in me and my book. That said, I am still pushing 18″ x 24” forward. This past week when I saw where the campaign was at, I started looking into alternative funding strategies and came up with one. I didn’t spend half a year working on this to quit now. What I’ve put together in my book is worth getting out to the public, not just for my dreams and passion towards life drawing but to help start defining an area of art that up till now very little has been publicly seen. I strongly believe once people see what’s been going on at these various events it just might encourage some to go out and take part in this creativity activity. So even though this campaign was a lost, you still backed a unique and inspiring project and in the end you will be glad you did so cause 18″ x 24″ will come into existence and it will be a winner! Again, thank you everyone, and keep watching, you haven’t seen nothing yet!“– Pierre Bernard

Undeterred Pierre is still confident that he can get this book printed before Summer is over.  I caught up with the artist, and asked him about the project, drawing from life, and his experience with the odd and sometimes cruel beast known as kickstarter.
Artiholics: “What got you into going to these live model drawing sessions? Was it because the show moved to LA and you didn’t know anybody?”

Pierre Bernard: “I was attending life drawing events in New York. The two that I knew about at the time was the Tuesday or Thursday night drawing at the Society of Illustrators and the Friday night drawing at the Art Student League. The league was very traditional, a nude model doing standard poses. At S.O.I., it was a little different. There was a small live jazz band but I always felt that the band was there because in a section of the space was a bar and though artist in the room did mingle, there was still an air of formality in the room.  

Here in L.A., there are formal classes but many of the places I attend are more like events then workshops. And the vibe of the rooms are far removed from formal drawing classes. I did start attending many of these drawing events as a way help me deal with the move at the time, I didn’t know a lot of people here and drawing has always been the one thing that makes me feel comfortable.”

Artiholics: “A lot of young artists might draw a lot from photo reference. What would you say is the benefit of drawing from a live human model?”

Pierre Bernard: “Drawing from photos is ok, not good. The reason I say this is that in this day and age a majority of printed images have been altered through photoshop. There was a time when looking at Playboy was worth while. Recently I saw a copy and the amount of distortions and anatomical mistakes that are in the pictures are insane. I can only assume that these images are the result of retouchers who don’t have a clue what correct anatomical proportions look like on a woman.
Drawing from a model forces you to look and study what the form really looks like, the limitations of the joints, etc. If you are shooting your own reference then you’re better off.”

Artiholics: “Is a live model session a good place to socialize? Possibly meet women?”

Pierre Bernard: “A live drawing event is a great place to socialize and meet people in general. I love meeting women at these events but if that’s your main reason for going, don’t bother. One of the things that usually happens at these drawing events is people learning from each other, studying the other peoples art work, getting a different perspective on what’s going on. If your only goal is to get numbers and not contribute, you’re just going to get in the way of others who are trying to get something out of the experience. And trust me, women can tell when you’re just wasting time.”

Artiholics: “So you had been live drawing at these weekly live drawing events for three years. What gave you the idea to put a book together?”

Pierre Bernard: “A friend of mine who moved out here back in August of last year came over to visit my new place. She wanted to see some of my artwork and after seeing a couple of box worth wanted to know what I was going to do with all the artwork and I told her I was planning to put it in storage. She said why not make an art book and that was the beginning of the idea.”

Artiholics: “Why is the book so dimensionally large? Do people in LA have giant shelves?”

Pierre Bernard: “Actually, the book isn’t all that big, the final size is 9″ x 12′. Originally, I wanted to do an actual 18″ x 24″ book (that was the thinking behind the title, 18″ x 24″ And Other Sizes), but the size and weigh of such a book wasn’t a great idea, scaling it down proportionally made since.”

View Pierre’s Kickstarter video interviews, where he introduces the various models he has drawn in the book.

Artiholics: “Did you make a book just so you could hug-up on all these art models?”

Pierre Bernard: “I didn’t need the book to hug-up on them, that was happening well before that started! Seriously, I’ve been going to so many of these events out here that the majority of the models working know me or know of me. Many of them have become close friends and as a result when we’re in a room together it take on an extra dimension of fun. The videos I shot for the Kickstarter were totally natural and unrehearsed. What you saw were real friends having fun and I think that’s what comes across in my drawings of them in the book.”

Artiholics: “When you are live drawing do you work in pencil and then color later, or do you work full color in real time? Also, do you think this intense live drawing practice has sharpened your on-air design skills? Has the quality of your work on Conan gotten better?”

Pierre Bernard: “My life drawings are in real time. In my book there are 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 and 25 minute poses. Often when people watch me draw they tell me afterwards that I am fast, I think its from working with Conan all these years. Everyday is a deadline with very little time so I’ve been trained to think and draw quickly over the years.  There’s no question that working with Conan has sharpened my skills as a draftsman. If I was a mutant, my powers is my quick skills of drawing and Conan is the Charles Xavier who help me develop them.”

Artiholics: “Since facebook was limiting in how many fans were viewing your messages about your Kickstarter, how do you plan to get the word out on the next go round?”

Pierre Bernard: “Kickstarter was an experience worth having, that said I wish I had given the funding part more thought, had I done so, I doubt Kickstarter would have been the path I’d chosen. The amount of over head that I had to tack on to the printing was the problem. Original reward printing, packing material, shipping cost and Kickstarter fees created a goal that couldn’t be reached easily, not to mention a lot of the people who said they’d back it, disappeared once the campaign started.  When the Kickstarter was down to 2 weeks left I saw where it was and decided to start looking into alternate ways to get the book done, something I should have done at the start. I came up with a personal solution that will work for me and so the book is still on track to get done hopefully before the summer is over.

My love for life drawing is deep. This book was a labor of love, everything I am as an artist in the last 3 years is in there. I put too much of my time into this project to allow any one or anything to get in the way of my finishing it.”

Artiholics: “Finally, everyone probably wants to know, when your Kickstarter didn’t get funded in time, were comfortable and angry?”

Pierre Bernard: “If ever there was a time I needed my recliner…”

To learn more about Pierre Bernard Jr., his art life, what he’s raging about, and the status of this book, be sure to follow him on twitter at twitter.com/pbdotman. You can also Like His Page on Facebook.   There is an underground Facebook Campaign to get Pierre on The Big Bang Theory.  And as always, keep an eye out for him on Conan, you never now what he’ll say next, but you will know it’s always funny.

Interview by Cojo “Art Juggernaut”

The post Pierre Bernard’s Kickstarter Of Rage appeared first on Artiholics.