The News at Halftime

So here we are closing out July and entering the brutality that is August in New York. Hopefully, it will spare us just a bit of its crushing oppression since July really came in with a vengeance. Anyway, this means we’re halfway through (well, just a bit more than) with Surface Disruption, the 2012 Drawing subscription. We’ve been getting a lot of positive feedback both from subscribers and general fans of the project alike. It’s been quite the hit, and we’re very pleased about that, so thanks very much to all for supporting this work.

Uncharacteristically, this summer has been very busy at the studio in anticipation of several new projects coming up this next season. Usually the summer tends to quiet down a bit and we regroup, strategizing for the next season and catch up with friends drinking lots of beer from rooftops and backyards to the refreshing AC of our favorite watering holes. This particular summer, however, is demanding a bit more of us. Some exhibitions are being discussed, as are some new editioned projects with various parties spanning the local, national and even international spectrum. There will be more on all of these individually as dates solidify and the production schedules fall in to place. But for now, know that it’s been non-stop, and we’re working toward some very exciting things.

Right now, we’re making some room to focus on preparations for next year’s Drawing Subscription which will follow the same notions of presence and absence, space, surface and purity as the previous two subscriptions have. So if you are wondering: “Why are we talking about this so early, subscriptions won’t open up until November again, right?”. It’s because of two things; First, we like to be prepared. Simple as that. An artist’s public opportunities can be in discussion for many months (even upwards of 2 years out), and then all of a sudden manifest and fall into place due to a shifting schedule or to piggyback off of another opportunity. We like to be able to take advantage of those moments as best we can, and the best way to do so is to know what you are doing and to be well enough organized to pull it together. Second, we’re working on a more aggressive marketing strategy for next year’s Subscription, so by fleshing it out now we can get all of our materials together and in the hands of interested parties so they can then anticipate the opening of the November floodgates for the 2013 sign up. We certainly hope to have many of you along for the ride next year and beyond as the studio continues to evolve and grow. Naturally, consuming everything in its wake.

In keeping with the notion that the Drawing Subscriptions function as studies for other projects not yet realized within the studio, and that they build on this notion in succession every month, take a moment to enjoy this piece of La Monte Young’s from 1969 titled Drift Study. Perhaps a precursor to the 2013 series, or something of a missing link bridging the two series’. Only time will tell…

July

 

Surface Disruption 07 has now made its way out of the studio to the 2012 subscribers!  This series is Toner on Vellum, folded with archival double-sided tape.  All works begin with an 8.5 x 11 inch page of perfect black space, which then succumbs to the weight of its own history, collapsing the purity of the monochrome surface.  (ed 12/12 pictured)

Brooklyn Open Studios project

The Brooklyn Museum is getting behind something which has the potential to be very interesting: a borough-wide open studio project for artists working in Brooklyn. Artists studios will be open from 11-7 on Saturday and Sunday September 8th and 9th for viewers to wander through. Part of the design is so that viewers will sign up and then “vote” on artists whose work they enjoyed and this voting will be tallied such that the museum will then send out their curators to vet the top ten artists works and said artists will then be put into a show at the museum.

The Brooklyn Museum catches a fair amount of flack for some of their choices, most prominently the “selling out” to Bravo’s Work of Art reality show, and it can be understandable that some artists might be reticent to participate based on those choices. In my opinion, if there is one thing the Brooklyn museum does and does well, it’s speaking about community and community engagement. I feel like they are constantly hosting an ethnic celebration of one sort or another. These are the things MoMA and the Whitney won’t do, and that’s exactly why the Brooklyn Museum is doing something great in getting behind the full spectrum of creative forces in its own backyard.

If you consider the most recent Bushwick Open Studio events, with some 500+ participants (between artists, galleries, and independent short-term projects), there’s a staggering amount of creative output centered in just one of the borough’s neighborhoods. The Go project is taking that energy and spreading it out to the rest of the neighborhoods in a borough teeming with artists and creativity. Sure, that makes the possibility of being one of the ten potential artists crowdsourced for exhibition a pretty slim chance, but I believe there is something, either directly or indirectly, much more interesting about the project. I think this creates an incredibly valuable resource for independent curators, young collectors, and even seasoned arts professionals to get a behind the scenes look at what’s happening in their own neighborhoods. Things that aren’t necessarily fresh out of grad-school, and have some history and weight behind them but may still be a bit under recognized.

Artists have until July 10 to register, and potential voters can sign up starting July 17th and through the opening weekend.  I’m certainly opening my studio. Yes, I’m in an industrial wasteland with several blocks between my studio and any other form of civilization, but I figure the website will give people a preview, so they’re not coming all the way out there with an expectation of anything other than BLACK. So, really,  what’s the worst that could happen? I spend 2 days in my studio, which I’d probably be doing anyway, and maybe I have some conversations with people whom I don’t already know. I see that all as a very good thing, so I certainly hope other artists are getting on board with the project, and I hope to see some of you come through the Black Laboratory over that weekend.