Sunday, December 14, 2008
3
This is it.
I'm convinced this is an example of one of the most wonderful goals in life.
It's this simple.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
4
Acimilation Project
I was invited to participate in an online/blog project by my friend Rubens. It's called the Acimilation Project - Here.
In a nutshell: "In anthropology and sociology, the process whereby individuals or groups of differing ethnic heritage are absorbed into the dominant culture of a society. The process of assimilating involves taking on the traits of the dominant culture to such a degree that the assimilating group becomes socially indistinguishable from other members of the society. As such, assimilation is the most extreme form of acculturation. Although assimilation may be compelled through force or undertaken voluntarily, it is rare for a minority group to replace its previous cultural practices completely; religion, food preferences, proxemics and aesthetics are among the characteristics that tend to be most resistant to change."
Everyone participating in the project was asked to appropriate the same image (I'm assuming chosen by Rubens). Each artist
uses the image to either add on to or take away from - which in itself is another illustration of what happens during acimilation. I used the photo as an opportunity to level the playing field. Where I grew up and went to school in a strange pocket of West Philadelphia we all were acimilating in to each other. There seemed to be no one dominating religion or race. However, we all in our own personal ways were fighting to merge our families heritages, partially instilled in us, in to a culture growing more and more homogenous. We all wanted to "fit in" but fit in to what?
I was invited to participate in an online/blog project by my friend Rubens. It's called the Acimilation Project - Here.
In a nutshell: "In anthropology and sociology, the process whereby individuals or groups of differing ethnic heritage are absorbed into the dominant culture of a society. The process of assimilating involves taking on the traits of the dominant culture to such a degree that the assimilating group becomes socially indistinguishable from other members of the society. As such, assimilation is the most extreme form of acculturation. Although assimilation may be compelled through force or undertaken voluntarily, it is rare for a minority group to replace its previous cultural practices completely; religion, food preferences, proxemics and aesthetics are among the characteristics that tend to be most resistant to change."
Everyone participating in the project was asked to appropriate the same image (I'm assuming chosen by Rubens). Each artist
uses the image to either add on to or take away from - which in itself is another illustration of what happens during acimilation. I used the photo as an opportunity to level the playing field. Where I grew up and went to school in a strange pocket of West Philadelphia we all were acimilating in to each other. There seemed to be no one dominating religion or race. However, we all in our own personal ways were fighting to merge our families heritages, partially instilled in us, in to a culture growing more and more homogenous. We all wanted to "fit in" but fit in to what?
Saturday, November 22, 2008
5
Final Days of Surly
music selection for this post...
SeeqPod - Playable Search
This is a playlist of songs I was especially fond of when me and Surly were in our hayday. Play it loud, play it again.
Summer 2005 - It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. I was still living in a converted sewing factory in Greenpoint, I was in the first of back-to-back relationships with women named Lisa, a young politician from Chicago's southside was beginning his rise to the presidency, I was about to take a trip to Ireland and not come back the same. But those are none of the main stories. I had this bike. It was cool because it didn't previously belong to my mom purchased the year I was born, it was cool because a real bike enthusiast sold it to me, it was cool because I loved it and that was important. Surly or "brown bike" was purchased with actual money I was starting to make from my art. It was a significant purchase in that I felt like I actually earned it. I guess I felt like things were coming together for me, which is a feeling I've never been comfortable with. But one can't live with the idea that a flat tire is waiting around the corner... and I certainly didn't. I was like some sort of athletic bohemian riding around Manhattan and Brooklyn playing basketball, installing my art and playing in band practice (practice? we in here talk'n about practice? -*see youtube, search: practice, Iverson). The Surly even provided some foreshadowing as I raced around Prospect Park. I now live on the southside of it and frequently walk up 9th St. to my YMCA and the movie theater. You see, selling the Surly, which I'll get to, conjures all sorts of Greenpoint memories. My Brooklyn life was all north of the Navy Yards, now it's all South of the land of 2005. Even though I kept a studio in Greenpoint preparing for my first solo show (and getting hit by a truck walking across Canal St.), even though my gal's place there was still where I mostly laid my head, I was already gone. I needed a profound change. Not just in geography but the serious stuff, the stuff you don't even know you're about get in the ring with until your about 30. Holly crap I'm 34 now! So here I am today. I'm moving my studio of the last two years from Red Hook - home of I eat lunch at Ikea more than I shop there - to Prospect Heights. I love the Gowanus area. I'm only moving because I need a white box to work in (and a studio that doesn't cost considerably more than my apartment rent).
I'm selling the Surly. I need to make space and I just don't ride it that often. Feel free to turn that in to metaphor.
As of today - November 22nd, I'm going to sell it for $320. It's worth more. If you or a loved one wants it, contact me:
abwexler at mac dot com
Here is an image of the last piece I completed in the Red Hook Studio:
"Some Assembly Required", 2008. 44" x 60". acrylic and paper collage on panel.
music selection for this post...
SeeqPod - Playable Search
This is a playlist of songs I was especially fond of when me and Surly were in our hayday. Play it loud, play it again.
Summer 2005 - It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. I was still living in a converted sewing factory in Greenpoint, I was in the first of back-to-back relationships with women named Lisa, a young politician from Chicago's southside was beginning his rise to the presidency, I was about to take a trip to Ireland and not come back the same. But those are none of the main stories. I had this bike. It was cool because it didn't previously belong to my mom purchased the year I was born, it was cool because a real bike enthusiast sold it to me, it was cool because I loved it and that was important. Surly or "brown bike" was purchased with actual money I was starting to make from my art. It was a significant purchase in that I felt like I actually earned it. I guess I felt like things were coming together for me, which is a feeling I've never been comfortable with. But one can't live with the idea that a flat tire is waiting around the corner... and I certainly didn't. I was like some sort of athletic bohemian riding around Manhattan and Brooklyn playing basketball, installing my art and playing in band practice (practice? we in here talk'n about practice? -*see youtube, search: practice, Iverson). The Surly even provided some foreshadowing as I raced around Prospect Park. I now live on the southside of it and frequently walk up 9th St. to my YMCA and the movie theater. You see, selling the Surly, which I'll get to, conjures all sorts of Greenpoint memories. My Brooklyn life was all north of the Navy Yards, now it's all South of the land of 2005. Even though I kept a studio in Greenpoint preparing for my first solo show (and getting hit by a truck walking across Canal St.), even though my gal's place there was still where I mostly laid my head, I was already gone. I needed a profound change. Not just in geography but the serious stuff, the stuff you don't even know you're about get in the ring with until your about 30. Holly crap I'm 34 now! So here I am today. I'm moving my studio of the last two years from Red Hook - home of I eat lunch at Ikea more than I shop there - to Prospect Heights. I love the Gowanus area. I'm only moving because I need a white box to work in (and a studio that doesn't cost considerably more than my apartment rent).
I'm selling the Surly. I need to make space and I just don't ride it that often. Feel free to turn that in to metaphor.
As of today - November 22nd, I'm going to sell it for $320. It's worth more. If you or a loved one wants it, contact me:
abwexler at mac dot com
Here is an image of the last piece I completed in the Red Hook Studio:
"Some Assembly Required", 2008. 44" x 60". acrylic and paper collage on panel.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
6
New(ish) piece:
Threw and Through, 2008
acrylic and paper collage on panel
38" x 30"
This is the last completed piece in the studio I've been in for almost 2 years. What will I miss the most about my studio in Red Hook?... lunch at Ikea.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
7
Allen Iverson is finally on the right team!
The No. 1 topic of conversation at the Highland Park barbershop has been the election of Barack Obama, but a close second was the Pistons' acquisition of NBA superstar Allen Iverson. - Detroit Free Press
I'm a huge basketball fan. One day I'll be sitting in MSG recognized as the painter version of Woody Allen and Spike Lee (if in fact I'm making paintings - and I probably won't be sitting in the Garden as we currently know it - and I probably won't be rooting for the Knicks). Allen Iverson has been my favorite basketball(er) since he was drafted by the Sixers. Yes I'm from Philly so I was already primed for this. However, I followed him in Denver and now happily to the Pistons.
To sum up why I like him so much, I submit to you these examples:
The No. 1 topic of conversation at the Highland Park barbershop has been the election of Barack Obama, but a close second was the Pistons' acquisition of NBA superstar Allen Iverson. - Detroit Free Press
I'm a huge basketball fan. One day I'll be sitting in MSG recognized as the painter version of Woody Allen and Spike Lee (if in fact I'm making paintings - and I probably won't be sitting in the Garden as we currently know it - and I probably won't be rooting for the Knicks). Allen Iverson has been my favorite basketball(er) since he was drafted by the Sixers. Yes I'm from Philly so I was already primed for this. However, I followed him in Denver and now happily to the Pistons.
To sum up why I like him so much, I submit to you these examples:
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
o8 is great!
Needless to say I'm happy that we have a president elect Obama, who also seems to be a pure point guard. A position known as "the floor general", the person who runs all the plays.
Speaking of basketball... the next post will be a tribute to Allen Iverson who just got traded to the Detroit Pistons, the second best deal of 08.
Monday, November 3, 2008
9
This weekend I went to see the Mary Heilmann show at the New Museum.
A number of times I heard skeptical middle aged people say "my kid could do that". The truth is that their kid could not do that, nor could most grown adults. I think a specific nerve gets tapped in "these" people as they walk around the galleries in disbelief. Mary Heilmann's paintings are uninhibited to the point that they reference the place in people that we tend to loose as we grow in to adults. A lot of people have lost touch with pleasure. A lot of people are put off by self indulgent pleasure. In other words - play. Well, I don't know what to say to the nay-sayers except why do you go to museums in NY, pay the $20 admission and try to loose yourself in something challenging or beautiful?...... It's all just sophisticated play.
Here is another addition of awesome kid art found on Flickr:
A number of times I heard skeptical middle aged people say "my kid could do that". The truth is that their kid could not do that, nor could most grown adults. I think a specific nerve gets tapped in "these" people as they walk around the galleries in disbelief. Mary Heilmann's paintings are uninhibited to the point that they reference the place in people that we tend to loose as we grow in to adults. A lot of people have lost touch with pleasure. A lot of people are put off by self indulgent pleasure. In other words - play. Well, I don't know what to say to the nay-sayers except why do you go to museums in NY, pay the $20 admission and try to loose yourself in something challenging or beautiful?...... It's all just sophisticated play.
Here is another addition of awesome kid art found on Flickr:
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