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Gave That is a personal look at giving in all its forms, with reviews, news and projects updated daily.
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Be sure to see The Ice Theatre of New York who's season is starting soon. Catch them at the Chelsea Piers NYC starting this October 29th 2007 (Gala) and the show dates of November 1st, 2nd & 3rd. For other dates and locations, be sure to visit http://www.icetheatre.org. They are amazing and not to be missed for the world! This year, along with David Liu (who is so nice to talk with) and Douglas Webster, you'll be able to see -for the first time- works by Twyla Tharp including "After All".
Gauguin / Savage Light by George Fischoff at the Roy Arias Theatres, 300 West 43rd Street, 5th Floor, NYC until November 18th 2007 (so hurry). This way off broadway musical by George Fischoff features amazing singing and a unique take on the master painters life. Now this is a short musical after all so one shouldn't expect a detailed biography of Gauguin's life and with a small cast, you'll be seeing the same people over and over in various roles but the subject combined with Mr. Fischoff playing the piano makes this quite out of the norm and a must see.
- Location:NYC USA
The weather is absolutely delicious outside and I, like the rest of the NY Observer dubbed Mole People, will be making the best of it. Due to this I’m going to be feverously posting my huge backlog of updates in quick succession along with my “Summer Reads Book Reviews” and “Chocolate Show NYC” experience before going on a bit of a blog hiatus.
(Channeling Lewis & Clark this May 2007 - MAM Canoe Shot)
First up I would like to thank both Alyssa C. (at Sikkema Jenkins & Co. NYC) and Lorena C. (at SPACE NYC) for buying my art for their respective charities. Both are very meaningful and important organizations and it was wonderful to be involved with their fund raisers. VisualAIDS reported raising $62,000.00 and Artists SPACE, $20,000.00!
Next I have a whole plethora of individuals I would like to say thanks to and acknowledge (in no particular order): Mark Sonnenfeld from Marymark Press, C.Z. Lovecraft, Dr. Mamoru Uemura, Bob at the Modesto Art Museum (the artist stamp is fab!), Gilbert Fanjat, Keith Taylor, Ricardo Gonzalez, Melissa E. and Erika D. of Milan, Ryosuke Cohen, Andrea Skyberg, Dan Murphy of The Juniper zine (the latest issue is now out and you can get it by sending a few first class stamps to Dan at P.O. Box 3154, Moscow ID 83843 USA- like Readymade magazine only 10 times better and indi), Keith Roberson, Alyssa Ringler, Anke Becker, Valeria Pouza/Zunzun & Sophie Blachet and the numerous artists, curators and patrons who have contacted and worked with me these past few months of 2007. Special thanks to the patrons of my miniature folk art series which ended up totaling some 200 pieces now in private collections around the world. A particular initiative which far exceeded my expectations.
I also wanted to share that the amazing Germany based artist Elena Ilina let me know of her latest show entitled, “Lessons For Other Times” at Atelier "Soldina" Soldinerstr. 92
Berlin-Wedding S-Bahn Wollankstrasse, Bus 27, 255 bis Soldinerstrasse - 2 Haltestellen oder 7 min zu Fuß U-Bahn Pankstrasse, Bus 27, 255 bis Soldinerstrasse - 2 Haltestellen oder 10 min zu Fuß Vernissage am Fr dem 25.5.07 um 20 h Offen auch am So 27.5.07 von 14-18 h und sonst nach Vereinbarung unter 0178 63 69 697. If you’re in the area please be sure to take a look.
Stay tuned for even more reviews, art retrospects and show snapshots from this and last years past events!
Watching Jasmine Lee is hard. I really wonder where she is now and how she is fairing? One almost wants to write her a letter like she suggested. If you check out the PBS Independent Lens website you can get the scoop on the documentary and how to get a copy on DVD. Even though it isn’t long and rather simple it was extremely moving and as the website says, after watching it I don’t think people can look at clothes the same way again. Time and again pieces pop up about sweat shops but they always seem to quickly die down and fade from memory, when is this going to stop? When will quality trump quantity? I find this all rather interesting considering how "green" people and the media have become this year.
Anyway, I'm thinking of turning the banner quote in the film into a T-shirt:
"If you don't work hard today: You'll be looking hard for a new job tomorrow"
...how motivational
As a side note, R.I.P Isabella Blow. You and your quirky sense of self will be truly missed. See the New York Observer piece, "Simon Doonan: I Missed The Boat on Fashion's Dizziest, Saddest Dame" here (yes, for some reason I adore Simon and his column). While you're there you can also look up their past article on Patrick Robinson (soon to be a Gap man?) doing Target and the current capsule trend.
March 3rd through April 6th 2007, Reception March 23rd, Higgins Art Gallery, West Barnstable, MA, "Women: The Image".
April 6th 2007, The Expression Gallery, center of Market & Shelby Streets, Louisville, Kentucky, "Coffee"
blütenweiss - Raum für Kunst, Prenzlauer Allee 224
104050 Berlin Germany,
Anonymous Drawings 5
Saturday, March 17th, 2007
19 pm
Additional opening time
Sunday, March 18th, 2007
1 - 8 pm
&
"Bike-Power Exhibition" at the 621 Gallery, Tallahassee, Florida USA, Opens "First Friday", March 2nd (Gala Opening Night). Runs the 2nd through the 30th of March 2007.
By Tom Zoellner 2006
Just in time for V-Day.org and more importantly on a marketing scale, the movie Blood Diamonds, comes the text dense memoir by Tom Zoellner. The Heartless Stone released late last year picks up where the original Blood Diamonds leaves off and presents a broader if not more disturbing picture of global diamond trade. This broader picture includes the negative effects both economically and environmentally within Africa aside from the regions considered to produce bloody diamonds. Thanks to the movie many people in America know the evil dubbed Blood Diamonds including people having their hands hacked off and children recruited for war but what many don’t know is the so called clean diamonds from Africa are rather tainted as well. Tom paints a troubling picture of child labor, men being paid 3 USD an hour to mine diamonds that are resold for hundreds of thousands of dollars and then there are the mines themselves… in most cases nothing but large holes in the ground subject to cave ins, especially during the rainy season. As more and more would be brides are snubbing diamond engagement rings it makes one wonder if they read Tom’s chapters on how the secondary diamond market is almost nil (engagement ring diamonds = poor investments from a financial standpoint) and how the whole diamond engagement craze was woven into the fabric of American wedding dresses via brilliant marketing (Diamonds are Forever). While Tom’s reminiscing about his own failed engagement borders on sappy and even downright bizarre (do little boys really dream about their wedding day?) it seems like they serve a purpose and that’s to momentarily distract the reader from the bombardment of unsettling text. Tom also goes to great lengths to convince you everything in this book is the truth… the result of a “Million Little Pieces” I guess although I have a few doubts. Still, this is a major eye opener and may get a few people out of a sticky jam if they couldn’t afford a little bling for that special person this V-Day.org.
Exhibit Reception: Anderson Gallery, 1323 J Street, Modesto, California, Thursday, Feb 15, 2007, 5-9 pm,$2 No charge to museum members or participating artists. Includes theremin demonstration.
(2007 "untitled" ink on paper, copyright MAM, all rights reserved.)
Freitag, 9.Februar 2007
ab 19.00
zusätzlich geöffnet
Samstag, 10.Februar 2007
13-20 Uhr,
blütenweiss - Raum für Kunst, Prenzlauer Allee 224
10405 Berlin Germany,
"Anonyme Zeichner 4"
&
Jan. 9th through Feb. 3rd with opening reception Jan 13th, 6pm to 9pm, Gallery RFD, 106 N. Green Street, Swainsboro, GA 30401 USA, "The Art of Communication"
MAM will also be donating art to the OUR CHILDREN: HONOR WITH ART Art book project started by Shawn Marie Hardy to raise funds and awareness for abducted, missing and exploited children. If you would like to become involved, bid and/or donate art, visit www.honorwithart.com .
So many fantastic books have come in, that I'll be doing a series of book review posts. All of these books are perfect for the holidays, especially as gifts and for the artists in your life. Onward...
Nonfiction:
The Davinci Notebooks by Leonardo Da Vinci, edited / introduction by Emma Dickens, (Profile Books Ltd UK 2005). What can I say? This small book is scrumptious! Let's go to a quote:
"Now there is a certain race of painters who, having studied but little, must take as their standard of beauty mere gold and azure, and these, with supreme conceit, declare that they will not give good work for miserable payment, and that they could do as well as any other if they were well paid. But, ye foolish folks! Cannot such artists keep some good work, and then say: this is a costly work and this more moderate and this average work and show that they can work at all prices?"
Boy do some, "foolish folk" come to mind but shall remain nameless. When was this written? Some 550 years ago!? Sad that some have not learned such sage advice and how bad of business it is to try and turn art elitist and court only the wealthy. Why else is everyone flocking to design for Target and H&M? This is just one passage that could spark so much debate. Leonardo's book would not only make for a welcome gift but it also could be put to such great "Salon" use with each sonnet making for deep discussion.
The Girl with the Gallery: Edith Gregor Halpert and the Making of the Modern Art Market by Lindsay Pollock (Public Affairs 2006). Now Edith comes from a line of women I like to call, "Chutzpah Women". Women who show guts and not only made great strides for women but for their industries and causes as well. Ms. Halpert happened to indeed be of Jewish decent but other Chutzpah women include Coco Chanel, Frida Kahlo, etc., and it's surprising to see threads of sameness stretching through all of their lives. A certain, "something". Coming to the US as a small girl from, as she would say Odessa Russia, Edith changed her name and told various white lies to get herself into art school and sales jobs. All the while visiting museums and galleries with a keen interest in art. When her own artistic talents didn't pan out, Edith went on to open up a series of revolutionary art galleries in NYC and has been credited with making American art not only popular but worthy of collection. Lindsy Pollock brings back into light a women who has sadly been virtually forgotten by both artists and art dealers. A woman who's life was spicy, successful and a good example of what going out on a limb can achieve.
Town & Country Handbook for Hosts: A Practical Guide to Party Planning and Gracious Entertaining by Adam Bluestein (Hearst Books 2006). Just in time for the holidays and all those Salons you wish to hold comes the perfect addition to your, "someone help me please!" library. A tad bit stuffy yet filled with chic illustrations and short paragraphs which sort of makes up for that, this is a book created to be used. Thick pages, lists of things to do, large type, sturdy cover. I was surprised at the helpful detail this book took the time to go into including how many people make up a good cocktail party, what sort of drinks to serve and even music suggestions (the music was indeed optimal) that won't compete with conversation. Small apartment entertaining has a few pages and a whole quarter to being a decent guest. This book is classy and very helpful yet the author reminds us, "The job of a host can be many wonderful things, but there is one thing it surely isn't--easy. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise." At least they're truthful.
Coming next even more unique and new non-fiction releases as well as fiction with an artist slant for your holiday wish lists.
Here are the latest places to see MAM art:
Dec. 21st 2006 blütenweiss - Raum für Kunst, Prenzlauer Allee 224
10405 Berlin Germany "Anonyme Zeichner 3"
Dec. 8th (preview) through Dec. 26th 2006 de la premiere exposition, La Cour Des Arts, 55 Avenue de la diberation, 13210 St. Remy De Provence, France, "Saint Remy de Provence" (no need to mention of course but look for lots of Van Gogh's spirit)
(A Heavy Load by Molly Mckee for "Marriage, Home & Faimly")
Opening Reception, November 17, 5-8pm, Show Runs November 17 - December 15 Union Art Gallery, 2200 E Kenwood Blvd, Milwaukee, WI, "MARRIAGE, HOME & FAMILY". (see my mixed media piece, "Night of the Henna Hands")
Jan. 2007 Jeffersontown Library Exhibit Space, KY "Coffee - How does it make you feel?" and then travels March 2007 to Day's Esspresso & Coffee House, Bardstown Road, Louisville KY and April 6th 2007 to the Expressions Gallery, 1800 W Muhammad Ali Blvd, Louisville KY where art will be auctioned off for a good cause. (see my piece "Jitterbug")
Coming soon:
* A full review of the 9th Annual 2006 Chocolate Show New York City, including great chocolate art and gifts!
* Book Reviews
* Show Reviews (must sees)
* More Art News
- Mood:
chipper
("Manadala" by MAM 2005 for Carla Cryptic's "Manadala". Copyright MAM 2005.)
Nov 18th and Nov 19th 2006 blütenweiss - Raum für Kunst, Prenzlauer Allee 224
10405 Berlin "Anonyme Zeichner 2"
(preview) Dec. 1st and (sale) Dec. 2nd 2006 Sikkema Jenkins & Co.
530 West 22nd Street (between 10th & 11th Avenues) "Postcards From the Edge Benefit"
Well here I am back with the updated art news as promised. I have so many people I wish to thank and shows to cover that sadly I won't be able to mention everyone. I fear this would end up to be too much of a tome (it isn’t already?) . So I’d like to broadly thank every kind soul who has reached out to me over the past few months… you all know who you are! Now on to the recaps:
This past summer/fall 2005 in Alcanar Spain and at the Biblioteca Publica “Trinitari Fabregat” Alcanar Tomas Camacho Mouna along with a number of organizations including the Regidoria de Cultura de l’Ajuntament d’Alcanar, held “Knot 2005”. Despite the title this art show was actually bringing awareness to water resources. Of course it was a given I’d be interested in this but strangely enough (yes even to me) I didn’t submit something koi related. Instead it was a mixed media piece including ice skating, hands and henna for a mix between those in need of water and the more superfluous in the West. Thank you Tomas for the gorgeous art catalog. The art submitted was really incredible.
Next another past show from 2005 was, “Der Clown Auf Der Motorrard” put together by well known mail artist Peter Netmail of Mekka Minden Germany. This was beyond hilarious and it felt good to be in this show. Thank you Peter! The catalog is a real feast for the eyes and so were all the postcards. Too bad I missed out on “We Are Pope”, but look forward to sending art to Peter’s next show (the name of which eludes me at the moment).
Next we have “Do Not Fold, Bend, Spindle or Mutilate: Computer Punch Card Art” held this past July 28th through September 17th 2006 at the Washington Pavilion of Arts and Science Visual Arts Center, Sioux Falls, USA. Thank you Howard Spencer for inviting me as well as including my contribution in the show. This along with Carla Cryptic’s “Mandala” show and the Cartalog Library Index Cards art book show has really forced me to use weird surfaces on which to do paintings… maybe bingo cards will be next? No, no, just kidding. Sorry John Walker. My piece:
Punch Card Koi aka swiming in numbers 2006 copyright MAM
Now off to Greece, Nicolas Gatsas of the, "Dream City" show has created a lovely website: http://www.leukipoli.gr/dreamcity/
Matthias Brugger was kind enough to send me pictures from the show, „Zwischen Himmel und Erde“ that I was included in at the German IBO Internationalen Bodenseemesse (see one of my past art posts for more on that). Here is one of them:
www.spaltenstein-projekt.eu
Anke was also kind enough to send pictures from their show, “Anonyme Zeichner 1” in Berlin Germany. It was held this past October 2006 at the bluetenweiss, Raum fuer Kunst and according to Anke was a great success. Thank you Anke for including my little koi and good luck with Anonyme Zeichner 2. Anke is also a fantastic artist and you can visit her site at:
www.anke-becker.de
Quickly I would also like to thank the curator (NY, USA) of the, “Remember September 11th” show for inviting me to send art again and also for sending the moving poster of art from last year. Also I want to thank Elena Ilina for sending me her catalog from her show, “Der Besetzte Raum” in Munchen Germany… talk about incredible. I’m in awe. Sadly Ilina’s site is down right now so I can’t direct you to it but I would if I could. Thank you again to the numerous other people who have shared their art and talents with me over the past few months.
I’ll be back with more later this month, including reviews and event dates. In the mean time I'd like to Wish everyone a very happy holiday season!
Republished from original blog
I hope you are all having a wonderful fall so far! As can be seen things have been exceptionally quiet here because I am hard art work on multiple projects (some of which you will soon see). I will be back in a few days with tons of art news, happenings and reviews. In the mean time here is my last bloom of the season.
(copyright Dr. M. 2006, all rights reserved. No copy or reuse.)
Save These Dates (for those in the NYC area or who will be)
See the amazing Ice Theatre of New York do ice concerts at Bryant Park, Rockefeller Center, etc., starting now through April 2007. Visit www.icetheatre.org for more information / dates. I adore them so much and once you see them, you'll know why!
Wednesday, Nov 8th, 5 - 10pm, "Night of 1,000 Drawings Benefit" at Artists Space, 28 Greene Street, 3rd Floor. Admission $10. (it'll be easy to find me, as usual).
Friday, Dec 1st through Jan. 5th "Annual 4x6 Benefit Show & Sale 2006", The Creative Center: Arts in Healthcare. 147 West 26th Street, 6th Floor. (ditto as above)
(copyright MAM, all rights reserved. No copy allowed.)
I read the most disturbing piece recently in the New York Observe, "N.Y. Beauties Collapse: Formerly Chichi We, Now Netflixed, Dumpy" May 06... New Yorkers are said to be giving up! On what? On life! They don't want to go out because it takes too long (and that includes on foot due to masses of pedestrians). They're tired of "pay to play" and they're disenchanted with socializing in general. Liz Smith summed it up well with:
"I just don't go downtown anymore, and I used to go to the Village, Soho or Tribeca all the time... the best way to spend an evening these days is with a good book, television and the phone turned off"
What? I can't help but feel New York is a barometer for the nation as a whole. Here are a few other notable and telling quotes:
"All the restaurants and bars are packed. I usually just pick up food or order in"
"Even the famous New York art conversation--the expectant thrill of engaging with witty and deep minds into the wee hours--has fallen by the wayside."
Liz again, "It use to be you could get anywhere in New York in 15 minutes--even Brooklyn. There's a lot more cars, and a lot more of absolutely nothing going on"
Ouch! This article is very sad yet at the same time very true. It seems like a lot of these "issues" come as a result of poor manners and deteriorating social skills in general. Another thing pointed out by Liz Smith. Looking at the Sartorialist is one of the last bits of confort that all this is just some bad dream.
(copyright MAM 2006. All rights reserved. No copy allowed.)
And Jonathan Jones is right...
Can Rich Guys Ever Be Good Artists? There are plenty of examples throughout history of artists who wound up making a pile of money from their work, but Jonathan Jones suggests that when extravagant financial success comes too soon, an artist can quickly lose his/her edge, or at least the perspective needed to relate to the audience. "Dalí and Warhol both lost the spark of brilliance as money became central to their lives. At least in Warhol's case there was a pertinence, even a kind of martyrdom, to his immersion in the dollar sign, the ultimate Pop icon. When you become as rich as this, being as rich as this becomes your story. If you don't make art about being a multimillionaire, you are being dishonest. If you do, you can hardly claim the universality of great art." The Guardian (UK) 04/27/06
Speaking of this I’d like to thank the following artists for reaching out to me: Schoko Casana Rosso of Germany was kind enough to send an invitation to “My Five Elements” and a fantastic hand carved rubber stamp art. Sorry I couldn’t send anything in time but thank you! Then Larzac village has a new theme of “Water“, thanks Agnes Gipoulou - Mouche for inviting me and I hope to be sending a painting soon. Water is of course one of my favorite subjects (along with a certain colorful fish). S.I.C.A.r.T sent a great invite but I missed that deadline too. Hope you had a fantastic show and I hope to send ATC’s sometime in the future. Lore Kraus - Kiechle was kind enough to send what looks like an invite to a show in Germany. I’ll have to translate it better. Thank you too to Marielle Conte of (France), Sarah at the Cartalong for the great show postcard (USA) and the French post office for inviting me to “Travel”. I need to get a move on to make these deadlines!
As for shows that have already past, thank you Luzia Brown for the CD from, “In the Company of Women” held at the women’s conference in, I think, Maine USA. According to Luzia it went over very well with the women. I sent a photograph of our all women cycling team.
(copyright MAM 2005. All rights reserved. Photo shown at Luzia's Show)
As an aside I can’t even begin to stress the importance for women to unite together and support each other. In a recent article by Body + Soul magazine it had a lovely piece on the importance of friends and how female bonding creates positive effects on ones health. One of the reasons women are thought to outlive men is due partly to these close relationships.
Then there is Maxi Boyd (Canada) who sent art by the artist Thompson in exchange for mine as well as an ATC which I adore. Thanks so much Maxi and I hope this year I’ll be able to participate in your annual pet art show. Maxi frequently has ATC swaps on very unique themes.
Off to France and the fantastic Claire Blettery and her show “Clair - Obscur”. I seem to remember sending something very strange. An ATC painting inside a vellum envelope or something like that. Depending on how you looked at it, it would either be clear or obscured. The poster is really nice and it looked like so many participated. Over 200. I think the show was held at the L’Atrium in France.
Staying in France there was the Le Timbres de l’Art Postal show, “Ange ou Demon” held in colaboration with the Musee de la Poste de Paris. I really enjoyed looking at the freaky art in the color catalog. Thank you for including me.
Last is something very unique. The Head teacher , M. Brett, at Durham Gilesgate Sports College sent me a nice certificate for being in their “My World” show this past January 2006 at the Sixth Form Centre Arts Centre, England. It was such a colorful show and their facility is very nice. Thank you!
Also I’ve gotten lots of e-mails from the Italian, “
Book Art ” show and the altered library cards show with Sarah. Thanks so much for keeping me updated on things. One of the few redeeming aspects of the Internet.
Well back to painting.
Wishing everyone much peace and joy!
-M
