The Best of the Music & Art Scene In New York From A to G. Daily!
Posted by The G on April 15, 2012 under Street Art | 
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Photos by G. Art by David Shrigley.
David Shrigley Billboard
The text on this hilarious billboard by David Shrigley is:
David Shrigley Billboard Closeup
Posted by The G on February 17, 2012 under Artsy Fartsy, Encounters with G | Be the First to Comment
Photos by G. Art by Norbert Brunner.
"Smiling Broadly" by Norbert Brunner. Now showing at Claire Oliver in New York through March 24, 2012
Like me, if you’ve been looking forward to seeing a full length exhibit by Austrian artist Norbert Brunner, the wait is over. “Smiling Broadly” by Brunner is now showing at Claire Oliver in New York. Combining LED lights, 3 layers of Plexiglass and text made out of Swarovski crystals, each work by Norbert Brunner will make you question the interpretation of the traditional definition of a portrait. From a photograph, we only know about the moment in question, but what transpires before and after it are mysteries. When you look at Norbert Brunner’s works, you are confronted with a question or statement that will uplift you, while at the same time, a pair of eyes is seemingly waiting for your reaction.
EXTREME CLOSEUP!
I spoke with Norbert Brunner at the opening night reception and it was a great experience talking to him about the positive messages in his art. Some of the phrases you’ll see on his gorgeous works of art include “Recognize the Potential,” “Don’t Wait, Start Now,” “Visualize the Extraordinary” and “Anticipate Greatness.” These inspirational phrases and self-fulfilling prophecies make the viewer walk away from the gallery with the title of the exhibit fresh on their faces – smiling broadly!
Anything is Possible by Norbert Brunner
“Smiling Broadly” by Norbert Brunner is showing at Claire Oliver (located at 513 West 26th Street in Manhattan) through March 24, 2012. Don’t miss it!
Posted by The G on January 7, 2012 under Artsy Fartsy | Be the First to Comment
Photos by G. Art by Thomas Woodruff.
"The Four Temperament Variations" by Thomas Woodruff at PPOW in Chelsea. Now showing through February 4, 2012.
Full disclosure: I am cutting and pasting these next two paragraphs from the press release because their words capture this amazing exhibit in the most succinct way possible. In Thomas Woodruff’s latest body of work, he tackles the four temperaments as well as the painterly figurative genres of portrait, still-life, landscape, and wild life in his variations. Using his highly cross-referenced pictorial mash-up of visual motifs, this series is a celebration of the emotional value of color, the storytelling potential of character and costuming, and a contemporary revision of the enigmatic mysteries of our collective past. He creates his own beasts, including the “quadicorn” and the “batterfly” and weaves threads from animae, steampunk, and body modification culture into these grand, fabulist images as well as his encyclopedic knowledge of art and fashion history.
The Four Temperaments Variations were inspired by the theories of Hippocrates, around 400 BC, when wise men believed everyone’s body and mind were controlled by four different, mysterious, colored fluids: Sanguinic, Choleric, Melancholic, and Phlegmatic. Imbalance or overabundance of the fluids would cause disease or pre-described behaviors. Treatment would usually involve bleeding, cupping, herbs, and emetics. During the Renaissance this theory was revised to include ideas of temperature. In the Age of Reason, aspects of physiognomy were brought into play, and today many pop psychologists and dating services still find the personality traits useful tools for getting along and finding love. ”The Four Temperament Variations” by Thomas Woodruff is showing at PPOW in Chelsea (located at 535 West 22nd Street, 3rd Floor) in Manhattan through February 4, 2012.
Posted by The G on December 31, 2011 under The G Spot | Be the First to Comment
Photo by Tres.
G with Mark Kostabi
In 2011, I was extremely blessed to meet so many talented people in the world of the arts. One of the coolest people I was fortunate enough to meet this year was artist Mark Kostabi. I’d been a fan of his work for a long time and our places of birth are in the same state – California. It took living in New York to get the chance to meet Mark and the bond we formed has been a true highlight of my year. Aside from the fact that Mark Kostabi is a very talented artist, he is also an accomplished composer, game show host (yes, that’s right!), and has been the subject of many fascinating documentaries. His uncompromising position about telling the truth in the art world is nothing short of inspiring. He’s done it his way and while that has resulted in many career ups and downs, he currently lives a fabulous jet setting life in both Europe and the United States!
Speaking with Mark is a pleasure as he is so knowledgable about art. By the end of a conversation with him, your brain jots down mental notes of artists to research and if you do the work, you’ll tremendously expand your artistic vocabulary. I am so grateful that Mark Kostabi has made me feel so welcome in his Chelsea studio, Kostabi World, which is filled from ceiling to floor with his great art. I’ve had the pleasure to visit Kostabi World several times this year and I really look forward to spending more time there in 2012.
During a visit earlier in 2011, Mark signed one of his coffee table books for me with such a beautiful message, it is one of my most prized possessions (and coming from me, that is saying a lot!) You must see the film “Con Artist” which is a great document of a great man – According2g’s 2011 Man of the Year – Mark Kostabi.
Thanks Mark! Words can’t even express how grateful I am! If you don’t know the work and life of Mark Kostabi, I encourage you to change that right now and I hope your life will be as enriched by his work as mine is.
Thanks Mark!
Posted by The G on December 16, 2011 under Artsy Fartsy | Be the First to Comment
Photo by G. Art by Ari Lankin.
Ari Lankin
We’d like to wish a very special happy birthday to artist Ari Lankin today! Ari’s art is great. He is a master of many styles and as you can see above, his abstract paintings are both colorful and will give you endless viewing pleasure. You should definitely check out Ari Lankin’s official site as he often shows “process videos” where you can see a time-lapsed video that covers the inception to completion of selected paintings. I am fascinated by the videos as he often starts a painting in one direction and by the time it’s finished, it has taken a radically different direction. On a personal note, I’ve been lucky enough to visit Ari’s Manhattan studio and he is such a cool guy who in addition to being incredibly talented, is extremely cultured as well. Love ya man! Have a great birthday!
