Category Archives: Art

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 1. Base of sculpture stabilized with rocks.

 

Five Alive took place from May 20th through June 5th, 2010 at Monya Rowe Gallery in Chelsea.  It was a group show with my four colleagues graduating from the MFA program at Purchase College.  The show was curated by New York curator Omar Lopez-Chahoud, who selected a variety of work. (including a few remnants, sketches and experiments that he picked during his studio visits) Monya Rowe Gallery is a small 2nd story walk-up, but it is situated in a great location, and I like the raw look of the space.  Fellow exhibiting artists included Neil Dvorak, Scott Daniel Ellison, Merav Ezer and Rachel Wiecking.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 2. A selection of some of my drawings & sketches.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 3.  My work included a video, sculpture, paintings and works on paper.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 4.  My sculptural paintings were scattered in the gallery, sometimes in awkward places.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 5. Painting

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 6. This wall sculpture was placed near the ceiling.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 7.  Wall sculpture. (drawing by Neil Dvorak on back wall)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 8.  Installation shot including survival kit. (work by Weicking, Ezer and Ellison in far background)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

View of Earth Pond from the view of the camera positioned direction above.

 

Earth Pond was an environmental art piece in the basement of The Tom Museum project. (September  2006 –  May 2008)  With the help of an assistant, it was one of the first pieces that I began constructing.  In developing the concept, I wanted to create a model ecosystem representing the uses (and misuses) of Earth’s resources.  A barren cement crater held a pool of water. (A large puddle representing the biosphere of our planet.)  Small floating islands in the pool represented separate ecosystems effected by humans in various ways.  They included the islands of Consumerism, Barren Wasteland, Garbage, Extinction and Pristine Wilderness.  The basement was the perfect place for this project, as I was able to create a magical world with miniature lights, fans, speakers and a water pump that made the islands move.  A small video camera captured a bird’s-eye view of the pond, relaying the image to an installation at the entrance of the museum.  (The Universe Room)

It took a few months to work out all of the kinks in the piece, and it was time-consuming to maintain.  Plant lights needed to be installed when visitors left.  Plants needed to be watered twice a day.  Water in the pond needed to be replaced every few weeks.  I had to watch that children did not jump in or play with the islands.

The piece sparked a lot of dialogue about the environment.  It was complex, but something that people could understand.  In the end, I had some concerns about the impact of the piece (in its construction and eventual removal) on the ecosystem.  The completion of the work helped me to realize how wasteful the process of art making (especially installation art) can be.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basement site that I selected for the project.  The ceiling clearance was about five feet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Island of Extinction with dodo bird.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Talking about the piece on the opening day.  Islands were developed in the three months after the project opened to the public.  (Photo by L. Rippel)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Completed Island of Consumerism.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Earth Pond at the peak of development.  (photos by O. Smith)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Early attempt at building an island.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A lifeless rock.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Crater at night.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is a close-up look at Puppet City, my sculptural installation in the group show, Pulp Friction, opening Friday at James Gallery, Pittsburgh.  Puppets (and Puppet City) will be for sale.

Here are some shots of my solo exhibition at SUNY Purchase College from May 2010.  The title of the show was Queasy.  Within the show, I utilized sound, sculpture, installation and video to explore hypochondria and related anxieties.  In future posts, I will write about how the show was informed by current & ongoing world events.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inside of room.  Shadows on the wall are cast by a hand-forged scalpel blade that dangles in and out of a small hole in the ceiling.  Scalpel (attached to a motor) dips into a hole in the ceiling once a minute, surprising people inside.  Surround sound mix blocks out all outside noise.  Sounds are a mix of nature sounds, industrial sounds, and human vocalizations.  Room is 6ft tall, 12ft long and 4ft wide.  Room leads to a cloth-walled, tumor-shaped enclosure.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A doctor’s table and survival kit are displaced from the sterile office room.  Table is rickety and unusable.  A hand-made pair of scissors rests on top.  Survival kit contains an odd mix of random items.  A nearby video demonstrates a toxic bath.