My Earliest Abstract Work of Art

I recently came across this abstract art project from my elementary school days. It was created by lining a shirt box with a piece of paper, tossing in a marble or small rubber ball, and some blobs of paint. The magic is made by closing the lid on the box, and with a few random shakes of the box, the ball rolls around through the paint. When you remove the lid, there is a surprise work of contemporary art on paper. I always loved this painting. It's my very own Jackson Pollock- style work of modern art.

Christmas in Krakow - The Tradition of the Szopka

Every December, the main square of Krakow, Poland hosts a contest of Szopki. The unique designs (pronounced "shopki" or individually, "shopka") are Christmas Nativity Scenes specifically made in the city. The tradition comes from the early 19th century in the late fall, when typically busy carpenters and masons spent their idle time making these cribs to earn extra income. Now, made by families, hobbyists, and enthusiasts from any background, UNESCO recognized the practice in 2018 as a part of the world's cultural heritage. The crèches are painstakingly made from colorful tinfoil and cardboard often planned many months in advance. The buildings are a representation of landmarks found in Krakow and may also depict something noteworthy from the area or in recent history.

Here is  my own personal szopka given to me as a gift from a family member who traveled to Krakow during the Christmas season. It is about 14 inches high - some of them are made to reach over 6 feet in height and require at least two people to carry them. Wesołych świąt!

 

Newly Inspired Book Artwork - By Books and From Books

Inspired by some of the books I have lying around, I've started painting again. I'm looking at abstract painting by women Aboriginal artists, old medical books, mathematics, and the writings of Stephen Hawking. I have always been fascinated by pattern, nature, astronomy, and some of the recent findings from within and outside our own galaxy. Here are a couple of my latest original works on paper.

Double Arch, Gouache on recycled book, 2022

Nerve Endings, Gouache on recycled book, 2022

9/11 in Works of Art

These paintings were created in the days following 9/11 in NYC. Having just moved to Greenpoint (Brooklyn) from lower Manhattan where my apartment was located just under the shadow of the World Trade Center, I was extremely fortunate to now be living out of that immediate area. Even so, everything about this catastrophic event permeated every corner of the city; the feeling of helplessness and loss, bewilderment and fear; and the acrid smell in the air that lingered for weeks. Below, is my painting, Unfinished Business to relay the feelings of disorder and confusion in a new world as a population that was under attack, and this was far from over. America had finally woke from its sleepy oblivion.

I created this piece above, Talk of Towers, after seeing the fire in the South Tower on my way to work in Chelsea that perfect September morning, and subsequently witnessing the fall of both. I often use paper ephemera as a background before I start painting. In this case, I used subway maps with some routes and stations that would be forever changed. The WTC was marked with a red dot which can be seen through certain areas of translucence in the paint. With my usual cell “language” I have developed throughout my recent work, I modified it with a star to mark some of the central nuclei to convey the rise in patriotism felt everywhere. When you look at the piece as a whole, you can make out the faint division of three columns; on either end, the two Towers, and the ghost-like negative space centered in between.

Fashionably Fierce Street Divas - The Art of Bradley Theodore

As I was driving to work earlier this week, I heard the shocking news that Karl Lagerfeld, the creative genius behind Chanel, had suddenly passed away. I always thought of Karl as an immortal, vampire type; someone who just might live forever.

I immediately recalled the work of street artist, Bradley Theodore. A doppelganger in many ways for Basquiat,  and walking the same NYC streets; only the subjects have changed from jazz legends to fashion insiders and royalty. Over the years, I had seen and documented many of Bradley's neon, patchy, skeletal renderings of familiar "faces" such as columnist Diana Vreeland and Karl Lagerfeld. The image of Grace Coddington with blazing red hair and outstretched arms (below), is my favorite. His use of the existing basement door is quite clever.

Tom Ford - style icon for Gucci and YSL

Grace Coddington, Chinatown, NYC - April 2015

With his own iconic style (that distinctive white ponytail, the oversize sunglasses, and the perfectly-pressed Edwardian shirt/ suit jacket/ black denim combo), Karl had been lovingly given homage throughout the walls of New York City numerous times. Not meant to read as morbid renderings, these paintings represent the interior of all human beings. The skeleton, colorfully painted in these wall murals has become the great equalizer- an ever-familiar reminder or iconic base that applies to us all. How ironic. In the end, it would appear that we actually do all put our pants on one leg at a time. They just may not come with an extravagant price tag! Looking forward, I anticipate that the House of Chanel will continue to endure through spectacular runway shows as the brand transitions to a new creative heiress. For now, as we recall over-the-top never being quite enough, and through designs coveted and cherished by devotees, Karl is indeed eternal.

Mr. and Mrs. Pineapple, Union Square; Queen Elizabeth I, Lower East Side

Fashion photographer Terry Richardson (2014); a life-sized Karl Lagerfeld lingers in a doorway

Cara Delevingne and Kate Moss (originally mistaken for Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen)

Karl Lagerfeld in profile; Diana Vreeland (2013); and a Christie's emblem

World Trade Center Mural

WTC Mural, photo by Matthew Hobbs (© 2003 some rights reserved)

This mural known as "Forever Tall" was painted on the side of a restaurant on the Lower East Side of Manhattan in the days following September 11, 2001. Upon seeing it, the twinkling flowers in the outline of the Twin Towers amidst the other city lights evoked an emotional response in me. I felt the vibrancy of the souls lost as something separate from all of that sameness. This work of art was my favorite out of all the memorials and dedications from that period around Manhattan. I'm relieved to have found it documented as I missed getting to the area with my own camera. Thirteen years later, yes, we remember.

Balancing Beach Art

Last week, I took a mini-vacation to San Francisco then a friend graciously drove me to Monterey for a family wedding. We stayed in Cannery Row for the night, and stumbled across these sculptural balancing rock formations (known as rock cairns) on the beach just in front of our seaside lodging. Are they art? Or are they some form of meditations? The guy who made them was out there day and night hoping to catch some tips from enamored tourists like us.

Brooklyn Visit

Earlier this summer, I went back to my old neighborhood in Brooklyn to check out the enormously popular exhibit by Kara Walker at the soon-to-be-demolished Domino Sugar Factory (new photo-filled post about that coming soon). I saw how much the area has changed in the last couple of years. Even when I lived there, the development was rapid, and hot spots were popping up where an empty lot had been just a week ago. On my way to the art show by the Brooklyn Waterfront, I discovered these two colorful murals by Phetus (top) and R. Robots (bottom).

New Art - The Story of Wandering Through the Medina

 

By 8 a.m. the already sweltering Marrakesh heat follows her through the labyrinthine medina. Decorative lanterns and pottery and spices of every hue surround her in a dizzying display. She is fresh from a relaxing bath of rose petals and orange peels. A short distance away in the square, snake charmers and monkeys amuse the tourists from across the sea. But she is not one of them. With a good eye, she knows how to get what she wants, negotiating with the vendors in a language that only they, between them, can understand.

Paint the Town Vinaceous

Art and wine often go hand in hand, but not synthesized and fused together in this way. I frequently enjoy a glass of wine after a long day, but find that the reds aren't easy to preserve over a couple of days. 

For a recent textile project, I wanted to work with an antique look from the outset, and aged the appearance of the paper by making a natural dye from tea. As I was letting the paper soak, I looked over at a yet another Cabernet that had turned into an unpleasant vinegary slurry, and got an idea for an experiment. With every new project, artists often face the fear of a blank page. Tinted paper offers great possibilities as an inspired base. Here are the results with my new paintings!

Culture-Hunting in Vegas

I recently went to Las Vegas for the first time for a brief escape from reality. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I heard from many sources that it's a crazy, over-the-top sort of place. When I arrived, I saw many countries simultaneously in linear fashion. It wasn't fathomable to see Siam, Egypt, and New York all nestled on the famous Strip practically side by side. And yet, in Vegas, I suppose anything is possible. It's a place for bachelorettes, spring-breakers, gawkers, big-spenders, heavy drinkers, those who are down and out, those who are holding onto big hopes, and those who are holding onto wild dreams as well. Sure. But art and culture? 

Then I remembered there was a fairly large Dale Chihuly piece in the main lobby at one of them. Oh yes, that would be the Bellagio. It was a must-see for any art lover. And it was fantastic! Colored pools of glass swirl above your head like thousands of jellyfish. It was larger than life; practically the size of a 2 lane regulation-size swimming pool. Impressive. 

Later that evening, I enjoyed a glass of wine under the watchful eyes of about fifteen Picassos as I overlooked the choreographed fountain show on the main drag. What a combination. And what a spectacle! I was lured even further into the Wynn art collection by a video ad for a recent acquisition at his other property, the elegantly styled Wynn Hotel. It was a Jeff Koons piece entitled simply, "Tulips". I asked a couple of staff members who were strolling through the endless aisles of slot machines about where this piece was located. They chuckled a little, telling me that those tulips cost millions of dollars, I better go see them and make sure I enjoy them! In New York Magazine, I recently read that this work of art cost $33.7M to be exact. Vegas is a crazy place indeed.

Etsy Summer Sale - Starts Today!

Spring Hiatus and Metamorphosis

Heading in a New Direction

You might have noticed that I've been on a little bit of a spring hiatus. Here's my excuse - not only have I been working on my taxes, but I recently started a new day job, and have been working on two large art projects. I have to keep mum about those for now.

Making Some Transformations

Please stay tuned while I also make some changes around here. I am working behind-the-scenes on making some improvements to my existing Etsy shop while adding a new shop. I'll be sure to make an announcement when I am up and running. In the coming months, I will also be creating new wearable items and lifestyle pieces for the home....not to mention a few changes to this blog. Everything is very much under construction so I hope you’ll stop back again before too long!

Not gone and not resting, just busy making it all happen…..

Message In A Sculpture - Valentine Love Notes

 

If you've ever spent any time in the New York subway system, you've probably seen these little sculptures by Tom Otterness at the 8th Avenue/14th Street Station where the L train connects to the A, C, E line. These little works of art are not concentrated to one particular area, but spread throughout the station. It's one of my favorite places to wait for a train because I like to look at all of these little guys. On my way home from this part of town one night, I was feeling a little blue. Absently studying the sculptures for the umpteenth time in my commuter haze, my first thought was that someone strategically shoved a wad of garbage into the figure. When I saw the bright red shape, I realized it was a little scroll tucked into this special spot; a clever disguise hidden in plain view. I looked around to see if anyone was watching, and pulled out the scroll. 

It was a little secret - like finding a message in a bottle from across the sea, or experiencing that moment of anticipation when you crack open a fortune cookie. The mini scroll was attached to a brilliant red heart made from a simple paperclip. The message felt like it was put there just for me. The arbitrary words were lilting, some lyrics from a song I knew. "I want to hold your hand - the Beatles". The memory of the song and its intent immediately brought a little smile to my face. I walked around the platform, and noticed another bronze figure bearing another note as if it were some clue to a treasure hunt. Another heart, more lyrics. And another smile. In the distance, I heard a train coming. I circled the platform quickly hoping there might be more mysteries to unravel. I found a total of five little "love notes" before my gritty steel chariot arrived. Somewhere in a recessed chamber of my brain, I wondered if the undercover emissary behind the simple goodwill gesture was watching. I hope they saw the big grin on my face for the long ride home.

My favorite one- in some small way, this little reminder is so hard to remember but so true.

Collecting - Basquiat's Iconic New York Times Magazine Cover

This post commemorates a small anniversary. This article with the cover picture above, New Art, New Money: The Marketing of an American Artist from the New York Times 28 years ago (yes, 1985!) marked a defining moment in the New York art scene. If you love the paintings of Jean-Michel Basquiat as much as I do, then this photo by Lizzie Himmel showing Basquiat sitting pretty is probably very familiar to you. After moving several times, I feared that this memorable relic may have gotten lost or inadvertently tossed out. Having recently gotten my hands on it again, I have it hung prominently in my work area for painting (and blogging) inspiration. A special frame is coming soon.

Green-Wood Cemetery, 2002

I re-read the article to get a sense of the mindset of the art world in those days. The New York scene has changed so much since then. Many of the people and places are now gone. It chronicles the art market, changes in the players, the nightlife, and collector habits from the era of the Abstract Expressionists to the mid-1980s. The art stars were different then. Behind-the-scenes painters like Pollock and DeKooning were transformed into superstar personalities like Warhol and Haring. Popular artist venues like the Cedar Tavern were converted to the Mudd Club and Mr. Chow's. The article further describes rise and fall of painting in a booming art market. Everyone was becoming a collector. Surprisingly, artists often had waiting lists for their work. 

Basquiat was at the top of his short-lived career at the age of twenty-five. He was also a victim of his own talent and success; unsure of how to handle the grooming and attention of art world heavyweights, meteoric success, and unbelievable sums of money in such a very short period of time. Just five years prior, he was couch surfing and couldn't even buy his own art supplies. Suddenly his work was hanging in the homes of celebrities, collectors, and notable museums next to the previous generation of blue chip artists. Now, he was easily getting $10,000 - $25,000 for his paintings but he didn't even have a bank account. He suddenly had context in the art machine, people took advantage, and drugs eventually took their toll. 

SAMO©

Basquiat is buried in Brooklyn's Green-Wood Cemetery (Plot: Section 176, Lot 44603) along with other famous creative residents such as Louis Comfort Tiffany and Leonard Bernstein. A thin wire frame that reads "SAMO©" sticks out of the top of the headstone. This was Basquiat's graffiti tag and alter ego that once covered a crime-ridden city, and also appeared in many of his paintings. He described it as "same old" in the form of a corporate logo. The irony is that he didn't have the street credibility of most graffiti artists (spray painting train cars at night) and his own paintings exhibited more of a formal (art historical-based) aesthetic with references to the mark-making of Cy Twombly, Dubuffet, and even the educated but raw primitivism of Picasso. Today, Basquiat's paintings sell for well over a million dollars - if you can even get access to one.

"Bold color and the sensuality of a richly painted surface returned, appealing to an art public that had been starved, baffled or bored for a decade." Gone are the glory days of the New York art world. Artists having household names is practically nonexistent these days. Personally, in this digital age, there appears to be a deep lull. I can only hope for a revival of painting and a resurgence in the cycle of a meaningful art market.

Happy (Lunar) New Year - Year of the Snake

Lion Puppets (Chinatown, New York - February 4, 2006)

According to ancient soothsayers, the Year of the Snake is associated with protection and prevention from starvation. A snake found in the house is thought to be a symbol of luck concerning finances, prosperity, and wealth. For people born under this sign or with occupational leanings towards the artistic (potters, jewelers, magicians and painters) it offers new hope.

With a big Chinatown in New York, the Lunar New Year is a big event for all New Yorkers. Colorful lions dance and shimmy in front of businesses wishing them success for the upcoming year. The sidewalks are more crowded than usual. Firecrackers snap throughout the streets and dim sum becomes a big dining event.

Happy Year of the Snake!

Manhattan's Hidden Picasso

Just off busy Houston Street and tucked away inside a sleepy central courtyard of apartment buildings in lower Manhattan sits a massive Picasso sculpture. I discovered the Bust of Sylvette (1967) one day when I was wandering around New York with no particular place to go after checking out the annual Armory Show. She is about 6 stories high and is made of a granular concrete with dark sandblasted lines. Picasso's famous Cubist method is rendered by three-dimensional folds allowing the viewer to have different points of perspective into one complete essence of the piece. These bends in the concrete allow shards of sunlight to play on and around the sculpture. I recently saw two small painted metallic mock-ups at the Black and White Picasso show at the Guggenheim. Here, those comparatively tiny models (just twenty-six inches high) have come to life. The giant reinterpretation was executed by the world-famous Spaniard in coordination with Norwegian artist, Carl Nesjar.

The two sides of Sylvette

The model for the piece, a young nineteen year old Sylvette David, appears in the work of Picasso's later years as the "girl with the blonde ponytail". After achieving fame across Europe for being Picasso's muse and for her striking good looks, she later changed her name to Lydia to validate her own art career.

The Brutalist style buildings surrounding the Sylvette sculpture in lower Manhattan are designed by I.M. Pei are part of the NYU Campus. The sculpture itself was a gift to NYU by Mr. and Mrs. Allan D. Emil (philanthropist, patron of the arts, and notable lawyer) in 1968. A similar public sculpture was purchased by the city of Rotterdam. Picasso himself never visited the United States, but this giant artwork certainly makes his presence felt.

Liberating the Rebel - Interview with Martha Rich

After a brief hiatus for most of January, I thought I'd start off this new year with an interview with one of my favorite artists. I discovered the work of Martha Rich a few years ago through the 20 x 200 affordable art website. Immediately, I fell in love with her two prints of a painted piece of cake with some ambiguous yet suggestive text bubbles floating around the main image giving a hint at the title - Chocolate Electric and Stay Icy (and now a third entitled, Yes Please). Something about the bright color and sugary absurdity of those pieces appealed to me. When I did a little cyber-stalking to find more of her paintings, I was delighted with her overall aesthetic and color sense. I knew I wanted to be surrounded by her work in my home.

Martha happens to live and work in my hometown area of Philadelphia. I visit South Jersey often, so this past fall, I made a stop at Martha's studio to see her latest pieces and ask her some questions.

Martha's artist statement is unusual, not the run-of-the-mill autobiography. It is fractured and seemingly senseless at first glance. It reads like a disjointed novel or haiku, all the while offering a deeply personal and poetic glimpse into the life of an artist with an inability to describe the grasp of the creative process. "My art is driven by the stored moments not by logic. It is my own language and sometimes I don't understand it." Every artist faces so much pressure with the start of a new masterpiece. She likens this moment with an existence inside the corporate cubicle. "There's something terrifying about a blank page." (Working in a cubicle terrifies me too.) Be prepared to enjoy the insights on some colorful and fun paintings!

_____________

-How long have you been painting? When did you know that you wanted to be an artist and pursue art? 

I have been painting since going to Art Center College of Design (in Pasadena), and I have always been doing artsy stuff since I was a kid, but I didn't know I could be an "artist" until the Clayton Brothers told me I could.

-I was initially drawn to your paintings because of your sense of color (and because I like food imagery). There also appears to be an underlying commentary on femininity. Would you agree with that? Can you explain more about where this comes from?  

I don't intentionally make a commentary on femininity, but maybe I do because I happen to be female and therefore that is what I know and therefore it comes out in my paintings.

-Why are you drawn to painting food and desserts?  

You have to ask?! It started when I found a 70s cookbook about cakes at an estate sale.

- What is your work about, and how do you describe your art overall? It definitely appears to have a sense of humor.

I think the majority of my work is about the absurdity of life and trying to deal with it. I do not know how anyone can go through life without a sense of humor. I would crumble if I couldn't laugh at it. I went through a Frederick's of Hollywood obsession a while ago. I wish they would do catalogs like that again.

-Can you briefly describe your artistic progression over the years? How did you get to where you are now?  

I had a creative semi-hippie mom who showed me how to macrame, batik, develop photos, tumble rocks, quilt, make glasses from old beer bottles and more. During the elementary years, I wrote and illustrated my own magazine called "Ye Olde Continental Times." In high school, I was an art major. Then I went to college where they squashed it out of me; spent the next 15 years trying to be a normal-suburban-picket-fence- pantyhose-marriage-kids-corporate-job person. Then divorce led me to taking a class with the Clayton Brothers at Art Center College of Design and that was the changing moment in my life. I have been an "real" artist ever since. Not so brief.

-What’s a Freedom Wig?  

It was a wig style in a Frederick's of Hollywood catalog- kind of a big fluffy afro. I think I latched onto wigs from those ads and the fact that my mother went through cancer when I was a kid and had to wear a wig. I figured that out later. I am out of the wig stage for now.

-In your studio, I saw a series made from the New York Times Magazine. What is the story behind those? 

I hate a blank white piece of paper. It is so hard to put down that first mark. I subscribe to the Sunday New York Times and had a whole pile of the magazines and papers waiting for recycling. One day while working, I had leftover paint on my palette. I hate wasting paint, so I picked up one of the magazines and started painting over the text. I liked it, so I kept doing it and it became my sketchbook. There is no pressure to be perfect in my sketchbooks; a crisp white page calls for perfection. I need a place to fail and make a mess and this is where I do it.

-Aside from the New York Times project – what other projects have you taken on? I started making 100 pieces of art for $100 so people could still by original art and not have to be a "one percenter" to do it.

-You mentioned that people have to watch what they say around you or it might end up in one of your pieces. Can you elaborate? 

I love to eavesdrop which is much easier in a city like Philadelphia versus Los Angeles. I carry a book around and write the crazy stuff I hear then when I make my mind map paintings, I go through the book for the best phrases and curate them into the paintings.

-Who or what is your work influenced by? Do you have any particular favorite artists? My work is influenced by life.  

My favorite artists fluctuate, but I would say Margaret Kilgallen is one who is consistently in my mind. Also Georganne Deen. She is amazing. But I am more influenced by my friends and studio mates than big famous  arteests. Esther Pearl Watson and Mark Todd, The Clayton Brothers, Jason Holley, Aaron Smith, Matt Curtius, Gina Triplett, Keith Warren Greiman are more of my favorites.

-What is your favorite piece of all time that you’ve created and why? 

The Loretta Lynn portrait I did for an independent study with Christian Clayton in art school. It was motorized and was a turning point for me artistically.

-Are there any outside activities that have influenced or become part of your work at all? 

I don't think so. Art is my outside activity. Inside and outside.

-Do you listen to music (if so, what?) or do you have any particular rituals as part of working in your studio? 

I do not listen to music. I listen to the Real Housewives of Anything. I like to listen to talking that I don't really have to pay attention to. I usually have to clean before I start a painting. Organize my brains.

-Where do you like to go for inspiration or find sanctuary? (A favorite museum, your own work space, or out in the woods, a wig shop, a bra store, etc.)  

I like to go to museums. Any museum will do. But it is not a really a "thing" I do a lot. I go through museums like the wind. I am not a lingerer. I get art fatigue really quickly. I think I am more inspired by just living. I don't often look for sanctuary because I think my life is already a sanctuary. Well maybe I find sanctuary in my friends and family or at a really good restaurant.

- What is your artistic future? Do you have any specific projects or exhibitions coming up in 2013? 

I have no idea what my artistic future is except I hope I am still doing art in the future. I have a show in April 2013 with Keith Warren Greiman at Space 1026 Gallery in Philly. That is what I am focused on right now. I was also in the annual Post-It show at Giant Robot this past December in LA. I actually got to go there this year! I was looking forward to that a bunch.

-Where can we find more of your work? 

At any of these websites: martharich.com, martharichartprojects.bigcartel.com, or 100for100.bigcartel.com

Or just come to the studio!