“ The opening structure looks a lot like a chandelier and had me transfixed for about ten minutes because sparkles…just standing there trying to get the perfect angle…to snap my camera at right time to get the lights before they flicker and fade into the next sequence. My pictures don’t do it justice. I walk past the light to what I hope is another exhibit and yes there is more. The next room is pitch black upon entrance. However you’ll soon realize that the only light is sourced solely from the cosmic panels on the wall that favor the Milky Way. My flash accidentally goes off but thankfully I’m not scolded harshly. I lose track of time in this room. Completely mesmerized…”
By Leo Villareal
Particle Field (2017)
Views from Particle Chamber (2017)
Ellipse (2017)
My dad called me up a few weeks ago, and said, “We’ve not seen one another in a while. Come down to the house, and let’s do something. I want to take you to dinner, and a show in New York.”
I said, “OK, but I also want to see this gallery exhibit at the J.P. Morgan Library on 37th and Madison, the artwork of J.R.R. Tolkien. Maybe we can do that in the afternoon?”
It’s a busy Tuesday night on Elizabeth Street, and I’m keeping my eyes on the building numbers I pass in case I miss my destination – the E55 space, which is, as its name suggests, located at number 55. And easily missable it is – beyond a small crowd congregated on the street I can see a staircase leading downwards, underground, into what appears to be a small bar filled to the brim with energy, experimental music and chatter. And of course, people.
The exhibition I am here to see is the Game Art Exhibition, hosted by Glitchmark, a local group of (mostly emerging) interdisciplinary artists, game designers and creatives with a specific interest in exploring and dissecting the way we relate to and engage with the idea of ‘play’, through video games or otherwise. The exhibition itself has been put together with the intent of showcasing visual art from and inspired by video games made in Melbourne; a display of the fresh, home-grown talent that remains perhaps unseen and unexplored in the wider picture of contemporary art and design. Undoubtedly, video games are not something that your usual art aficionado, much less the general public, would associate with the unusual world of contemporary art, and that’s what makes this exhibition’s concept so fascinating. While other institutions such as ACMI have held numerous shows and exhibits to celebrate the intrinsic fun and talent within the gaming phenomenon, very few in Melbourne have endeavored to such a task in the name of contemporary art. Unlike these larger, blockbuster exhibitions, there is less of a focus on the games themselves and more of a focus on displaying the work of local artists, the equivalent of preferring to experience local home-brew instead of widespread commercial product. With this in mind, I move through the throng of people to examine the works hung upon the bar’s red walls.
The works on display instantly give off an impression distinctly similar to the visual style of contemporary cartoons, with series such as Adventure Time and Steven Universe being clear sources of inspiration for a number of works. Colorful, wide-eyed cartoon astronauts with jovial expressions permeate the work of Madison Palmieri, standing atop and barely clinging to Tetris-eqsue blocks. The artworks of Ngoc Vu share a similar style (both artists have work designed around and inspired by a local game called ‘Turnover’), but also features digital artworks for a game called ‘Emma’ – highly emotive, black-and-white drawings designed to explore the experience of a second-generation Asian-Australian that carry a strong sense of visual weight and depth. Richard Adem’s fractal digitally generated geometric line works provide as a clear and refreshing departure from the candy-richness of many of the other artists’ works, and are the only distinctly abstract works on display. However, the standout works of the show are those by traditional artist Marco Ryan – drawn directly onto card paper with a biro pen, the incredibly meticulous and detailed mechanical creatures come to life on the walls more than any other work on display. Each one inspired by a different aquatic animal, Ryan’s works are purportedly inspired by games such as Abe’s Exodus and Bioshock, names that are well-known to many gamers. However, this is as far as the effectiveness of the exhibition’s works go – despite intentions that are effective in theory, a number of ineffective and confusing curatorial decisions prevent the exhibition from fulfilling its immense potential.
The first and most notable poor decision is the inconsistency in the display of the works themselves – works from each artist are framed so significantly differently that it becomes distracting in the overall scope of the exhibition. A worryingly high portion of the works are let down by their poor presentation – cheap-looking inkjet prints and tacky pseudo-metal frames are frequent, taking away any aspect of professionalism that would otherwise have been attained. Some works were also framed crookedly, or came off the wall in a lopsided way, preventing the charm of many smaller prints and works from shining through. (Indeed, part of what makes Ryan’s work so outstanding is the meticulous and clean framing of his work, which is topped off by a beautiful red wax seal.) While a clear and consistent theme was evident in the event’s catalog description, I sometimes struggled to see the relevance of the work to the topic – were these designed to be a wide and diverse representation of the art from games made in Melbourne, or were they just digital art pieces from artist who happened to be somehow related to game design? While some works had a clear inspiration and purpose, others had seemingly little relevance to a specific game or project, instead being more like ‘an artwork done by a game designer’ rather than ‘a piece of artwork done from or inspired by videogames’. Another question that is brought to my mind is whether the exhibition truly is representative of the in-depth aesthetic and cultural concerns that Glitchmark aims to explore – I personally believe that the exhibition would have benefited from having less works from more artists, perhaps one or two from each, instead of large volumes of prints from only a select few (and this, I believe, would be better representative of the enormous talent and diversity of the Melbourne community). On the more positive side, the exhibition’s homely and inviting execution lacks the impersonality of larger commercial exhibitions, which gives the viewer an opportunity to interact with game art and its creators in an intimate and positive way.
While the worlds of contemporary art and videogames are, in a wider cultural context, very separate, independent groups such as Glitchmark are attempting to slowly bridge the gap and create works that challenge the very definition and boundaries of ‘play vs. art’. The Game Art Melbourne Exhibition is, despite its shortcomings, a very good step in this direction – indeed, this ambitious first attempt for the group signals intentions that can only improve in the future, and offer the potential to breathe new life into the way we, as consumers, see video games.
Although the Glitchmark exhibition is now finished, you can still browse their website for information and a catalogue: http://glitchmark.com/game-art-melbourne-exhibition/
by Arthur Ivan Bravo
Fate, or coincidental circumstance, has situated Good Work Gallery in the seemingly strategic crossroads of the ever-increasingly busy interaction of Broadway and Dekalb avenues, straddling the border between Bushwick and Bed-Stuy, an area that already hosts Bushwick mainstays such as The Living Gallery, Goodbye Blue Monday, Lone Wolf, and Wayfarers. Sporting an impressively large storefront-style facade, Good Work Gallery makes one wonder why artist and commercial sign-designer Scott Goodman hadn’t decided to become a gallerist sooner.
Opening night, Alvarino Klein Design Production Systems Team: New Work. Photo courtesy of Alexander West Guerrero
First used as Goodman's studio, the space at 1100 Broadway has its own colorful history. As Goodman's landlord told him, the building was constructed in 1931 and was originally used to manufacture clothing. Decades later, it was badly damaged by the fires that burned Bushwick in the 1980s. Subsequently, the building became the location of more than a few types of illegal activities until it was bought and developed--all this information, Goodman is quick to add, should be taken with a proverbial grain of salt.
Scott Goodman in his gallery, office, and studio space
Goodman became aware of the space for the first time in 2006 when he was finishing his BFA at Cooper Union. It housed the studios of a then fast-emerging collective made up of Cooper alumni: The now well-known but decidedly anonymous collective had a retrospective at the Brooklyn Museum last year and currently runs the foundation-challenging BHQFU school. The collective also held shows and parties at 1100 Broadway, many of which Goodman frequented. A few years later, the collective moved on, leaving the studio spaces they had formerly occupied available for other artists. At first Goodman worked at the so-called storefront space as a member of the art collective DADDY, but eventually he inherited it from the collective after a lead member moved to California for graduate school.
The facade of Good Work Gallery
Conveniently, Goodman already had experience renovating the interiors of galleries throughout the city. As Goodman said, “After having done this work, I felt equipped to remodel and repurpose my own storefront art studio and turn it into an exhibition space." Responding to opportunity, Goodman adds, "It felt like the universe had placed all the ingredients for an art exhibition space around me, and that it was my responsibility to put them together…I opened it for a number of reasons. I wanted to work with and be close to other artists. I had the knowledge necessary to fix up the space, and some friends that wanted to help me do it. I knew talented artists. Because I make money with my business, I didn’t have the financial constraints that some other galleries have. This would allow me to focus on exhibiting work that I find exciting, regardless of its marketability.”
Scott Goodman (left), with artists Nick Klein (center) and Miguel Alvarino (right) of Alvarino Klein Design Production Systems Team
The studio’s design, with floor-to-ceiling windows that face the street as if specifically constructed for display, was not only useful for the kind of work that DADDY was doing, but also ideally suited for Goodman, considering his background: Goodman returned to painting toward the end of his studies at Cooper with renewed concerns about the nature of installation, while also fashioning a career of designing commercial signs and displays. Eventually, both his work and his art informed one another. Although Goodman has essentially converted his studio space into an art gallery, he still intends to continue using it as his studio and office in-between exhibitions. With this intent in mind, Goodman chose all the furniture in the space to be mobile, and all his things are portable so they can be moved in and out as needed.
Opening night, Alvarino Klein Design Production Systems Team: New Work exhibition. Photo courtesy of Alexander West Guerrero
For the gallery’s first exhibition, which opened mid-January, Goodman brought in artists Nick Klein and Miguel Alvarino, under the collaborative name of Alvarino Klein Design Production Systems Team. He met Klein years back in Miami, and they have kept in touch until both Klein and Alvarino moved to New York City. The paintings on display represent works in progress throughout the exhibition’s visiting hours and are part of a series commissioned by a real estate company in Florida for display in an office setting. Goodman explained that situated in a gallery space, the paintings “suggested a critical re-framing of the Abstract Expressionist movement’s popularity among corporate interests, having appropriated some of the formal vocabulary of abstract art which is commonly found in corporate settings.”
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Good Work Gallery is located at 1100 Broadway. Opening hours are subject to change; see the gallery’s current website.
Upcoming exhibitions include Ben Sisto: Used Books, curated by Joshua Caleb Weibley, and First Responders, curated by Zachary Smith, opening March 7 and April 5, respectively.
Currently walking around the National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh as i feel I need to redeem myself after doing no work yesterday due to recovering after my birthday party the night before!!
I’ve come to see the temporary exhibition by Sassen, a fashion photographer, in the 1900s, and have become struck by a couple of her images in ‘nudes, a journey’. One in particular is ‘Window’. This image is very simple; a nude female top half by a Window, however the model is bending back in such a way that her face is hidden and there is some amazing foreshortening across her body. Furthermore there are shadows cast across her that accentuate the shape of her breasts and shoulders.
I’m another image from this section, ‘Sylvia’, she plays with the idea of contrasts of light and dark. This is a theme that runs throughout all my previous work and one that I wish to continue further as i feel I have not fully experimented within it. The subjects face is partly obscured by her arm and hand, which also cast a shadow. This warps the face, something I looked at in detail last year on my foundation degree (i’ll post some photos later). The photograph could become a very strong painting.
After not really knowing where to start after being given the project brief, I went to the National Gallery of Scotland on Princes St. I went around the permanent exhibition and found nothing much that inspired me, other than the various artists' use of photorealism in the renaissance and pre-Raphaelite art. There was also the annual collection of 'Turner in January' showing various beautiful watercolours…. However once again did not inspire me to pick up a pencil or paintbrush and start the new project. Luckily i got lost and ended up down some winding stairs where i found a temporary collection of Allan Ramsay's pre-portrait studies.
The stages he goes through, the practicing, the mock-ups, the composition edits, they all lead up to a final piece that is truly breathtaking. He is one of vary few painters of his time that spent so long on the build-up and in his devotion to drawing along-side painting.
His hand studies of each and every painting are fascinating and a think this is what i will focus on for now… developing my own skill in painting and drawing by focusing on ligaments, foreshortening and random objects to progress the photorealistic style i'm hoping to achieve.
Associated Artists - curators Trio: Jen Hitchings Theresa Daddezio Julian Jimarez-Howard Will Show You
by Etty Yaniv
(Left to right) Jen Hitchings, Julian Jimarez-Howard, Theresa Daddezio "Hot Mamas" group exhibition, Courtesy Associated
Art making and curating coalesce seamlessly in the daily lives of the three dynamic Associated founders. Sharing an easygoing and unpretentious demeanor, Jen Hitchings, Theresa Daddezio and Julian Jimarez-Howard, the young and energetic force behind this upcoming art venue in Bushwick, convey a winning combination of informality, thoughtfulness, professionalism and ambition. Like an adventurous jazz trio with an experimental impulse and endless stamina, they create their own tune by using improvisation and continuous interaction with natural coolness. They work together in the "way that friends hang out and sometimes dive into intellectual conversations,” Hitchings observes. Aside from Associated business, they regularly meet socially, and when meetings are called, ideas and potential new artists to exhibit are exchanged casually. Hitchings explains that, like the name, they typically compile “associated” people and ideas in order to make shows, which are presented to everyone else that they are “associated with.”
Artists and curators (left to right): Caroline Falby, Rachel Hayes, Julian Howard-Jimarez, Theresa Daddezio, Jennifer Hitchings, and Sharon Horvath, Photo by Willow Goldstein
A conversation at Hitchings’ and Daddezio’s shared painting studio embodied this spirit of informal communication. Initially, our conversation was halted for a few minutes to welcome with hugs an artist who stopped in to drop off work for “Hot Mamas," a group show that opened July 20. Multitasking is the name of the game: each member juggles day jobs with making art and sharing a passion for showing other people’s artwork. Hitchings, who works as a manager at Pierogi, says that her gallery job informs her artwork more than her curatorial practice. Constantly consuming art, handling it, and communicating with artists about their process and concepts, inspires her and she feels incredibly lucky for that. “It’s like going to an awesome grad school, but not paying for it rather getting paid,”she said.
Jimarez-Howard, a Brown graduate who earned his masters in art business from Sotheby's Institute of Art and runs OUTLET Fine Art in addition to his work with Associated, adds that having three or even four jobs is becoming the norm in Bushwick. Daddezio agrees. “You have to, if you want to be able to make it in this area,” she said. In fact, all three of them arrived in Bushwick only about two years ago, evidently equipped with ambition to make it happen.
Jennifer Hitchings,Theresa Daddezio in their studio
For Hitchings and Daddezio, being pro-active as individuals and as a collaborative team derives from their shared undergraduate school experience at SUNY Purchase in upstate NY. Daddezio recalls that as soon as they arrived in Bushwick straight after graduation , they stuck together. “You want to prove yourself, coming from a small out-of-town state school,” she says with a mischievous grin. Hitching nods her head in agreement and so does Jimarez-Howard, who moved to Bushwick after staying in Rhode Island briefly after graduation. “School is definitely the bond between them,” he concludes. Hitchings traces her interest in curation and gallery work back to her BFA committee planning role, where she first discovered that she didn’t like the idea of a full time studio work in isolation, but rather preferred to engage in organizing projects which unify people, such as looking and talking about art in public. For Daddezio, on the other hand, painting is a clear priority, and she openly admits that the curatorial work sometimes “hangs out on the sidelines for too long because I am so obsessive about painting.” And indeed, as a painter who is primarily preoccupied with exploring ideas on form, composition and color, Daddezio is also the first to admit that she has an unapologetic bias toward painting in her curatorial practice.
"Star Gazers," 60"x70", oil on canvas, 2013, Courtesy Theresa Daddezio
Filled with canvases, easels and myriad painting paraphernalia, Daddezio's and Hitchings' studio space projects the familiar vibes of an active painter’s studio, but despite their affinity for technique and bias toward painting, in their curatorial practice both artists aim to remain open minded. Daddezio hopes not only to show a “wide breadth of work,” but also to make viewers come up with unexpected interpretations. “If it gets people thinking, it is a good thing,” she asserts. Hitching elaborates, “When I think of curating, I think of rearranging and presenting both ideas and visual objects in a way that hasn’t been done before.” Jimarez-Howard makes large conceptual work that evolves from ideas that are overtly related to social and art world contexts, such as raising viewers’ awareness to the invisible labor of art handlers, shippers, and construction workers whose hard work facilitates the art-world glamor. From his perspective as a conceptual artist, he finds it's not necessary for him to like a piece of art as a curator, yet it is essential that the artwork communicates to viewers a cohesive thought process. That said, for all three of them, constant reinterpretation of their social and art milieu seems to play a central role.
"Adolescence," 2012, oil and acrylic on canvas, 18" x 30"
"Banana Split," 2013, oil and acrylic on wood, 27" x 21", courtesy Jennifer Hitchings
"Invisible Labor," photo from a performance, courtesy Julian Jimarez-Howard
Jimarez-Howard's and Hitchings’ artwork clearly convey social themes on different levels. Less directly, Hitchings' brooding paintings reflect on our indulgent culture in suburban and urban contexts alike. In life, Hitchings evidently sticks to pragmatism. “We are always out at openings,” she says decisively. It is important for her not only to participate in what is happening now but also take an active part in what is going to happen next. Daddezio adds in her frank and earnest manner that as an artist, curating for her is “like an excuse” to have a dialogue with other artists. In fact, they all share the passion to support artists and provide them with additional exposure. “There are so many artists and not enough spaces to show,” Hitchings asserts. Daddezio reinforces, “So many people are not showing their work enough.” From their well-rounded perspective as young art makers and communicators, the Bushwick art scene seems promising. Hitchings describes it with words such as “non-hierarchical” and “camaraderie,“ while Jimarez-Howard says that for the moment, there is a real sense of supportiveness in the community. Referencing again their shared experience as newcomers to Bushwick, Daddezio sums up with a hearty laugh that “by default you fit in because there is so much quirkiness.”
(artwork): Caroline Falby, "Homestead," photo by Willow Goldsein
