PRAIRIE RESIDENCY EXHIBITION SUMMARY

Sorry for the suspense, but once and for all, here are all 10 of the paintings I completed during my residency as well as my exhibition statement. Once again, big thank you to Joe and Michele Richey for giving me this opportunity. Until next time, thanks for the support, enjoy.

"Santos Party House, New York City" oil & acrylic on canvas, 24x36"

"The Spotted Cat, New Orleans" oil & acrylic on canvas, 24x24"

"Drummers at Bembe, Brooklyn" oil & acrylic on canvas, 24x36"

"Roger Sanchez at Vanguard, Los Angeles" oil & acrylic on canvas, 24x36"

"Debonair Social Club, Chicago (take 1)" acrylic on record, 12x12"

"Debonair Social Club, Chicago (take 2)" acrylic on record, 12x12"

"Random Bar, San Francisco (Mission)" acrylic on record, 12x12"

"Red Sky, Philadelphia" acrylic on canvas, 26x34"

"Main Floor Balcony, Crobar, Chicago" oil & acrylic on canvas, 46x51"

"Funky Buddha Lounge, Chicago" oil & acrylic on canvas, 36x53.5"

My current series of paintings focus on the concept of nightlife. Although nightlife as a term is broad and can definite a great range of situations, there are underlining cultural characteristics and intensions to provide plenty of common ground.

What I find fascinating is the instinctual ritual of it all, representing both light-hearted recreation as well as a deeper carnal drive. Those who congregate in such public spaces can encompass a range of motivations – to escape from their daily routine, to celebrate an occasion, to engage with friends, to hunt for a suitable mate, or simply to lose themselves in the aural and visual stimulation the atmosphere provides. Whether the intension is to be energized or sedated, engaged or isolated, what they have in common is the desire to break away from their usual restraint and participate in a more open and attractive shared space. The tension that exists among these participants as well as the environment itself is electric, at times sinister, but almost always seductive. It’s what keeps us coming out every weekend.

The bars and clubs I have chosen to narrate are based upon my experiences both living in New York City as well as traveling to other US cities. Like the individuals expressed in the paintings, the viewer’s perspective can be argued as either engaged with the scene or as an outsider looking in.

Leave It All Behind

Looking forward to coppin' that new Foreign Exchange album when I get back to NY. Couldn't find it out here (though I did pick up the new QTip which is FRESH).


On a related note, my residency is coming to a close. The babies (paintings) are in the mail, the bags are packed to capacity, and I've washed out the ethanol perfume from my hair. Tomorrow morning I catch a bus to O'Hare and will be back in NY by the evening. I'm at a loss for words at the moment, partially because I drank too much last night and worked too hard today, but mostly because it's just a lot to process. Maybe I'll choose some delicate words during the flight - or a week from now when i'm waist deep in my real-world routine, but for now I'll just say it's been a trip and I'm all sorts of thankful. Learned a lot, about a lot. Perfect timing on both professional and personal levels and arguably the most densely productive span in my art-makin' life.


Here are some pics of the show, reception, and afterparty. I didn't get many shots of the crowd, doesn't look like much here, but we had well over 100 people. All things considered, pretty impressive for a low key town that I don't know anyone in. The woman standing among the plastic bottle installation is Jen Van Winkle, the fellow resident artist, FYI. Once I'm back home I'll post some higher quality images of my paintings and the artist statement, just to wrap it up properly.

BASTA!

Finito! It's a wrap, mission accomplished - 10 paintings complete and I can finally somewhat relax for a hot minute. "Red Sky, Philadelphia" is done. Could have kept messing around with it, but enough is enough. I forgot how much of a gigantic pain it is to render acrylics without any slow drying medium, but I rocked it well enough to get me by this time. Started cleaning up the studio today, took down all the drawings, swept, packed up the paints, etc. Tomorrow my work hits the gallery walls. Beyond that all I have to worry about is some scanning first thing tomorrow morning and figuring out how I'll get all these fly babies home. Otherwise my time for the next couple days is mine before I split town Sunday morning. Maybe I'll get to check out the Contemporary Arts Center and mingle around town without looking like some sort of homeless person (aka I'll get to wear clothing that isn't ripped and covered in paint). Should be mighty sweet.

Get Up Get Out and Do Something

Okay, so the Red Sky piece is ALMOST done, should wrap that up tomorrow as it's due to hang in the gallery asap. I also squeezed off another wax jawnt - a little different than the other vinyl pieces, maybe not quite as successful, but interesting enough to show. One more day in the studio and it's a wrap.

"Dirt's our secret weapon, each and every night..."

("playa playa" by d'angelo)

Sorry, just had to look at them all together.


Really didn't spend that much time in the studio today, but I did spend the first part of the day writing up my exhibition statement, which I'll post soon. Put some time into the Red Sky piece, which hopefully will be finished tomorrow night.

"Your love is on a grand scale, mine is in the detail..."

("bluegrass" by faithless)

While driving home tonight, I witnessed SOMETHING with antlers in the median on rt 116 - most likely enjoying some sort of carcass. Awesome.

Today I finished both the large paintings I've been working on all week. WHEW! :) The end is truly in sight. I also completed the drawing for another painting - possibly my final painting. If I have time, I'll probably do something abstract and unrelated to the nightlife series on the orange/yellow canvas (in the previous post). Or I might just take it home with me as is. Either way it might not be included in the exhibition on Friday. 8 paintings complete - 1, 2, or 3 to go in the homestretch, time will tell. Looking forward to having one or two quasi relaxing days during my final week, maybe check out this here region I've been living in.

"Something in the way of things..."

("something in the way of things/in town" by the roots/amiri baraka)

Another gritty session in the studio. Another weekend night pushing paint, concluded with a late night beer on the couch.

No Sleep 'Til Brooklyn

Exactly one week til the exhibition...


Artists in Residence Exhibition & Reception

Friday, November 14th

6:00 - 8:00 p.m

Prairie Center of the Arts

1506 SW Washington Street

Peoria, IL 61602

prairiecenterofthearts.org


Tossed back a couple beers at the house tonight after another long session just to make it feel like a Friday. Can't wait to properly blow off some steam, but until then, I'm on mission.

Rinse and Repeat

Crush time continues as the leaves drop. Finished one painting, started another...

"A Nation Unified In Exhale..."

("release" by blackalicious/saul williams)

Last night I dreamed that controversy erupted and blue states were taken away from Obama, creating an even more chaotic mess than Gore had in 2000. Luckily I woke to find that this clean and fair election really did happen, Obama is indeed our President-Elect, and I've been nothing but smiles all day (as displayed above). Feels great being on the winning team for once.

Quick side note: Here is the monster of an Ethanol factory just yards away from the Prairie Art Center. It's a mean muthafucka, funking up the whole town with some sort of poisonous white bread madness 24 hours a day. I'll go ahead and say that it penetrates like no funk I've ever encountered in NYC. That would have to be my only real complaint about the city of Peoria. Thankfully Germantown Hills has some of the cleanest air I've ever inhaled, so I haven't lost my mind yet.

Rolling right along with this body of work, I continued on the big piece I started yesterday, stretched primed and underpainted another big one, and made more progress on the DJ piece (Roger Sanchez at Vangard in LA). 9 days til the exhibition, it's a sprint to the finish line now...