Romeing Around Rush-ya
Gecko,
a Morrie Cramer model/performance artist is having a 'dinner performance'
at the Collective Unconscious space at 145 Ludlow Street, Sunday the 21st
at 7pm. 10 bucks will get you food and a wonderful time. We will try to
get there early and then head to Tribes gallery for the RAGE magazine release
party and readings afterwards. Tribes Gallery is on 285 East 3rd Street,
this will be a really wild affair. Performance art regulars too numerous
to mention will be on hand for these festivities, almost like a Wide-Open
Cabaret, minus the Matthew Courtney.
Mark Kostabi has arrived for his battle with Jeff Koons. He looked fit as a fiddle and it showed that he has been taking his gym time seriously. Mark was very proud of a new book that was published about him in Italy. They should be arriving in a week or so, and you should be able to get a copy at markkostabi.com. He also has started the 'artaddicted' series of works. "All the URL's of my best clients are memorized" he quipped Tuesday afternoon, "We are reaching out into cyberspace and tagging their e-names into the painting." Kostabi added that kdddds was the biggest recipient of the tagging work.
With Mark safely back on western shores, it was off to Galleryland. A.I.R. Gallery at 40 Wooster was the first stop, Laetitia Hohenberg was the first thing we saw and liked. A toddler slept in a stroller as counterpoint to the commotion. Next on the agenda was 55 Mercer Gallery, "Signal to Noise" was the theme of the group show there. It seemed like a tribute to the long running thread on "The Cypherpunk Mailing List", there was much noise but Bokov had the signal and he took me off to Mimi Ferzt for a Russian art exhibit at the 114 Prince Street location. "This is great art!" Bokov exclaimed on the way to the show.
We arrived to the very packed gallery, I wished I'd worn my Russian hockey jersey but to my dismay it was back in the car on Grand Street. I guess we will have to wait till next month. Dimitry Plavnsky does indeed have great work on the wall. It is definitely something to take a gander at as you walk down Prince. Ferzt Gallery specializes in Russian art and this is great Russian Art. Lots of dignitaries were in attendance at this huge confab, I met Anise Kovayenko, from Ward-Nasse Gallery, she was one of the steady models at the Spring Street Studio over on Layfayette Street, by the subway stop. Anise paints, writes, and does watercolors and is producing an electronic portfolio.
Bokov took the time to point out Oscar Rabin, "A legend in Russia" he quipped, "It is an honor he is here!" Bokov knew the names and pedigrees of almost everyone there and it was quite a feat of memory. "This is the greatest artist in the Ukraine, right now," Bokov said of Ivan Marchuk, who was also attending. Marchuk, an Upper Westsider urged ArtCall to visit his downtown studio on 2nd Avenue in the good ole' East Village, we shall get you all the thrilling details.
Bokov, before being whisked away by some female patrons after the opening, put on an impromptu mini-display outside the gallery. It was like anything Bokov does... FAST... GREAT... and WILD! Yes indeed, this was Russian art day. I have no idea how this plays out into the ArtCalls agenda, but I am now sure there will be Russian redesigned stock shares, what they will look like I have no idea. I did get a couple of gorgeous signed catalogs and when Paul Kostabi of Follin Gallery gets done with the over-images they will be up on Ebay in no time flat.
Now on the way back to the East Village, while crossing Christie and Grand streets we ran into Mr. Washington Square Park, Norman Williams. Any WSP regular from the 80's has run into Norman on the NE quadrant at one time or another. His ArtCall share might look like a treasure map (insider reference to Norman's freelance park enterprises), he is now resides on Hester Street. The Tuesday after-gallery action was quiet at The Pink Pony and Ray's News, we spent the time with Nico Smith and Ray X. and got some 'glyphs' from Nico for a future ArtCall installment. We also perused the Village Voice classifieds for real estate ads and found this very interesting usable space at 185 Bowery. We will likely make a bid on this space Friday. It's about 200 sq. ft. but a bit pricey at $35/ft. It is a nice, tiny and quiet building and has all the creature comforts we are looking for to get the ArtCall underway.
We decided to visit Colin Deland before the openings on Wednesday. It was a whirlwind of activity as the show by Pieter Schoolwerth had been extended a few days, because of a fantastic writeup and the Christian Phillip Muller opening tomorrow at 6PM. The phone rang, someone had decided to buy the painting Manic Panic (above left). Colin told the buyer that "It doesn't suck the life out of the room." The buyer was impressed and the deal was cut on the spot! The phone rang again, someone needed some tapes from The Whitney Museum of Art up on 75th and Madison, the 2000 Biennial was happening. We volunteered and for the next hour we endured rush hour traffic and generated a whole $2.50 for our efforts. Nothing like revenue on the balance sheets. Maybe we can now issue an earnings surprise to CNBC. Last but not least, Daniel McDaniel fielded call after call trying to coordinate an after-dinner that promises 'to be the dinner of a lifetime'. Daniel also does all sorts of interesting jewelry designs that can be had at mendedveil.com. Daniel is the trusty associate that handles things when Colin Deland is off to far away places like German art symposiums, which Deland was at recently.
Jottings: Ron English and company will be at CBGB gallery 315 Bowery,
Wednesday May 24th at 6PM. VRML artist, Bobbi Bennett takes up residence
at the Chelsea Hotel for a weeks worth of 3D consultations, starting Friday
of Memorial Day Weekend. If you are thinking of adding 3D presentations
to your portfolio, this is the time to get started. Matthew Courtney's
Wide-Open Cabaret is Friday May 26th, starting at 8PM, arrive at the cabaret
early, there now is no signup list. Now if only our checks from Mellon
Bank would get here.....
photos ©carol braddock aka red ed
artworks©Paul Kostabi Mark Kostabi Honenberg Dimitri
Plavinski Bokov Pieter Schoolwerth
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