Fruit Loops, Play Doh and Other Happenings

I want to give everyone a peek into other happenings at Crateart Laboratories. First of all, I have broken into my painterly past and have stretched four 4' x 5' canvases. These will be placed together to create a single huge 10' x 8' canvas. Also, to go with this project, I have been spending vast amounts of my spare time seperating Fuit Loops brand breakfast cereal into its six different colors. I will go into more detail about this piece soon, I want it to be a surprise.

Also, check out the new bicycle pictures. The oppisite end of the create in which "My Big Orange Bicycle as the Embodiment of All Things Nice and Happy" was created, is now being used to make a new Play Doh bicycle. This new bicycle will be used as a possible replacement for the old one. The new one is new and improved, being sealed totally, requireing no water and never capable of drying out. This will keep it from much of the problems that the old one has endured.

Don't get me wrong, I love the old bicycle, however, it has gone through much difficultly in its year of life and I have often thought of how I would make it different if I could start over. So I did. The old bicycle has dried out twice and has been attacked by mold. It has been revived many times, but the mold keeps coming back, finally it was sealed, but the seal was not good and it has dried out again. But as I have stated about this piece, it is a piece about love and patience with those you love dispite thier downfalls. What I have gone through for the old bicycle, it is as precious as any artwork could be, if only to me. This new bicycle, with its new bright colors and its perfection is only a copy of the old one and I am not sure how to take its presence. But we make art for viewers as well as for ourselves, and the old bicycle is beyond presentation, while the new one is a hot beauty that no one can deny. In the end, one will go with the piece "...Embodiment of All Things Nice and Happy" and the other one will be a piece all by itself. I do not destroy artwork, and I could never bring myself to destroy something I care so much about.

Its a sad story with a happy ending, but that's love. See for yourself, and let me know if you think the old one should be displayed dispite its mold scars, its cracked Play-Doh, its dulled colors, and its yellowed sealer, or if the new one should take its place being young and new and flawless. The metaphors are endless here. Here's two pictures of the old and two of the new.

Portrait of Mary Boone as Marilyn Monroe...

In the last post, I mentioned two new works being begun in my studio. The first I would like to share with everyone is titiled "Mary Boone as Marilyn Monroe With Oscillating Fan Set To Speed Number Three". This work is an epic collaboration with my friend Jason Szalla (who I have mentioned many times in the past http://www.Szalla.com) . The work will feature a full wall of crateart, including items such as electric candlelabras, a chair, two kinds of wallpaper, and flowers, not to mention a wall mounted, oscillating fan that will be set to speed number three. Upon this wall will be one or two portaits of Mary Boone (http://www.maryboonegallery.com) made by Jason Szalla. Jason has made two portraits of the Booner in preparation of this new work and each will be given a gold guilded period frame with glass .

As of now, Jason has finished his two portraits of Mary Boone. They will come to my studio to be matched with the correct wallpaper later this week hopefully. This project is in its most early stages, however, I have brought pictures of the Booner herself to show you. These are the two images of Mary Boone created by Jason Szalla that will get cratearted, resulting in a Szalla/Crateart collaboration. These pictures were taken in the studio of Jason Szalla while the paint on them was stil wet. As always, I will keep eveyone up to date on the progress of this piece.

To me, "Mary Boone as Mariyln Monroe..." is a piece about this comical figure in the art world who is scorned by everyone, yet out of total envy. She is beautiful. She is going to race her fan at speed number three in everyone's faces. We all talk about what a bitch the Booner is, and how horrible the work in her gallery is, but what we wouldn't give to be in her gallery and to hold one of her high heeled shoes.

I can't wait to get started on this one, and Jason's paintings have only fueled my passion. Check them out, they are beautiful.

each piece is 20" x 20"

New Work III

It has been a busy and productive past few weeks. This time is the peek of the gallery season. From now until mid December, the NY gallery scene is at its busiest. Most of the major exhibitions occur at this time, and a lot of major art fairs. After mid December the galleries all take time off for holiday break, and it will be impossible to find work until after January. But the holiday will be short lived. Once January hits, the galleries will be back in action and they will all have new shows. The gallery scene stays in full action then until summer. Anyone seeking a job in the galleries should do so now.

Because of this, I have been working a lot lately. Some galleries are booking me two weeks in advance just to avoid conflict. For the next two days I will be working at a gallery during the day and then when I finish, I will have to go to another gallery at night. Whew! Whenever is there time for the studio with these kinds of hours? The answer is simple, you have to make time.

I mentioned last time that I would be starting two new pieces soon. The time has come, and these two new pieces have now begun. This makes four pieces I am working one in my studio now. I think that is all that will be happening there for a while. I am comfortable with four pieces, it is the number of works I made last time, a magic number maybe. My plan is this: I will continue to make these four works until they are finished (probably about the end of February) and then I will have them photographed and added to http//:www.crateartist.com. When I do this update to the website, I will add more archives, more links, and a whole new front page. This summer there is a major show I am taking part in Chelsea (more on this show to come), and I want the website completed, the work finished, and photography done by the time this shows arrives.