New studio work: Our Common Future

Below is a photographic documented image of recently completed work, Our Common Future. I hope this work will make a public debut soon.

Our Common Future, 2011 
Laser*, recycled cardboard*, recycled plastic bags, rechargeable batteries*, solar panels*, and an empty 1gallon household paint can*. Variable/scalable dimensions (installed here: 25' by 30' on the floor. 25' by 9' on the wall

The Answering Machine (Questions and Answers) - part 3

I keeping getting a number of really great questions. For some past questions and answers go here. I have some questions that will be answered when I have a double interview with my friend, and NYC Fine Artist, Brian Higbee. Below is part 3 of this on-going posting of answers:

The digital drawings go against your tactile or physical approach to Fine Artwork, right?

Yes and no, I love that when I send a digital drawing to someone that when they have the file open on the digital tablet, monitor, digital frame,etc... of their choice and it will create a source of heat, they can touch the screen and it will give them a heat sensation on their skin. This is something that you could get from any monitor, but I love the fact that it is the same or similar feeling I get from my digital tablet when I am creating the drawing.

I have seen your post about toxicity in Fine Artists Studios' and you mentioned sustainability. Sustainable ideas seems to be a major concern with your lasers and light work as well? Doesn't creating any physical Fine Artwork of any kind go against your Carbon Neutral ideals? Aren't you a conceptual artist, couldn't you just make your work more conceptual based?

Yes and no, I think in the future being carbon neutral with your work will be much easier. I don't believe in making false attempts at carbon neutrality nor to ideologically/physically isolate myself in order to have a false sustainable living situation. At this time I am focusing on making (a majority of my) work that scales and expands into an architectural space. I am interested in creating systems that are self reliant and do not need outside sources of power to maintain their energy. My definition of sustainable (which is very close to the universally accepted one) includes human sustainability, and prosperity. 

I am not a Conceptual Artist, I believe some of my work does need to be physically produced, and I believe in a layered Fine Art experience (which includes pure experience, pure concepts, among other things). Like I have said before, I think and create from a lineage of Conceptual Art and Systems Art (particularly open-systems and the early work of Hans Haacke)

Do you see your digital drawings as a lineage from 1960's Mail Art or Correspondence Art?

Yes, very much so. I really enjoy that history and work, especially the Mail - Correspondence Art ,of Ray Johnson and other Mail Fine Artists. Though I am not interested in a "tit-for-tat", exact exchange between Fine Artists (though they are who are mostly who ask me for the drawings). I am very much interested in just giving away the drawings, and making very specific rules about how they are presented. I enjoy that it works in many different art tropes: digital and conceptual art (the actual work) mail art (getting the certificate) and it works as internet art (getting the digital drawing). To me it shows what the 21st Century (Fine Art) may bring.

Rumble Above The Clouds reminder

This is a reminder about the opening for the group show I am in on Thursday (tomorrow), Rumble Above The Clouds, I will be showing the new light installation. It also includes many great NYC Fine Artists.

Here is some info on the shows opening and hours:

Opening Reception:
Thursday, September 29^th, 7-9pm

Exhibition info:
The exhibition runs from
September 16^th - October 27^th
Corner of West 60th Street and Columbus in Manhattan

Fine Artist of the Month: Linked Equations for Paul Pagk

Each month I am adding to an on-going series of writings and workings about Fine Artists who work, or are primarily working in the NYC area. This month I made Linked Equations for the longtime NYC Fine Artist, Paul Pagk.

٠ y ² = x (x − a ^p)(x + b ^p) ≠ a ^{n / m} + b ^{n / m} = c ^{n / m}

a  - Like the most complex math problem, in the most universal language.
b - Concrete evidence of supersymmetry
x - His love of math and never apologizing for his play with numbers.
y - The endless curves, folds, angles of Czech Cubism and thus Emil Filla
p - If Fine Art, then within/out Design - No limits like Miller, but different.
c - To never fetishize or market to the standard deviation
n - Pre-Math not aftermath
m - Aftermath not pre-math
٠ - Floating (suspended) before everything


For more information on Paul Pagk's work, go here.

Rumble Above the Clouds exhibition - September-October 2011 - Part 2

In a previous post I discussed how I was invited to take part in the Rumble Above The Clouds group show which includes many NYC Fine Artists. I plan to show a new laser/light work. The show is located inside the Church of St. Paul the Apostle, 60th and Columbus, in Manhattan/NYC. Again, no, this is not the church which the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man crushes, but it is relatively close by.

I was asked by a few of the organizers about the visibility, quality and strength of the laser for this installation. Here is my edited response:

The laser light is modest, subtle, and contemplative. It acts more as a constellation, not an exploding star. Something that should be pointed out to others, it is not a laser that will hurt you or one that is obvious, and just marking an area. It is a spiritual light/laser, not a military one. A far off, distant star cluster. A thousand candles, a mile away. It is a rumble, not a bolt of lightning.

Below is documented image of the installation.

The opening is next Thursday, September 29^th from 7-9pm

Free, unlimited digital drawing give-a-way to New York State residents in memorial of WTC.

In memory of September 11th, I am giving away an unlimited batch of unique, digital drawings to all those with a current New York address and/or those who lived in New York State on September 11, 2001. This give-a-way will last for one week only (through next Sunday, September 18, 2011)

Do you have questions about the drawings? Why would I give away a work of Fine Art that I truly believe in? Read here.

For those who already have a small drawing, you are entitled to upgrade your participation in the project: Now you will receive a large digital drawing... and those who already own a large digital drawing, are entitled to a small or large drawing.

Here is a recent quote about the drawing series:
"Galileo would be proud." -Rhett Mataix from the Brooklyn rock band, We Ride

Just email me here, and please include your name and New York postal address. As stated in an earlier post: I will NEVER sell, lend, trade, share, give out any information sent to me.

Березин революция [Berezin Revolution]...

From 2006-2008 my studio and work was somewhat dormant. I thought about Fine Art a great deal, I drew many drawings, but worked on and completed very few major installations. One such work from the parallel panels series, Березин революция [Berezin Revolution] (Made out with the red giant too) 2006-2009, the title of the work was inspired by the owners of the work and a mathematician/physicist of the same name, but not particularly this revolution.

When discussing the work, one of the owner's mentioned how the the parallel panels body of work relates to an Eruv, a ritual enclosure that allows observant people to carry objects on the Jewish Sabbath. I find that the concept of the Eruv also relates to my older work, Future Concerns of Relative Space 1999-2001, which is also much about the space and context that surrounds the work as well as what happens with the object itself (and what goes on inside the work).

Here is video documentation of the installation: