iPhone photo of this beautiful moment.
Its somewhat embarrassing that I’d lived in New York for 20 odd years before I’d even heard of Storm King, and then it took another 10 years before I actually made it there! And that only happened because my friend Zach offered to drive us there in his new motor.
Even these photos do not do the place justice. I don’t like phrases such as breathtaking but that kind of nails it.
We walked for over 3 hours, and while trying to gather the names to credit the works in the photos here, I'm realizing we probably saw less than 40% of the collection!
Lanscape
Apologies. Cant figure out who's work this is.
Lanscape
Much as I enjoy Instagram, it’s so easy etc, I’m going to try to blog more regularly again. The visual presentation here is so much better. Yesterday was a full on art day, and a perfect example why these images need a bigger canvas. If possible look at this stuff on a computer, rather than a phone.
First Zach & I went to Perrotin on Orchard, simply because we’d heard that it was not by appointment. Their book/gift shop while being be very expensive seems to always have some printed thing I don’t know about. Sure enough, I found a book about records & art! (see below) At first I was freaked out thinking it was a new publication and was going to steel some thunder from the release of my own book, ART SLEEVES (now scheduled for March 2021) but it was published in 2010 & must have had really shitty distribution & promotion, since I never saw it even written about.
Most thrilling was the discovery on the 3rd floor of the 3 brand new Barry McGee paintings (not publicized on the site).
Also discovering some interesting artists, African American, Leslie Hewitt, Korean, GaHee Park & French born, Bushwick based artist Jean-Philippe Delhomme.
From there we went to the 2 KARMA galleries on 2nd St, in the hope of seeing the group show “(Nothing but) Flowers“, of course that had ended, but there was a solo show by Henni Alftan. Strange but engaging. A lot of the works seemed to be about the feel of things, fur, rain, hair etc. Then on to visit Matt at KARMA’s incredible book shop. I was lucky to get out of there without spending more than $100!
Then Erik Foss suggested meeting him at Leo Fitzpatrick’s not-yet-opened, not officially named “Public Access Gallery”. With a wall full of hand screened Mark Gonzales skate decks & a couple of Gonz drawings, the place has a nice chill vibe. Very interesting hearing Leo talk about what he hopes to do with the St Marks space & what it will mean for East Village & LES kids. We then headed to Deitch for the opening of a big group show but it was closed up by the time we got there.
Barry McGee
Klara Kristalova
Leslie Hewitt
GaHee Park
Henni Alftan
THE RECORD : Contemporary ART and VINYL book
Leo Fitzpatrick / Mark Gonzales
THE RECORD : Contemporary ART and VINYL book
Hard to believe but when I was young, I was even more of a nerd than I am in my old age. I started collecting music ephemera as soon as I started going to shows. I recently discovered a stash of concert programs (booklets) ranging from the hippie era to the punk & new wave 80s. The strange and remarkable thing to me, is how much damage I inflicted on myself (and others around me) and yet these artifacts survived, in almost perfect condition!
Just a couple of the incredible paintings by the late Destroy All Monsters member, Mike Kelley -1954-2012.
There's no way to show the grandeur of the place on Instagram, and even the photos here pale, but it's better than nothing!
Hard to say which artist's areas Wini and I enjoyed the most, Dan Flaven, Richard Serra, Donald Judd, Robert Smithson, Barry Le Va, Louise Bourgeois, Mel Bochner, Michael Heizer or Andy Warhol. Only really disappointing thing for me, was that most of Lawrence Weiner's work was closed to viewing.
Erik Foss’s friend Cecelia invited us to her very small birthday party at her friends house high up in the LA hills of Los Feliz.
The whole bonkers scenario was like something out of a movie, where kookie & different types of people are brought together on a stormy night, in a 1920’s Hollywood house that could easily be a museum of antique religious artifacts & oddities.
What an incredible experience meeting Cynthia Bach & Jim Matthews was. They are true artisans. When she greeted us at the door, Cynthia immediately reminded me of my mother with her charisma & style. When I'm old (sorry, older) I want to be like Jim, to be able to indulge every impulse to collect & curate all sorts of mad things. When we were showed “his area” I was openly jealous.
Instagram has really killed my blogging but there was absolutely no way to even attempt to capture this experience on that platform, and even here, I’m not able to really describe the remarkable conversions that took place, or the strange interactions but I will try my best.
One conversation in the beautiful living room, only lit by candle light & a fire, started with a very touching sensitive description from Cynthia about how she raised holy hell in a hospital ER where Jim was not getting the care he desperately needed. I asked some very personal questions & both were so open with their answers, it made me feel truly let in to such a intimate relationship. Then some others wandered into the room and were loudly arguing about what to my ears sounded like they were both saying exactly the same thing, but neither one was able to hear that because of their volume. Being someone who's uncomfortable with conflict, & coming out of such a sensitive moment, this was jarring & uncomfortable. I just hoped that no one else was as freaked out by the sudden change of atmosphere as I was. I actually don't think anyone even noticed, as the room quickly reverted to questions to our hosts & more story telling. Then most of the group went back into the kitchen & left just Jim, Erik myself & another guest whom we’d not met before the night. Somehow over the next thirty minutes the conversation went from from how we’re all doomed because of capitalism, to future technologies & how they hopefully will, or could save us, to obsession & then to drug addition, with me telling them how I’d attempted suicide 3 times when fighting it.
I actually don't think anyone at the party was even high or drunk.
I captured the video below before these conversations took place & we did not know who was who yet. Erik & I were eating Lucifers Damned Good Pizza in the kitchen & Cynthia instructed “Everyone go down to the alter” Huh?
The house was generally too dark at night to photograph, but I tried to capture some of the details I found so wonderful.
Wanted to show some of Jim's drill bits & the gold filigree work. The ring is there to give an idea of scale.
Thats a dime I put next to this.
Cynthia’s recent promotional documentary. (Defiantly better shot than mine ;)
Like the post on the Maine trip before this one, Big Sur needs a grander vista than Instagram.
I feel so fortunate to work with one of my oldest, and best, friends Paul, who suggested I do my LA trip on the same days that he was scheduled to also go out there. For me traveling is normally fairly miserable but doing it with a mate can make the whole thing potentially fun.
Paul & I have an incredible history together, and one day I hope write about all our adventures, both the fun music-based ones and also the business ones.
He told me that after we’d done the two days of work in LA he’d asked Dan & Ellen Weiner if they would mind if I came up with him, & stayed in their Monterey house for one night, and than followed by one night in Big Sur. Having never been to either area, I was obviously psyched. I’ve now met Dan a few times, & he’s not only a legend in the booking agency world with a million jaw-dropping stories, but one of the coolest, most interesting people that has entered my life in the last couple of years. Ellen is also lovely, & sort of Ying to Dan's Yang, somewhat similar to the way Wini is way more fun & nicer to everyone than me. Not that Dan is not fun or nice!
Many people far more apt than I have written about how spectacular the drive to Big Sur is, so I won’t even try.
Below are pics of just a few of the details from their wonderful Big Sur home.
Path to main house.
Treehouse.
Porch & view from the guesthouse.
Paul in the swing-chair watching the sunset, contemplating life, & like me, trying to figure out how the fuck we are going to move here.
Another path with another place to chill.
A few objects collected & perfectly placed.
River seating down at the inn we ate an unbelievable breakfast at.
While I’ve really enjoyed using Instagram to share inspirational images & some fun moments, this platform has been neglected.
So having just spent five picture-perfect magical days up in Maine with close friends Tommy, Natalie & Stella Emery, these images needed fuller vista, wider screen technicolor presentation!
Our Max (who chose to stay home) & their Rowan (at camp) were very missed.
Driveway to the beautiful barn -
Lunch at Mothers Kitchen -“mothers little helper” -
Few of the trees downed from previous years storm-
Wild flowers-
Our walk down to Hulls Cove (Hells Cove)
I'll have a Walter on the rocks please.
Fisheye action.
Lunch at the Asticou Hotel (Overlook Hotel)
Magic garden (with no secret door)
Pretty strict rules for the magic garden.
Magic Toadstool.
Setting sun over the bay.
Sunset at the Bar Harbor Club
Fire Starter- (photo credit Tommy Emery)
