First Friday: January 4th

The next Pop Expressionist exhibit went on display tonight at Vintage 21, Raleigh, NC.

You can view the work any time during the month or come out to First Friday on January 2th.

The Yeti

The next Pop Expressionist exhibit is scheduled for January 2009 at Vintage 21, Raleigh, NC



Artist Statement – Pop Expressionism

Labeling myself a Pop Expressionist originates from the two movements that have most influenced my art, Abstract Expressionism and Pop Art. Several artist have been labeled Pop Expressionist including Sam Messer, Richard Hambleton and Jim Dine however, the term is loosely defined.

My earliest influences were works by Abstract Expressionists such as Jackson Pollock. I’d like to claim I let the paint thoughtfully drip but to be honest, I'm just sloppy. Franz Kline's black lines are also evident in my work. In fact, I continually try to make my black lines thicker and more Klinier.

The influence of the second movement, Pop Art, is perhaps more obvious. The easily recognizable symbols and carton quality of Keith Haring’s work, as well as the cardboard cutout style of Red Grooms, is evident.

It is the combination of the expressive flow of the paint with the whimsical, stylistic characters that I believe give Pop Expressionism is uniqueness.

I enjoy shopping at hardware stores over art supply shops, so the media for my work tends to lean heavily on industrial materials. My choice of media is predominantly house paint on installation foam or cardboard.

Beneath the initial playful, quirkiest of theses works, are a few hidden metaphors. Each of the creatures is breaking, falling or hanging on to, the frame, which represents the traditional view of art. Some of my characters are trying desperately to free themselves and join the world or street and urban art. Others are clinging on dearly, hoping they will be accepted for what they have been created to be.

Vintage 21: The Yeti



The next Pop Expressionist exhibit is scheduled for January 2009 at Vintage 21, Raleigh, NC



Here are some of the parts, in the works, for Yeti, my signature piece for the show.



I had to put his big foot out in the hallway to make room for construction of the rest of the parts.



Half way there. Still plan to write on it and then cut it out and then, like most Christmas presents, some assembly required.

Vintage 21

The next Pop Expressionist exhibit is scheduled for January 2009 at Vintage 21, Raleigh, NC



The theme this time will be creatures hanging onto their frames. Here are a few sketches...

Voices

Check out all the stop motion animation assignments my Computer Art and Animation Class created!

View all the Facemations at http://apexflash.webs.com

Moose Stapled to the Ceiling!!!



The full story isn't out yet but it appears some anti-moose demonstrators have taken a disliking to the Moosifesto!

Luckily for us, using our hidden camera technology, we were able to capture this terrible senseless act on film.

Please be advised, some footage of the dismemberment is disturbing and should not be viewed by young children, the elderly, or if you are nursing, pregnant or are thinking about becoming pregnant.



Here we see the moose fully dismembered. Investigators are still trying to figure out why and how the moose was taken apart.



Perhaps the most disturbing image... one of the dismembers "playing" with the limbs of the moose.



Next, the head of the poor moose was afixed to the ceiling, perhaps as some sick warning for future moose.



The limbs and hoofs were also stuck on the ceiling. The entire act is horrifying.



Finally, the moose was reassembled onto the ceiling.

The entire crime scene can be viewed @ Wake Forest Coffee. We will keep you posted as new information is made available.

Moose @ Wake Forest: Pop Expressionism Exhibit



The new exhibit went on display last night, December 12th @ Wake Forest Coffee just in time for the Wake Forest Christmas Parade.



As soon as you walked in you saw this guy. Unfortunately, I made him a little too big for that space so we moved him over to a wall behind where the bands play. The cool thing is, he'll be the backdrop for all those band photos :)

The Exhibit: from left to right.

I designed this guy to go outside, constructing him out of installation board. Although you can't see it from the front, it's shinny silver on the back, just like Andy Warhol's the Silver Factory.

Why the reference? Because it was after watching a documentary on the Silver Factory that I decide to go online and find a place to display my art. It was also the story of Valerie Solanas that gave me the idea to write the Moosifesto.













This exhibit will run through December @ Wake Forest Coffee in Wake Forest, NC.

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Moose on the Loose



I've been working on a new exhibit that is schedule to go on display on December 12th @ Wake Forest Coffee. That's tomorrow people!

I spent the evening cutting out... freeing my moose, from their cardboard and installation boxes.



Two of the moose are free standing and two are going in frames along with three other monsters that are also going in frames. But deciding which frame.. that's tricky...



And deciding which antlers go with which moose??!! Crazy! Then I thought, I must be out of my mind. then I thought, I hope I'm out of my mind... cause imagine if this were sanity???

These moose are a little rambunctious:
from the Pop Expressionism Exhibit in Wake Forest, NC



S.M.A.U.R.
Society of Moose Against Using Reindeer

A Moosifesto

For hundreds of years Santa Clause has been delivering toys to children around the world. Though he is not beyond using outside assistance, Santa has been able to distribute presents on Christmas Eve without the help of FedEx, UPS or the United States Postal System. His primary mode of transportation has been a sleigh driven by an original team of eight tiny reindeer with the occasional help from a mutant red-nosed deer, and a misguided or perhaps delusional dog.



As members of SMAUR, we now provide the following reasons for the immediate elimination of the use of reindeer and the prompt replacement by flying moose.


1. More Torque:
Pound for pound, moose produce massive amounts more torque than reindeer. Where horsepower, or in this case reindeerpower, is needed for speed, torque is the ability to overcome resistance. Though it is true that speed is necessary to circle the globe in one night, it is the initial ability to pull the sleigh, weighted down by a ginormous amount of toys and often hindered by heavy, laden snow, which is needed before horsepower can even be applied.



2. Ease of Spelling:
Riendeer? Reindear? Raindeer? “I” before “E” except after “C” and sometimes “Y”? Isn’t rein spelled r-a-i-n? And deer spelled d-e-a-r? Let’s face it. Without a spell checker, reindeer is just too hard to spell! Moose on the other hand is simple. Only five letters and no confusing vowel arrangements.

3. American Made:
Moose are born and bred and raised if the good old US of A! Hiring moose to pull Santa’s sleigh is not only good for America, it’s our patriotic duty. Imports, such as reindeer, are manufactured abroad in such un-American places as Northern Europe and even Russia! Look for the “Born in Maine” label next time you consider hiring your sleigh team.



4. Better Night Vision:
All it takes is one foggy Christmas Eve and Santa can be shut down in a heart beat. An entire year’s worth of elf work, down the drain all because of low hanging cloud vapor. The issue, poor eye sight on the part of reindeer. This is more than a threat as it almost happened Christmas Eve 1964. Thankfully, the travesty was narrowly averted after a red fog light was attached to the nose of Prancer. Prancer was later said to have been so humility by the event that he and Cupid fabricated a tale of a red-nose reindeer that saved the day. These so called “close calls” can easily be prevented through the intervention of a deer removable, keen-eyed moose replacement task force.




5. No More Reindeer Games:
Reindeer are generally poor-spirited creatures that tend to weed out the vulnerable in the herd and deliberately poke fun of them till, tired and weak, they leave the comfort and safety of the compound. Many times the stronger of the deers will laugh and call the weaker reindeer names. On some occasions there have even been reports of the more feeble reindeers not being allowed to play any reindeer games.
Moose have a motto. No moose is left behind.


Conclusion:
We believe every effort should be made to, and a call for, a cease and desist order to be implemented, for all reindeer regarding any attempts to fly, pull, or be in connection or association with, Santa, the elves, toy delivery or Christmas in any way, shape, form or means.

Furthermore, SMAUR is advocating for the establishment of the Meese Labs where moose and geese can be cross pollinated to form a new species of flying moose (code name: meese). Meese will merge the flight path navigational abilities of the Canadian goose with the strength, torque and American brand name that we have all come to respect and love, of the moose.

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Pop Expressionism



I was up late working on the Moose Project and thinking (maybe too much :) about what I was creating. How the images, the moose for example are very much Pop Art. You can clearly see the influences of Keith Haring as well as Red Grooms in my work.



However, my earliest influences were works by Abstract Expressionists. Pollock's splats, i'd like to say I let the paint thoughtfully drip but to be honest, I'm just sloppy :)



Also, Franz Kline's black lines are evident in my work. In fact, I've been trying to make my black lines thicker and more Kline-ier.



And as I sat and and tried to label what I'm creating I came up with Pop Expressionism. I can tell you at first, I thought I was pretty clever. But the Internet has a funny way of deflating pride. A quick Google search revealed several other instances of the the term Pop Expressionism.

Still, the term is loosely defined, and what I mean by that is there is no definition on Wikipedia :) Several other artist are referred to as being Pop Expressionist including Sam Messer, Richard Hambleton and Jim Dine. There is also a web site by Erica Wolfsen titled Pop Expressionism. And I found another artist's site who claims to be the founder of the movement, though I have my doubts (so I'm not giving him a link just yet).

Art-On-The-Move:
is a public art project featuring artwork from local artists that is exhibited on the sides of CAT buses. 12 artists will be selected to participate in the project. I'm hoping to be one of the 12 :).



Click Here to Enlarge

Putting the package together for this entry was no simple task. The artwork file that will be printed and placed on the side of bus was over 500 meg, it was even larger before I combined the layers (PhotoShop geek speak). My computer cried every time I opened the file. The package also included a letter of intent, my resume, and five other samples of my art, along with an annotated list.

I got it all together and ready to mail. I drove to the post office only to find them close. I checked the time on the door. Close - 12:30. I checked my cell phone. 12:24. I went back to my jeep. 12:25. In fact, by the time I drove all the way home it was only 12:31! Ok, maybe I'm being cold hearted and should cut them some slack. 12:24? Close enough for government work, right?? But I really wanted to mail that package today. Oh well, Monday.

In the meantime, above is my entry.
And here is my Letter of Intent:

I grew up riding the bus. As a kid, my mom and I rode the bus everywhere we went, from shopping to visiting friends and family. As an art student in college, I rode the bus everyday into Manhattan. With a sketchbook on my lap, I create a collection of symbols from the objects that passed outside the window. One of those symbols was the streetlight used is my entry.

My art can be described as whimsical, though one time I was told it looked like “A party on paper” and that has become my favorite description. I often try to create artwork that will fit into the environment where it will be displayed as opposed to simply hanging it on a wall. With Art on the Move, I considered pattern and sequencing to create the feel of movement.

In this design, I have used bold, recognizable symbols that will stand out as well as display two perspectives. The first perspective is that of the passenger sitting on the bus seeing the curious giraffe outside the window. The second is that of the giraffe riding the bus, watching the people and sights he sees in Raleigh as he passes.

The purpose of my design is to eliminate the stereotypical view of the somber bus created by the entertainment industry and instead, promote an attitude of thought, curiosity and fun. I want this bus to become a topic of discussion. I want people to view this bus and smile. I want people to see this bus go by and say, I want to ride that bus!

The Moose Project Part 2



I'm working on a new exhibit that is schedule to go on display on December 12th @ Wake Forest Coffee.



This is the head of the first moose. I have some really great frames I plan to put these into.. or sort of put them into. The idea will be to have the moose heads sticking out of the frames.



Moose number two. there will be four altogether.



The media is house paint on cardboard for these moose. I want to explore Lowes or Home Depot before the weekend is over and see if I can find a light, cheap material to paint the moose that will sit outside. something weather resistant.



This is one moose antler. Hope they fit in the jeep!

NaNOwrimo

This year was the first year I participated in NAOWRIMO, AKA National Novel Writing Month. The idea is simple is theory, write a novel, 50,000 words, during the month of November.

Well, November has come and gone and I can say the only part of NANOWRIMO I got right was the NO part. November came and went and all I was able to accomplish was 15,000 words.

But I'm not discouraged. First, because my previous longest manuscript was just over 10,000 words and that took 6 months to write. 15,000 in a month is sort of impressive for a slow typer like myself.

Second, I've not given up. Sure I didn't make 50,000 in one month but if I can type 15,000 words a month I can have this manuscript, working title, Less Than Modern Art, completed by March.

Third, this was my first attempt at writing a big boy book. That is to say, a story with a target audience over 8 years old. What I learned was that I am more than capable of writing adult lit and with time giving to work on plot and character development, believe I might have a manuscript worthy of publisher consideration within a year.