Sickness becomes art

How does sickness turn into art shows? A perennial question ever since Nietzsche.

Well, in this case, the owner (we’ll call him Alfredo) of O’Barone, a North Italian style restaurant in Red Hook, discovered himself to have a deadly sickness, which required his immediate return to Italy for treatment. The good people at Contaminate NYC, who are friends with Alfredo, stepped in to manage the restaurant in his absence. They, being the unrepentant schemers they are, got to scheming. Let’s contaminate Red Hook they thought. And so they contacted the Mysterious Hanna Mandelbaum about helping out with a series of shows at O’Barone. The Mysterious Hanna contacted me.

Et voila!

On Tuesday 04May10, my show Dark Meat will open at O’Barone.

Who knew an art show at a local restaurant would have such a convoluted back story?

If you are in the area come check it out. The work will be on display until 18May10.

The man o’ might

Tha mon o’ micht, he rade o’ nicht
Wi’ neider swerd ne ferd ne licht.
He socht the Mare, he fond tha mare,
He bond tha Mare wi’ her ain hare,
Ond gared her swar by midder-micht
She wolde nae mair rid o’ nicht
Whar aince he rade, thot mon o’ micht.

Charm Against the Night Mare, 14th century North Country poem.

A 21st century sketch:

Iceland Saga pt.2: Green Glacier Stomp

Here is one of the early videos from super group Green Glacier. The group formed under mysterious and mythic circumstances, allegedly while on a road trip in Iceland. Their leaving is even said to have caused a volcanic eruption, which triggered another volcanic eruption, which shut down Europe’s air travel for over a week! So, of course, you need to know about this super group.

Here is their video Green Glacier Stomp, set to Led Zeppelin. The setting is the largest glacier in Europe the famed and dreaded Vatnajökull. There are some supplementary photos of life on the glacier below.

Of course it is green just below the ice. It is said that the green and the white are in an eternal struggle for supremacy. If one wins the world ends.

This is where we went snowmobiling. On the glacier. This may be where the super group Green Glacier formed. We are still trying to learn of their origins, ever veiled in mystery and controversy.

It may be that Thor and the Aesir battled the Frost Giants here. It just may be.

Static Fish: The MoCCA Experience

The first box of Static Fish arrived in time for the MoCCA Festival this weekend. The festival went really well. Unfortunately I could only make it for the second day, but from what I saw people seemed really keen on the book. We sold a little over a dozen copies, which for a $15 book, at a show where people are mainly shelling out only $2-5 bucks a pop, is quite good.

It was already picked as one of the best books of the festival by the NY Daily news. Check it out.

Here are some pics of the physical item.

The end papers were drawn beautifully by Hunter Heckroth.

One fish was drawn by each contributor to go with their introductory page. And here you can see them all swimming together in harmony. Awwwwwww…

AUX Postcard

Well the AUX festival was this weekend, and by all accounts it went well.

I have been informed that my posters have received “the highest honor” by being stolen “left and right”! So, that gives the old ego a massage. Though, in general, I am working to override and undermine my ego. So perhaps the massage is not helpful?

Below you will find the postcard I also designed for the festival. I forgot to post it when I completed it.

As of now, I will also be designing the packaging (in collaboration with the event coordinator Mark Callahan) for the CD you see advertised above in the postcard. I will post images when it is done.

The MonstrAUXity has arrived! First wave.

You may (or may not) remember. I recently designed a poster for the AUX Experimental Arts Festival in Athens GA. Well, we have just received images of the posters hanging all over the place, thanks to festival coordinator and Southern gentleman-in-training Mark Callahan.

Take a gander:

Wuxtry and just above it, off screen, Bizarro Wuxtry. One of my favorite corners on the planet.

Thanks to Hannah Batsel for the screen printing.