Great things to come

I was asked to design some pieces for a new space opening in Brooklyn this spring. In response, I am creating an homage to the neighborhood. This is a cropped image of one of my designs... More to come.

Grand Opening of Muriel Guepin Gallery tonight!

If you're in Brooklyn, or anywhere near the NYC area tonight, Saturday, 1/23, then come to the grand opening of Muriel Guepin Gallery. Easy to get to by taking the F/G train to Bergen Street. You can also take the 2/3, 4, M or R trains to Court Street/Borough Hall and walk on Court to Bergen Street, about 6 blocks. 

Muriel Guepin Gallery

http://www.murielguepingallery.com/

47 Bergen Street between Smith St and Court Street

Cobble Hill, Brooklyn

Tonight's opening features the work of Arpie Gennetian Najarian, Michiyo Ihara, and Paula Overbay. Arpie Gennetian Najarian creates delicate collages with paper and thread. She also has some "punched" drawings, which look as though she used needles to poke holes in paper, and some pieces made with ink. 

Michiyo Ihara is a master at fine detail and hand-drawn symmetries. She creates snowflakes with layers of small images that cohere into a large, drawn doily. Her work is meticulous, precise, and utterly awe-inspiring in its consistency and precision. 

Paula Overbay is a painter whose work has a quiet, celestial feeling. The many dots on a deeply colored ground cohere into abstract patterns that remind me of textile designs. She draws inspiration from her hikes on Mount Hood. Her work is meditative and reflective.

The new gallery space has an open, airy feeling, and retains the warmth of the former Shop Art Gallery space. Wooden floors give it a rustic feel, and full-length glass windows beckon you in from outside.

If you can't make it to tonight's opening, I recommend visiting during regular gallery hours: 

Wednesday-Saturday 11am-7pm 

Sunday 12-5pm

Muriel regularly includes in the gallery the work of the other artists she represents. There are myriad opportunities to discover the work of primarily Brooklyn-based artists, so come on by when you can!

My disappearing maps

The image at left is of my latest map, a tribute to my first treadmill run of 2009. Running on the treadmill can be immensely boring. I try to placate myself by listening to my ipod. I never listen to music on my outdoor runs. I like street noises, and I feel as though I need to use my ears to pay attention to traffic - cars and pedestrians I may not be able to see.

Anyway, this map says:

"1st treadmill run, winter 09

Music as landscape:

VETO:

Can you see anything?

We are not your friends

You are a knife

Cannibal

I brought the bbq

wereisobesotted.blogspot.com

Of course, these were not the only songs I listened to that day, but they are the ones I remember.

I am sad to say that the map I posted less than one week ago is gone! Who is removing my maps? I am very troubled by their disappearance. I think it is not neighborly to take them down. At the moment, the two bulletin boards are largely empty. There are two laminated signs offering a hefty reward for a dog that's been missing since October. I hope the owner finds the dog, and also that he or she is not taken advantage of in the process.

I am still working on alternative venues for my maps...I will let you know what I come up with.

Mapping my run on the snowy banks

Much to my disappointment, I have not been able to run outside for the past two days. The first snow of the season left the streets slushy, icy, and wet, with huge banks of snow on the corners. I actually ran on the treadmill, which is a poor substitute for an outdoor run.

To honor my love of running while the sun rises, I posted this map yesterday morning on the Boerum Hill bulletin board. As you can tell, it was not yet light out. 

I was disappointed to discover that my two previous maps had been removed. Where did they go? Who took them?

I need to find a more permanent space for my maps. I am working on reaching out to arts organizations that help artists produce public projects. I applied for a slot to talk to some of the administrators of Creative Time, a NYC-based non-profit that produces public art projects. The next one-on-one artist counseling sessions are being held at PS1 in January. I have no idea what my chances are of being picked for a meeting, but I am excited about the possibility.

Mapping My Run, Hoyt Street and Atlantic

I noticed yesterday that the map I attached to the bulletin board on the corner of Hoyt Street and Atlantic Avenue has remained. Yay!

I have decided to continue to post my maps, one on top of one another, so that I will create a public diary of my runs. 

I will probably collect the maps within a few months, and bind them into a book, which I may try to exhibit. 

If you live in the neighborhood, keep an eye out for this bulletin board!

Hoyt Street and Atlantic Avenue

This map is on a bulletin board on the corner of Hoyt Street and Atlantic Avenue. 

Before posting it, I got into a conversation with a neighbor, who was prying old staples off the bulletin boards.

I described my project to him, and as a former runner, he seemed sympathetic. He also told me that an artist is planning to plant corn on a patch of land in the neighborhood. The corn is a native strain. That should be interesting to keep an eye out for.