Ultra Violet—the Passing of an Era

Last night I went to pay my final respects to Ultra Violet a.k.a. Isabelle Collin-Dufresne. It was very moving. It was like a very surreal cocktail party with no drinks and no food but filled with interesting people of all ages and representing all the phases of her life. She looked beautiful, still in violet with a beaded collar and her glittering pins that spelled out Ultra Violet. 

We became friends in the last few years. She had a great spirit, interested in art and people, always shimmering in purple and glitter, and always herself. I shall miss her.

 

                                                           Photo ©2011 Susan Shaw

Alt. Business

O.K. I am down in the dumps.

I just received my fourth rejection letter this week. I know this business is like being tossed about in the sea but sometimes it would be nice to get some Yee Hahs!

I am reminded of an alt. version of a business plan I made while at New York Foundation for the Art's Boot Camp, seems just as good as the one I made with financials, marketing plan, goals, etc. and a table of contents.  Here it is...and you can barely see the last piece which reads "success"!

Roma Day 2 -- Andy is here

Naturally heard a long story from a waiter because I was drawing in a restaurant. "A man was drawing on the menu. after he left another patron offered the waiter 100 lira for the menu. he sold it. Later the waiter realized it was an Andy Warhol." Why am I connected to Andy where ever I go?

Sibyl says Rome

I'm off to Rome for a month long resinency, departing in two days. I thought this new work seemed symbolic and appropriate. The piece is a work created  entitely on paper using linen and cotton pulps . i think of her as ths Sibyl, dispensing wisdom I don't understand but entirely appropriate for the beginning of a journey. 

Andy Confluent

You know about my obsession with Andy Warhol...well, it's gotten stranger and more connected in odd ways than ever.

Now there is a silver Andy monument by Rob Pruitt right outside my window, where I used to see Andy himself everyday coming and going from Interview magazine...and my studio is neighbor to the Silver Factory which was his studio. (For a chronology of Andy and his players)...and now in Andy's honor I always wear the fragrance from Bond No. 9, Silver Factory...


...and last weekend I met a lovely artist, Madelyn Roehrig, who talks to Andy Warhol at his grave and who started filming people at the gravesite talking to Andy...which turned into...a work of art. November 5 at the Warhol—Madelyn Roehrig's Figments: Conversations with Andy: Year I & Year II (2009-11), with live music by Meeting of Important People, Dave Olson, and Uke & Tuba.

I go for the Coffee...

...but stay for the friendship.

Linda Tharp and I have become pacing partners in the world of art. Taking a concept from the "straight" or not-art business world, we are helping each other to move our art careers forward.

This involves keeping honest to the goals we just created as part of the Artist as Entrepreneur Boot Camp (more about this later) at the New York Foundation for the Arts.

Linda and I are very different types of people and very different types of artists. This partnering has the effect of making us both stronger. As well, I feel we are at the beginning of a new art movement. Not defined, by painting style or concept, but by a new way that artists view themselves and how artists view their place in and their value to the world.

...and the coffee is good and hot and attractive.

Oblique Directions

We're back...NEW NEW NEW

John Kilduff paints while jogging on a treadmill, blends a drink and takes your calls live! NEW NEW NEW media!

Secret Language

Abstract painters always seem to talk about painting as language and the individuality of mark making. I have come to enjoy the secret coding of the walls and sidewalks of New York. These particular ones are clustered in Chelsea.

Opening of/at the Lower East Side Visitors Center

Last night was the opening of the Lower East Side Visitors Center at 54 Orchard. I was very pleased to be exhibiting both paintings and prints as one of the featured artists. This is one of my appropriately new york centric paintings in the show. Below some snaps from the event: the gallerist Mark Miller ribbon cutting, myself with Senator Daniel L. Squadron and Councilman Daniel R. Garodnick, and with Speaker of the New York State Assembly, Sheldon Silver.

Margrit Lewczuk - A visit

This past Saturday I went gallery hopping in Williamsburg (Brooklyn) and one stop of the day was to see the work of Margrit Lewczuk. She was at the gallery and gave some time to speaking with us. I love her work so wanted to share the experience with you...courtesy of YouTube here it is:

Fairfield Porter

This summer I saw a small and lovely Fairfield Porter show at the Michael Rosenfeld gallery. I loved seeing Porter's quintessential summer light.

I was especially fascinated by his portraits. "Chris, Sarah, Felicity" a group of three teenagers and "Laurence in Two Lights" (seen here). You get the feeling of personality but it is subsumed in Porter's painterly approach. The painting is the subject here which gladdens my heart.

I often struggle with this issue. How much of the subject must be revealed or remain? More on this later, off to the studio, Porter always makes me want to paint.

Prismatically Yours

The Wonderful Color Wheel by Jude Stewart in Print Magazine is a fascinating look into the color universe, specifically the color wheels and systems of long ago.

In addition check out Color Lovers and the full Creation of Color in Eighteenth-Century Europe, courtesy of the guttenberg Project. Of particular interest to me, was the section on words for color.

I think that the Japanese have many words for different colors of green. It makes sense to me that a culture so interested in nature would have words like "shin ryu" which refers to the color that is the bright acid green of new leaves.

For myself, an avid painter of safety cones, I love Pyrrole Orange and Cadmium Orange and Vat orange and Alizarin Orange and Permanent Orange and Coral Orange and Scheveningen Orange and Indian Yellow Orange Lake Extra.

No Time for Andys

Actually there is always time...discovered on Vimeo.

Today's the Day!

Susan Shaw: Moving Violations opens at the ACA! I am really excited. Nothing like four years of work distilled into a single entity.

They've even given me some additional space. A presence in the lobby of some additional works that didn't make it into the show. They won't be up long since the walls of the lobby will soon change shape as they open parts of the amazing expansion that the ACA is doing.

I am riding on a cloud. Louisiana seems to provide the substance that is usually only dreams. In just one day, the ACA put up a building banner of my work, I went out on Lake Martin and I got to twirl a hankie and dance a second line with the guys in the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. Life doesn't get much better than this. See you at the opening. Remember it's 6-8pm tonight as part of Artwalk and it's free!

Day 6 painting the boat

In Turtles Bar at the end of the dock. My closest internet access. Here are photos of my neighbors and more views from the roomboat. I have to call it a roomboat because its too small to be a houseboat. I'm recovering from painting three coats on the interior of the boat. Turtles is fun! I saw a dog just jump 10 feet into the air. Met some more neighbors and am chilling with a Margarita.Back to work at the gallery tomorrow.

Day 4 the Layout

Spent today laying out the show. Was vert surprised I had to edit. After spending a year in a panic about filling the space, we cut five paintings and 12 photographs. Everything has room to breathe and its looks wonderful. So now I'm heading back to my boat to eat crawfish etoufee and watch the sunset. Ahhhhhh.

Day 3 Mixed Bag in the Best Way

Got a look at the space now that the prior show is gone. Wow!!!!! What a beautiful space. Not much to do since they are prepping walls so I went off to get my float camp into the basin. I spent some time on the deck and then went off with a friend to check her catfish lines. Fried catfish for dinner. Yum. I love Louisiana!!!

Modern Romantic American Landscape...Why does this sound weird?

I first saw Valerie Hegarty's work in a public project on the High Line in New York City. A painting being "reclaimed" by nature. Her work amusingly turns the conceits of landscape painting on it's head while also seriously investigating the meaning of landscape painting in the context of American history. A local artist, she also had/has a work on view in the permanent collection of the Brooklyn Museum.

Party Gras 2010

It's the third blizzard out the window, The Saints won (maybe Hell is frozen over), I'm filming Lunar New Year, we had a cold and windy sweetie pie day, and it's Mardi Gras.

In good New York Therapeutic tradition, I saw these avatars for Kurt and myself that embody the recent events: dirty snow, Superbowl, Year of the Tiger, Valentine's Day and Fat Tuesday. Add in the run-up to my ACA show (in the main gallery), shake it up and what do you get?

...too bad the story ends in jail, maybe it's a good place to sleep?!!??, just kidding. Party on...



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