New Work, Now On Show.

Yes, sharp-eyed reader, that’s the same title as the previous post. That’s because, despite the fact it’s almost two years since I last put anything up here, it’s now time for another announcement of another solo show at the Compound Gallery.

Here’s some information in picture form:

That’s right, there will be a spectacularly sumptuous opening this coming Saturday, August 17th 2019 from 6 – 9 pm to which you are invited, an invitation you would undoubtedly be foolish to decline. Sorry for the late notice. I obviously have issues posting to this platform for reasons that are unclear to me. Maybe it seems too much like work? I don’t know. I’ll try harder in the future.

In the meantime, here are a few images of the kind of thing you might encounter adorning the esteemed walls of the Compound Gallery, should you choose to attend.

I hope you will.

 

Another Fucking Zine.

Who needs another fucking zine?  Not you, obviously.

Too bad.

Because in a world already overrun with zines I humbly offer up yet another. Mind you, this is not just any old run-of-the-mill zine. This is a zine that positively revels in it’s own pointlessness.

This slim and utterly superfluous volume is represents a compilation of hand drawn lists and charts, containing a wide variety of spurious information all of which has been fabricated out of thin air by the author, (me).

It is a veritable cornucopia of misleading, disparaging and deceitful details almost none of which bare even the slightest relationship with any known reality.

How you can resist such a thing?

Well obviously you can’t. Especially when you realize that each and every one of these one hundred and twenty individually incoherent editions has been beautifully risographed in delightful teal colored ink, comes with a hand-printed letterpress cover and is individually numbered by the artist, (me). Plus they all contain a moderately thrilling ‘artistic addition’, which can found lurking somewhere near the back.

This is the kind of individually applied ‘artistic addition’ you can expect in every edition*. *(Actual quality of addition may vary.)

Different colors, different covers. Each hand printed on the letterpress. Why? Who knows.

Every edition individually numbered. Every back cover either letterpress printed, or collaged by the artist, who is clearly not right in the head.

So obviously the question on everyone’s lips is “how do I get my sweaty little digits on one of these peculiar publications?”.  Well wonder no longer, dear reader. These oddities will become available on the opening night of my latest ‘art’ show, coincidentally titled “Some Things That May Be Helpful At Some Point”, which takes place at The Compound Gallery on the evening of October 21st, 2017.

I realize, of course, that most of you will have better things to do with your time than travel all the way to Oakland to stand around gawping at walls covered in my delusional daubings. In which case the zine is also available for purchase right now, through the miracle of the internet, at The Compound Gallery’s online Art Shop.

Don’t miss out. This is the zine that will finally make your life complete.

2015 – The Year in Review (Kind Of)

What the hell happened to 2015?

It managed to both arrive and depart without the production of a single blog post from this indolent reprobate.

Is it too late to make up for this lackadaisical approach to communication? Probably. Nevertheless, here’s my misguided attempt to make up for my lamentable lack of updates.

Okay, so lets start in October. It’s as good a month as any. And it was the month that saw the creation and launch of the above limited edition bronze.  This was definitely the year’s most awesome project, embarked upon with the help and expertise of the good folks at The Compound Gallery in Oakland. Entitled ‘The Pursuit of Happiness’ it’s a handsome bronze skull that sits proudly atop it’s very own sturdy maple plinth, complete with laser etched profanity. Each and every part of this edition of 13 was hand finished by me at great personal risk and considerable discomfort. And, most astounding of all, every one of the 13 pieces was sold in exactly 13 days. (Well, one disappeared into a mysterious void in the Australian postal system, but that’s neither here nor there, like the piece itself.)

Earlier, in September, I also took part in a group show at the aforementioned Compound Gallery.

It was a boxing themed affair entitled “Knockout”, and I my contribution was the oddly shaped mixed media piece above. If you’re wondering about the unusual dimensions, I chose them after a great deal of contemplation and consideration because the wood panel was heftily reduced in price in the art store.

Aside from all the Compound related activity, 2015 also saw me start to show work regularly at The Dove Biscuit gallery in Los Angeles,  which is located downtown, inside The Last Bookstore. The work available there is mostly my letterpress prints, plus a few smaller mixed media pieces. If you’re in the LA area it’s definitely worth a visit, not, I hasten to add, because of my work, but because it’s a totally cool old building stuffed full of new and used books and records for sale at bargain prices.

Speaking of books, July saw my humble contribution to international art publishing. This took the shape of 14 pages inside this lavish volume which goes by the imaginative title ‘Artist Notebook’. Unsurprisingly it’s a collection of artist’s notebooks.

It’s publushed by Monsa, in Spain and is available for a mere  €25,90  right here. And if you’re wondering, the inside looks bit like this:

Okay I can tell by the glazed look in your eyes, and your incessant yawning, that you’re getting bored with all this dreary rambling. I think we both knew it wasn’t a great idea, so let me wrap it up quickly for both our sakes. Here’s something interesting – it’s that fucking gorilla again.

Yes it made another fucking appearance. This time in the form of a fully-fledged theater performance, complete with paying audience, at the Toronto Fringe Festival. That’s in Canada, people. Which is cool. And this time I supplied the original artwork for the posters. Which was also cool.

Finally, as is traditional in these sparse and sporadic blog posts I’d like to end with an apology, accompanied by an excuse. But first some visual evidence:

Yes, dear reader, that is my wrist. To be more specific that is my right wrist. The wrist I use to draw, paint, type this very blog and complete sundry other less glamorous tasks. This delightful snapshot was taken in the Emergency Room of a San Francisco hospital back in March, after my bicycle and I were involved in an unpleasant altercation with an automobile. Thankfully after the surgical insertion of about eight inches of titanium and several weeks spent in a variety of casts, everything was restored to full functionality. And, on an uncharacteristically optimistic note, it gave me a chance to practice drawing left handed.

Anyway, as you probably guessed by now, I was planning to blame the utter lack of activity here on the results of this regrettable incident, but the fact is, it’s really just down to idleness and inertia, so I won’t insult your intelligence.

As usual I offer a half-hearted pledge to update this nonsense more frequently, if only to avoid having to create another of these appalling anthologies in the future. However, if you are misguided enough to want to keep up to date with my artistic activities I’d suggest following me on some other social media minefields, which I actually do update regularly. These include Tumblr, Instagram, Flickr, Pinterest, Twitter and, of course my very own kingdom on the internets, which goes by my name with .com on the end.

Happy New Year, I hope 2016 will be everything you wish it to be.

And thank you for your continued tolerance.

 

Apologies For The Late Notice.

Apology Number 40. Installed directly onto a wall at The Compound Gallery.

Okay I admit it, this is a very late post. I don’t know why I find it so hard to update this blog when I regularly update my Tumblr and Flickr pages. I have some kind of mental block about WordPress. However, based on the principal that Late is better than Never, heres the NEWS.

Of most immediate importance is the fact that I have a solo exhibition of all of my Apology Drawings on right now at The Compound Gallery in Oakland, CA. I’m afraid the opening reception has come and gone, but the gallery is open Thursday – Sunday 12 noon to 6 pm, and the show is on until Sunday June 9th. This is also the date of The Closing Tea, where I’ll be delivering what has optimistically been labeled an ‘Artist Talk’. And, if you can’t make that, you can watch the whole debacle streaming LIVE on The Compound Gallery website. You can even send in awkward questions, in real time, for me to ignore.

Details of what you’ve missed and what’s still to come!

If you can’t wait till then to get answers to your many questions you might find they have already been answered in this interview about the show which appeared on Jeremyriad.com. There’s even a little Vine video of me in action.

I sincerely hope you can make along to the show, but if your impressively hectic schedule doesn’t allow it, you can still buy a little Apology of your own right now at the Compound Online Shop. I’ve also produced a couple of limited runs of Apology letter press prints which are for sale at a very reasonable prices at the show, and probably a bit later online.

Two of the limited edition letter press prints I made for the show.

Not only that but visitors are welcome to leave their own contribution on the fabulously interactive Apology Wall.

I’m sorry, but how can you resist this?

Go ahead. Apologize.