Saturday, September 6, 2008

Good bye from Kris Chatterson






















I began this blog as a journal to chronicle my experiences as I traversed the NYC art world. It has now become something else completely. I realized that the blog was becoming a resource for others to see what is going on in NYC that may not be getting much press, but is vital nontheless. Then I thought, why not expand that idea to LA and ask my good friend Cole Case to contribute? In doing so, I could no longer have a blog that is just mine.

The new vision is embodied in KCLOG, which will feature artists and writers posting from across the US and around the world.


For now KCLOG is:
Kris Chatterson, an artist living and working in NYC
Cole Case, an artist living and working in Los Angeles
Amelia Ishmael, an artist and writer working in Kansas City, MO
Seann Brackin, an artist working in Madrid Spain


If you're on Facebook, please add KCLOG to your blog network.

K Chatterson NYC LA will remain online as an archive for KCLOG, covering NYC Fall, Winter 2007 and Spring, Summer 2008.

I will leave with a picture of one of my favorate tagged doors. Enjoy and see you on KCLOG!

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Kirchner and the Berlin Street @ MoMA






















Mid-August in the New York art world is like a desert. Everyone is out of town, either in the Hamptons or Hudson Valley, and most galleries are closed or on shorter schedules. Kirchner and the Berlin Street at MoMA is a much needed oasis with plenty to go around. I was excited for months when I learned this show was coming.

The show does not disappoint. The paintings sparkle off the wall – each one inviting you to come closer. I was surprised to notice how fresh these paintings seemed and how many now famous German artists owe much to Kirchner.

The paintings are great, but the real treat is the pastels. They hit me in the face most unexpectedly. They are bold, direct and seem as fresh as the day they were made.

I have to give MoMA props for the generous online exhibition made for this show. It's very exciting and here is why: It's totally interactive and shows most of the work in the show. Here is the best and I think most generous part: be sure to click on sketchbooks, because the Museum actually scanned some of his sketchbooks, and you can virtually flip through the books. 

Kris

Photos taken from MoMA website as there is not photography allowed.

Home Delivery: Fabricating the Modern Dwelling @ MoMA





















The Pre-Fab house idea is getting due attention at MoMA with Home Delivery: Fabricating the Modern Dwelling. The show brings the homes out from the pages of magazines and out of architect's websites, into the world for us to see and experience. As a Pre-Fab enthusiast, I was elated to see this show.
I firmly believe this is the way more homes will be built in the future. Most are designed to be modular and customizable. These homes are also designed to use the least amout of waist often from recycled materials and to be affordable.

If you like modern design and architecture don't miss this show.

Check out the on line component!

Kris






Sunday, August 17, 2008

East Coast Colors Hand Made Paint





















As a blogger I often brows other blogs and last weekend found a post on Art Fag City for East Coast Colors. I was instantly curious about this paint. I made an appointment with Jacob Ouillette the paint maker and master mind behind East Coast Colors the very next day. Jacob makes the paint in small batches and sells it directly out of his studio. Cash and personal checks only at this point. When you come in there is only the tubed paint laying on a table, a color board, palette with paint on it and some of Jacob's paintings against the wall. Jacob took me through his line of colors. Then led me over to the palette so I can see first hand how some of the paint behaves by letting me spread some around with a palette knife.

Colors you should check out are, Lemon Ochre, Italian Orange Earth, Bohemian Green Earth, Cad Maroon, Cad Red Purple, Cadmium Brown, Titanium Yellow, Emerald Green, Ultramarine Violet, Ultramarine Pink, Iron-Oxide Black bluish and Transparent yellow oxide just to name a few.

After painting with these paints I am more than satisfied with my purchases. The lemon Ochre is everything I ever wanted in an Ochre but could not find. The Italian Orange Earth adds a fiery, smoldering warmth to oranges and reds.

East Coast Colors is a very new company. More colors are on the way. Jacob will be more than happy to talk with you about things to come. Who ever heard of a Blue Ochre? The great thing about Jacob is that he understands the needs of younger painters.

All photographs were taken from the East Coast Colors website.


Sunday, August 10, 2008

Sculpture Part II Opening at Western Project by Cole






Western Project closed out summer 2008 with the second of two sculpture shows, Sculpture Part II August 9. Nagasaki, anybody? It was a beautiful evening outside at the bar kicking it with WP's Keven, a little warm inside though so WP's Erin was doing a lot of plein air photography. Western Project rock star painter and fellow Otis instructor Carole Caroompas was there along with Tanya Batura (getting ready to kick off the gallery's fall schedule next month), lots of painters (Roland Reiss, Lester Monzon) and those double-threat-I-can-paint-AND-sculpt maestros Michael Reafsnyder and Wayne White. It was also great to see Artillery Magazine's Ezhra Jean Black out again making the rounds. I liked Mike Dee's crazy big spider guys and Michael's wacky monsters, some were straight out of Star Trek Original Series or Oogie Boogie from Nightmare Before Christmas. Wayne's carved wood sculptures were a personal favorite, especially the smallest one, "Dreaming". August (die she must) is upon us and it's vacation/travel season, gallery owner Cliff is off to visit India for the first time, should be quite an adventure! WP's Kirsten introduced me the guy who designed the groovy downloadable WP mandala (get it here, it will bring you good luck!), he was totally cool and is also a big Arcade Fire fan so how can you go wrong? Kris and I are trying to come up with a sexier name for this blog, if you have any ideas run 'em up the proverbial flagpole! SOOTYCK, xo Cole

Saturday, August 9, 2008

Marlene Dumas at MOCA by Cole



Hi guys, I checked out the Marlene Dumas show at MOCA Thursday and really enjoyed it. I went in with like zero expectations, not especially high, not especially low. What I really loved in this show were her works on paper, especially huge grids of serial portraits like "Models" and "Jesus Serene." Being an Oily Boy, I never give much thought to working in ink and/or acrylic and/or watercolor on paper, but this show inspired me for sure to try it out with a vengeance! The portraits look waaayyy fresh and immediate, and Dumas really has her control of these very volatile and unpredictable mediums, like, SO down. Speaking of which, when did the plural of"medium" become "mediums" and not "media"? Hmmmmmm The MOCA camera nazis were on patrol so no guerrilla shots with this post, only what I could download from the MOCA website. The dead "Marilyn" is her most recent painting, from this year, and it may be petite but it's a killer. "Painter" and her oil portraits of babies were awesome too. Her porn stuff didn't light my fire as much as those baby portraits, what does THAT say? Yikes! NYC/LA connection with this show: Connie Butler, ex-MOCA now-MOMA curated the show. We miss her out here! You lucky New Yorkers! Tonight Western Project has their second group sculpture show to close out the summer, I'll take some pix to post in the next few day or so. Stay out of trouble you crazy kids! xo Cole

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

NY Times Ken Johnson Reviews “Kirchner and the Berlin Street” @ MoMA






















Check out the review Ken Johnson writes for the NY Times.
Be sure to look through the slide show!
I'll be heading over to see the show soon!
Stay tuned.