goings on
So today I participated in what will be an opening at Alex Gartleman's My House Gallery in South Philadelphia. The title of the show is Gang Up and the basic premise is that a group of artist would get together a week before the opening, each bring a material and work on a collaborative piece together. Well that kind of half worked.
Alex had asked everyone to be at his house by ten this morning. In true Mike Ryan fashion I was ten minutes early and Alex had only just walked down stairs after having previously been asleep. Walking into the downstairs, which is usually pretty bare because of the constant openings, I sat down to coffee with Alex and he regaled me of stories from his recent road trip in which he almost got arrested two or three times. He also told me about his stop at a really awesome letterpress shop in Tennessee (Yee Haw Press(they have like a 8x10ft letterpress ....WHAT?!) while we waited for the rest of the crowd (what were 6 other artists to trickle in). Hannah, his roommate went out and came back, and Laura who we went to school with also arrived. So, it being close to an hour after designated time, we began.
Everyone started working on separate projects, and we called Bryan Rice and woke him from his hangover slumber, because he was supposed to be there as well. By the time Bryan got there we had begun to hang things on the walls just to get a sense of what it would look like/ how we could collaborate more. I have to admit that I was fairly nervous at first, but after a trip to Ikea for delicious artery clogging lunch my faith was restored.
The material I brought was all the black paper I saved from my Book Production project, and I put it to good work with some white chalk and gesso. I also did some work with Japanese paper and coffee. I worked until 6:30 p.m. on about 5 separate pieces. I started three myself and then added components to two of Alex's works (Alex had collaborated on two of my pieces). By the time I left three other artist had shown up and had gone to work on their own separate projects but also in collaboration with our already existing ones. I am really thrilled to see what the final outcome will be, and I am kicking myself for not bringing my clunky ass camera to document. This is a constant problem in my life. But I should document at the opening which is next friday (1/30/09) and I am sure Alex will be taking photos as well.
I have to say that it was one of the best days I have had in a long time. I was really excited to actually make something and see it through to a finished/semi-finished state. It has been awhile and it was pretty invigorating. I am excited to see what the other artists have done, but I am also a little nervous because I really liked the way things looked when I had left. C'est la vie.
IN SHOCKING TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS.... I finally joined Etsy and I got a sale which I also sent out in the mail today. I need to upload some more stuff to it, but I am pretty thrilled about that. If you want to search for my wares you can search by user, my user name is really easy to remember "MikeRyan."
AND IN OTHER ART NEWS.... I have a piece in a show at the Art In The Age Store on 3rd St. in Old City. The show is the first friday of February (2/6/09) and it is a Lincoln themed exhibition. The Zombie Lincoln piece I did will be in the show. Lets hope it sells/ they want to make shirts out of it. I am pretty into the design, and I will print it if they don't.
Alex had asked everyone to be at his house by ten this morning. In true Mike Ryan fashion I was ten minutes early and Alex had only just walked down stairs after having previously been asleep. Walking into the downstairs, which is usually pretty bare because of the constant openings, I sat down to coffee with Alex and he regaled me of stories from his recent road trip in which he almost got arrested two or three times. He also told me about his stop at a really awesome letterpress shop in Tennessee (Yee Haw Press(they have like a 8x10ft letterpress ....WHAT?!) while we waited for the rest of the crowd (what were 6 other artists to trickle in). Hannah, his roommate went out and came back, and Laura who we went to school with also arrived. So, it being close to an hour after designated time, we began.
Everyone started working on separate projects, and we called Bryan Rice and woke him from his hangover slumber, because he was supposed to be there as well. By the time Bryan got there we had begun to hang things on the walls just to get a sense of what it would look like/ how we could collaborate more. I have to admit that I was fairly nervous at first, but after a trip to Ikea for delicious artery clogging lunch my faith was restored.
The material I brought was all the black paper I saved from my Book Production project, and I put it to good work with some white chalk and gesso. I also did some work with Japanese paper and coffee. I worked until 6:30 p.m. on about 5 separate pieces. I started three myself and then added components to two of Alex's works (Alex had collaborated on two of my pieces). By the time I left three other artist had shown up and had gone to work on their own separate projects but also in collaboration with our already existing ones. I am really thrilled to see what the final outcome will be, and I am kicking myself for not bringing my clunky ass camera to document. This is a constant problem in my life. But I should document at the opening which is next friday (1/30/09) and I am sure Alex will be taking photos as well.
I have to say that it was one of the best days I have had in a long time. I was really excited to actually make something and see it through to a finished/semi-finished state. It has been awhile and it was pretty invigorating. I am excited to see what the other artists have done, but I am also a little nervous because I really liked the way things looked when I had left. C'est la vie.
IN SHOCKING TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS.... I finally joined Etsy and I got a sale which I also sent out in the mail today. I need to upload some more stuff to it, but I am pretty thrilled about that. If you want to search for my wares you can search by user, my user name is really easy to remember "MikeRyan."
AND IN OTHER ART NEWS.... I have a piece in a show at the Art In The Age Store on 3rd St. in Old City. The show is the first friday of February (2/6/09) and it is a Lincoln themed exhibition. The Zombie Lincoln piece I did will be in the show. Lets hope it sells/ they want to make shirts out of it. I am pretty into the design, and I will print it if they don't.