The 70/30 Project

WHERE YOU CAN FIND ME NOW

2010-03-06T09:08:00.000-08:00

I am casting one last line into the fray here to say THANK YOU to those who have followed me loyally/attentively/blindly/accidentally in this forum. It has been a pleasure writing for you. More importantly, I want to draw your discerning eyes to a new blog, whose subject and substance is the upcoming exhibition ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK.

The outstanding summary below was written by my new project assistant, Sarah Humphrey. She has summed up my feelings exactly about Escape From New York. I hope you will join us at the new site.

http://escapefromnewyork.tumblr.com

ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK

2010-03-06T09:00:00.000-08:00

I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking that our manifest destiny on this continent has long since been fulfilled; the railroads have been built, and the shores of the Pacific Ocean from Malibu to La Jolla have been peppered with the condominiums and bronzed progeny of the Western pioneers. You’ve seen the sublime American landscape of Fredric Edwin Church and Thomas Moran, from Niagara Falls to the Chasm of the Colorado, and you’re pretty sure the terrain has been stomped conclusively into submission under the incessantly pounding feet of Dancing with the Stars. As the natural synecdoche of the rest of the nation, this also applies to New York. You know this because your once-charming pied-à-terre in Bushwick is now a J.Crew, and you’ve heard that there will soon be subway service to alphabet city.

And though perhaps you have never been, you assume things are pretty much the same in New Jersey. Empire has run its course, so to speak, so you might as well just stay east of the Hudson and suffer the congested homogeneity of a Thursday evening in Chelsea.

The exhibition ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK offers both a literal and theoretical alternative to the threat of absolute homeostasis in the artistic biology of the five boroughs. It proposes that the answer lies in moving Westward, into the historic landmarks and wide open spaces of Paterson, New Jersey, and other cities like it. It presents the work of more than 30 contemporary artists in the sprawling space of what was once a silk factory. It seeks to transform the Western fringes of New York City from a locus of exile to a haven of exodus, and to expose the artificiality of the Hudson river border.

Follow this link for previews of the participating artists, curatorial musings, and the show’s vital stats:

http://escapefromnewyork.tumblr.com/

-Sarah Humphrey

Anki King

2009-09-28T21:21:00.000-07:00

Anki King, Curled Cat (edition of 20), 2009, etching, 10 x 8 inches, $85

An Xiao

2009-09-24T21:35:00.001-07:00

An Xiao, Coney Island Street Haiku, 2009, 16 x 20 inches, $500.00

Mary Pinto

2009-09-22T19:29:00.000-07:00

Manhattan Avenue Botanicals series, 2007-2008,

unique c-prints, 14 x 11, each $500.00

Bouquet, 2009, unique c-print, 16 x 20 inches, $600.00

Chemical Landscape #18, 2005, unique c-print, 16 x 20 inches, $600.00

Chemical Landscape #8, 2005, unique c-print, 16 x 20 inches, $600.00

Chemical Landscape #3, 2005, unique c-print, 16 x 20 inches, $600.00

Derek Piasecki

2009-09-20T12:48:00.000-07:00

Derek Piasecki, St. George, 2007, colored pencil and ink on paper, 20 x 15, $300.00

Max Carlos Martinez

2009-09-17T22:32:00.001-07:00

Self-Portrait, 2009, acrylic on canvas, 8 x 8 inches, $100.00

Michelle Manley

2009-09-17T22:16:00.000-07:00

All works 2009, acrylic on panel, 6 x 6 inches, $250.00 each.

Jason Robert Bell

2009-09-15T21:46:00.000-07:00

Houndthing, 2009, ink, spray, and watercolor on paper, 10 x 8, $75

Manster, 2009, ink, watercolor, spray on paper, 10 x 8, $75

Bob Schatz

2009-09-09T22:28:00.000-07:00

Paesaggio, 2006, acrylic on music paper, 10 1/2 x 13 inches, $300.00

2006, acrylic on paper, 3 5/8" x 17 13/16" inches, $400.00

Welcome to The 70/30 Project

2009-09-07T21:29:00.000-07:00

(Above, Jason Metcalf, digital painting, 2009)

Hello, and welcome! The 70/30 Project was founded based on the personal belief that the standard bricks and mortar 50/50 gallery split could be a thing of the past, with a little tweaking. Take away the cost of overhead, and the playing field is leveled. In fact, this dealer believes the scale needs to be tipped in the artists' favor. For this project, all 70/30 selectees will receive 70% commission for any work sold. As a challenge to myself, this art blogger/arts writer/reviewer/critic/arts worker wants to first try her hand at street fair barking, being a dealer for a day at the Flatbush Frolic street fair in Ditmas Park, Brooklyn. I've chosen the artists for the booth and project carefully and with a unique consideration for their talents, and how to effectively market their work to the vibrant creative community that is Ditmas Park, Brooklyn. My goal is for everyone to have a great time, and to help promote these emerging artists with every ounce of my fiber for a 7-hour period from 11AM - 6PM, Sunday, September 13, 2009, here on Cortelyou Road. Wish me luck. It's going to be a fun ride!

Click here for more details on the fair and here for a map.

See you at the fair, and back here at the blog as we continue the project at its digital home!