A while back I had a chance to do an interview with artist Kim Dorland-  and was excited to learn that his show will be opening at Mark Moore gallery this Saturday, March 20th! I haven’t gotten a chance to see them in person yet, but these works are gorgeous. Dorland makes use of a sumptuous impasto creating narratives that are visceral, expansive and nostalgic all at once…all the more reason to see them in person.

Vist the Source: BEAUTIFUL/DECAY MAGAZINE

I love Emil Holmer’s nutty bright colored graffiti jungles.If you happen to be in Berlin, on Friday, 12th of March 2010 from 6 to 9 p.m., Galerie Michael Janssen will be presenting a selection of his recent paintings.

Vist the Source: BEAUTIFUL/DECAY MAGAZINE

Whatever Lola wants, Lola gets.  You know that anyone who goes by one name is cool as cool can be.  So that’s why you should definitely go see Lola’s second solo exhibition, “Ipsum Factum”, at Corey Helford gallery.  The opening is on Saturday March 27th, 8-10 pm.  But if you absolutely cannot make it out for the reception, the work will be up until April 14th.  After the jump, you can get one more sneak peek of Lola’s new work before the show.

Vist the Source: BEAUTIFUL/DECAY MAGAZINE

Bobo is an art collective that emerged out of the Providence scene post-Fort Thunder.  I really love Bobo’s poster “The Global Order of the Youngbloods,” it’s an overdose of occult and conspiracy infotainment.  Bobo has managed to create a fun scene on their own terms.  They ran a space in Philadelphia for a while, but now seem to be arranging/curating shows in New York, and performing as a band.  Annie Pearlman brought them to my attention when I was doing a studio visit with Brian Belott.

These three pics are from a project where they create brand labels.  Bobo then prints out the labels and sticks them to burned and melted piles of garbage.

You can hear Bobo’s musical project on their myspace page.  They’ve collaborated with Ryan Trecartin as well.

Bobo is going to be in a group show at Secret Project Robot in Brooklyn that opens March 6th.

Vist the Source: BEAUTIFUL/DECAY MAGAZINE

How’s this for a big surprise… Shaquille O’Neal has curated an exhibition at the FLAG Art Foundation in New York that opens this weekend and runs through May 27th. Fittingly titled Size Does Matter, the show explores different ways that scale affects perception, which shouldn’t be much of a shocker because the big fella checks in at 7′1″ and over 320 pounds! Some of the artists he picked for the exhibition include: Chuck Close, Tim Hawkinson, Ron Mueck, Andreas Gursky, Evan Penny, Richard Pettibon, Elizabeth Peyton, Cindy Sherman… Shaq might have got a few pointers along the way, but those are some heavy hitters, and the complete list is pretty dang impressive. There’s even a comprehensive catalogue with an essay by bestselling author and big fraud James Frey – hey nobody said there wasn’t an element of promotion going on. Here’s an interesting little interview from New York Magazine. Love this Q & A -
Do you ever get time to visit museums?
I used to go a lot with my kids. Donald Trump is a great friend, and he has four or five Picassos on his plane. And that’s where I would look at them. One time, I was at a museum and tried touching a Picasso. You break it, you buy it, they said. I was told it would cost $2 million.

Vist the Source: BEAUTIFUL/DECAY MAGAZINE

2-UP is pleased to announce its inaugural edition, a collaborative poster created by artist Monika Zarzeczna and curator Nathan Lee. This is the first in a series of collaborative poster editions to be produced by 2-UP in the coming year. Please join us for a launch party on Saturday, February 20th from 5-7 PM at Printed Matter Inc., 195 Tenth Avenue, NY, NY.

For the first publication of 2-UP, members Nathan Lee and Monika Zarzeczna have culled materials from their personal archives to create a two-sided, black and white offset poster. One side notes a passage from Herman Melville’s 1846 novel Typee –worn out, half forgotten, marked by the stain of some unremembered beverage on a sheaf of lined paper.  The reverse side presents the view from an artist’s studio no longer inhabited: a digital photograph retrieved, printed, marked, manipulated, and collaged.

Comprised of 16 artists and writers, each month 2-UP pairs two of its members together to produce a double-sided poster, packaged in twos.  The content of each poster is entirely a product of the participants ‘up’ each month. The complete series of 2-UP editions is available for a modest subscription fee; individual editions are available for a suggested donation of $2. Production of each poster is funded by monthly contributions from each member, with all proceeds from the sale of posters re-invested into the project. 2-UP aims to produce low-cost multiples in large editions, guided by the idea that the value of art can exist independently of money and irrespective of rarity.

Initiated by Adam Shecter and Joe Winter, 2-UP is Nathan Lee + Monika Zarzeczna, Davina Semo + Colleen Asper, Ben Dowell + Mores Mcwreath, Cathy Park Hong + Zerek Kempf, Glen Fogel + Craig Kalpakjian, Joe Winter  + Christian Hawkey, Cate Marvin + Benjamin Kress, Adam Shecter + Matthea Harvey.

Vist the Source: BEAUTIFUL/DECAY MAGAZINE

If the still above seems uncannily familiar to you- it’s because it’s from Michael Jackson’s unforgettable music video, “Thriller;” sans MJ, flesh-eating (choreographed) Zombies, or any sign of human life, for that matter. In the video “Untitled #100, (Fantasia),” artist Josh Azzarella took two years to meticulously remove everything but the murky rolling fog of a smoke machine and ominously ambient noises. The full length feature can be viewed on the humorously titled Funk of 40,000 Years. The result is a haunting look at a seeming post-apocalyptic landscape; robbed of its ghoulish face paint and kitsch, the video is a frightening look at what is left behind. The film is certainly imbued with new symbolic meaning now that the prince of pop himself has left the building, so to speak.

Josh will be showing this video at Mark Moore Gallery this Saturday, from 5-7pm. They will also be showing artist Kim Rugg (who has a similarly “systematic” practice of cutting out every single letter from newspapers and arranging them alphabetically). Shown in conjunction, an interesting dialogue regarding notions of truth and fiction within the media ensues between the two artists. If you are in LA, this exhibition is not to be missed!

Vist the Source: BEAUTIFUL/DECAY MAGAZINE

After a full day at the studio last Saturday I popped into the opening for Default State Network, a new show opening at Raid Projects curated by NYC based artist Ryan Wallace. I’m always a fan of artist curated shows and DSN does not disappoint with a great mix of painting, photography, printmaking, and sculpture that will excite anyone looking for a mix of craft and concept.

The show features young and upcoming artists Alex Dodge, Chris Duncan, Elise Ferguson, Glen Baldridge, Will Yackulic, Joseph Hart, Andrew Schoultz, Leslie Shows, and Ryan Wallace himself. The Alex Dodge sculpture (detail pictured above) was by far my favorite work being playful and erie at once. DNS will be up until February 27th so make sure to stop by and check it out if you’re in the LA area.

Vist the Source: BEAUTIFUL/DECAY MAGAZINE

The upcoming exhibition Thingamajigs, curated by Meenakshi Thirukode brings together individuals whose creative practice cannot be categorized under traditional tags. The show features a plethora of artists who push the boundaries of their practice, including prior B/D featured experimental group Lucky Dragons, B/D staff writer Colleen Asper, and B/D’s own Amir H. Fallah! A bevvy of Beautiful/Decay articles of history and memorabilia (including some of the first ever, hand-photocopied ‘zine versions) will be on display, alongside Amir’s painting. If you find yourself on a spiritual or artistic journey to India, be sure to check out this exhibition at Gallery Open Eye Dreams.

Vist the Source: BEAUTIFUL/DECAY MAGAZINE

Christine Spangler’s collages are both tender and lewd.  There’s an innocuous, cross stitch sampler feel to her work – they’re filled with pretty flowers & graceful sparrows.  When you look a little closer you’ll discover something totally different going on.  The above collage was a wedding gift.  You can see Christine’s work in a show that opens tonight at Climate Gallery called Putting-It-All-Together.

Christine and her beau Tyler Campbell Wriston curated a show up now called Eternal Return at NUTUREart in Brooklyn.

Vist the Source: BEAUTIFUL/DECAY MAGAZINE