September 27th Show : Artists : Ramona Martinez

RAMONA MARTINEZ

September 27th Show : Artists : Ian Carr

IAN CARR
Artist Statement

“History will absolve me.”

                -Fidel Castro

“The search for the absolute.”

                -Vladimir Kandinsky

“…a Prime Mover. The creator served nothing and no one.

He lived for himself”

                -Howard Roark

“Hammers are the New black!”

                -Johannes Adahl

September 27th Show : Artists : Henry Almonte

HENRY ALMONTE
Artist Statement

My artwork is a prestidigitation of colors absent of a categorical imperative. The common denominator of ad hoc; i want to reinvent colors.

September 27th Show : Artists : Jon Laing

JON LAING 

Artist Statement

Ugly mutant fish
Very first to walk on land
His name was Jon Laing

—Analects of Confuscius

The horrible beast of legend, Jon Laing has terrorized the countrysides of Europe, Asia, and parts of Detroit for centuries. A grotesque fiend with battle axes for feet and daggers for eye-balls, he is perhaps best known his hauntingly graceful choreography and solemn opera compositions. Many may remember him from the epic of Will Smith in which Laing was described as a man "who [was] up to no good" and "starting making trouble in [his] neighborhood". Smith was later placed in the FBI witness protection program and is presumed to have been relocated to somewhere on the West Coast of the United States.

After winning a game of Russian roulette with Ernest Hemmingway, Laing attempted to break into the arts. He played a formative role in the hit TV show "Diff'rent Strokes" and even voiced the CGI character, Arnold Jackson [1] in the series' pilot episode. After being replaced by Randy Savage for the voice of Arnold, Laing attempted to become a famous abstract expressionist painter.

Laing put his best foot forward as a "self taught" artist. He was quickly met with rejection and scorn, but would not be deterred. Upon adoptiong the psuedonym, "Cy Twombly", Laing began to see palpable success, and was even able to waste a copious amount of wall space at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Regarding this turn of events, he was quoted as saying, "I'm starting to think this whole art thing is a load of bull mess." After years of frustration, Laing chose to attend the University of the Arts in Philadelphia where his suspicions were confirmed.

In 2011, after kicking his self-esteem addiction [2], Laing was released from the University on Parole Cum Laude. He lives in relative obscurity, making horse sculptures out of strands of eyebrow hairs and cannoli filling [3]. When pressured for a statement, he had only this to say:

I don't know much about too much, and all that jazz, but what I can tell you is if I were given a choice between the former and the latter, I would definitely choose the middle of the two.

Written by James Hurley, Staff Writer at the Independent Post of Philadelphia (4/16/2012)

1.        It is widely accepted by historians and anthropologists that Gary Coleman was a myth perpetuated by "9/11 truthers" and "ancient alien theorists" [3].

2.        Laing has been known many times to relapse back into self-esteem, but his friends and family do their best to quell the addiction as soon as they notice so much as the faint odor of confidence on him.

3.        Footnotes and citations make things look legit.

Check out more of Jon Laing's work at : www.jonlaing.com 

September 27th Show : Artists : Chi Nguyen

CHI NGUYEN

Artist Statement 

Moving from Vietnam to America at the age of thirteen, my artworks are centered on the search for identity as a female and as an immigrant. In painting women of various ethnicities and age groups, I find a way to look at myself. Their portraits become mine, as I search for a common ground between all women by exploring our skin tones, our hair, and our body types.

I believe that the best way to get to know people is to draw them or to paint them in a short amount of time. For me, painting portraits speaks a certain volume; it creates a natural closeness, or relationship, between two people – the artist and the subject. I look closely at the person in front of me – not to paint accurately how they look like, but how they make me feel. I want to capture that urgency and excitement in getting to know someone by using big and organic brushstroke. Each shape, each color, and each line stand for her past, my present, and our future.

In doing this series, I keep a narration in my head. Every stroke and every color correspond to a phrase, a line, syntax, or a climax in the story. It is an endless narration that pulls the lives of these four women together – regardless of their consciousness to its existence. In painting them – abstract or otherwise, I see myself and I see the common denominator that ties us all together. Regardless of how small the bond is, our lives are connected at one singular point – through the narration of these paintings.

I often write in the background of each painting a short, fictional story – a rant, perhaps – written about the woman sitting or standing in front of me. Throughout the whole process, it is the fictional character that I paint, even though the facial expression and the mood are based on the model herself. Much of the text is then covered with paint, leaving behind incoherent phrases or no phrases at all. This story, like much else in life, will remain unknown – if not, forgotten. For me, it is not important that the text is legible, or even visible. It is important, however, that the viewers can create their own stories or their own conversations with the subjects from looking at the paintings.

My reason for choosing a similar palate within all of the paintings is to bridge the racial differences among all of the women, and to bring about a common ground between all of them. I want to emphasize the idea that we see ourselves in each other – as humans and as women. We each have our own lives and our own struggles, but during a brief moment in time, we are able to see each other without any barriers.  

 Images of Work 

September Show

This Thursday, September 27th from 6-9pm is the opening night of our September show.

Stay tuned for artists statements and images of work... only at Loft594 in Bushwick

Classes at Loft594

Hey there!

Just a reminder of the weekly classes we offer here at the loft in Bushwick!

Shaolin Kung Fu with David Kaplan
Saturday's from 3-4pm

and

Vinyasa Yoga with Vicky Chang
Wednesday's from 6-7pm
and Saturday's from 4:30 - 5:30pm

We hope to see you here soon!

Some DEALS : 
First Vinyasa Yoga Class is FREE!
Also sign up for a month of Vicky's class for $50!