"minutiae" by Nathan Abels

Favorites of the Year: 2011

2011-12-26T16:33:00.021-07:00

These are my favorite albums and eps of the year:

1.The War on Drugs, "Slave Ambient"

The perfect road trip album. It flows together so naturally- without seeming monochromatic. "Slave Ambient" has real staying power - I imagine I will be playing this album many years from now.

2.Timber Timbre "Creep on Creepin' On"

Similar to "Slave Ambient", this album has very well considered transitions from track to track - making a re-listenable, cohesive album overall. A bit of a nod to Nick Cave - but less sinister. It seems like this album did not get the recognition it deserved on other lists this year.

3.Kurt Vile, "Smoke Ring for my Halo"

Similar in tone to the War on Drugs (his former band), but a little more laid back. Great lyrics too.

4.James Blake (self titled)

Tracks like, "The Wilhelm Scream" are really exceptional, but as an entire album there are tracks that don't grab me in the same way. If I were to make this list in June this year I would have put this at the top, but I've listened to it a bit less over time.

5.Blood Orange, "Coastal Grooves"

Chilled out with a bit of an 80s vibe, but still upbeat and even danceable.

6.Julianna Barwick, "The Magic Place"

A beautiful layered choral work. Really exceptional.

7.Dirty Beaches, "Badlands" + "Lone Runner"

Music for a dimly lit smokey bar in a black and white movie.

8.Pontiak, "Comecrudos" (ep)

"Part III" has become our new mountain-driving anthem. Listen below -the first track on my favorite tracks of the year mix.

9.Handsome Furs, "Sound Kapital"

A great album to sing along to.

10. M83, "Hurry Up, We're Dreaming"

A huge electronically based double album with all kinds of ups and downs. Some songs are pumped up and dancey (as in "hurry up"), others more dreamlike (also like the title of the album implies). Looking forward to their live show in the Spring of 2012.

11. Wye Oak, "Civilian"

Definitely one of the best live shows I saw this year.

12. St. Vincent, "Strange Mercy"

Edgier and more tense than her previous albums - and much more memorable to me.

13. Austra, "Feel it Break"

Very confident and composed performers whose voices are just as powerful live as they are on the album.

14. Jjango Cleefworth Morriconez/Jeffrey Wentworth Stevens, The Poquito Pioneer ep + Highway Driveway ep

Two projects by the same Denver-based guy- Jeffrey Wentworth Stevens, who is now going by just Morriconez - sounds like (as he recently put it), "a cloud of dust rollin' across the desert." Looking forward to a full-length in 2012. In the mean time you can get these on bandcamp from the artist for free.

15. Idiot Wind, ep

Exceptional singer-songwriter music from Sweden.

Worth mentioning:

PJ Harvey, "Let England Shake" (I was late to this one- it's still sinking in)
Hard Mix, "Defaults"
Chrysta Bell, "This Train" (produced by David Lynch and much better than his own disappointing release this year)
Die Jungen, "$", "As Long as You Want", "Just a Dream" eps
Liturgy, "Aesthetica"

Wordless/Instrumental:

1. A Winged Victory for the Sullen (self titled)
2. Dustin O'Halloran, "Lumiere"
3. Caretaker, "An Empty Bliss Beyond This World"
4. Black Eagle Child, "Pages on a Plane" + "Lobelia" (you can find my artwork on the "Pages on a Plane" LP)
5. Black Swan, "The Quiet Divide"
6. Field Rotation, "Acoustic Tales"
7. Christina Vantzou, "No. 1"
8. Johann Johannsson, "The Miner's Hymns"
9. Aria Rostami, "Form"
10. Ryonkt, "North Small Town"

Worth Mentioning:

Stag Hare, "Spirit Canoes"

Colorado Based bands/artists/performers I enjoyed this year:
Adam Cayton-Holland (comedy)
Jeffery Wentworth Stevens/Morriconez +George and Caplin
Bonnie Gregory/The Horse Latitudes
Candy Claws

Tracks:

Some of the best live shows I saw this year:
Arcade Fire, The War on Drugs, Lovers, Givers, Horse Latitudes, Liturgy, Wye Oak, Dressy Bessy/the Babysitters, Hedia, Adam Cayton-Holland, and Anthony Jeselnik.

My favorite movies of the year:
1. Another Earth
2. Martha Marcy May Marlene
3. Drive
4. Melancholia
5. Tree of Life

Favorites from 2010, 2009 , and 2008.

New music by Ryonkt - album art by me

2011-12-16T07:48:00.004-07:00

&amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://ryonkt.bandcamp.com/track/sigh"&amp;amp;amp;gt;sigh by ryonkt&amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;gt;

This new ambient guitar track by ryonkt features a photo as the album art by me. I've been listening to his very soft ambient music since first posting it as a part of my "music for your studio" a couple years ago, so I'm excited to be a small part of it.

Two film photos from Rome

2011-12-13T11:09:00.003-07:00

Last year at this time, I was finishing up the semester (as I am now) and getting ready for our trip to Rome. Here's a couple of film photos I took while there with my plastic Diana camera.

Painting(s) of the Day by Terri Brooks

2011-12-12T08:09:00.002-07:00

Terri Brooks, Neapolitan, 2011. Oil, enamel, pigment and PVA on canvas, 127x176 cm, Polyptych.

Untitled (bells), Acrylic on Canvas on Panel, 24x36"

2011-12-11T17:03:00.001-07:00

Untitled (bells), Acrylic on Canvas on Panel, 24x36", originally uploaded by nathanabels.

New Painting for Benefit

2011-12-05T13:17:00.002-07:00

"Sleeping Elk", Acrylic on Canvas, 11x14", 2011
To be auctioned for Colorado Gives Day tomorrow, December 6th, to benefit Firefly Autism. I will post a link when available. My first elk painting after 5 years in Colorado!

"Moon Rocks" - New Work

2011-11-19T16:15:00.002-07:00

"Moon Rocks" , originally uploaded by nathanabels.

4 canvases, each 16x20"

New Clyfford Still Museum

2011-11-18T12:20:00.002-07:00

This late 1970s work by Clyfford Still was my favorite at the now open Clyfford Still Museum in Denver. The museum is a great addition to the arts here in Denver.

Parking Lot Modern Art

2011-11-17T17:09:00.003-07:00

above: Joseph Albers
below: Ikea parking lot (photo by me)

New Small Works

2011-11-15T22:10:00.002-07:00

Both small paintings are untitled, acrylic on paper - 5x7" - finished this week.

Hike

2011-11-15T08:21:00.004-07:00

We took a relatively short hike near Indian Hills / Morrison on Sunday. Great view of Denver from there:

New song by Ryonkt

2011-11-14T09:00:00.001-07:00

Photo of the Day

2011-11-11T08:44:00.001-07:00

by Andres Gonzalez

Painting of the Day

2011-11-09T09:55:00.000-07:00

Wounded Lion by Xu Beihong

Paintings by Ruprecht Von Kaufman and Alexander Tinei

2011-11-04T10:37:00.003-06:00

Ruprecht Von Kaufmann, Daedalus, 2011, Oil and Acrylics on Panel, 30 x 30 cm

Alexander Tinei, Red dots, 2011. 60 x 40 cm. Oil on canvas

Wednesday in Cheesman Park

2011-11-03T13:50:00.000-06:00

Recent Inspiration and Denver Updates

2011-11-03T13:05:00.008-06:00

My posting has been a lot more sporadic lately, but those of you still checking in should know I haven't abandoned this blog. I'm working on a lot of new paintings (5 in progress right now), preparing for a new job and in general, just juggling my usual balance (or imbalance) of work and art.

My good friend Bill Amundson will be giving a talk at Plus Gallery tomorrow night, November 4th - don't miss it. The talk is at 7, and will definitely be crowded, so I might recommend coming a little and enjoying some beverages sponsored by Colorado Cider Company. It will be entertaining for sure. To prep yourself, check out his recent Untitled Art Show podcast.

Also, this Saturday is Night at the Museums with many local museums participating in free special events and extended hours.

As for recent inspiration:

Kubrick films (recently enjoying the Killing from 1956):

Caspar David Friedrich-esque paintings by Seamus Conley:

"Dusty" 2011 36x60 oil on canvas

Abstraction by Thomas Nozkowski, Zak Prekop (pictured below), Keltie Ferris (of course) and the recent exhibition of Motherwell paintings at the Denver Art Museum.

I've been playing the beautiful choral music of Juliana Barwick in my studio a lot lately:

If that wasn't enough - here's a new mix you can stream;

Liberty

2011-10-31T14:36:00.004-06:00

Me in front of lady Liberty in 1987 and again in this year.

Art by Danh Vo at Kunsthalle Fridericianum, Kassel

Wild Turkeys

2011-10-24T16:30:00.002-06:00

Wild Turkeys in Rocky Mountain National Park

Procession

2011-10-24T16:26:00.002-06:00

"Procession", Gouache on Paper, 11x14", 2011

for an art auction at Triangle Arts Association in NY

Sergej Jensen

2011-10-21T08:34:00.003-06:00

Recent works by Sergej Jensen - very inspiring lately. See more here and here.

lindisfarne castle

2011-10-09T21:22:00.001-06:00

lindisfarne castle 12, originally uploaded by damiandude.

Vladimir Tatlin - Monument to the Third International (Tatlin Tower)- c1920

2011-10-08T11:26:00.001-06:00

Vladimir Tatlin - Monument to the Third International (Tatlin Tower)- c1920, originally uploaded by Cea..

Spaced Out

2011-09-28T07:54:00.004-06:00

There seems to be a real outer-space trend in movies and music lately:

Other Lives, "For 12"

Wolf Parade, "Yulia"

Another Earth

Melancholia

Tree of Life

Denver Nature and Sciene Museum

2011-09-28T06:50:00.000-06:00

I took these photos on Monday at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.

Somewhere to Disappear

2011-09-27T08:04:00.003-06:00

This new documentary by Alec Soth looks fascinating.

Little here, Little there

2011-09-27T07:39:00.004-06:00

Not Vital

Alec Soth

Thomas Bansted

Recent inspiration

2011-09-26T16:13:00.004-06:00

Autumn in Colorado.

Field recording.

The music of Arvo Pärt

The Island (2006) directed by Pavel Lungin

"Into Great Silence" by Philip Gröning, 2005 - a documentary about Carthusian monks.

Idiot Wind

2011-09-22T14:07:00.003-06:00

I just received the Idiot Wind ep in the mail today from Sweden after being told about her music by MoonRiver. I think you will agree that this music is something special.

Fern Falls - Photo of the Day

2011-09-18T07:27:00.001-06:00

We hiked in the rain up to Fern Falls (pictured) yesterday in Rocky Mountain National Park .

Photo from Today

2011-09-17T20:24:00.001-06:00

I took this from Trial Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park this afternoon. It was a cold afternoon up above tree-line.

Fog

2011-09-13T11:28:00.001-06:00

source: boy by band of outsiders

Found Photo

2011-09-07T18:46:00.001-06:00

Also picked up this little gem at the flea market this weekend - hand tinted.

From River to Ocean

2011-09-06T11:34:00.000-06:00

Found Photo of the Day

2011-09-04T16:00:00.002-06:00

picked this up at the flea market today.

Candida Höfer

2011-09-03T18:22:00.001-06:00

Candida Höfer - from a show in NY this spring.

Finally Finished - new work "Eventide"

2011-09-01T16:17:00.010-06:00

Here's the months long progress on the now-finished painting:

And the finished painting:

"Eventide", Acrylic on Panel, 24x80"

Calming

2011-08-30T09:00:00.002-06:00

Calming by NathanAbels

A put together this one hour quiet, calm mix -of mostly ambient, minimal classical works and field recordings;
1. Field Recording from Twin Lakes, Colorado (by me)
2. Arvo Part, "Spiegel Im Spiegel (Violin and Piano)"
3. Erik Satie, "Gymnopedies 1 -Lent Et Douloureux"
4. Black Swan, "Part VII"
5. BVDub, "Forever A Stranger" (excerpt)
6. Stephan Mathieu, "Minuet"
7. Loscil, "Fromme"
8. Field Recording from Twin Lakes, Colorado
9. Stuart Deptster, "Cloud Landings"

Jump!

2011-08-21T22:25:00.001-06:00

Jump!, originally uploaded by nathanabels.

2011-08-18T12:35:00.000-06:00

"View from the Summit of the Cacavada Mountains near Rio de Janeiro", Auguster Earle

Another Earth

2011-08-18T08:31:00.001-06:00

We saw this movie recently and really enjoyed it - it is the kind of movie you think about days later. Worth seeing if it is playing in your area.

Broadcast: The Noise Made By People

2011-08-15T11:07:00.001-06:00

Broadcast: The Noise Made By People, originally uploaded by Littlepixel™.

New Bedroom

2011-08-15T10:56:00.005-06:00

The old bedroom used to be almost entirely white - we simplified the whole room and painted the walls a greenish french gray. We also rehung all the artwork using the picture-rail.

Saturday - Alan Kitchen

2011-08-12T07:55:00.002-06:00

I helped install this show yesterday and it looks great - don't miss the opening on Saturday!

New Work by Lu Cong

2011-08-11T13:47:00.000-06:00

TODAY

2011-08-09T09:27:00.000-06:00

I will be giving a lecture about my work for "Action Figures" hosted by Katie Taft on August 9th - 7 pm at WWA: 445 South Saulsbury Street, Lakewood, CO 80226 - come on out!

Vague

2011-08-06T20:04:00.001-06:00

also, a photo from yesterday's hike:

"This Is What It's Like"

2011-08-04T08:34:00.000-06:00

Keltie Ferris Has A Show

2011-07-27T22:43:00.002-06:00

Keltie Ferris Has a Show | "New York Close Up" | Art21 from Art21 on Vimeo.

I've watched this a few times. Some of my favorite abstraction right now.

Morris Louis

2011-07-26T10:03:00.001-06:00

Make a New Friend, originally uploaded by Thomas Hawk.

Ian Curtis - by Allison Edge

2011-07-25T22:38:00.004-06:00

Allison Edge, "Ian Curtis: Colony"
oil on canvas, 2008. 36" x 36"

"Ian Curtis"
Oil on canvas, 2008. 20" x 20"

"Ian Curtis: Isolation"
Graphite on paper/framed, 2008. 12" x 15"

Weekend

2011-07-24T22:19:00.001-06:00

Had a nice weekend in the Leadville/Twin Lakes area. I made a new field recording on the banks of the Twin Lakes:

Pages on a Plane

2011-07-21T23:38:00.001-06:00

Pages on a Plane is now available for purchase from Under the Spire, Boomkat, Norman, and Stashed Goods! The Black Eagle Child LP is produced in an edition of 250. Each disk is pressed on a translucent sea green vinyl with wavy blue streaks. LP arrives in a clear PVC sleeve, also containing a download code.

New Work

2011-07-20T21:14:00.003-06:00

‎

‎"Alive to Guess Again", Acrylic on Panel, 16x20"

Mark Your Calendars

2011-07-20T10:50:00.006-06:00

I will be giving a lecture about my work for "Action Figures" hosted by Katie Taft on August 9th - 7 pm at WWA: 445 South Saulsbury Street, Lakewood, CO 80226

Also - mark your calendar for this not-to-miss show:

Recommended Studio Music: Jeffrey Wentworth Stevens

2011-07-19T09:19:00.003-06:00

You can get both great eps for just under 7 bucks. For a few dollars more (ha ha) you can get a deluxe edition cd and tape.

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://jeffreywentworthstevens.bandcamp.com/album/the-poquito-pioneer"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;The Poquito Pioneer by Jjango Cleefworth Morriconez&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://jeffreywentworthstevens.bandcamp.com/album/highway-driveway"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Highway Driveway by Jeffrey Wentworth Stevens&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Two Red Shirts

2011-07-18T12:24:00.002-06:00

Rudolf Stingel

Lightning from Last Night

2011-07-14T08:55:00.004-06:00

Lightning photos from last night. See also:

Black Eagle Child: Pages on a Plane

2011-07-14T08:48:00.002-06:00

The new LP by Black Eagle Child, "Pages on a Plane" comes out this month at Under the Spire Recordings. You can order it here. I did the artwork for the label on the record - which is marbled vinyl. I'm really excited to be a part of this. You can listen to one of the tracks here:

Cycle to the Moon by blackeaglechild

Orion Fisher

2011-07-14T00:21:00.004-06:00

Orion Fisher, RECLAIMER 2
OIL ON CANVAS / 24 X 24 INCHES

COLOR STUDY 2
OIL ON CANVAS / 8 X 8 INCHES

Lost Abstraction

2011-07-13T14:11:00.003-06:00

Found this work in a bunch of old photos from Savannah (circa 2003) - at the time, I poured resin over the panel and ruined it. As far as an abstraction goes, it wasn't too bad. Oh well.

Sculpture Now

2011-07-11T16:53:00.000-06:00

via Contemporary Art Daily

Scenery in Kakanj District

2011-07-11T11:27:00.001-06:00

Scenery in Kakanj District, originally uploaded by M_WalzEriksson.

Painting of the Day: Pierre Bonnard

2011-07-11T08:37:00.000-06:00

Pierre Bonnard

Mourning Dove

2011-07-09T11:20:00.003-06:00

I found this little scared Mourning Dove in the alley behind our building yesterday. There have been some pretty severe rain storms the last few days and it probably fell out of the nest. We kept it in the apartment overnight then brought it to the Denver Wild B.I.R.D. Rehabilitation Center this morning - where it will be well cared for. The bird is healthy -after a week or so of softer foods it should be back in the world waking Denver with soft coos. The center does great work - please consider donating.

In Conversation: Jason Stopa interviews Katherine Bradford

2011-07-08T10:02:00.001-06:00

Katherine Bradford, "Welcome", 2009. Oil on canvas, 30” x 48”, Courtesy Edward Thorp Gallery.

Find the full interview here.

Also, I made a new mix you can stream:

Denver Summer Thunder Field Recording

2011-07-06T22:48:00.001-06:00

On Field Recording

2011-07-06T13:31:00.000-06:00

Advice from a Painter: Part 3 - Kaye Donachie

2011-07-05T08:49:00.004-06:00

Kaye Donachie, "Myself I think shall never know, how far beneath the wave I go", oil on canvas, 61 x 45 cm – 24 x 17 3/4 inches, 2010

Kaye Donachie, "Without You", 2008, Oil on canvas, 27 3/4 x 23 7/8 inches

Kaye Donachie was kind enough to write a few lines of advice to new painters in my painting class, which I will also share with you;

"This is some advice given to me that I have always followed. 'equipment is very important before even starting a painting. Always use a glass palette, always use pure turpentine to dilute paint not the cheap cleaning turps.......it destroys the pigment. And always invest in good brushes.....( a tutor once told me that you would expect a surgeon to use blunt dirty tools, so a range of quality brushes cleaned every night is essential. Finally, I would say painting is really hard. When you first start out it seems easy and the better you get it the harder it seems.'”

Thanks Kaye!

Field Recording: Tarryall Creek

2011-07-04T15:10:00.002-06:00

This photo was taken by me this weekend where I also recorded the Tarryall Creek next to our campsite. I will be making more audio vacations like this in the future. Stay tuned.

Unrelated

2011-07-01T09:03:00.002-06:00

Heimo Zobernig at Christian Nagel via Contemporary Art Daily

via personal message

New Small Study: Lookout

2011-06-28T10:45:00.001-06:00

A small -5x7"-acrylic on paper study of a photo of my great-grandfather (with the binoculars)

Recent Inspiration

2011-06-27T12:21:00.012-06:00

I know I haven't been posting a lot of painting lately - but I have been looking at a lot of painting lately. My tastes lately have been leaning more towards abstraction:

Eric Freeman

Keltie Ferris

Julia Rommel

Dana Frankfort
Jules De Balincourt
Judith Eisler

Judith Eisler

Erwin Gross

This and that

2011-06-25T20:37:00.004-06:00

Last night: Excellent, intimate concert by one of my favorite bands - Lovers - in a small venue in Boulder.

Today: Hike to Silver Dollar Lake near(ish) Georgetown, Colorado. Beautiful day.

More Roman Wall Murals

2011-06-23T08:09:00.006-06:00

After a nice comment by a student on the last post of Roman murals - I decided to post a few more of my photos from the Met.

New Press: NY ARTS

2011-06-20T11:22:00.001-06:00

A feature on my work at NY Arts Magazine.

Advice from a Painter: Part 2 - Eric LoPresti

2011-06-16T08:59:00.003-06:00

This is part 2 in a series of advice from working painters to young art students- today's guest is Eric LoPresti who just wrapped up a solo show at Like the Spice gallery in New York and has been a regular guest here at "minutiae". Eric writes,

“I like to mix colors on my palette, which enables me to be get precise with the color I want before painting it on the actual canvas. When attempting to match a specific color, it helps to hone in on that hue incrementally, by gradually adding one color to another. For example, say I'm trying to match a specific light-pink. I'll probably start with the red out of the tube, which is likely to be way too dark, then incrementally add in white until the values match. Here’s the tip: when mixing your next color, always keep a bit of the previous mixture around for comparison. In fact, as I get closer to my target color, I'll often split the mixture into two batches so I can 'undo' if I make a mistake. Here’s an image of me mixing various shades of pink to match a color on the digital printout at bottom – you can see me splitting up various stages of the pink mixture into parts so I have choices about how to get closed to the color I want. ”

“When developing a body of work, do a lot of research and see what other artists are relevant to your work. This is easy if you break it down: first you want to come up with a good set of descriptive words about your work, e.g. ‘etchings of contemporary buildings and decay’, or ‘paintings of post-apocalyptic western deserts’. Google image search that description, and start digging through the results for practicing artists. Be prepared to go through a lot of images -- good artwork isn’t easy to find. Leaving aside whether you like/dislike the works you are finding, ask yourself:

Is this artist’s work similar to mine?
How exactly is my work different (and would it look different to a disinterested 3rd party)?
How can I make my work more specifically match my vision, so it doesn’t look like theirs?
Is this artist someone I want to ‘keep tabs’ on as I go forward?”

thanks Eric!

More from Ouray

2011-06-16T08:44:00.002-06:00

Another photo from our camping trip last weekend -this one was taken at the Ridgeway State Park campground.

The weekend

2011-06-14T09:58:00.001-06:00

This is probably my favorite photo from our fun trip to Ouray this weekend - taken in Box Canyon falls.

Update

2011-06-06T09:37:00.007-06:00

Possibly the best elk photo I've taken - from last weekend in Estes Park

My work in the "2011 National Contemporary Exhibition" at the Grand Junction Art Center

One of my favorite works in that show - "Telerama" 2010 - transfer print, paper collage, 16in. x 16in. by Lili Francuz

On the way back from Grand Junction the river through the canyon was raging

We also stopped at the Aspen Art Museum where I enjoyed a show of small, dense paintings by Cathy Wilkes - this one is Untitled, 2009. Courtesy of The Artist and Galerie Giti Nourbakhsch, Berlin and the Aspen Art Museum.

Opening and Talk tonight in Grand Junction

2011-06-03T07:54:00.004-06:00

The Art Center - 1803 N. 7th Street, Grand Junction, CO 81501

2011 National Contemporary Exhibition
May 13 – June 25, 2011

Opening June 3, 2011

7pm - 9pm

Juror Michael Chavez & Exhibiting Artist Nathan Abels to talk at 6pm

Michael Chavez is the Curator of Exhibitions and Education at Foothills Art Center in Golden, Colorado. He has a BFA in sculpture from the University of Wyoming and an MFA in printmaking from the University of Kansas. Over the past 16 years he has worked at the Art Institute of Chicago, The Spencer Museum of Art and the University of Wyoming Art Museum. In addition to curatorial duties, Chavez is active in the Colorado art community serving on public art committees and judging several exhibitions for Colorado’s cultural institutions.

Invited artists exhibiting are Nathan Abels, Theresa Haberkorn, Sharon Feder, Scott Lary,

Collin Parson, Denis Roussel, and Mai Wyn Schantz.

28 artists were selected for the exhibition from the pool of 134 artists submitting. The artists selected to exhibit in this years exhibit were Justine Benedict from Grand Junction, CO; Sara Bielski from Evansville, IN; Thomas Calenberg of Grand Junction, CO; Tirzah Camacho of Durango, CO; Everitt Clark of Alexandria, VA; Andrew DeCaen from Denton, TX; Cynthia Duff of Grand Junction, CO; Nicole Finger of Telluride, CO; Ernie L. Fournet of New Iberia, LA; Lili Francuz from Fort Collins, CO; Samuel Fee of Washington, PA; Danny Gillies from Colorado Spings, CO; Suzie Goodwin from Eliot, ME; Wewer Keohane of Carbondale, CO; Stephinie Kirk from West Chester, PA; Kelly Krusnoski of Grand Junction, CO; John Lintott of Grand Junction, CO; Jim Lively from Dallas, TX; Nancy Myers of Grand Junction, CO; Meredith Nemirov of Ridgway, CO; Lori Reed of Galesburg, IL; Elaine Ricklin of Denver, CO; Georgia Rowswell of Cheyenne, WY; Peggy Shaw from Mahomet, IL; Barry Sparkman of Phoenix, AZ; Emily Stokes of Ann Arbor, MI; Trinity Sullivan of Idaho Falls, ID; and Alessandra Sulpy of Cedar City, UT.

"Do It" Exhibition Video

2011-06-01T08:01:00.000-06:00

RMCAD Do It exhibition from John Roberts on Vimeo.

My work is part of this complex exhibition - featured briefly in the video at the 5:04 minute mark.

Advice from a Painter: Part 1 - Gregory Euclide

2011-05-31T17:20:00.006-06:00

I have been preparing for teaching painting this summer - researching processes, organizing projects, and putting together power points. While doing this it occurred to me it might be more meaningful to students to hear advice and quotes from living, breathing working artists. This starts my (hopefully) weekly blurb from a painter in the form of a tip or advice. First off is Gregory Euclide. Euclide has shown in Denver several times at the David B. Smith gallery as well as the Foothills Art Center as part of their "Habitat" exhibition. Lately he's been getting a lot of buzz because of the artwork he did for the upcoming Bon Iver album (pictured above). I asked Gregory for advice to young artists and he said,

“Read as much as you can about what you are interested in. But don't let that allow you to lose the feeling for what you are interested in.”

- Gregory Euclide

Thanks Gregory!

"Moonrise"

2011-05-27T13:15:00.002-06:00

"moonrise", small 5x7" painting on paper available on Etsy now.

New Study

2011-05-26T13:30:00.003-06:00

small 5x7" study - acrylic on paper

whoa

2011-05-26T11:11:00.001-06:00

Yudith Levin

2011-05-26T10:10:00.003-06:00

Yudith Levin, Afghan from the front, 2002, acrylic on canvas, 170x150 cm

Yudith Levin, yellow, 2002, acrylic on canvas, 200x180 cm

Yudith Levin, Holding Something, 2004, acrylic on canvas, 150x200 cm

Black Eagle Child - The Lost Button

2011-05-25T08:36:00.001-06:00

I did the label art for this upcoming vinyl release:Black Eagle Child - The Lost Button by Under The Spire

Without Cares or Anxious Thougts

2011-05-25T08:24:00.002-06:00

Fra Angelico, "The Sermon on the Mount" - Made between 1440 and 1450, as part of the fresco decoration of the Monastery of St Marco in Florence.

(As recorded by Giorgio Vasari, The Lives of the Painters) "[Fra Angelico] used to say that he who practices the art of painting must have quiet, and should live without cares or anxious thoughts."

Spring - Photo of the Day

2011-05-24T16:18:00.002-06:00

Photo by Lorna Cochrane - taken at the Denver Botanic Gardens yesterday

Art's New View: The 12 best Colorado artists 35 and under @ the Denver Post

2011-05-23T07:50:00.005-06:00

I was one of the 12 artists featured in the Denver Post's "12 best artists under 35" yesterday. Read the list here. Also, the blog iheartphotograph recently featured one of my works.

Matthew Woodward

2011-05-19T08:05:00.006-06:00

photo from the New American Paintings flickr stream

"West 4th St", 62" x 57" inches, graphite on paper, 2009

"Racine Street", 61"x74" inches, graphite on paper, 2009

"Lincoln Ave", 60" x 81" inches, graphite on paper, 2010

"Fuller Street", 54" x 70" inches, graphite on paper, 2010

"State Street", 100" x 88" inches, graphite on paper, 2010

From Matthew Woodward's statement;

"Over the last year I have been building a body of work around an architectural era that is disappearing from the American cityscape. The ironwork and moldings represented in these pieces hearken back to the American Renaissance and the Beaux-Arts movement of the turn of the twentieth century, which employed the conventions and characteristics of European Renaissance classicism to glorify the advent of a new Golden Age of progress through industrialism; a progress that itself constantly, necessarily and ironically shed all accoutrements of the past in order to advance and perpetuate its own motion. "

See more from the statement, show here.

RIP Ian Curtis - July 15, 1956 - May 18, 1980

2011-05-18T07:19:00.000-06:00

Guest Blogger: Black Swan

2011-05-16T22:30:00.009-06:00

I asked artist/musician Black Swan to recommend some music and movies and here are the choices in no particular order, described as albums Black Swan "wouldn't be able to breathe without":

Music:

Loscil: Endless Falls (Spinning via LP as I type)
Stars of the Lid - Any piece of released material
A Silver Mount Zion - Kollaps Tradixionales
The Flowers of Hell - O
The Caretaker - A Stairway to the Stars
Brian McBride - The Effective Disconnect
Thomas Koner - La Barca
Seefeel - Quique
Boards of Canada - Hi Scores, Music Has The Right To Children, Geogaddi
Pink Floyd - Anything recorded from 1983 and back.
Troum - To A Child Dancing In The Wind
Brian Eno - Another Green World
Henryk Gorecki - Symphony No. 3
Eno/Fripp - No Pussyfooting
Raymond Scott Woolson - Accidental Grace Notes
Johann Johannsson - Fordlandia
Ludovico Einaudi - Divenire
Jonsi & Alex - Riceboy Sleeps
Max Richter - Memoryhouse
Ólafur Arnalds - Eulogy For Evolution
Ryan Teague - Coins & Crosses
Resplandor - Ambar
Saint Preux - Concerto Pour Deux Voix
Sylvain Chauveau - Nuage
Childs - Yui
Asher - And invariably the blue
Cisfinitum - Landschaft
Biosphere - Substrata
Godspeed You Black Emperor - f#a#, Infinity, Lift Yr Fists...
Deathprod - Morals and Dogma
Sunn O and Boris - Alter
The Body Lovers / The Body Haters
Swans - My Father Will Guide Me Up A Rope To The Sky
Field Rotation - Acoustic Tales
Eluvium - Copia
Sigur Ros - ( )
Hammock - Maybe They Will Sing For Us Tomorrow
Rameses III - I Could Not Love You Any More
The Dead Texan - The Dead Texan
Underworld - Second Toughest In The Infants
Brian Eno - Ambient 1
David Bowie - Hunky Dory
Manual - Azure Vista
Robin Guthrie - Carousel
Pieter Nooten & Michael Brook - Sleeps With The Fishes
Popol Vuh - Entire Discography
Ash Ra Tempel - Join Inn
Jobraith - Self Titled, Creatures of the Street
Tangerine Dream - Force Majeure, Alpha Centauri, Atem
Arzachel - Self Titled
Ulver - Shadows of the Sun, Perdition City
and believe it or not, Cake's Fashion Nugget. also:
This Will Destroy You - Tunnel Blanket

You can catch this band playing the Larimer Lounge in Denver next week on May 25th

Films:

Anything by David Lynch, John Waters, Stanley Kubrick, Gregg Araki or Peter Greenaway.
The Road
Akira Kurisowa's Dreams
Gummo
Julian Donkey Boy
Trainspotting
Sunshine
The Box
Salo (or the 120 Days of Sodom)
Moon
Requiem For A Dream
The Fountain

Black Swan recently released a new LP available on vinyl or digital download. Listen to a preview here:

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://blackswan.bandcamp.com/track/the-quiet-divide-album-preview"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;The Quiet Divide (Album Preview) by Black Swan&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

The first 100 copies of "The Quiet Divide" come on red vinyl! Order here.

I'm excited to present this list, as Black Swan has been my studio soundtrack quite regularly since discovering the first album "In 8 Movements". I even made a very ambient music video to accompany on of the songs from the first album:

Thanks Black Swan!

Flea Market Find of the Day: Ghost Photo

2011-05-14T16:02:00.001-06:00

I found this photo at the flea market today.

"Static" install shots

2011-05-14T15:53:00.005-06:00

So much feels lost

2011-05-13T10:36:00.003-06:00

In a recent interview with Kelly Reichardt, director of the new film "Meek's Cutoff", she describes her experiences on the road and the monotony of the American highway system:

"Ever since I was a kid, we had one of those piggyback campers where you could ride up in the bed; I don’t think you can do that anymore. We would go from Miami to Montana pretty much every summer and take a different route out west. I’d be in that bed looking out the window, and there was just a huge feeling as each state changed, and I had my little transistor up there and got local radio, and every place was just so distinct. We would camp our way across the country. And as it’s turned out, I continued doing that. In my 20s, I used to get those rent-a-cars and drive to the next state and wait for the next car, and that decides where you’re going to go. In these last years, I’ve been going back and forth between Oregon and New York, and the drive is now just something to get through. The interstates are horrific, there are no local radio channels. It’s Clear Channel, conservative corporate radio, all the way across. It’s just a series of chains, and they never end. Days Inn, Applebee’s—you really have to go far off. Even when you take the smaller roads, you still see the motels and stuff have all been run out of business. The gap between the big corporate motel and the mom-and-pop motel is huge now. It’s not exciting. It’s not an adventure now. It’s really just more of a chore. Once you get past Colorado, there are states that are very beautiful to drive through. But you can’t help it—you have a lot of time to think about what it could have been, how great it could have been, and it’s just depression, I guess. The things that Americans value, and it has been passed on to people outside of America now… So much feels lost. It’s hard. It used to be a really inspiring thing that I would do, and now I find it just really depressing. The complete corporate takeover of the country is so evident, and you can’t escape it. Your choices are so few, and they are so bad."

I agree completely.

For further thoughts on the human habitat, check out the Kunstlercast - an excellent podcast by James Howard Kunstler.

Speaking of movies - if Herzog's "Cave of Forgotten Dreams" is playing anywhere near you, it was captivating and highly recommended:

triangles (ughh)

2011-05-11T15:37:00.006-06:00

Take it easy on the triangles folks.

Artwork of the Day

2011-05-11T08:52:00.001-06:00

Josh Tonsfeldt, Untitled, 2011, Pigment inks on reverse of Fuji Crystal Archive paper, 63 x 41"
image from Tony Wight Gallery

New Works for "do it" exhibition

2011-05-06T18:00:00.000-06:00

“Ferdinand Demara, Jr., LIFE magazine, January 28, 1955”, Acrylic on Panel, 14x11”

“Locations of the Great Impostor”, Acrylic on Panel, 11x14”

“Ferdinand Demara, Jr., 1966”, Acrylic on Panel, 14x11”

Nathan Abels “Do It”

Working with instructions by Deimantas Narkevicius;

“Remember places you have visited and where you have spent some time, places where you had to make your everyday arrangements, constantly socialize with local people, where you may have been forced to change your habits in order to make the communication seem more natural. While walking, you slowly accustomed to otherwise unusual landscape. Your body was exposed to different weather conditions. Remember the location of these places on the map by observing it from the point where you live now. Use abstract thinking and if you wish -- an exact mathematical calculation to track down a geographical center of places you have visited.

Would you like to travel there?”

Narkevicius describes the many changes that may take place in a person while in the process of adapting to new locations. For some, this process takes a long time. For others, such as the subject of my paintings – Ferdinand Demara, Jr. – it is an integral part of existence. Ferdinand Demara, Jr. was called the “Great Impostor” after making headlines in the mid-twentieth century for his personal history of impersonating a surgeon for the Canadian navy, a teacher, a prison guard, a monk, a college professor, a Baptist minister, and a zoologist. His life was a series of adaptations to not only to a place, but to a profession, and even to a religious tradition. After his exploits were made public in a LIFE magazine in 1955, Demara found it difficult to continue his chameleon-like behavior with the ease he had enjoyed prior to publicity. I believe his body language in the second painting, based on an image from 1966, reflect the changes Demara experienced in his life after becoming an international celebrity.