meredith cutler :: arts marketing :: artist

I have returned from the rain and the general pavement hardness of NYC with a little nugget to share after a long silence. The New Museum's current show "The Generational: Younger Than Jesus" peaked my interest in its showcase of 50 international artists under the age of 33. Not quite fitting into that category, myself, but damn close enough to care (me and Jesus, forever 33!), I found to my surprise that out of the show, the simplist gestures were the things that stuck.

...Like the gallery attendant wearing a long, red ponytail and a white Adidas tracksuit who troubleshot a cranky plasma display on Floor #4. Look closely to see the most delicate red paint stains on her clean, sporty duds. Or, the banana peel tossed on the gallery floor. Accident? Art? Pay attention...they are the purposeful gestures of Ryan Gander and Adriana Lara (in that order). In an age where Attention Deficit Disorder seems to be the M.O., I was glad that my focus allowed me to catch these small incongruities and appreciate them.

Above: Ziad Antar, "Wa", 2004, video (installation view from "Younger Than Jesus" show at the New Museum.)

Maybe this pegs me as over the hill...but my favorite piece, hands down, was Lebanese artist Ziad Antar's short film "Wa". Starring two solemn, pajama-clad children singing along to a synthesizer's demo tune, they pierce past their own cuteness in their mono-syllabic shorthand for a baby's cry. This little gem was so simple, yet stuck with me throughout the sensory overload of the rest of the show, and beyond. You can view it at the tank.tv moving image site (requires free registration and login, but it's worth it).

Above: "Dolly" - India Point Park Bridge, Providence

I've been really terrible about posting lately, which has a lot to do with the shoddy state of connectivity along my daily paths. No iphone, no reliable wireless at the studio, (and blogging at work is only okay when you're blogging about work, for work - which is of high probability in my near future, dig?)

The good news is that I'm finally, almost 100% set up at my new studio. I've lightened up considerably along the way, (tightening up my footprint by about 60%) and my studiomate, the very talented Anna Shapiro, is making me feel right at home. Here are some photos of my cozy half of our shared studio:

I used to overlook just the Boston-Providence railroad corridor...now I overlook the Providence-NY railroad corridor, AND traffic on Route 6. Across the highway, Federal Hill and my favorite bakery, Pastiche.

The bad news? "Henry the enormous stick plant" died a horrible, dry-rot death due to exposure suffered during our blizzardy move. The good news? Anna brought "Twiggy the pencil cactus" into our studio to help me feel more at home. Merely a piece of his parent plant at the Steelyard, I wonder if he will grow to be an 8-foot tall, pointy fractal behemouth, like poor old Henry...

This just in at the rose and chocolate strewn disaster of my newsdesk - AS220 is your Valentine's Day date hotspot!

It's a charming offer: you and your sweetie (or BFF, or beloved pet) head to the Paul Krot Community Darkroom at AS220 today between 1-6pm. A talented, in-house photographer will shoot your free, old-timey portrait on black and white film using an old-fashioned camera. Sign up for a follow-up printing workshop on either February 22 or 25th, and get a hands-on lesson for printing your portrait taken today! Workshop cost is only $25, and includes a take home 8"x10" print for you and your amore. Don't have the time nor the inclination for the workshop? You can still take home your keepsake portrait, printed by the in-house experts, for a mere $30.

The Paul Krot Community Darkroom is located at AS220: 115 Empire Street, Providence, RI 02903.

As the grinding ice floe of this week rapidly collides with Friday, I'm told that the mercury is going to cooperate; so, hopefully leaving the house without dying a little bit will be an option. I'm recommending the cozy goodness of Firehouse No. 13 as a venue for washing away those winter blues this weekend, as they've got a spate of programming in store:

Above: The Low Anthem. Photo by Willa Mamet.

Friday 2/6: If you are not yet stricken with the late winter ick, arrive early for the return of Providence's own Low Anthem at Firehouse No. 13 tonight. The band is having a special ticket pre-sale on their website, so early-birds get the worm. Word has it that Low Anthem heads to the jolly old stomping grounds of Austin for SXSW 2009...something tells me it won't be easy to catch them in a small venue after that, so be forwarned.

Saturday 2/7: The long-awaited opening reception of Anna Shapiro and Will Machin's exhibition "Roil and Flush", featuring new work by both artists. The opening reception, from 6-9pm will be followed by live entertainment from Allysen Callery and the Land of Nod, Tallahassee, Brown Bird, Ben Pilgrim and The Free Union Band & Alec K. Redfearn. Look for a review in upcoming posts!

Sunday 2/8: Sleep in, you deserve it.

Firehouse No.13: 41 Central Street, Providence, RI 02907.