The Bushwick Open Studios photo guestbook idea came to me as I was reading other profiles of artists who were offering interactive events such as painting instruction, drawing and interactive performances.  I realized that just showing photographs felt too self-indulgent for someone like me who’s not so comfortable on being the center of attention. I knew creating something that each person could engage and interact with would be more up my alley since what I enjoy most about photography is the connection that it creates with your subject. That is the integral part of why I do photography, along with making people feel good about themselves. Last year I walked around to about 30% of the studio spaces on the map and I realized that I had to absolutely open my studio this year.   Even though I felt a little nervous about it, it was an incredible experience for me.  I met so many wonderful, talented people. I highly recommend anyone to come next year and do the map. You will be inspired by the cutting edge works hidden in these loft studios from young and older artists living and working in the Bushwick area.  This year I showed my nightlife works with two other photographers, Tina Zimmer and Joelle Sedlmeyer.

The weekend of BOS, I had no expectations — I knew a few friends would stop by but I was open to whoever did.   I was really floored and excited to have met so many interesting people with such diverse interests and backgrounds.   From Trent Brooks getting on the floor and posing with a deer statue to Frieda Huise knowing everyone’s story in the Maripol 80s Polaroid photo book. Below is a slice of who was willing to pose for my camera. Some were more apt to experimenting with me as we pulled out the caution tape, deer, drill, cat and hung out all night and took photographs. Dreamy.

See you next year at BOS.

June 5 & 6th 2010

Bushwick Open Studios

Photo Guestbook from 1085 Willoughby Ave #304

Thumbnails; click to enlarge.

(1) Trent Brooks,  Trans man (FTM) co-producer of That’s My Jam parties.

(2) Joe Cullen

(3) 80′s Stylist and Punk rock model, Frieda Huise

(4) Norma Samame

(5)  Joelle Sedlmeyer, Photographer

(6) Artist Trystan Trazon

(7) Paul Bertolino, drummer in Persephone’s Bees

(8) Amos Mac, Photographer & Editor of Original Plumbing Magazine (FTM mag)

(9) Kit Westneat

(10) Wendy Kidd, drummer in Hooray for Goodbye

FORT USELESS

Bushwick/Brooklyn NY

For Jeremiah McVay, the boom in DIY venues is a welcomed relief. He runs Fort Useless, a Bushwick-based event space that opened its doors last August.

In addition to playing with different bands, he’s been booking shows and connecting musicians across NYC for years. In a sense, he really knows the bolts behind the NYC music scene.

The “Do-It-Yourself” spots have produced better shows, according to  McVay, mainly because there are now more places to play. That, in turn, allows groups to gravitate towards others who share their creative interests instead of having to aim for a limited pool of concert halls. He recalls how lots of venues in the early 2000’s would schedule these oddly-matched bands. For example, you could have gone to a venue and you might have seen a metal band mixed in with a folky, acoustic group all on the same night (back then people also had to be persuaded into traveling to Williamsburg).

“It’s always great to have bands that are going to appreciate each other, and enjoy each other’s music,” he said. “It happens a lot more now than it used to and I think it has to do with this whole DIY thing.”

Though the topic isn’t fresh, it seems to be in the air, as L Magazine recently made DIY the focus for their latest issue.

Other experts on the indie/underground scene have called Fort Useless “a rare and welcome gem to the live music landscape in Brooklyn.”

That’s a fine complement, perhaps well earned because of the warm attitude towards the artists of Fort Useless. “Generally, I end up being friends with most of the musicians I book,” McVay said.  “I end up liking their music a lot and they tend to like whatever show we’re doing.” For him, there’s nothing better than hearing a group tell him post performance that they had a great time and want to continue showing with Fort Useless.

Monthly Songwriters Salons give Fort Useless the reputation of being made up of people who “care deeply about music.” These events turn the venue into a cozy space where musicians, many of which play in 3 or 4 member bands, often go on stage alone. Participants are given a suggested format to follow or completely ignore as they see fit: a new song never played before in public, a cover, a previously played song, and then one other song of their choice. Listeners are invited to give suggestions, praises, or critique. I’ve always been a sucker for these sorts of events. I dig seeing (or hearing) the unfinished piece, thinking about the story behind the art, and catching others in mid process–as in the art making/music creating process. Of the event, McVay said “Even some people I know to be generally shy and reserved have seemed to really take to the openness of it.”

There’s also something cheering about the way spaces like this become fertile grounds for collaborations. In less than a year, Fort Useless has turned into a hub for not only music, but art openings, readings, and comedy showcases as well.  George Flanagan of the band El Jezel brought Spit-Take Nights of stand-up comedy to the space, while the artist Hans Viet curated the venue’s first 2 exhibits known now as shows by The Convertible Gallery. Jared Friedman of the band Holy Moly is responsible for introducing the Songwriters Salons. McVay said this intermingling of various arts happened because of the many neighborly artists interacting around the Bushwick community.

The story behind Fort Useless’ name is a bit of a collaboration itself, or more technically, it’s what we should call quoting. A friend’s band, Unsacred Hearts, released an album years ago called In Defense of Fort Useless, and McVay had always been charmed by the title.

Laughing, he said he asked to use it without knowing exactly where the reference came from.  As it turns out, “fort useless” is a nickname for abandoned fortresses.  For one of the members of Unsacred Hearts, the image of a deserted fort made a print in his memory one summer near Cape Cod.  He had been working on a fishing boat and he’d pass this one empty fortress every morning.

During Bushwick Open Studios, the totally un-abandoned, lively, and likely to-be-packed Fort Useless of BK will present a sampling of all that regularly happens at the space.  We’ll see a line up of music, a bit of art, a Songwriters Salon, and a comedy sketch.  In a word—we’ll see some stellar works.

Fort Useless is located at 36 Ditmars Street, off the Myrtle Ave/Broadway stop on the J,M, and Z. During Open Studios, the venue will hold events on Friday through Sunday. See a detailed schedule of their events here.

MARO HAGOPIAN [sic] has an eye for compelling subjects, and her current show highlights that—sometimes with an uncanny sense of timing. In one portrait, a deceptively fit-looking Dennis Hopper (d. 29 May 2010) takes time out from the hubbub of a G-Star party to wait calmly for the camera-click. In another, a then-unknown artist named Lady Gaga strikes a pose after her first national performance. Others feature well-known NYC downtown personalities of the straight, gay, and uncategorizable (see, for example, André J., the black, bearded former Vogue “cover girl”) persuasions aggressing—excuse me, addressing—the camera, often in front of eye-poppingly graphic backdrops.

MARO—I never got around to asking her why she always writes her name in caps, but it fits her predilection for images turned up to eleven—works in a number of genres of photography, but this show features her documentation of New York nightlife back in the Naughties. To resort to a crude analogy: if a phenomenon like the highly orchestrated fashion shoot is akin to classical music—formal, controlled, predetermined—nightlife photography is jazz—improvised, open to the Jetztzeit, an invention born of necessity. “I like the energy that just might come out when there’s no control,” she explains. “I just want to be in the moment with people, to see what happens. To see what ideas pop into my head while I’m doing it.”

Ideas pop, shit happens: references to mashups here are as difficult to resist as analogies with jazz. MARO typically strives for a serendipitous—or, sometimes, warring—juxtaposition of subject with objects to hand. Hopper, for example, was steered in front of a nearby Damien Hirst painting; its vaguely psychedelic bursts of color coincide with the public perception of “Dennis Hopper”, but his tweedily professorial get-up and neatly trimmed goatee might not. Another denizen of the night, wearing bright stripes and a vibrantly green tie, arches an eyebrow in front of a backdrop composed of Playskool polka dots (one of MARO’s longer-running projects is entitled Candyland).

By itself, the chance to admire the curatorial sensibility MARO evinces in her live/work studio is worth the visit. As of this writing, however, the ultimate layout of the show was still in question, as were the amenities. There may be cookies [no cookies, she says. –Ed.]. Probably drinks [yes, she says. –Ed.]. But there will most definitely be a backdrop installed, where MARO will be doing guestbook portraits of willing visitors. So come for the cookies. Stay for the images of an immediately bygone era, and the chance to be immortalized as a part of the one ongoing in Bushwick right now.

Walking into the One Love Co-op was like taking a trip in a time machine back to the 1970s, into a cozy, warm, but swanky bohemian extravaganza—so colorful and so one-love-ish. I sat down to interview L.Q. and Brett of One Love Co-Op and had quite an interesting exchange.

L.Q., the lovely woman of the house, grew up in Central, New York, and has been painting for as long as she can remember. The first time she recalls working with acrylic paint was at the age of seven. This was also around the time that she realized her gift of clairvoyance. L.Q. got her Bachelor’s Degree in metalsmithing from the Rhode Island School of Design. She declined to major in painting for fear that she wouldn’t be able to make a living from it.

Most of the paintings at One Love Portal are L.Q.’s. Although for the past five years she has been working as a jewelry designer, she still has made time to paint. Due to the economy she recently lost her design job and has since been able to focus on her passion for painting… and her other gifts. L.Q. often channels or goes into a deep meditative state while painting, not knowing what the outcome will be at the start. Besides these meditative paintings, her collection also includes canvasses that are inspired by lucid visions or dreams that she’s had. She recently began to do live art paintings in public venues at music shows, parties and various public squares.

A related, major project that she is embarking on is an illustrated book based on the information, lessons, and techniques that she’s learned in her dream state; this will be on display during the festival. L.Q. also reproduces her art in cheaper formats so that everyone can enjoy it.

Brett, the lively man of the house, is a trained actor, writer, and director. His film, Meg’s Song won six awards at the Long Island International Film Festival. It is a psychological thriller/horror (Harvey Keitel’s daughter Stella plays the lead).

Brett was born and raised in London by an American father and English mother. He moved to the states when he was twenty-one and has now been living here now for sixteen years, residing in Bushwick for the past five. He has been a working actor for about twelve years and also confesses to a bit of juggling and unicycling in his spare time. Although Brett earns his bread and butter from acting, he is also a visual artist and will show some of his work over the Bushwick Open Studio weekend. He calls himself a “cosmic protagonist” because his work gets people talking. His art is all about disclosure, the extraterrestrial, ascension, free energy, the truth, time travel, and the “golden age” (a shift of consciousness that’s occurring in the planet). Among his pieces on display will be neck ties that he designs by hand.

LQ and Brett met in a spiritualistic church; they both describe themselves as healers. At the One Love Co-Op, Brett and L.Q. not only provide artistic offerings, but healing services as well. L.Q. teaches meditation techniques, does crystal wrapping (which doubles as an artistic and healing practice), channels, and reads the tarot. Brett also practices Reiki. Operating on a donation basis only, Brett and L.Q. host group sessions twice a week. The couple has created a community of over twelve members at the One Love Co-Op (www.onelovecoop.com). They are currently raising money to move to a larger location that will house art, yoga, a nutrition center, and healing work. During your visit to the One Love Co-Op, you can also catch a glimpse of a portal built by Harlan Gruber that resides in the backyard, as well as be entertained by live music. There will also be kombucha and morning glory seeds available for sale.

Due to a foot disorder, Sam Simon spent a large portion of his childhood watching cartoons and reading books in bed. He cites 60’s animation, “Golden” children’s book illustrations, vintage dishes, pop music, Japanese super cute design, dollar store figurines and Disney characters as major influences on his work.

He approaches art making as a craftsperson, designer, and artist, but he is disparaging of the term fine art. There is no art hierarchy to Simon; he subscribes to the notion that context is what determines an artwork’s category, and for him producing art is both a great joy and a successful entrepreneurial venture. With the help of three to five assistants, he simultaneously works on about 20 pieces.

His peanut people portraits are a big hit as are the wall murals he is regularly commissioned to paint in children’s rooms. Among his celebrity clients is Betsy Johnson’s granddaughter.

The mixture of nostalgic idealized forms, the carefree kitsch abandon (taken to the extreme by the inclusion of glitter and rhinestones in almost every piece) and the latent eroticism of bunnies at first glance made me cringe. However, after listening to Simon’s decisive tone and enthusiasm about his practice I left his workspace with an extra hop in my step.

Dolorous, the dewy eyed deer is a fixture in Simon’s animal kingdom. This fawn is modeled after a glass deer his grandfather had on his windowsill. In accordance with the aesthetic of repetition, if you see one Dolorous you have seen them all. This is what Simon is going for.

He prides himself in being able to ask his assistants to “take this and make it Sam Simon-y.” He explains to me that he defines this style as having rounded edges, a distinct pastel pallet and a composition that pops from a distance while containing a lot of hidden details and warmth to keep the onlooker interested. The rounded forms are reminiscent of balloons, chubby babies and clouds.

About 5 years ago Simon coined his art aesthetic as “cute ‘n’ chic” and to some degree branded his practice as such. This consistent and confident painterly vision radiates from his body of work and makes it stand out. The floating compositions and pleasantly absurdist subject matter strike a chord with this viewer.

After quitting his design job in Boston and peddling street drawings in the shopping district there, Simon moved to New York City. Only in the last year has he relocated his studio to Bushwick. He was in the East Village up until he realized he was being tricked into paying rent for squatting.

Dolly Parton is Simon’s spiritual guru. His favorite color is green (all shades). For a lighthearted pick-me-up and consistent creamy body of work I recommend visiting Sam Simon’s studio over BOS weekend. The black sheep on display is his mermaid painting; it is striking.

A multidimensional artist, DJ, and sound-scaper, Kimyon Huggins explores and expands upon concrete color fragments. For Kimyon, his work as an artist and a DJ/musician are one and the same, using both media to create bold, memorable visual forms and sounds.

Self-taught, Kimyon began painting around the same time he started deejaying in his home town of Dayton, Ohio. Soon enough, Kimyon’s technique and skills thrust him into the Chicago house and Detroit techno scenes. While a teenager in the mid-’90s, a chance meeting with fashion photographer Mario Sorrenti at Lollapalooza prompted a move to New York City; Kimyon then logged some time at NYU, which the DJ-artist did not find particularly nurturing.

However, Kimyon’s love and appreciation for New York City and Brooklyn’s underground art/music scene kept him firmly rooted here. With the combination of music and art always on his mind, Kimyon started booking his own parties with headliners such as Stacey Pullen, Juan Atkins, Trax, Todd Terry, and many more, creating notable flyers (Tru Skul, Sliced Beats) that are now collectors items from an older New York City—one with more relaxed artistic and musical boundaries. Working as a musician, Kimyon is currently collaborating with Atkins under the moniker Platform View. Kimyon has done further work with Danish singer Naja Rosa, creating music that is both ethereal and soulful.

In terms of artistic freedom, Bushwick stands at the forefront of what is going on in New York City. Kimyon’s Bushwick studio is alive and well with the colorful elements of the neighborhood. Brightly lit bodegas stand watch on each corner while pockets of the savory smell of Chinese food billow in the air. The JMZ lines run directly outside Kimyon‘s studio window. Once inside, one is met by a wealth of creativity: startling brilliant canvases of merging colors loaded with overpowering statements that speak of life forms. These elements are mainstays in Kimyon’s work.

The brusque and compelling sweeping strokes Kimyon employed to make “Jesus is a Buddha” is an example of how Kimyon structures color into meaning. Kimyon’s paintings are subtly disciplined in their construction, always revealing an arresting urgency with each pattern he makes. Figures can represent adoration and the universal nature of human beings. These powerful and poetic works can be articulated as part of the human condition. As an artist, meditative powers are strong forces for Kimyon personally giving him fortitude and bringing strength to his work.