Emma Wilcox: Building Specifics (I'm a syncretic dilettante)

This project remains one of my all time favorite site-specific creations from Aferro, and it was created by artist Vandana Jain when I asked her to "bless" the building for our grand reopening.

How much can a ritual be altered/borrowed cross-culture before it is "broken?" Is fidelity necessary for belief? (I'm a syncretic dilettante) But my fear of misfortune was and is sincere, so I really did want a hex against trouble. No posturing there. If you're familiar with the story of the gallery's origins, you will understand my paranoia and lack of faith in the, ahem, Goodness of Civic Planning.

Thanks again for coming up with such as great response to my odd request, Vandana!

She also has "Prayer Flags for Health Care" in Art Shop, the gallery's gift shop.

Emma Wilcox: Back to the Real

Recognize anyone you know?

I can't match the text curation coming out of Reborn, but I find the following weirdly soothing:

from Bohemians: A Hate Song (1918)
Dorothy Parker

"I hate Bohemians;
they shatter my morale

There are the Artists;
The Inventors of the Nude,
They are always gesticulating with their thumbs,
And sketching, with forks, on table cloths;
They point out all the different colors in a sunset
As if they were trying to sell it to you;
They are forever messing around with batik;
And hanging yellow tassels on things;
And stenciling everything within reach...

And then there are the Radicals;

...They are always in revolt about something.
Nothing has been done yet that they can wholly approve of...

They are forever starting magazines
And letting the Postal Authorities put the finish to them...

Always longing to loose the trivial fetters of Convention,
and go far away- back to the Real-
I wish they'd get started!"

Emma Wilcox: Salvaged Content

When Alec Soth's blog was active, he did several themed weeks on it, with a curated selection of images that he located, plus the contributions of readers. One was "Shit Week," and the other was "Snow Week," if I remember correctly. I don't think we have the critical mass necessary for such undertakings, but I'm going to start posting poems periodically. I read this on Soth's blog, and shared it with many friends. Here it is, in another place now on the internets.

The Artist
by Peter Schjeldahl (1972)

The artist does not want to deal with the world.
He wants the world to deal with him.
He realizes that, to this end, he needs the help of others.
Gaining this help involves him in a series of accommodations for
which he despises himself and those who help him.
That one day he is a success, and it seems to be exactly what he
had imagined it would be
Money, of course, but also the sense that an unlimited number of
possibilities for experience await his leisure.
His former friends and supporters now hate him, but even among
themselves they pay tribute to his talent.
His work proceeds satisfactorily.
He cultivates what he regards as a rich gamut of eccentricities.
At some parties he is taciturn, at others garrulous.
He finds it increasingly easy to satisfy his limited, if mildly
irregular, sexual appetites.
He collects Art Deco one year, Navajo blankets the next – or,
rather, he has assistants collect for him.
He is appalled to realize that he has a drinking problem.
He is bothered by a feeling that his progress in life has somehow
fallen behind schedule.
He becomes obsessed with the thought that he must create a
monumental, devastatingly original work.
After a period of intense application, he does so.
The public reaction is favorable, but no one seems devastated.
This throws him into a lengthy depression.
He is surprised by the thought that his reputation has gotten out of
hand.
Every month or two he reads a new article by some idiot, praising
him.
The occasional intelligent article – which he often has trouble
understanding – fills him with a vague uneasiness.
Surrounded by assistants and dealers and involved in endless
projects, he feels like an industry.
He finds that he can do without parties.
He manages to quit drinking for weeks at a time.
He worries about his health, which is perfect.
He reminds himself continually that he can do whatever he wants.
But all he can think to do is work.

Emma Wilcox: Pony Seeds

is the title of this short film by artist Lydia Moyer, and is taken from the autobiography of Dolly Parton.

I bought seeds on 3/8, am starting seedling indoors for what will hopefully be a full-sun urban gardening effort for a new art project. (More on that when I have something to show for it.) It was the first decent day of weather, and "Detroit Dark Red" beets were already sold out when I got them. (Yes, I bought instead of going to a seed exchange. You can throw things at me when you next see me.) I bought lots of Craft Gourd- "suitable for arts and craft projects." I sure hope they grow.

While this may seem like an atrocious tangent, my entire practice has been and remains influenced by ideas of failure and expectations.

I am always interested in what is considered reasonable to expect, and who gets to decide what is reasonable for who? What is it ok to want?

I will be exhibiting a photograph titled "Father's Day" in the Print Center's 84th annual print competition for photography from May 1 - July 24th, 2010. The image was taken in the spring, and features rabbits. It is one of my more accessible and thus popular images, but is based on several separate stories that I have been told that involve accidents, animals, disappointment, mishap and guilt.

I hope the seeds grow.

Eve + Bowie: Projects

Bowie + Eve were residents from August 2009 - February 2010. We worked on a couple collaborative projects and Eve worked on some of her own work, too. Here are a couple snap shots of the studio...

The photos at left are from the project "Temporary Vitals" that includes temporary tattoos that viewers can take and apply to their own necks.



These are drawings of Ribs that Eve did in preparation for a mural at Local Project in LIC, which will be up from April 10 (check out the gallery here: http://www.localproject.org/) through June.








This is our reference wall and chaotic desk which is now in our new studio in Wassaic, NY...









This is where we're working now! Beautiful photo thanks to Jeff (http://www.jeffbarnettwinsby.com/), one of our co-directors at The Wassaic Project.




Want to come visit? check out: www.wassaicproject.com

We miss you, Aferro Studios!!

Emma Wilcox: a Manifesto

From artist Susan E. Evans : Manifesto

Gallery Aferro: Hello!

This blog is created by current and alumni Gallery Aferro Studio Residents, and is a platform to share work in progress, ideas and news. Some contributors may be current workspace neighbors, others are time zones apart. The context can be one artwork in progress, the small community of residents, the 20,000 sq ft former furniture store and current alternative space, the block, the city of Newark, NJ, the art world, or none of the former.

Evonne: I'm an ArtReach mentor!

Melany and I met for the first time on Sunday. I was so embarrassed that my studio was such a mess. I spent four hours cleaning and she spent four hours sketching things from some of the art books I have around. It was really nice having someone in the studio with me, I'm looking forward to adding many posts and pics about it in the coming weeks.