Artflux

I received an invitation to an exhibit of photography and painting titled “Recycling My Muse” by John Kelly at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University. It is to take place May 2-20, 2005 with an Artist’s Talk Monday May 2 at 4pm. I will not be able to attend the talk but hope to make it to see the exhibit. I’ve known John since the early 80’s when I met him though a mutual friend William Schwedler, a painter who was one of the first people I knew that died of AIDS in 1982.

The photograph I made of John in the early 90’s is hanging here in the studio. There was a time when I would run into him on his bike or walking down a street. More recently invitations to my exhibitions have been returned saying “No Longer at This Address.” I assume that he has moved elsewhere. I guess I should try sending an email to catch up.

The performances that John Kelly created and performed began in night clubs like the Pyramid Club on Avenue A in the East Village, Danceteria, and other venues that were vibrant places that artists hung out at during the early 80’s. His tribute to William Schwedler at the Pyramid including the large portrait he made of Schwedler is still etched clearly in my mind.

John attended a house warming that I held at the studio in 1997 for Geoffrey Kyle who was the guy that I shared my loft with for several years. He brought along Cynthia O’Neal Founder and director of Friends in Deed. Jimmy James and John Bartlett were also here that night. It was a great party. I did take some snap shots of the party that I have not printed.

I’ve been cycling more now that morning temperatures are in the 50’s. My average speed is a bit on the low side as compared to last summer’s. My experience is that when I shed some of the extra clothing as the heat arrives I can move a lot faster. Also there tends to be more competition with other riders as they begin to cluster in the park. I rode my first long ride of 54 miles this week. That’s 7 times around the park so it feels a little like going around a merry go round making it a dizzying experience.

The full moon this weekend brought about my announcing to the guy I share my studio with notice to leave. It’s never pleasant to ask someone the look elsewhere for a living situation. Changes in the precarious situation of the studio made it necessary to arrange for either someone more suitable to art to live in our loft. It’s just that we are metrosexuals here and need a like minded person to share with. I interviewed an architect/artist who is the studio manager for a sculptor, a dutch guy who is in hotel management and another art curator at the Dahesh Museum who lives with his lover in Soho looking to have his own place. All were pleasant people who would fit the artist loft scene. Then another interesting librarian who teaches at Pratt stopped by after learning that developers who recnetly bought his west village apartment have plans to evict the current tennents or raise the rents to unreasonable numbers.

David Sliney has said that he would be willing to contribute work to the upcoming exhibit… so far that’s three of us… I’m still looking toward more people.

There’s always a chance to win. It’s nice on the top of the world. I would like that. The stock market is like playing the Lottery so I’ve never bought stock. I’m not a gambler. Too bad for the loosers this week.

I’ve counted the days that I have missed journal entries it’s been close to six days. So this will need to be a compilation catch up.

I printed another two photos of Clark. Then later I had dinner with Kurt and Chris who showed us some of his drawings. We did some scans of them for his site that is in the works. It was interesting that no one knew of any other visual artists that might want to participate in the upcoming artflux exhibition. I’ve been asking around. No one else seems to know any either. Email me if you know of anyone. Where did they all go? The next art center is yet to be named as it sure isn’t New York any more. London, Paris again LA, who knows where. I feel it in my bones that NYC will loose it’s edge so that no one will want to move here any more. The apartment market will crash and the island of Manhattan will be a wasteland of concrete and asphalt and greedy money hungy lawyers and stock brokers. Yikes. It may be time to cash in while you can.

I headed Philadelphia on the Amtrak to the FRC meeting at The College of Sciences. It was a pleasant diversion. I wouldn’t want to live there though. Next time the Zipcar might be a more cost effective way to travel. I was double charged for the train fair due to a schedule change. Wow… It drove me crazy trying to get my ticket from the automated machine that was malfunctioning in the process. 200.00 rt to Phila???

It was nice seeing the guys I chat with on the air and on IRC. We elected officers then N3DXX Art drove me back to the train station. He was heading down to Wilmington where he has a house. I got home at about 1:30AM which is major late for me. I managed to have misplaced my reading glasses somewhere probably while playing Snood on the train on my laptop in the dark over a glass of wine.

Time for some new music and pictures.

My recent movies viewed:

Latter Days
You’ll Get Over It
Mr. Smith Gets a Hustler
Star Trek: First Contact
Sideways
Ray
Barry Lyndon
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
The Incredibles
Garden State
Revolution #9
Richard Pryor: Live & Smokin’
Fools Rush In

In a reversal Lance Armstrong changed his choice backing New York City for the 2012 Olympics. The weather was pleasantly warm enough for me to cycle up to Central Park this morning to do a few laps. I heard that there would be a cycling event schedules and sure enough when I arrived the stands were set complete with a media blitz. Tour de France 7 time champion Lance Armstrong was scheduled to appear. I lapped around a couple of times warming up at a nice pleasant pace. While waiting for the man to arrive I struck up a conversation with a woman who was wearing a Sanchez-Metro jersey. When I told here that I was looking for a cycling club to join she let it be known that she was the Marie DeRosa membership chairman of Century Road Club Association. She explained to me the membership procedure. We were also both pleasantly surprised that were in the arts enabling the time to train.

Then Lance arrived and we watched the presentation. It was great to hear that the Texan was supporting the Olympics in 2012 in New York. I took some photos before heading around the park for another lap with Marie. I told her about how I had been introdued to cycling by my roommate David Weber who sold me his road bike. I biked close to 3600 miles in the Central Park last year.

Recently, I have been elated with the outcome of last month’s exhibition, the conclusion of the depositions and an upswing of sales of my photographs. Then I spent a pleasant weekend in radio heaven. There’s never enough money though. Suddenly after an Easter Sunday meeting with my attorney things went into a tail spin. The thought of having to give up my home of some 25 years to pay off mounting legal fees brought about thoughts of

Like were am I going to go?

I have grown accustomed to having my own lab and studio right in the heart of NYC.

In reality it makes sense to work the property, renting it out high end like many of the artists who settled here in lower Manhattan have done. Let’s make way for the hedgefund boys. If I were to relocate the problem is there isn’t really anywhere for an artist to go in Manhattan any more unless your on a trust fund or something. I was bummed out by the thought of loosing what I love. I realize that in the end I will need to barrow astronomical amounts of money to pay the law fees. Especially with the upcoming trial.

I have no clue as to where I am going to move. I have a year or so to work it out and find a place temporarily. So that’s what I have been doing this week. I’m trying to research relocation while I renovate to rent the place out carving it into high end rental space. My work is suffering a little as a result. Bros and sisters freinds have been supportive.

I did take a bike ride up the Hudson River Park to break up the afternoon. Yoga class early AM works wonders for relaxation. As the moon passes though my sign of Sagittarius thinks should be getting more manageable but not really.