Wednesday, November 15, 2006

The Arcanum Show



I have some work up at the Strychnin Gallerie's New York space.
The show opening was the weekend before Halloween and it was lots of fun. It was a large group show and I met most of the artists in attendance that night. One of the recurring themes that evening(however unintentional), was how nobody seemed to know I was there. When I say this, . . . I mean that I just don't look like the person that would paint the images that I come up with. I toyed with the idea of hiring a model and training him to be me( only more charming). In reality, I'm about as Goth as Jackie Chan(or Charlie Chan for those of you old enough to remember)
Anyways, I was asked to paint something "dark" for the show, . . . so I figured putting some of my characters in dresses would do the trick. I used to go to a school that had a really creepy janitor, I remembered a conversation I had with my friend Bruce Dunston, . . .and how, " Al the custodian would be really creepy as a cross-dresser".
Where was I?, . . . Oh yeah, . . . anonymity, . . .
Artist Matthew Bone, thought I would be a large Samoan person. I'm still not sure where he got that from. I've had contact with most of the artists through the internet prior to the opening and the anonymity of this world made it difficult to pick out who was who. Perhaps we should have worn name tags. There was a film crew there, interviewing the artists. I didn't get interviewed(must not have looked enough like an artist). Had I known, I most definitely would have hired that model, trained him to be surly and pissed off like those celebrities, punching out cameramen and such. I did sell a painting that evening, . . .that's always a plus! Interview or not, that's the real point of an art show, to sell the work!

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Hey Travis! Jonathan Levine pointed you out to my wife at the show, so you did not go un-noticed! :)
We both LOVE your work!

Saw another piece of yours at the Fuse Gallery DRAW show this afternoon - were heartbroken that we hadnt been at the opening to purchase the piece! Do you have additional pieces for sale?

Thanks!
@R!N

Travis Louie said...

thanks,
I'll have some new pieces available at the 15th Anniversary Copro Nason Gallery Show in Santa Monica, CA, opening Dec 9th
Copro Nason Gallery

I also have a piece at the Art Basel show "We'll Make a lover of You"
We'll Make a Lover of You

lilidemented said...

Hi Travis...you have taken one of the most poignant prods at the art world and its pretentions, that I have had the pleasure of stumbling across in a long time...And honestly, the fact that you do not look 'Goth' enough to paint your divinely quirky and quite delightfully dark images just tickles me pink..and that is coming from the darkest 'goth' on the block.
I think too, the idea of hiring a model to 'stand in' as you is just delicious...what an awesome 'artwork' and how THAT would turn the artworld on its own head..

Anyway, Best of Luck for you upcoming show at the Copro Nason...I'll be there!