DOMINGO, EL SIETE DE OCTOBRE, VEINTE DOCE

Recent published articles on my work over the last couple of months:
Fran Dibble, 'Palette of Painters', Manawatu Standard, Palmerston North, NZ, 2 October, 2012
Unknown, 'Matthew Couper and JK Russ: Firmamentation', Australian Art Collector, 2 October, 2012
Scott Dickensheets, 'We Chose You', Desert Companion, Las Vegas, October Issue, 2012
Anthony Behrens, 'Hidden Talent', SwampThing Magazine, 20 September, 2012 (PDF)
Checko Salgado, 'Matthew Couper: Skins & Teeth Review', Arts Vegas, 15 September, 2012
Jenessa Kenway, 'In The Thick Of It: Matthew Couper's Skins & Teeth', Las Vegas Citylife, 14 September, 2012
Brian Paco Alvarez, 'Las Vegas Based Artist For Export', Las Vegas Arts & Culture, 12 September, 2012
Scott Dickensheets, 'To Do Thursday: Matthew Couper's Skins & Teeth', Las Vegas Citylife, 12 September, 2012
Eric Minh Swenson, 'Is Tim Bavington the Ed Ruscha of Las Vegas?', Huffington Post, 22 August, 2012

JUEVES, EL DOS DE AGOSTO DE VENTE DOCE

Just before disassembling my props today, I thought I'd get a photo of my 'Polemical Alchemy' set-up in reference to an 1895 photograph of James Ensor in his studio:

"...The polemical assertion of the act of painting as a subject of aesthetics is more interesting than formalities of visual representation manifested by painting. We live in a digital age, where we could easily create graphics and visual aids through computer software and hardware yet the persistence of painting is still a mystery or perhaps an alchemy. Like James Ensor's paintings of death skulls/bones come to life or Matthew Couper's paintings about turning shit into gold, the alchemical power of the very act of painting is undeniable - transforming material entity into a metaphysical state..." - Jevijoe Vitug

MARTES, EL OCHO DE MAYO, VEINTE-DOCE

Almost-finished scrimshaw. Final patina is on and I think that they've come out better than I thought. Two of these scrimshaw are heading to Houston for my two-person exhibition with Charles Krafft at PG Contemporary.

MIERCOLES, EL VEINTICINCO DE ABRIL, VIENTE-DOCE

Dodo ring

MIERCOLES, EL CATORCE DE DECIEMBRE, VEINTE-ONCE
I'm stealing these pics straight from Jo's art blog (as I'm in one of them) on the Miami Art Fairs. We've been away for two weeks in Miami, and then onto Texas (Houston, Austin and Fort Worth) to check out galleries and specific exhibitions, such as the Caravaggio exhib at the Kimbell in Fort Worth.

MARTES, EL VEINTINUEVE DE NOVIEMBRE, VEINTE-ONCE
page four of the new Mark Hutchins Gallery Catalogue with my painting, 'Trickle-Down Theory' and text by Las Vegas writer, Scott Dickensheets. You'll be able to download the entire pdf catalogue at the gallery website here at some point in the not too distant future.

LUNES, EL DOCE DE SEPTIEMBRE, VEINTE-ONCE
uncanny: de Chirico on the left - 'Metaphysical Interior', 1916 and Guston's 'Rain', 1975. The de Chirico is a hard image to track down, I've only ever seen black and white repros of it in two books, one of them being James Thrall-Soby's 'The Early Chirico' which, according to Guston's daughter, Musa Mayer in her biography 'Night Studio' was "...a book always at hand on my father's shelf...".

DOMINGO, EL DIECINUEVE DE DECIEMBRE, VEINTE-DIEZ
My work has been featured on ShareMag, a website/blog from Portugal, promoting international artists. I was asked to submit some works from a series with text, so I put forward a few of the retablos from my series 'Thirty-Three'. Also accompanying it is part of the essay by Dr. Peter Howland, 'The Divine Self and the Church of Auto-Resurrection', which will be published in full in my upcoming publication catalogue for the touring exhibition 'Thirty - Three'. You can view my link on the blog here

MIERCOLES, EL UNO DE DICIEMBRE, VEINTE-DIEZ
Three portraits of the Bonham Family, 1825 by William Bonnell (1804-65) Oil on panel. Coll. of Chicago Institute. Possibly a reference point for the enlarged heads of American Pop Surrealism? Recently, I've been talking to Wellington artist Liam Barr. I guess his work could be put into the Pop Surrealism category, with Martk Ryden as the most well-known proponent of the movement. These works popped into my head for their head to body scale as a possible influence on Ryden. This photo was taken during our trip to Chicago in 2008.

DOMINGO, EL VEINTICUATRO DE OCTUBRE, VEINTE-DIEZ
Kid Meets Cougar's Courtney Carroll vs. TVNZ 3's news presenter, Carolyn Robinson

VIERNES, EL VEINTICUATRO DE SEPTIEMBRE. VEINTE-DIEZ
Last week it was La Dolce Vita, this week it's Carwash. Brilliant!

(photos by JK Russ)

JUEVES, EL VEINTITRES DE SEPTIEMBRE, VEINTE-DIEZ

Took a day off yesterday to explore the local surrounding areas of where we live, especially Lake Mead Blvd, Tenaya, Buffalo and Smoke Ranch. It was good to have a bit of head-clearing time, as I've been 'angsted' up about my painting - that I don't feel like I'm getting enough work done. I looked at the architecture (all new) and all the junk caught in the rock gardens lining the streets. I picked up items such as a small green foam frog and some playing cards, got home and painted an ex-voto of them. This is the first ex-voto I've painted in months, so it's a good feeling that this could lead to more.

JUEVES, EL NUEVE DE SEPTIEMBRE, VEINTE-DIEZ
Carol took this photo of Marco. I was sitting on the couch drawing and reading, Marco jumped up, lay down and started studying the book of Philip Guston abstract paintings I was reading.

DOMINGO, EL VEINTINUEVE DE AGOSTO, VEINTE-DIEZ
On Sat night, K and I went to the Morris Graves Anniversary Seance as part of the Mystic Sons of Morris Graves House 93, Seattle Lodge. It was hosted by Charles Krafft (left) and featured a medium who channelled Graves who gave us this message on the right.
(all photos courtesy of Edd Cox)

LUNES, EL DIECISEIS DE AGOSTO, VEINTE-DIEZ
One blog I look at religiously every morning is Anonymous Works. Anonymous by name and nature, this mysterious blogger posts quirky object every day, gleaned from past and present auction, web-based antiques stores. Highly recommended!

JUEVES, EL VEINTICUATRO DE JUNIO, VEINTE-DIEZ
Friends of ours are selling their villa in Wellington and we checked out the photos of their abode. Like my penchant for looking through New Zealand House and Garden to see what art is hanging on the walls of the featured houses, I got a buzz seeing a few of my works on the walls on the website house-listing. Along with my work, there is a James Robinson woodcut, a Saskia Leek vinyl painting, Paul Maseyk bottles, Leigh Mitchell-Anyon photographs and a Simon Kaan print.

MIERCOLES, EL DIESEIS DE JUNIO, VEINTE
GETTING GASSED- Thomas Kinkade, who I've posted on before here has been arrested on an alleged DUI felony. Here's the brilliant 'Endorized' image I posted earlier.

JUEVES, EL VEINTE DE MAYO, VEINTE-DIEZ
'Miss April', oil on metal, 400mm x 400mm. This work was painted specifically for Calendar Girls, an upcoming group exhibition in August.

LUNES, EL TRES DE MAYO, VEINTE-DIEZ
'Sanctum Hill', 2004, oil on linen, 800mm x 1000mm, collection of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Rome.
This is the painting mentioned in yesterday's post. It's a real pastiche of Renaissance symbolism and composition. The three virtues on the right, flying away (copied from a painting by Sassetta) have Guston-like heads. Along with the Ghirlandaio wall and the Giotto township and of course, Cima's Agnus Dei.
The title, I'm not sure where that came from, but I remember specifically, as I was walking to the opening of my exhibition at Janne Land's, that the apartments opposite her gallery (in Jessie Street at the time) were called the Sanctum Apartments.

MARTES, EL VEINTISIETE DE ABRIL, VEINTE-DIEZ
A worn sign and bill board on Taupo Quay that I look at every day while walking to work.