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JUEVES, EL VIENTICUATRO DE SEPTIEMBRE, DOS MIL NUEVE
A NEW RETABLO, TITLED THE BEGINNING OF THE END
2009
OIL ON TIN
360MM X 290MM
MIERCOLES, EL VIENTITRES DE SEPTIEMBRE, DOS MIL NUEVE
LOW-BROW ART?, HOW LOW CAN YOU GO? PLENTY LOW. I'M RE-READING GREENBERG'S AVANT-GARDE AND KITSCH FROM 1939, **WITH SURPRISING RESULTS!!** IT SEEMS THE HUNTER HAS BECOME THE HUNTED
I'LL GET BACK TO YA ON THAT ONE...
MARTES, EL VIENTIDOS DE SEPTIEMBRE, DOS MIL NUEVE
A PROPHETIC ARTWORK? A REVERSE PAINTED CD CASE WITH CD PAINT PALETTE INCLUDED.
I DIDN'T PARTICULARLY WANT THIS AS I HAVE A THING FOR THE PRINTED WORK.
RUMOUR HAS IT THAT THE FAT LADY HAS NOT YET SUNG, SO I'LL BE LOOKING FORWARD TO RECEIVING MY NEXT ISSUE, AS I STILL HAVE 2 ISSUES THAT ARE PAID FOR .
LUNES, EL VIENTIUNO DE SEPTIEMBRE, DOS MIL NUEVEMY REOCCURRING BACKACHE IS BACK WITH A VENGEANCE. I KNOW WHERE THE PROBLEM IS (UPPER RIGHT-HAND SIDE SPINE, 3 LAYERS OF MUSCLE DEEP) BUT I CAN'T GET TO IT, UNLESS I GO TO A MASSEUR. ALL I CAN DO IS STRETCH TO RELIEVE THE TENSION, ONLY A SHORT TERM FIX.
IN MARCH 2008, I WAS WORKING WITH A MASSEUR WHO WAS INTERESTED IN REFLEXOLOGY, MOSTLY THE FEET. THE CHART BELOW IS THE MOST ACCURATE FOR ME AT PRESENT AND I LIKE IT BECAUSE IT'S VISUAL. IF I CAN RELAX ENOUGH, I CAN WORK ON MY OWN FEET BUT THAT TAKES A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF ENERGY AS YOU NEED TO BE RELAXED, BUT AWARE OF WHAT YOU'RE DOING AT THE SAME TIME.I INCLUDED THIS CHART IN A LARGE RITUALISTIC PAINTING INSTALLATION I MADE AT THE START OF THIS YEAR CALLED THIRTY-THREE. THE FEET ARE FREED OF THE SHOES, AND WALK TOWARDS THE GRAVE AND ACTUALLY WALK ABOVE IT AS IF YOU WERE SKY-WALKING, SIMILAR TO THE GLASS SKY-WALK OVER THE GRAND CANYON. OF COURSE, YOU CAN SEE THE SOLES OF THE FEET, SO THE WHOLE IMAGE BECOMES FLIPPED 180 DEGREES AT THE POINT OF REALISATION. 

UN CRUCIFIXION PARA DOMINGO, EL VIENTE DE SEPTIEMBRE, DOS MIL NUEVE
A CRUCIFIXION SHOWING TEH SEVEN SORROWS OF THE VIRGIN, BY A FOLLOWER OF QUINTEN MASSIJS (PREVIOUSLY ATTRIB. TO A FOLLOWER OF JAN PROVOST) ABOUT A METRE HIGH, 700MM WIDE.
SABATO, EL DIECINUEVE DE SEPTIEMBRE, DOS MIL NUEVE
WHERE'S GEORGE?
VIERNES, EL DIECIOCHO DE SEPTIEMBRE, DOS MIL NUEVEROB MCLEOD HAS AN EXHIBITION ON AT PRESENT OVER IN SYDNEY AT BEATTY GALLERY.THERE'S SOME GREAT TITLES IN THE EXHIBITION THAT WORK AGAINST THE INGRAINED MYTH THAT HIS PAINTING IS ABOUT FORMALISM: PAINT SURFACE, SKIN AND THAT THERE IS NO MEANING (RECENT TILES ARE : SWIMMING AGAINST THE TIDE, WALKING AWAY, LOOKING FOR A BOSS, FIGHTING THE PAST, BREAKING FREE). THAT WAS THE LATE 70S AND EARLY 80'S, YET THERE HAS BEEN VERY LITTLE DISCUSSION OF HIS HEFTY TRANSITION BACK TO FIGURATION IN THE EARLY 2000'S. I'M GUESSING MOSTLY BECAUSE PEOPLE STILL SEE PAINT ON THE SURFACE, SO PRESUME THAT WHAT WAS WRITTEN IN THE LATE 70'S BY JIM BARR AND MARY BARR IN THEIR A-M BOOK MUST STILL STAND. HIS WORK IS OFTEN REFERRED TO AS UGLY, WHICH IS AN ATTRIBUTE THAT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE TOLERATED IN THE NZ ART, ESPECIALLY IN THE PAINTING FIELD. THE STATES HAD THE KIENHOLZ'S, WHOSE VITRIOLIC LIFE-SIZE DIORAMAS OF POLITICAL AND PERSONAL THEMES I FIND SIMILAR TO MCLEOD'S GROTESQUES. NOT ONLY IN THEIR SIMILAR MESSAGES BUT IN THEIR RELATIVE SCALE AND INTEREST IN SCIENCE FICTION, HORROR AND HOW WE RELATE THOSE ATTRIBUTES TO OUR EVERYDAY LIVES AND SOCIETY. THE TYPE OF ARTWORK THAT WAS BEING PRODUCED IN THE STATES AT THAT TIME SEEMED TO BE A REACTION AGAINST THE POST-WAR, CLEAN-CUT OZZIE AND HARRIET WORLD THAT WAS BEING PROMOTED TO SOCIETY THROUGH THE TV. I GUESS I'M LEFT WONDERING: IF THE FACT THAT IF SOMETHING HAS BRIGHT COLOURED PAINT ON IT, IS SUPPOSED TO BE PLEASANT AND PRETTY?
HOW DO YOU ALTER THE PERCEPTIONS OF SUCH AN INTEGRAL SIGNIFIER OF PAINTING SO THAT IT'S COMPLETELY TURNED ON ITS HEAD?
JUEVES, EL DIECISIETE DE SEPTIEMBRE, DOS MIL NUEVE
ADDENDUM: WELL, I WAS INCORRECT. I RECEIVED NOTIFICATION YESTERDAY THAT MY WORK IN CHRISTCHURCH DID SELL. AWESOME. THERE'S HOPE YET.
MIERCOLES, EL DIECISEIS DE SEPTIEMBRE, DOS MIL NUEVE
THE PAINTING BELOW WAS AUCTIONED IN THE ART EVENT AT THE CHRISTCHURCH ART GALLERY ON FRIDAY NIGHT. HAVEN'T HEARD WHETHER IT SOLD OR NOT. BECAUSE OF THE TONE OF THE TEXT, I WOULDN'T BE SURPRISED IF IT HADN'T.
EX-VOTO (19TH OF AUGUST, 2009)
OIL ON TIN

MARTES, EL QUINCE DE SEPTIEMBRE. DOS MIL NUEVEI'M SLOWLY GOING THROUGH OLD BOXES OF PAINTINGS AND DOING A BIT OF A CULL. HERE'S ONE, RECENTLY DESTROYED. ALTHOUGH I LIKE THE IDEA, THE PAINTING WAS NEVER RESOLVED. IN MY 2001 SKETCHBOOK, THE DRAWING FOR THIS WORK HAS THE SENTENCE UNDER IT: 'WHERE SCRIMSHAW COME FROM'
VIERNES, EL ONCE DE SEPTIEMBRE, DOS MIL NUEVE
ANNIVERSARY
TOP: ONE, 2004, OIL ON CANVAS
BOTTOM: HOLINESS TO THE LORD, 2005, OIL ON CANVAS (DESTROYED 2007)
JUEVES, EL DIEZ DE SEPTIEMBRE, DOS MIL NUEVE
AN INVITATION TO PETER IRELAND'S NEW EXHIBITION AT RAYNER BROS GALLERY, OPENING THIS FRIDAY NIGHT AT 5.30PM.
MIERCOLES, EL NUEVE DE SEPTIEMBRE, DOS MIL NUEVE
SLOWLY MAKING MY WAY THROUGH THIS BORDER, I GUESS IT GIVES ME A SENSE OF PURPOSE.
HA HA.

LUNES, EL SIETE DE SEPTIEMBRE, DOS MIL NUEVE
HERE'S THE REST OF THE PAINTINGS I WAS TALKING ABOUT LAST WEDNESDAY.
THE SICK SELF-PORTRAIT IS AT TOP-LEFT.
CRUZ DE LA DIAS, DOMINGO, EL SEIS DE SEPTIEMBRE, DOS MIL NUEVE
A COMMON CRUCIFIX USED ON COFFINS - A TWO-PIECE PLASTIC MOLDED CROSS AND CORPUS, THEN ELECTRO-PLATED
SABATO, EL CINCO DE SPETIEMBRE, DOS MIL NUEVE
A FRIDGE
VIERNES, EL CUATRO DE SEPTIEMBRE, DOS MIL NUEVE
TONIGHT, PAUL JOHNS HAS AN EXHIBITION OPENING AT MCNAMARA GALLERY.
ALSO, POLVO HAVE JUST RELEASED THEIR NEW ALBUM AFTER 12 YEARS, CALLED IN PRISM. YOU CAN LISTEN TO A STREAMED VERSION OF IT HERE.
JUEVES, EL TRES DE SEPTIEMBRE, DOS MIL NUEVEA NEW STUDIO SHOT, LIKE PULLING TEETH AT THE MOMENT, I'M PAINTING ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE FRAMES WITHIN A FRAME, USING A GREEK SUAVSTIKA PATTERN (LIKE IN THE CHRISTCHURCH CATHEDRAL) THAT I'VE PAINTED A FEW TIMES NOW. YOU NEED 14 LINES OF 2 DIFFERENT TONES OR COLOURS TO FORM THE UNDULATING PATTERN. I LIKE TO PAINT ALL THE LINES IN FIRST, THEN PAINT THE CROSS-BARS TO FORM THE PATTERN AS I DON'T LIKE HAVING THE DRAW IT ALL OUT FIRST AS IT FEELS TOO MUCH LIKE COLOURING-IN. IT'S A DIRGE OF A JOB AS IT IS, BUT I GUESS IT SORTS THE GHOSTS FROM THE SHEETS.
MIERCOLES, EL DOS DE SEPTIEMBRE, DOS MIL NUEVEAFTER THINKING ABOUT MONDAY'S POST ABOUT THE DRAFT PAINTING OF 'THE HITCHER', I REMEMBERED A PAINTING I DID IN 1997 ON A SIMILAR SUBJECT. I DEVELOPED MOST OF THESE IDEAS DURING MY FRIST TRIP OVERSEAS MID 1997 TO THE UK. I HAD PLENTY OF SPARE TIME TO DRAW WHILE TAKING TRAINS AROUND THE COUNTRY. WHEN I GOT BACK TO ART SCHOOL, IT ALL POURED OUT.IT'S INTERESTING TO SEE THE REOCCURRING THEMES AND MOTIFS THAT I STILL USE TODAY- THE FRAMES WITHIN THE FRAME OF THE EXTERIOR SHAPE OF THE CANVAS OR BOARD, MORTALITY MOTIFS AND WORDS OR TITLES INTEGRATED INTO THE COMPOSITION. SOME SIMILAR THEMES TOO- TRAVELLING, DISLOCATION, ESCAPISM. I'D LOVE TO KNOW WHERE THIS PAINTING IS. I SOLD THE MAJORITY OF THIS SERIES AT MY END OF YEAR SHOW EXCEPT FOR TWO THAT I KEPT- A SELF PORTRAIT WHILE SICK WITH THE FLU AND ANOTHER ONE THAT I STILL HAVEN'T WORKED OUT WHAT IT'S ABOUT.
SORRY ABOUT THE QUALITY OF THE IMAGE, THIS IS PRE-DIGITAL AND FROM WHAT I CAN REMEMBER, I TOOK THE PHOTO OF THIS WORK USING TUNGSTEN SLIDE FILM IN DAYLIGHT. NOT A GOOD MOVE. I'M GLAD THOSE DAYS ARE OVER. I FIND EDITING WITH PHOTOSHOP SO MUCH EASIER.
CRUZ DE DOMINGO, EL TRIENTE DE AGOSTO, DOS MIL NUEVE
A GOOD EXAMPLE OF A STANDARD 1970'S CRUCIFIX WITH CENTRAL METAL STRIPING ON THE CROSS. THE CORPUS IS MOULDED FROM FAUX-GOLD PLASTIC, CAST FROM A TYPICAL CHRIST FORM, BLESSING WITH HIS LEFT HAND.
SABATO, EL VIENTINUEVE DE AGOSTO, DOS MIL NUEVE
JAMES CASWELL OF HISTORIA ANTIQUES HAS VERY KINDLY PUT A LINK FROM HIS WEBSITE TO MINE TO PROMOTE EX-VOTO COMMISSIONS. WE MET JAMES LAST JULY WHEN WE WERE OUT IN SANTA MONICA. I'D KNOWN OF HIS STORE AND WAS VERY KEEN TO GET A TRADITIONAL EX-VOTO OF MY OWN. I ENDED UP WITH THREE (YOU'LL NEED TO SCROLL DOWN TO THE 12TH OF JUNE). HERE'S A PHOTO OF JAMES AND I AND HIS SON ALBERTO.
VIERNES, EL VIENTIOCHO DE AGOSTO, DOS MIL NUEVE
WELL, I DID IT. HERE'S MY 'COLLECTION' THUS FAR. YOU CAN CLICK ON THE IMAGE BELOW TO ENLARGE THEM OR GO TO MY EX-VOTO WEBSITE TO VIEW THEM UP CLOSE.
JUEVES, EL VIENTISEIS DE AGOSTO, DOS MIL NUEVESINCE I'M STILL SICK, I'VE GONE THROUGH AND UPDATED MY WEBSITE, MOSTLY MY EX-VOTO PAGES, INCLUDING A SET OF NEW CRUCIFIXES I'VE JUST COMPLETED. I'M THINKING OF FIRING UP PHOTOSHOP AND PUTTING TOGETHER A MONTAGE OF ALL THE CRUCIFIXES I'VE COMPLETED OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, SIMILAR TO WHAT I DID WITH THE WHITEWORLD DRAWINGS. I'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS. THE MORE LIKELY SCENARIO IS THAT I'LL BE BETTER TOMORROW AND FORGET ABOUT IT.IN REGARD TO MY CRUCIFIXES, THEY ARE BASED ON THE MEXICAN-COLONIAL 'ANIMAS' CRUCIFIXES WHICH WERE CONSTRUCTED AND PAINTED BY ARTISANS AS A DEVOTIONAL OBJECT TO HELP YOUR ANCESTORS NAVIGATE THEIR WAY THROUGH PURGATORY. I USE THESE FORMS BECAUSE I OFTEN SEE THE ARTWORLD AS A SELF-INFLICTED PURGATORY, FILLED WITH ISSUES RELATING TO SURVIVAL, MORAL JUDGMENTS, SCRUPLES, POSITIVE CENSORSHIP AND UNJUSTIFIED NOBILITIES. SO I USE THIS FORMAT AS AN ANALOGY TO THAT, BUT ADD MY TWO CENTS IN THE DETAIL, KIND OF LIKE THE SUBVERSIVE USE OF THE PREDELLA IN THE RENAISSANCE.
CRUZ (DE LAS ANIMAS) LATE 19TH CENTURY
POLYCHROME WOOD
COURTESY OF HISTORIA ANTIQUES

MIERCOLES, EL VIENTISEIS DE AGOSTO, DOS MIL NUEVETODAY IS THE ANNIVERSARY OF TEX AVERY'S DEATH...29 YEARS AGO (HE DIED IN 1980). AVERY'S WORK ON LOONY TUNES WAS A GREAT INFLUENCE ON MY DRAWING AS A KID - TAUGHT ME A LOT ABOUT SCALE, ANIMATING THE FORM TO SHOW MOVEMENT AND EXPLOITING CARICATURE. I'D LOVE TO SHOW YOU SOME EXAMPLES, UNFORTUNATELY, I HAVEN'T YET SCANNED THE MANY DRAWING I DID FOR MY FATHER WHEN I WAS YOUNG. THERE MUST BE AROUND 40 - 50 FINISHED DRAWINGS IN HIS POSESSION. I MUST DO THAT THE NEXT TIME I'M BACK IN HAWKES BAY.
MARTES, EL VIENTICINCO DE AGOSTO, DOS MIL NUEVE
WAY BACK IN APRIL, I SHOWED A SKETCH. OF COURSE I'VE COME INTO NEW ISSUES SURROUNDING THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE WORK, MOSTLY DUE TO NOT WANTING TO REPEAT MYSELF AND WANTING TO PUSH MY IDEA OF 'PAINTING'. BOTH IN A PHYSICAL AND COMMERCIAL/ ANTI-COMMERCIAL SENSE. I'M RE-READING FRANK STELLA'S WORKING SPACE TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY ANSWERS IN THERE. EVEN THOUGH HE STOPS AT ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONISM, THERE'S PLENTY OF BASE MATERIAL DISCUSSED IN THE BOOK, WHICH FORMALLY, COULD BE USED IN MOST PAINTING CIRCUMSTANCES.
LUNES, EL VIENTICUATRO DE AGOSTO, DOS MIL NUEVE
MANAGED TO GET MYSELF OUT OF BED TO TEACH TODAY, FEELING BETTER AND HOPEFULLY AT THE END OF THE COLD. DAVE HICKEY'S AIR GUITAR ARRIVED IN THE POST TODAY WHICH IS COOL, IT'S NOT TOO LONG SO WILL PROBABLY HAVE FINISHED READING IT BY TOMORROW. HERE'S ANOTHER CRUCIFIX WITH HICKEY ON IT:
DOMINGO, EL VIENTITRES DE AGOSTO, DOS MIL NUEVE
GREAT NIGHT LAST NIGHT, GOOD TURN OUT AT THE OPENING, ESP WHANGANUI FOLK. WE WENT BACK TO WHANGANUI AFTER THE SHOW WOUND DOWN AND POPPED IN TO TYLEE COTTAGE TO MEET NEW RESIDENT MIRANDA PARKES AND CATCH UP WITH LAURA AND TAO. NOW, UNFORTUNATELY, I'M SICK- HEADCOLD- AND I HAVE TO FINISH A WORK TO SEND DOWN TO CHRISTCHURCH NEXT WEEK. ROTTEN
HERE'S ONE OF THE NEW WORKS I TOOK DOWN TO MARK.
SECURITY
2009
OIL ON WOOD

SABATO, EL VIENTIDOS DE AGOSTO, DOS MIL NUEVE
A NIGHT AT HOME, THEN PACK TO PALMY THIS MORNING TO FINISH THE SET UP OF 'I GO WHERE THE PARTY TAKES ME', A GROUP PHOTOGRAPHY SHOW CURATED BY JK RUSS. (CHECK HER BLOG OUT SOON FOR PHOTOS OF THE OPENING). I'M STARTING TO COME DOWN WITH SOMETHING, I FEEL WRECKED AFTER THOSE FEW BUSY DAYS IN WTGN, ESPECIALLY THE SESSION AFTER VICTOR'S EXHIBITION OPENING!
CAUTIONARY
2000
OIL AND ENAMEL ON WOOD
PRIVATE COLLECTION, WTGN
VIERNES, EL VIENTIUNO DE AGOSTO, DOS MIL NUEVE
YESTERDAY ENDED UP BEING QUITE BUSY, A LOOK AROUND THE GALLERIES, WALK AROUND THE PORT AND A VISIT UP TO ROB'S PLACE. DINNER AND STAYING WITH WHANAU, UP FIRST THING IN THE MORNING TO PALMERSTON NORTH TO SET UP JO'S SHOW AT THERMOSTAT.
BANK BALLANCE (BASED ON THE OLD BNZ BUILDING IN WTGN)
OIL AND ENAMEL ON CANVAS
1999
PRIVATE COLLECTION, WTGN
JUEVES, EL VIENTE DE AGOSTO, DOS MIL NUEVE
YESTERDAY, I 'HAD MY TAXES DONE' AND IT'S GOOD TO HAVE THAT FINISHED. EVEN THOUGH IT WENT SMOOTHLY, IT'S STILL A DRAIN. BELOW IS A COOL CARTOON BY CLAY BENNETT, A PERFECT IMAGE REALLY (U.S. OF COURSE, BEING IRS). I ALSO DE-INSTALLED MY WORK AT CRAWLSPACE AND DROPPED OFF SOME NEW WORK TO MARK AT THE GALLERY. TODAY, I INTEND TO CHECK OUT SOME GALLERIES.
MARTES, EL DIECIOCHO DE AGOSTO, DOS MIL NUEVE
HERE'S THE INVITATION TO 'I GO WHERE THE PARTY TAKES ME', CURATED BY JO. THE SHOW OPENS AT THERMOSTAT IN PALMY THIS COMING SATURDAY NIGHT.
WE'RE OFF TO WELLINGTON TODAY FOR A FEW DAYS SO I'LL HAVE TO BACK-DATE SOME POSTS WHEN I'M NEAR A CONNECTION.
LUNES, EL DIECESIETE DE AGOSTO, DOS MIL NUEVE
STUDIO UPDATE: PROGRESSING SLOWLY
EL CRUZ DE DOMINGO, EL DIECISEIS DE AGOSTO, DOS MIL NUEVE
A SHINY PLASTIC NUMBER, WITH BARBED WOODEN CROSS
SABATO, EL QUINCE DE AGOSTO, DOS MIL NUEVE
VICTOR BEREZOVSKY HAS AN EXHIBITION OPENING, TITLED 'SPLINTER' AT MARY NEWTON GALLERY, WELLINGTON. IT OPENS TUESDAY NIGHT. THE SHOW IS ON FROM THE 19TH OF AUG - 12 SEPT.

VIERNES, EL CATORCE DE AGOSTO, DOS MIL NUEVE
BLANKS, GRIEF AND CHRONIC FATIGUE

JUEVES, EL TRECE DE AGOSTO, DOS MIL NUEVE
A PORTRAIT OF NIKE (PRONOUNCED 'NICKI') SAVVAS. AUSTRALIAN ARTIST, NOW BASED IN LONDON. I FIRST SAW HER WORK IN TRANSFORMERS AT THE CITY GALLERY, WELLINGTON.
MIERCOLES, EL DOCE DE AGOSTO, DOS MIL NUEVE
THINKING ABOUT TRAVELLING AGAIN, I SUBCONSCIOUSLY KEEP FINDING MYSELF ON CRAIG'S LIST.
A LOCAL EXCURSION WILL HAVE TO DO, HEADING DOWN TO WELLINGTON NEXT TUESDAY.