MIERCOLES, EL TRES DE FEBRERO, VEINTE-DIEZ
After the excitement of Laneways and then our interview, we retired out to Karekare to say at our friend's place down by the beach. There I was surprised to see two of my works, a scrimshaw from 2007 and an ex-voto from the 26th of Sept, 2007.
MARTES, EL DOS DE FEBRERO, VEINTE-DIEZ
from left to right: Dirty Three; Warren Ellis going nuts, the 3d's: I saw there last concert in Wtgn in 1997 - watching them at Laneways was liked they never broke up. Me after the gig with wristbands - red one is the VIP tent band courtesy of Si and Katy, who I hung out with, along with Aaron and Heidi and Tom and Kathleen.
LUNES, EL UNO DE FEBRERO, VEINTE-DIEZ
Daniel Johnston at Laneways. See yesterday's post for links. He was amazing, played for about 45 mins, half solo, half with a guitarist. Unfortunately, about three-quarters through, Cut Your Hands Off started playing on the opposite stage and drowned out Johnston, but all in all, an amazing gig.
DOMINGO, EL TRIENTA Y UNO DE ENERO, VIENTE-DIEZ
Today, we're off to Auckland for a few days - a bit of work + pleasure as I'm going to (now sold out) Laneway Festival, primarily to see Daniel Johnston and the newly reformed 3d's.

Daniel Johnston image courtesy of Rejectedunknown.com
SABATO, EL TRIENTA DE ENERO, VIENTE-DIEZ
Five recently completed crucifixes. The tallest one on the left measures 300mm tall x 150mm wide by 70mm deep, just to give you an idea of the scale.
From left to right: Last Kind Words (28th of Jan 2010), Corpus Christi (24th of Jan), Trinity (25th of Jan), One (26th of Jan) and Simplicity (27th of Jan). All completed this year.
The Last Kind Words crucifix is based on an old blues song by Geeshie Wiley.
VIERNES, EL VEINTINUEVE DE ENERO, VEINTE-DIEZ
A scrimshaw from 2006 called 'Life Pursuits' (you'll need to scroll down to the bottom of the page). An apt work for us at the moment. This work now lives in a cabinet with some real scrimshaw in Nashville, Tennessee.
I haven't made many more scrimshaw over the past year as they've seemed to have been replaced by my cruz de las animas that I've been making and painting. They are very similar in content even though they're very different, physically speaking.
Originally, I started making these historical objects if I wanted a real one but couldn't get one, same with the ex-votos and the crucifixes. The tables have somewhat turned as I haven't been able to secure a real scrimshaw after a decade of making them...and now I've stopped making them, yet I continue the ex-votos and retablos, having purchased several of them over the last three years. I'm not giving up hope in getting a scrimshaw, it's just that I'd have to sell four of mine to be able to purchase a real one.
JUEVES, EL VIENTIOCHO DE ENERO, VIENTE-DIEZ
Two new plates I've finished underglazing, again, in a delft-blue. The left one is tentatively called 'Eye Teeth' and the one on the right, 'Amina and Phoenix'. Tentatively as you never quite know what will come out of the kiln until the final firing.
Once bisque-fired, the blue tones on the plate will be a little bit darker than what you see in the photos. Once the clear-glaze is applied and then fired, the tones with be a lot darker and (hopefully) there will be plenty of contrast between the white and the dark delft-blue.
These plates will be in the second firing along with my toilet-bag shoe reliquary, a virgin mug, a melancholic coin jar and a hell envelope stand.
MIERCOLES, EL VIENTISIETE DE ENERO, VIENTE-DIEZ
On the left is a photo I took in Twizel in the town shopping centre. I took the photo because it instantly reminded me of the Spanish and Mexican paintings of 'life and death contrasted', a common mortality theme in Spanish and Italian Baroque painting. The middle image is a tinted engraving
from the Wellcome collection in London and depicts what looks to be a French Aristocratic woman next to an obilisk. The third image is a painting of mine called 'Travelling May Induce Calcium Deficiency', an oil painting from 2008, 1000mm x 800mm.
MARTES, EL VENTISEIS DE ENERO, VIENTE-DIEZ
Here's a photo from Gloria Fraser Gifford's book Mexican Folk Retablos depicting a retablo that's been cut up to use as a template for shoe or sandal soles. I mentioned this image way back in May last year.
Sorry for the delay.
LUNES, EL VIENTICINCO DE ENERO, VIENTE-DIEZ
Today is Wellington Anniversary Day, so it's also Whanganui Anniversary Day. The council was looking into having a separate day just for Whanganui, but they canned that idea in 2007. Below is a greeting card for a friend. It says "Working out New Zealand" across the top. The Parthenon-headed figure is holding a 'culture' medallion and saying "...C'mon, mush, work harder!..."
DOMINGO, EL VIENTICUATRO DE ENERO, VIENTI-DIEZ
It was the Sarjeant Gallery's 90th birthday last year so each of the nine full time staff selected ten of their favourite works from the collection. I have a little work in the show that was originally exhibited in The Museum of Inherent Vice, my end of residency exhibition in 2007. The grouping has been selected by senior curator, Greg Anderson and features works that have been recently purchased or gifted to the Sarjeant collection since his appointment to the job.
This is the first time my work has been in a grouping with Ed Ruscha's work! (clockwise, from top left: Galvanized Hand with label; grouping- Ruscha's photo is at far left; my work between Fiona Pardington and Paul Johns; wall text by Greg Anderson.)
The exhibition finishes on the 14th of February, 2010.
SABATO, EL VIENTITRES DE ENERO, VIENTE-DIEZ
The first set of completed ceramics for Malfunction Baroque at the Rayner Bros Gallery in Whanganui. The exhibition opens 1st of April, 2010.
VIERNES, EL VIENTIDOS DE ENERO, VIENTE-DIEZ
A screenshot from Simon Sweetman's Blog On The Tracks blog. This particular entry focuses on the '27 Club' and is illustrated with my drawings from the Whiteworld series.
JUEVES, EL VIENTIUNO DE ENERO, VIENTE-DIEZ
Still from 'The Gravy'. There's a brief interview with me as part of a Whanganui artists documentary. It will be screening at 9.35pm, Saturday the 6th and Tuesday the 9th of February on TVNZ 7. If you can't get TVNZ 7, then you can watch it at this address after the first screening.
MIERCOLES, EL VIENTE DE ENERO, VIENTE-DIEZ
Last travelling post, a photo of the Arahura passing us in the Bluebridge sailing into Wellington. It was rough sailing with a few turning stomaches.
MARTES, EL DIECINUEVE DE ENERO, VIENTE-DIEZ
A Sinclair ZX81 at the Ashburton Museum. This one is particularly flash as it has the 18kb booster pack on the back of the touch-sensitive keypad. I spent more time looking for the syntax errors in the programmes than actually playing them, but they were good to learn on.
LUNES, EL DIECIOCHO DE ENERO, VIENTE-DIEZ
Whitebait at the rele's place, all ready to become fritters, Wanaka.
DOMINGO, EL DIECISIETE DE ENERO, VIENTE-DIEZ
Our Lady of Peace Catholic church in Roxborough, diagonally opposite Jimmy's Pies, one of the best pie shops in NZ. I think his is one of the first en plein air crucifix (with corpus) I've seen in NZ.
SABATO, EL DIECISEIS DE ENERO, VIENTE-DIEZ
Lodge Dunstan at Clyde, right by the dam. The main door at the front is in the shape of an elongated Isosceles trapezium, I'm guessing to mimic the shape of many Egyptian building entrances.
VIERNES, EL QUINCE DE ENERO, VIENTE-DIEZ
Me in Gore. Up towards Twizel, or somewhere around them parts, there's another large model of a trout or salmon. I'm not sure which one came first.
JUEVES, EL CATORCE DE ENERO, VIENTE-DIEZ
A weird sign in Riverton. Besides the obvious spelling mistake, the arrow points to a fenced grassy paddock.
MIERCOLES, EL TRECE DE ENERO, VIENTE-DIEZ
This is Henry, a 112 year old tuatara at the Southland Museum and Art Gallery in Invercargill. Not usually active during the day, Henry decided to come out of his den and do a little performance especially for us. A bit of a ladies man, Henry lives in his enclosure with three girlfriends.
MARTES, EL DOCE DE ENERO, VIENTE-DIEZ
In Dunedin, just down Stuart Street from the Octagon is Albar. A quality bar, small and quiet with Emersons on tap, along with two hand-pull beers on tap. Quality. My cousin Stephen is a duty manager there.
LUNES, EL ONCE DE ENERO, VIENTE-DIEZ
One of my favourite shops in the South Island- The Holy Shop opposite St Paul's Basilica in Oamaru.
DOMINGO, EL DEIZ DE ENERO, VEINTE-DIEZ
A crucifix in a second-hand shop, North Colombo St, Chch.
SABATO, EL NUEVE DE ENERO, VIENTE-DEIZ
A photo of the old Robert McDougall compared to the Sarj, another screaming-looking face.
VIERNES, EL OCHO DE ENERO, VIENTE-DIEZ
Mosaic patterns in the Christchurch cathedral.
JUEVES, EL SIETE DE ENERO, VIENTE-DIEZ
Sailing into Picton
MIERCOLES, EL SEIS DE ENERO, VIENTE-DIEZ
We're off down South for a few days so post will be intermittent. Back in ten days or so.

Black and White Customs. 2001, oil on board.
MARTES, EL CINCO DE ENERO, VIENTE-DIEZ
A new group exhibition I'm in at PAULNACHE, Gisborne; Paper $ Money.
I've got a work in the show from 2004 called Changing World, a graphite drawing on paper.
The photo on the left shows work from Damien Hirst, myself, Mark Braunias, James Aldridge, James Robinson and Billy Apple.
LUNES, EL CUATRO DE ENERO, VIENTI-DIEZ
Lightning Bolt ex-voto, San Francisco Bathhouse, November 2009.
DOMINGO, EL TRES DE ENERO, VIENTE-DIEZ
A West German crucifix with screw-on base and stylized corpus.
SABATO, EL DOS DE ENERO, VIENTE-DIEZ
Last Malevich reference, there's more, but that's enough for now. The two smaller canvases depict personified versions of the exterior niches on the Sarjeant Gallery, screaming. These works were painted at the height of Michael Laws' verbal and financial attacks on the Gallery.

Suprematist Scream,
2006, oil on three linen canvases, 760mm x 780mm
VIERNES, EL PRIMER DIA DE VEINTE DIEZ
To keep some consistency over the new year change-over, here's s couple of more works with Malevich references in some larger paintings:
left: detail from Numbskull (After Bosch) 2009, oil on canvas, 800mm x 1000mm
right: Foreign Coincidences, 2008, oil on canvas, 800mm x 1000mm
P.S. HAPPY NEW YEAR
(left: At Sanson Cemetery. Photo by JK Russ; Right: Melancolia (After Durer) 2009, oil on metal, 360mm x 290mm)
JUEVES, EL TRIENTA Y UNO E DICIEMBRE, EL DIA PASADO DE DOS MIL NUEVE.
Some ex-votos with Malevich references in them, mostly of his
Suprematist Painting: Eight Red Rectangles, 1915 in the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam.
This painting was shown in Wellington as part of a Stedelijk touring exhibition called Exhibition Of The Century at the City Gallery, Wellington in 1998. It was my last year at art school and although having been over to the UK the previous year, seeing a selection of international artworks on home soil was a buzz, especially the Malevich. It's rough, paint-crazed surface and visible aesthetic decision-making of the scale and placement of the shapes was an eye opener. Its scale impacted on me too, especially compared to say, Sean Scully's painting (I'm not putting down Scully- I'm a huge fan, but just commenting on scale after seeing a large survey show of his work in Manchester in 1997). It really brought home the fact that its probably harder to paint a small painting with impact than it is to use the bombasity of a heroic scale.
MIERCOLES, EL TRIENTA DE DICIEMBRE, DOS MIL NUEVE
Back to work today, 11pm in the studio, channelling Kasimir Malevich after preparing some surfaces for new ex-votos and larger retablo paintings.
MARTES, EL DIECINUEVE DE DICIEMBRE, DOS MIL NUEVE
Thinking about Monday morning, travelling again and life in general.

(detail taken from a crucifix: 22nd Aug 2008: Cross That One Off The List, London)
LUNES, EL VEINTIOCHO DE DICIEMBRE, DOS MIL NUEVE
Boxing Day holiday / Havelock North High School / Konini Road animal reunion.
CRUZ DE DOMINGO, EL VIENTISIETE DE DICIEMBRE, DOS MIL NUEVE
A ceramic crucifix on a grave at the Sanson Cemetery in the Manawatu. I got Jo to take this photo as I thought it would be good to compare to the hand-coloured photograph that I posted a few weeks ago.
DIA DE LA NAVIDAD, EL VIENTICINCO DE DICIEMBRE, DOS MIL NUEVE
JUEVES, EL VIENTICUATRO DE DICIEMBRE, DOS MIL NUEVE
At this exact moment over in Catalonia, Spain; kids are beating poor little Tió de Nadal with sticks to make him poop. I bet he's hanging out to poop out the onion so his job is complete for another year.
MIERCOLES, EL VIENTITRES DE DICIEMBRE, DOS MIL NUEVE
Something I whipped up for the festive wrestling fans out there.
MARTES, EL VIENTIDOS DE DICIEMBRE, DOS MIL NUEVE
A detail of the fixed corpus I mentioned the other day (Sunday, I think?)
LUNES, EL VIENTIUNO DE DICIEMBRE, DOS MIL NUEVE
A new ceramic work completed yesterday based on Durer's Melancholia print. The figure is holding a new New Zealand ten cent piece and the small bowl is intended as a coin holder.
DOMINGO, EL VIENTE DE DICIEMBRE, DOS MIL NUEVE
I realise I haven't posted a cruz de la semana for quite a while, but here's a studio shot with a new crucifix I picked up last week. You can see the crucifix to the bottom left of the large framed painting on the wall. The corpus is cast plaster that had sustained damaged around the head, arms and on the right knee. I spent a couple fo hours filling and sanding, then painted it with a tinted undercoat to keep the tone and surface of the original plaster. I've also made a new INRI sign for it as well.
SABATO, EL DIECINUEVE DE DICIEMBRE, DOS MIL NUEVE
I recently received a book on Milan Kunc, a Czech artist born in 1944, great stuff that could be described as kitsch, but of course that's from a modernist frame of mind. The image below is titled The Edge Of Dispair, 1983.
Na pokraji zoufalství. akryl na plátně, 140 x 160 cm, sbírka Museum Hessenského kraje, Darmstadt
courtesy of Galerie Caesar

VIERNES, EL DIECIOCHO DE DICIEMBRE, DOS MIL NUEVE
A few more earlier works of mine with coffins in them:
(from top right: Head Case, 2000, oil on ply, 190mm x 100mm; Darkness & Light, 2003, oil on canvas, 410mm x 310mm, Private Collection, Auckland; Interior Silence, 1999, oil on board, 240mm x 130mm)
JUEVES, EL DIECISIETE DE DICIEMBRE, DOS MIL NUEVE
A ceramic piece I finished yesterday, based on the monochrome painting in yesterday's post.
MIERCOLES, EL DIECISEIS DE DICIEMBRE, DOS MIL NUEVE
Another idea, galvanized. Sorry for the bad image on the right, its taken from a general studio shot. I'll post the new retablo on this site once it's complete.

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