structural – The 22 Magazine

VALERIE HEGARTY: Figure, Flowers, Fruit
Nicelle Beauchene Gallery
September 9, 2012 – October 21, 2012

In this exhibition, Hegarty takes her point of departure from themes of consumption, lust,reproduction and greed. Playing with traditional still life and figurative painting, Hegarty cites as inspiration the cult comedy Little Shop of Horrors along with current newsheadlines concerning the enhancement and mutilation of body and food. These four new paintings metamorphose sculpturally, as the paintings burst, grow and propagate in bodily gestures, leading the overgrowth to travel ominously beyond the canvas boundaries.

Strange Tales of Liaozhai
Friday, September 7
HERE Arts Center

Through choreography and manipulation, master puppeteer Hanne Tierney conducts an intricate counterweight system of over 100 strings, transforming a full stage of inanimate objects into the players of two emotionally charged tales.

Nancy Davidson: Dustup
Betty Cunningham Gallery
9/6/2012 To 10/6/2012

Betty Cuningham Gallery is pleased to open its 2012-13 season with Nancy Davidson, featuring her inflatable sculpture, Dustup. This will be the artist’s first exhibition at the Gallery. The artist will be present for the opening reception. Davidson, a sculptor and video artist, is known for her unique media – larger than life inflatable sculptures – and for her interest in American icons and gender issues. In 2005 with the support of a Creative Capital Grant, she began her exploration on the myth and reality of the cowgirl. After researching western women’s history Davidson focused on the rodeo cowgirl.

Thomas Allen: Beautiful Evidence
Sep 9 – Oct 14, 2012
Foley Gallery

Allen’s signature use of cutting and repurposing book illustrations has not vanished. Instead of the pulp fiction genre, Allen plays with 50’s era versions of clean cut youths and domesticated moms. His unmistakable talent for creating the illusion of 3D in photography with his deft cuts and crimps, establishes a magical world in which a boy and girl play tag creating their own kind of electricity, a milkman makes a very special delivery in space, young toughs play marbles with the solar system and a mother busily sews her own version of “string theory.”

David Stoupakis/Matthew Bone
September 8th – October 19th
Last Rites Gallery

David Stoupakis is an internationally recognized painter who creates eerie portraits of beings that appear wise beyond their years. The self-taught artist adds both haunting imagery and grim fairytale-like elements to his work to juxtapoz childhood innocence with macabre surroundings. InAshes to Sorrow, his new collection of drawings and oil paintings, David creates a continuation of his previous body of work-Walking with These Shadows./With his new work, Matthew Bone continues to explore the visual language he created as a child when massive unmonitored media consumption informed his worldview. A latchkey kid from an early age, pornography, comic books and movies formulated his ideas of sexuality, masculinity, and femininity- in essence reality and perception were sculpted by imaginary worlds steeped heavily in sensationalistic imagery.

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This Thursday we’ll be hosting not only two great musicians but also what we hope is attempt to forge some channels for struggling artists, musicians or writers in New York City and beyond.

It’s not easy these days being an artist in New York City.

Money is tight. Restrictions are tighter. Social and media communications are becoming vastly more advanced and input is sometimes overwhelming compared to basic human experience and communication.

The separation and animosity that one sometimes confronts with the “art world” and otherwise can be daunting.

Many artists are also not given the luxury of structures to use as a launch pad and on numerous occasion even artists who do have those structures are lost or frustrated when stepping into the professional arena of New York City. Some artists are taken advantage of. Some artists are treated in a manner that would otherwise be considered unacceptable and the idea of “fame and fortune” through artwork seems an increasingly unrealistic goal in our current economy.

Now having said that, there are NUMEROUS people and organizations in New York that seek to aid young and old artists, and the ability of artists to take action and organize is an inspiring thing. Likewise there are incredibly successful artists and organizations that produce art in a sustainable and healthy way that aids our economy, our environment and other artists.

In future forums we seek to invite these people to communicate directly with artists, musicians and writers in a neutral setting.

We will discuss many topics, not limited to civility and behavior in arts interactions.
Artists rights and organizational rights. Safeguards and protections for artists in business interactions. The role of galleries and their place in modern and digital society. Copyright and free use issues. The “cult” and mythology of the art, music and writing world and much much more.

At our first forum a form will be handed out to voice your concerns on. You can choose to be contacted directly if we find a solution to your problem or remain anonymous. If you would like to fill out a form before the forum and bring it the day of you can download the form HERE or below.

This is a place for dialogue and discussion and the only thing you can do wrong here is remain silent in the face of issues you are concerned about. ALL FORUMS ARE COMPLETELY FREE. We’ll ask for a donation at the door but its a request, not a demand. Profits go towards sustaining future forums and towards printing and event costs for The 22 Magazine.

(Please also note that although we seek artists, writers and musicians we feel reflect the spirit of open dialogue, our performers are in no way responsible for the content or opinions of Open Forum unless specifically stated otherwise.)

Are you an artist, musician, writer or organization who would like to participate in a future Artist’s Open Forum or perform at one? If so please contact us directly at the22magazine {at} gmail.com

Read more about the performers at this Forum.