January 2009

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That Which You Desire is Within Reach

January 28, 2009 in Art - Recent Work, W.I.P.s, ` | 11 comments

That Which You Desire is Within Reach cut paper art by Patrick Gannon
cut paper on wood
8 x 10″

I realize it’s coming up on the end of January already, but my brain is still stuck on the whole concept of the New Year, new beginnings, possibility. How we seem to spend so much of our lives clambering and climbing and stretching out our limbs for…it. That thing that is most desirable, most yearned for, most needed.

Usually holidays don’t have much effect on me, but this New Year has made me want to be optimistic. I started off with the idea of making this piece all about light and bright colors and happy happy joy joy. The wall I kept running into is that light doesn’t exist without darkness. I fought with that idea for awhile before giving in; and from that came the dark “curtains”. Once those are pushed aside, it’s just a short metaphorical climb to…it.

Somewhere along the line, this sort of fell into place as the last part of an unintentional triptych. The journey starts with the discovery of infinite possibilities. It continues with the realization of need and the searching to fill it. And it reaches its conclusion here. Maybe. I think. But you can never tell. Read the rest of this entry »

Photographic Evidence of Fukubukuro

January 22, 2009 in Exhibitions & Events, Japan, News | Add your comment

Kaiun Fukubukuro Show @ Bartok GalleryI’ve just been run down by some kind of post-show bug. Strangely it’s not completely gross and nasty. Sure, there’s the sand-papered throat and the deep-chest coughs to consider. But the light-headed wooziness is sorta pleasant in the oddest way. Like my head is floating on one of my peaceful, papery clouds; beckoning to the rest of my body to lie down next to it and get some rest. I may change my mind depending on how this germ progresses.

Just a few days ago, my brother and I were talking about stress and how it must infuse the body with some sort of immunity to minor disease. Of course, when the stress fades, the body drops it’s guard, utters a sigh of relief, and gets wallopped.

In any case, I’m going to try and work through this thing, albeit at a turtle’s pace.  Here for your amusement are some photos from the Kaiun Fukubukuro show at Gallery Bartok in Ginza.  The show went very nicely and I was able to chat with tons of very cool people.  Really, these shows are pretty much my only social life these days.  There would be more, but my bashful wife forbade me from showing any pics with her in them.  It’s for the best.  When she’s in frame, nobody looks at the work anyway.

You can see the photos on my Flickr page.

uPgRADEd

January 19, 2009 in News | Add your comment

Doing a quick upgrade to the blog. Things might look funny for a little while. If you notice anything weird, please wait a bit, then reload your browser. If things still look strange, I probably missed something and would appreciate an email or a comment. Thanks!

–update– I think that should take care of everything.  Please let me know if you find anything that seems off or screwy.
On the plus side, Threaded comments are now on, which means that we can reply to each other.  And the gravatars are slightly less annoying.  Cool, eh?

Also, a few new links have been added to my main websites links page.

The Iron Resolve of the Golden Owl

January 14, 2009 in Art - Recent Work, Children's, Exhibitions & Events, ` | 4 comments

The Iron Resolve of the Golden Owl cut paper art book by Patrick Gannon
cut paper and washi binder/book
14 1/2cm x 24cm / about 5 3/4″ x 9 1/2″

One of my goals this year is to make sure that I don’t allow myself to be contained by any definitions or rules which I’ve imposed on myself. Artistically speaking, of course. I won’t be making a complete break with civilized society just yet. Maybe next year.

For now, I’m happy to follow my creative impulses wherever they take me. In this case, they took me to make a book. Or a binder, actually. True bookmaking requires needles and threads and something akin to sewing. In my world, that inevitably leads to pinholes in my fingertips, lots of bad words, and a big ‘ol mess. Making a binder, on the other hand, led me to learn how to use rivets. There are hammers and workbenches and hammering involved. All satisfyingly manly. Now I just need to manufacture an excuse to use power tools and I’ll be able to think of myself as burly. grr.

The Iron Resolve of the Golden Owl cut paper art book by Patrick GannonThis urge to defy being boxed-in manifested itself in the artwork. It takes fortitude and resolve to break with convention, and I’m happy to say that this Golden Owl and his sidekick have it. This is my goal for the coming year: to not be afraid to do my own thing, to soar above the heights previously achievable, to perch on the unperchable.

Also, to get as much gold as I possibly can. And maybe a sidekick.

Pictures of the book, and details of the artwork:
Read the rest of this entry »

Gallery Show – Kaiun Fukubukuro Show @ Bartok Gallery

January 12, 2009 in Exhibitions & Events, Japan, News | Add your comment

Kaiun Fukubukuro Show @ Bartok Gallery, opens January 14, 2009Fukubukuro are a great, fun Japanese New Year’s tradition that I rarely get the chance to take advantage of. The Fukubukuro is a “lucky bag” which stores sell, filled to the brim with mystery items. It’s similar to the grab bag we have in the US, with the exception that there’s a pretty good chance that you actually want some of the stuff in a Fukubukuro. Kaiun translates roughly (very roughly) as Lucky Opening, meaning that this is Bartok’s first show of the year and we all hope it rocks.

Oh, and there’s a chance that all the artists will be auctioning off Fukubukuro on the final day of the show (January 20th, 2009) filled with all kinds of goodies. Maybe even some original art. hint hint. Stop on by (Bartok’s in Ginza) if you get the chance! We’d love to see you.

The details:

Name: Kaiun Fukubukuro Show「開運福袋展」

Place: Bartok Gallery
Ginza, Tokyo
ph. 03-3567-0005
〒104-0061　東京都中央区銀座1-18-2　銀座太平ビル１階

Opening party: Wednesday January 14, 2009 from 5:30pm ~ 7:30pm

Dates: January 14 – January 20, 2009 (Gallery closed on Sunday, the 18th)
Time: 11:30am ~ 6:15pm (closes 5pm on the 20th)

Here’s a link to the gallery (all in Japanese!)

And here’s a map (also in Japanese).

I’m not sure yet which days I will be present, but the 14th is a pretty good bet.

Gallery Show – Under the Influence: The Official Tribute to Beastie Boys

January 7, 2009 in Exhibitions & Events, News | 5 comments

Under the Influence Tribute to Beastie Boys Show at Gallery 1988 LAI can actually remember a time before the Beastie Boys (hereafter referred to as the years BBB). It was a dark time. A grim time when people were too afraid to fight for their right. Their right to party.

It was also a time before I had been properly introduced to this crazy music called rock n’ roll (an introduction that began with the struttin’ Stray Cats and passing through numerous hands thereafter. So it came to be that my own independent musical tastes were forming around the same time the Beasties came on the scene. It wasn’t until years later, with the release of Hello Nasty that I really started to appreciate (dig) their music.

All of which is a rather lengthy intro to Gallery 1988 (Los Angeles)’s upcoming group show “Under the Influence: The Official Tribute to Beastie Boys”. A ton of amazing and fantastic artists will be showing work influenced by the Boys, including myself. In fact, my piece(s?) are perhaps the most ambitious (by which I mean insane) things I have ever made. Sadly, I only have some really awful camera-phone pics right now, so I can’t show it (them?). But it’s BIG, and very, very shiny.

Check out the show if you’re in or near LA! The details:

Title: Under the Influence, The Official Tribute to Beastie Boys
Dates: January 8 – January 29, 2009
Opening Reception: January 8, 2009 7-11pm
Place: Gallery 1988 Los Angeles
Their Blog: Galleries One Nine Eight Eight