July 2009

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Slow Summertime at the Cocotte Cafe

July 26, 2009 in Exhibitions & Events, News | 1 comment

Patrick Gannon's cut paper art at Cocotte Cafe, Iidabashi, Tokyo August 1 - 31, 2009
Not far from the station in Iidabashi lies a quaint little coffee place named Cocotte Cafe. It’s a cozy little joint, decorated in clean white and warm wood, and each month they display the work of a different artist or craftsperson. I’ve been invited to show my work there next month, and will be decorating the walls with a selection of bright and summery images. There might even be a couple new things (depending on how quick I work this week!), along with postcards, prints, and eco-bags for sale.

I plan on hanging around on Saturday, August first, at least until the owner kicks me out. If you’re thinking about visiting and you would like to chat, drop me a line and I’ll do my best to hop on over and share a cup of joe.

The details:

Name: Cocotte Cafe, Iidabashi

dates: August 1 – August 31, 2009

place: Cocotte Cafe
東京都新宿区津久戸町3-12
ＪＲ中央線飯田橋駅　東口　徒歩7分　
地下鉄飯田橋駅　B1番出口　徒歩5分　
都営大江戸線飯田橋駅　徒歩5分　

website: right here.
map: find your way.

Guinea-pigs Wanted

July 22, 2009 in News, W.I.P.s | 3 comments

Sigh, I’d been so good putting up new work all this past month. Sadly, I have to break my streak this week. And on top of that, I need to ask all y’all a teensy tiny favor! The nerve of me!

The Contact Page over on the main site has just been updated! Yay! If you mosey on over and take a gander, you’ll notice that it’s slimmed down and simplified.

OK, the favor: Please hop on over to the Contact Page and send me a message. I need to test how it works with the email addresses of people who aren’t me. If you run into any problems, please hop back over here and leave me a comment to that effect. Thank you, and a BIG internet hug to everyone who sends me mail.

There’s also a bunch of new stuff under the hood that’s supposed to ward off the wicked spam and make all of our lives easier. Maybe neatest of all is the anti-spam question at the bottom. You’ll notice I made it a little more universal for the international audience. The previous question was “What color is the sky?”, the answer being “blue”. Funny thing is, most of my Japanese contacts didn’t have much trouble with that. It was the native english speakers, especially artists. They kept looking out the window and writing in the color of the current weather conditions. I suspect there’s an interesting conversation here, about the subjectivity of the artists’ mind, even in the face of purely objective technology.

So, why haven’t I posted new work this week? Here’s one reason:

Back structure of cut paper art by Patrick Gannon WIP Read the rest of this entry »

Chatting with Build/Make/Craft/Bake

July 15, 2009 in News | Add your comment

Build Make Craft Bake interview of Patrick Gannon - logoWendy over at Build/Make/Craft/Bake was kind enough to sit down with me (at our separate computers on opposite sides of the pacific expanse) and chat for a couple minutes about my work, my process, creativity and art in general. The interview is online right now and, I think, a pretty interesting read. Even though there’s precious little baking going on in my studio. Head on over for a quick read.

While you’re at it, check out the rest of the blog, which is all about how we make stuff.

Your Touch, It Does Something to Me

(sold)

July 13, 2009 in Art - Recent Work, Exhibitions & Events, W.I.P.s | 10 comments

Your Touch, It Does Something to Me cut paper art by Patrick Gannon
size: 8 x 10 inches
medium: cut paper on wood
click here or the image for a bigger caress

Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace.
-Hindu Prince Gautama Siddharta, the founder of Buddhism

Substitute the word “touch” for “word” and you begin to see the starting point for this piece.

Actually… while there is a lengthy and, I think, beautiful story behind “Your Touch” I would like to be a little selfish and keep it for myself. At least for a little while longer. Which leaves you, dear reader, with the chance to pour your own meaning or story into the piece, filling up that hollowness. If the mood strikes you, leave your interpretation in the comments below. It’s always cool to see my work through other people’s eyes.

I’ll be huddling in the corner over here, whispering, “My precioussssssssss”.

“Your Touch, It Does Something to Me”, can be seen right now in San Francisco’s Gallery 1988 “Battle Royal” group show, until July 18, 2009. Read the rest of this entry »

New In the Shop – Laughing Shark Prints!

July 12, 2009 in Japan, News | 2 comments

2 New Prints by Patrick Gannon
I am ecstatic to announce that two of my most requested pieces are now available as open edition prints: We All Laugh Together and The Golden Sea, It Has Teeth. I was shocked to see that it’s been over a year since I came out with new prints but what can I say… I was making new art! In any case, these Gicleés are available immediately for order in the online shop. All Gicleés are printed on A4-size Deep PV fine art paper.

Flexibility is always nice, and everybody likes options. So we’ve re-jiggered the store to allow new options for buying sets of prints. Now, you can choose between a set of your favorite three prints or a set of the five you love the bestest. That’s right, now you can get the prints you’re dying for and save a little money doing it. Want to paper your bedroom walls in golden sharks? This is your chance.

I’m already working at getting a few more images ready for the future, so I promise you won’t have to wait another year for new cut paper prints. Got any suggestions? Let me know!

Check it out now in the shop!

Guest Shot – Nishi

July 9, 2009 in Exhibitions & Events, Guest Shots | 2 comments

Nishi show at FineArte Gallery, Southend, UK promoIt struck me recently that I spend an awful lot of time on this here blog talking about myself. Not that I’m in danger of running out of stuff to chatter about, but sometimes it’s nice to shine my teensy little spotlight on some of the folks I admire. Without further ado, here’s our first Guest Shot: Nishi.

I met Nishi-san about a year ago, when he found me through MySpace and he invited me out for a beer and to share our work. You couldn’t find two guys with more different styles. Where I slice up paper, Nishi combines spraypaint, washi-paper, sumi-e brushwork, and a whole lot of stippling. On the other hand, we do both like to work on wood. Actually, Nishi-san explains it better than I do:

During the creation process, the art talks to me, the most important thing for me to do is to listen to
the piece. I closely communicate with my art while I am working. Materials for the art work are
also very important. I won’t be able to express my imagination without the various materials that I use for the piece. When you see my art work, you can see dynamic brush strokes and the characteristic detail in the work. My intention is to create new wave/style in art merging Painting and Japanese calligraphy.

Nishi’s work can be very dark, but I also see a very astute, if dry, sense of humor at work. The originals are a wonder to behold, and I highly recommend taking a look. His first solo show is up right now at the FineArte Gallery, in Southend in the UK. To see his work:

Gallery Info and artist’s statement
Nishi’s artwork at the FineArte Gallery
Nishi’s MySpace page (huge collection of his work)

Oh, The Things You Say On a Winter’s Day

(sold)

July 5, 2009 in Art - Recent Work, Exhibitions & Events | 12 comments

Oh, The Things You Say On a Winter's Day cut paper art by Patrick Gannon
size: 8 x 10 inches
medium: cut and torn paper on wood
click here or the image for bigger whisperings

Shaky and trembling. Icy winds bite deep, freezing to the core, to the very center. Until a whisper of a word or a trill comes on the bitter wind, caresses and sinks in through the skin. Cracks the frigid rime and the blood flows once more.

Or, lacking a warm word or a caring cardinal, doctors have found hot cocoa to have incredible healing qualities. Properly made, hot chocolate has been known not only to cure cases of the shivers, but also to help with hypothermia and reverse the ravages of frostbite. In one documented case, a massive batch of the sweet concoction was witnessed to completely revive a woolly mammoth that had been encased in a glacier for centuries.* Plus, it’s yummy.

“Oh, The Things You Say On a Winter’s Day”, can be seen right now in San Francisco’s Gallery 1988′s “Battle Royal” group show, until July 18, 2009. Read the rest of this entry »