Art on the Road

Friday, February 17, 2012

Seeking Kali Down Under!

The Seeking Kali Collective's limited edition "Kali" at the State Library of Victoria.

Des Crowley - Manager of Rare Printed Collections, Susan Shulman of Seeking Kali, Robert Heather - Manager of Collection Interpretation

The Kali Edition has a new home in Australia. Seeking Kali Collective member Susan Shulman is pictured in the beautiful State Library of Victoria, located in Melbourne, Australia, presenting a copy of the limited edition to curators Des Crowley and Robert Heather. The self titled "Kali" Edition was hand produced in a limited edition of 9 numbered copies with 3 additional Artist Proofs (AP). The edition contains six works each by Susan Shulman (Canada), William Evertson (USA) and Ria Vanden Eynde (Belgium). The clamshell case is also handmade and lettered in goldleaf. The Kali Collective began in 2010 as an experiment in the use of social media to produce collaborative work without the need for a defined home base. The social media platforms and blogs have been used to invite other artists into as virtual collaborative spaces and have resulted in several international projects exhibited in cities around the world. Bringing our work to the already vibrant Melbourne art scene furthers our explorations in the artist uses of social media collaboration. Susan also presented the first two issues of the Kalicorp Art Mysteries graphic novel series and a copy of the KaliRay Flip Book.

Susan Shulman and Des Crowley examine the individual prints.

The State Library of Victoria is a major cultural resource of Australia and while its material that relates to Australia is second to none, the collection is international in scope.

"International in scope, the collection represents important schools, movements and genres across all of its subjects. Popular culture is strongly represented in areas such as local and international rock and popular music, film studies, photography, graphic novels and comic books from the 1920s to the present. The international branch of the collection is built on a strong tradition of Western culture across all of the main subjects, with strengths in European and American material. This has been broadened in recent years to increase the profile of other cultures, most notably those of the Asia–Pacific region." (From the State Library of Victoria website)

Several editions are still available through our Canadian representative The Book Collectors Library. More information on this edition is on the Seeking Kali website.

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Seeking Kali Comix on the Road!

Here we are, the Seeking Kali Comix are out and flying off the shelves! Seeking Kali is William Evertson, Susan Shulman and Ria Vanden Eynde.

Issue #1 came out last year ...

Cover of Issue # 1 ©2011-Seeking Kali

William Evertson explains:

Who doesn't love a good who-done-it? In our first Seeking Kali Comix issue we arrive at Art World hi jinks in mid action. The issue ends with some intriguing questions to address in issue 2 and beyond.

Of course the biggest mystery is why is Seeking Kali taking studio time to make limited run hand made comic books instead of working on our more serious works. After all, recent works have dealt with the Occupy movement and women's rights. Why not. Our collaborations over the past two years have run the gamut of print editions, artist books, theater, curating artist calls, video and animation. The Seeking Kali Collective continues to evolve ways of thinking about art process and especially the nature of collaborative efforts.

One way in which we work is to use the Google+ hangouts to discuss potential projects, progress on projects or opportunities to exhibit. The video conferencing is a form of virtual studio space that ideas great and small are discussed, discarded, debated or worked on. In the course of hashing out strategies we often bump up against the usual artists dilemmas; time, money and opportunity. (actually mostly lack of) Our Kalicorp Art Mysteries is our way of taking a tongue in cheek look see into the problems that vex artists. Fellow artist/ writer Philip Hartigan received our first issue and wrote a wonderfully thoughtful piece on the Seeking Kali Collective. He actually explains us better than we do. Philip is a Chicago based artist and his blog Praeterita covers not only his own work but many other visual artist that use narrative in their work.

Here's issue #2 hot of the presses and into the shops!

Our second comic is now in the mail. Kalicorp Art Mysteries started as a "one of" project, meant to highlight some of our current projects in the 'advertising'. It turned out to be a lot of fun to produce a comic look at the mysteries of trying to navigate the Art World. We're artists....We all want to exhibit our work...we want to sell a few pieces...we want that damn grant! So, we soldier along putting in the studio time and filling the grant applications, networking and all the rest. Plus looking at a lot of art and wondering, "how the hell is THAT getting shown." So to take our frustrations to a new level we're working on a limited run comic that explains the Mysteries of the Art World.

Take all three of us at Kalicorp, (William Evertson Susan Shulman and Ria Vanden Eynde) and after an evening of exploring our research, we've come to the conclusion that.....well....can't just spoil the fun but we throw everything we've got into explaining the Art World to the layperson.

And a word about our "guest villains" - They're actually some of the nicest and most talented artists out there. We include links to their websites and art, be sure to check them out.

If you don't find Kalicorp at your local newsstand you can always get an issue by emailing us at seekingkali@yahoo.com ..... So stay safe out there because the Art world is a dangerous place.

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Apples on the Road! AIDS is NOT over!

Apple ID, oils, oil crayons, acrylics on paper.

Postcards From the Edge: A Benefit for Visual AIDS

The 14th Annual Postcards From the Edge: A Benefit for Visual AIDS,
A Benefit for Visual AIDS
Hosted by Cheim & Read, 547 W 25th St, New York

Postcards From the Edge is a Visual AIDS benefit show and sale of original, postcard-sized works on paper by established and emerging artists. All works are sold on a first-come, first-served basis. The works are signed on the back and exhibited so the artists' signatures cannot be seen. While buyers receive a list of all participating artists, they don't know who created which piece until purchased. All proceeds support the programs of Visual AIDS.

Visual AIDS utilizes art to fight AIDS by provoking dialogue, supporting HIV+ artists, and preserving the legacy -- because AIDS IS NOT OVER!

I've participated twice, and sold twice, I'm going for sale #3! Deadline December 9, Come On Artists, AIDS is not over!

Friday, November 11, 2011

A Book About Death Seattle opens today!

'But look, in the photo, where the tree branches are getting entangled and you can't see which is which anymore, where the darkness is most intense, that's where the brightest light is' ....

A BOOK ABOUT DEATH SEATTLE
Nov 11 - Dec 10, 2011
Opening: Nov 11 6-9pm
Closing reception: Dec 10, 6-9 pm
at the Almendra Sandoval Quetzalcoatl Gallery, Seattle Washington, USA .

The original ABAD NYC 2009 was conceived by Matthew Rose, who asked artists to contribute 500 postcard versions of our work on the subject of death that would be given away during the course of the exhibit. Copies are in the collections of: 2010 Museum of Modern Art, Wales, UK; 2009 Museum of Modern Art, New York; 2009 LosAngeles County Museum of Art, CA.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Breast Cancer Awareness Month--Help me Give Back?

Own a signed print by me and help me raise $500---almost there, need a push---this October to help breast cancer survivors afford a reconstruction via My Hope Chest!
It's Breast Cancer Awareness Month----hence I'm aware of one of my two cancers and thankful for all positive happenings I got in its aftermath :)

Time to give back! Will You help?

Available prints are on F**k the big C!

We made it! Thank You all! A check is in the mail to My Hope Chest! (Nov. 9)

Friday, October 7, 2011

Calling Artists to Seek Medusa! Deadline 2/2012

A Seeking Kali Artist Call:

"SEEKING MEDUSA"

Curated by Ria Vanden Eynde, Susan Shulman and William Evertson

Seeking Medusa is presently conceived of as an online exhibition of artist works based on interpretations of the archetype Medusa for an online exhibition on the Seeking Kali blog.

The inspiration behind Seeking Medusa:
In the Medusa myth, as related by the Roman poet Ovid, Medusa was originally a ravishingly beautiful maiden, priestess in Athena's temple, but when the Poseidon, the god of the sea, raped her in Athena's temple, the enraged and jealous Athena, choosing not to punish Poseidon, transformed Medusa's beautiful hair to serpents and made her face so terrible to behold that the mere sight of it would turn onlookers to stone.

Medusa’s image has since been frozen in time as a petrifying and petrified head. That way, she has been interpreted in art by Rubens, Caravaggio, Bӧcklin, Dali, her image has been used on warriors’ breast plates and on flags, as Versace’s logo, she has been discussed as archetype in feminism and psychology.

Medusa’s archetype is linked to Athena’s. Athena adopts the voice of the father/men in order to be heard in the culture, she uses a voice that is not her own and hence cuts her off from her self and her inner power. In this sense, Medusa's severed head symbolizes the wound of the powerful woman disconnecting the mind from the body, from instincts, intuition, and eros and the loss of authentic voice. Medusa’s hair locks are snakes representing a creative, vital life force and a more fluid, relational, and embodied consciousness. In order for Athena to become whole again, she needs to remove her armor and dissolve the rigid boundaries that keep her defended from her self and others and that keep Medusa dismembered, literally and figuratively petrified in Western consciousness.

Through this art call, we want try to restore Medusa’s authentic voice and beauty and loosen the literal interpretations that have frozen her in a silent scream.

For an interesting discussion of Medusa’s archetype, her snake hair and attributes associated with her, like the mirroring and shield emblem , and to be inspired by it all, visit:
‘The Silent Scream of Medusa: Restoring, or Re-storying, Her Voice.’ by Cathy Ann Diorio, 2010, download at gradworks.umi.com

How to submit:
1. We would be honored to exhibit jpegs of your original work on our Seeking Kali blog. The jpeg may be submitted via email to:

2. Please submit your work as a jpeg. Note: for best online viewing we recommend that your submission be no wider than 900 pixels and about 300k.
3. Please include you name as you wish it to appear and URL if you wish us to link to your website or blog.
4. The original remains with you. All copyright remains with you. (Although by submitting you are granting permission for the work to be displayed by Seeking Kali.)
5. Your original can be in any medium including video. Please contact us by email for embedding your video. If you are submitting poetry that requires formatting, again, please contact us by email and we will attempt to format within the blogs limitations.
6. Deadline for the online submissions is February 1st. 2012.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

F**k the big C! - Keith Buchholz [55]

Keith Buchholz for F**k the big C!

Monday, September 26, 2011

F**k the big C! - Walter Festuccia [54]

Walter Festuccia for F**k the big C!

Friday, September 23, 2011

Impressions of the F**k the big C!-opening

signing my pieces upon arrival at the eve-N-odd gallery, 9/7

NBC Daytime TV interview autocue, Gallerist Jennifer Kosharek and I were interviewed 9/8

NBC interviews F**K the Big C from William Evertson on Vimeo.

show at eve-N-odd

my pieces on the wall

Branka Djordjevic and Betty Esperanza's pieces on the wall

showtime!

Ria Vanden Eynde Acrostic Poetry from William Evertson on Vimeo.

opening night, at the end already .... I'm sitting next to the donations jar, for the postcard donations of the mini F**k the big C! mail art call I attached to this show. We raised $200 on opening night. Thank You all Participating Artists!

Raffi Darrow, volunteer at My Hope Chest and Alisa Savoretti, founder of My Hope Chest and me, in front of my pieces at the show. For each sold print, I will donate $40 to this NPO, focusing on funding Breast Reconstruction surgery for uninsured breast cancer survivors. They are the ONLY national organization providing this "final step in breast cancer treatment"

Many Thanks go to my Seeking Kali collaborator and friend William Evertson for printing, preparing the prints, shipping, traveling to the show, hanging the show, assisting in every thinkable way, documenting and all his and his wife Karen's support!! I could not have done it without Bill! Love You Both!

Press:
-daytimeonline.tv: Telling Cancer Where To Go
-St.Petersburg Times: defiant Art: F the big C by Lennie Bennett, 9/8.
-Creative Loafing, F**k the big C!
-All Events in St. Petersburg, F**k the big C!