Joseph Nechvatal: Immersion Into Noise [171]

Joseph Nechvatal, School of Visual Art professor and participant in A Book About Death (notably his video Viral Symphony shown at MUBE in São Paulo, Brazil) has just released a new book: Immersion Into Noise.

The artist and author has pre-released the book in an HTML version, which is offered here: Immersion Into Noise.

The book touches upon the enormous subject of "cultural noise" in all its manifestations – from the metaphorical to the actual. And yes, there's a bit of Jimi Hendrix in this book as well, plus a full on wrestling match with the whole idea of an "aesthetics of noise." 

Nechvatal writes in his preface: "The notion of noise as creation itself is thus an important one that needs to be reconsidered and reevaluted."

NB: The series publisher Open Humanities Press in conjunction with the University of Michigan Library's Scholarly Publishing Office will release the print and downloadable e-book versions.

MINDFIELD : EDDY BERGMAN AT ABAD SEATTLE [170]

Eddy Bergman's MINDFIELD, a video work for A Book About Death Seattle. View Eddy Bergman's YouTube Channel and see his video works.

MUR HAYMAN'S LITTLE COFFINS [169]

E. Sherman Hayman thrilled us two years ago today at the opening of the A Book About Death exhibition in New York City with her delicately-made tiny coffins that quietly paid homage to the celebrated and famous (and cult ideas) in an off beat way that both tantalized and fascinated.

Wonderfully obsessive in their miniature detail and art world take on fashion, these magical little boxes took on life and culture as well as the taboo of death.

The artist (who goes by the name "Mur") will exhibit these works in Thanatos to Eros at the Lake Eustis Museum of Art in Eustis, Florida later this month.  The exhibition runs from September 30 through October 30.

More information on the work (and more images) as well as the exhibition can be found here: Mur Hayman's Tribute Caskets and on Mur Hayman's web site.

Olivier Allais (1954-2011) [168]

On September 1, 2011 we lost a very close and dear friend, Olivier Allais. I say "we" because there were hundreds of people at the services for Olivier yesterday (September 7) here in Paris and many more from around the world who were blessed with the presence of this gentle and beautiful man.

Olivier was like a big brother to me, but also to these many friends he had around the world from Australia to New York to China to Brazil. His was a spiritual quest and his project was the route he took and the people he collected along the way (including me). He knew both how to offer love and maybe more importantly, how to receive it. He was an articulate listener, a curious traveler and a friend with a seeming endless reservoir of love. While Olivier's ashes are interred at Pere Lachaise in Paris, his presence is literally spread across the planet.

A French man with an appetite for the world, Olivier spent several years in China and in early 2010 asked me about putting together an exhibition of A Book About Death in Beijing where he had many contacts with artists, curators and museum directors. A long SKYPE conversation with ABAD artist Alessandro Rolandi and Olivier from Beijing began the process of developing mirror sites for the main web pages of ABAD in China (the pages you are now reading are blocked in Beijing) and proposals for various museums and art centers in China. And while Olivier wasn't a contributing artist to the project, it intrigued him personally. We spent hours discussing the project in all its manifestations and possibilities.

However Olivier's health prevented him from moving forward as quickly as he wanted to for an exhibition. And his heart, simply, could no longer support his eagerness for this world.

On his FaceBook page in the "About Olivier" section he reminded us of what the journey was all about when he wrote: "Exploring the now."

It is hard to say we lost a great friend when we feel him with us, but we will miss his gentle touch and generous presence.  With love, Olivier, we celebrate your life.

ABAD SEATTLE: POSTER BY ANGELA FERRARA [167]

Poster by Angela Ferrara for A Book About Death Seattle.  Yes, that's Amy Winehouse (14 September 1983 – 23 July 2011).

And yes, it's 11.11.11.

Download the ABAD SEATTLE POSTER HERE.  


P.S. If you are on Twitter, please click the Twitter / Share button just below.  Thank you.

MATTHEW ROSE FRANCE 24 INTERVIEW [166]

Arts News: September 4, 2011 par tvnportal


    France 24 Interview: Eve Jackson, Culture Editor of France 24, interviews Matthew Rose about his art and A Book About Death.
Click here to see the FRANCE 24 interview on their site. (Actual interview starts approximately 5 minutes into the piece).

JOE SAYLOR BRASS BAND AT ABAD 23 [165]

Playing live: The Joe Saylor Brass Band: Music of the Jazz Funeral at The Ties That Bind, the A Book About Death exhibition at the Second Avenue Firehouse Gallery in Bayshore, New York. This performance took place during the August 13, 2011 artists' reception.

ABAD 23: THE TIES THAT BIND – THE MUSIC [164]

Some images of the opening reception of The Ties That Bind, curated by LuAnn Palazzo, at the Second Avenue Firehouse Gallery in Bayshore, New York.  Top image: AnnMarie Tornabene's Live Portrait performance.

Click here to see a number of the videos of the New Orleans Jazz Band playing some very hot tunes as the line marches to the gallery.

THE TIES THAT BIND : ANGELS [163]

Many people have helped make the latest exhibition of the A Book About Death project happen, including these very fine folks who contributed towards the New Orleans Jazz Band fund (via Kickstarter):

ABAD ANGELS 2011 / List of Show Benefactors

Ann M. Bray, CA
Arthur and Mimi Leipzig, NY
Amy Bassin, NY
Betty Esperanza, Canada
Benoit David, Canada
Bernd Reichert, Belgium
Carrie Crow, NY
Cordula Kagemann, Germany
Ezra Huber, NY
Eva Brunner, Germany
Gary Hillier, Canada
Gregory Scheckler, MA
Jim Swanson, IL
Jane Wang, MA
Jamie Newton, OR
Jude Worters, Australia
Joe Carideo, NC
Joe Palazzo, NY
James and Shirley Hathaway. IL
Julie Sadler, NY
Kim Triedman, MA
Karen Rosnizeck, Germany
Liese A. Ricketts, IL
Louise Weinberg, NY
Lawrence Charles Miller, PA
Lorraine DarConte, AZ
Matthew Rose, France
Mara Thompson, CA
Mark Bloch, NY
Michael Chan, NJ
Milanka Bunard, Canada
Maya Van Jeier, NY
Michael Harford, IN
Nadine Bouler, NY
Nadine Witkin, NY
Patricia Sahertain, AZ
Patricia Kranenberg, NY
Richard Dailey, France
SEEKING KALI: Susan Shulman, Canada,
Ria Vanden Eynde, Belgium, and
William Evertson, CT
Susan Barbash, NY
Sonja Benskin Mesher, UK
Steven Ceraso, NY
Val MacEwan, NC
Vicki Ragan, NY
Willie Marlowe and Tom Speight, NY
William and Karen Evertson, CT

ABAD: THE TIES THAT BIND OPENS [162]

LuAnn Palazzo has just installed and opened the ABAD exhibition: The Ties That Bind. The exhibition is located at The Second Avenue Firehouse Gallery in Bay Shore, New York on the East end of Long Island.

Steven McElroy of The New York Times reported on the exhibition and the total A Book About Death project. The opening for the exhibition, replete with a New Orleans Jazz Band, takes place on Saturday August 13, 2011, beginning at 6 PM.

Directions/info on the venue:  The Second Avenue Firehouse Gallery is open Saturdays from 12-4 PM. Website for the gallery: http://www.secondavenuefirehouse.com/gallery.html 

See more installation photos here: http://abad-23.blogspot.com/

ABAD SEATTLE LAUNCHES [161]

ABAD Seattle will take place from November 10 to December 10, 2011 at the Quetzalcoatl Feathersnake Gallery.  The exhibition is curated by Seattle artist Kathleen McHugh. 

Details: Opening Nov 10 6-9 pm. Closing reception Dec 10, 6-9 pm.

See the art call: ABAD SEATTLE.

MAILING ADDRESS:
Almendra Sandoval
QUETZALCOATL GALLERY
3209 Beacon Ave S
Seattle, Washington 98144 USA
 
See the site, guidelines, work already submitted: http://abadseattle.blogspot.com/

ABAD IN THE NEW YORK TIMES [160]

The New York Times' Steven McElroy wrote about A Book About Death: The Ties That Bind, curated by LuAnn Palazzo in the July 31, 2011 edition.

The featured image is by Joan Harrison, the artist who curated Ray Johnson & A Book About Death at CW Post.

The Ties That Bind opened and welcomes artists to a New Orleans Jazz concert on August 13, 2011.

You can click on the image to read only a part of the article. To read the complete article, click: Visual Meditations on Death.

y así de tantísimo amor nos queremos [159]

y así de tantísimo amor nos queremos...

and like this, with lots of love, we love each other....

Bibiana Padilla Maltos and Devon Endl are the proud parents of a small wonderful person.  Bibiana is one of the ABAD artists who participated in the first NYC exhibition and organized an exhibition in Mexicali.  


Congratulations...

LACMA & ABAD [158]

Letter from LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) confirming receipt of A Book About Death in their permanent collection.

Many thanks to Mara Thompson who organized the exhibition at The Otis College of Art and Design, and the gift to LACMA.

THE TIES THAT BIND : OPENING 31 JULY 2011 [157]

A Book About Death: THE TIES THAT BIND

Curated by LuAnn Palazzo

Artists' Reception: 

Saturday, 13 August 2011, 7pm–10pm

Exhibition: 31 July–2 September 2011

The Second Avenue Firehouse Gallery is open Saturdays from 12-4 PM.

GALLERY WEBSITE: http://www.secondavenuefirehouse.com/gallery.html 

Directions: The Second Ave. Firehouse is located in Bay Shore at the corner of Mechanicsville & Second Avenue Southern Pkwy to exit 42S (Fifth Avenue South), left on Union Blvd.,right on Second Avenue, proceed to the corner of Mechanicsville & Second Avenue. Firehouse is on the left.

For more information, please see The Ties That Bind website:

http://abad-23.blogspot.com/ 

Susan Shulman On CUTV [156]

Artist Susan Shulman on Montreal's CUTV talking about her work and the role A Book About Death played in her life and current projects.

See Susan Shulman's work here: http://www.susanshulman.com/

THE TIES THAT BIND : ABAD LONG ISLAND [155]

THE TIES THAT BIND, the ABAD exhibition at The Firehouse Gallery in Bayshore, New York slated to open on July 31, 2011 and will receive works right up until July 15.  Please note the deadline and all details on the site: THE TIES THAT BIND.

SEND ART TO:  ABAD 23 / LuAnn Palazzo
The Second Avenue Firehouse Gallery
17 Second Avenue, Bay Shore, New York 11706 USA

Also of note: More than $1000 was raised via Kickstarter.org to hire the New Orleans Jazz Band, The Joe Saylor Brass Band to perform and lead a New Orleans Second Line Jazz at the Artists' Reception on August 13, 7 pm.

Says curator LuAnn Palazzo: "This will be the first show to expand the movement to include live musical performance at the August 13 reception with The Joe Saylor Brass Band. Now the ABAD vanguard can claim poets, visual artists, performance artists, multi-media artists and musical artists!"

The Joe Saylor Brass Band is comprised of some of the most exiting and talented young musicians on the Jazz scene today. The band members come from all parts of the world and their influences range from the beats of Africa to the horns New Orleans.  (Photo: Joe Saylor in the center). 

The band came together at Harlem parades led by Jonathan Batiste, piano virtuoso from New Orleans. Leader Joe Saylor has played with many Jazz greats including Jonathan Batiste, Wynton Marsalis, Ellis Marsalis, Roy Hargrove and Ben Wolfe. Joe recently appeared on an episode of HBO’s “Treme,” along with Jon Batiste. 
 
The band will perform New Orleans Second Line (Funeral) Jazz selections including:

Whoopin' Blues...Just A Closer Walk With Thee...Bourbon Street Parade...When The Saints Go Marching In...The Second Line...Oh, Didn't He Ramble...What A Friend We Have In Jesus...In The Sweet Bye and Bye among others.

Curator of the CW Post exhibition Ray Johnson & A Book About Death, Joan Harrison, has created a second poster  (top image) for the event that is free to download.  Please see the site here (right hand side) and click to download.

Please send this post out on Twitter, and FB and anything else you have. Even call someone on the telephone and say "Hey! Check this out."

Ray & Bob Box [154]

Robert Warner a long time correspondent and dear friend of Ray Johnson has opened the boxes of correspondence - and some others - in this unusual and thrilling exhibition at the Esopus Foundation space in New York. 

The exhibition (June 2 – 30, 2011) entitled “RAY AND BOB BOX” includes a series of events. Their correspondence is explored in the Foundation magazine, Esopus 16. 

Among the performances at the Esopus Space will be Robert Warner archiving the contents of 13 boxes given to him by Johnson in the early 1990s.  Click here to see the events schedule. 

Esopus is also a twice-yearly magazine that features content from all creative disciplines. The latest publication is devoted to the contents of these boxes, and is presented at their space, 64 West Third Street, New York, NY, Suite #210.

Esopus web site:  http://www.esopusmag.com/gallery.php?Id=3776

OPENING : ABAD MOMENTO ARIZONA [153]

Part of the opening of ABAD Moment in Phoenix included a military color guard presentation.  Pictured here is veteran Bob Hicks playing taps at the gallery.  See more photographs from the opening here.

Text by Patricia Sahertian, curator of the exhibition in Phoenix, Arizona:

Opening night at Willo North Gallery for the A Book About Death ~ Memento exhibit with special honors for John S. Turner. The Glendale American Legion Post #29 Honor Guard, under Bob Hicks was there to perform the memorial ceremony. Many thanks to George Cushing, retired U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sergeant, past commander of the Northwest Valley Veterans Association for organizing the service. Introductions and memorial prayers were said by Rev. R. Dale Copsey, Ret. Chaplain, Lt Col, USAF-Ret, a 2007 recipient of the Arizona Veterans Hall of Fame Society from Mesa, Arizona.

JEANNE JO'S ROULETTE [152]

Jeanne Jo, ABAD artist who brought the 2009 opening live to the world through her live tv broadcast of the events, is a well known performance artist.  Her piece, Roulette, is just one of a dozen videos she's produced and performed. See more of Jeanne Jo's work here: http://www.jeannejo.com/

The Ties That Bind [151]

New poster for the Ties That Bind. If you like, you can Download the poster.

ABAD LONG ISLAND [150]

ABAD ITALIA [149]

ABAD Italia, Ommagio a Ray Johnson: Artists Books opened on 9 April 2011. 

Thanks to Virginia Milici, curator of the exhibition. This is the front of the church in Treviso, Italy where the exhibition opened.  See more photos on Virginia's FaceBook Album Page.

ABAD ITALIA OPENS [148]

ABAD ITALIA: http://unlibrosullamorte.blogspot.com/

RAY JOHNSON VIDEOS [147]

See videos of Ray Johnson by Nick Maravel: Ray Johnson Videos.

Elizabeth Taylor 1932-2011 [146]

The intersection of art and life.  Elizabeth Taylor (1932-2011), silkscreen by Andy Warhol.

ABAD The Ties That Bind : Open Call [145]

LuAnn Palazzo has launched an open call for the 23rd installment of A Book About Death.  The show is called The Ties That Bind. This exhibition, which calls for two 5.5 inch x 8.5 inch works on paper (not postcards), will take place in August 2011 at The Second Avenue Firehouse Gallery, 17 Second Avenue, Bay Shore, New York 11706. USA.

For all information please see the web site set up for the exhibition: http://abad-23.blogspot.com/

FluxFest Chicago [144]

Cecil Touchon, Director, The Ontological Museum, directed this photograph of participants of FluxFest Chicago, held recently in Chicago's Museum of Contemporary Art.  Many participants of this festival also participated in and hosted ABAD exhibitions. The Fluxfest was spearheaded by artist Keith Buchholz. Click the photo to enlarge full screen. (It's a fisheye!). PHOTO © 2011 CECIL TOUCHON.

Tom J. Byrne: ABAD ITALIA [143]

Paris-based, Irish artist, Tom J. Byrne, created this copper-covered book for ABAD Italia, Ommagio A Ray Johnson.

ABAD Momento: Arizona [142]

Curated by Phoenix-Arizona-based artist Patricia Sahertian, the ABAD Momento exhibition is set for May 2011 in Phoenix, Arizona at the Willo North Gallery.

Please see the site for all information on the exhibition, including deadlines, guidelines, venue and how you can get involved: http://abad-phx.blogspot.com/

Please use the buttons below to put the artist call on Twitter, your FaceBook page, or to blog and write about this new chapter in the ABAD project.

Call to Artists

Deadline for postcard and memento: April 25, 2011
Show dates: May 3 to 28, 2011
Reception: May 6, 2011

SEND ART TO
Patricia Sahertian
1517 W. Willetta Street
Phoenix, AZ 85007 USA

Please send jpgs (no larger than 600 x 400 px) of your work (for posting on the ABAD Momento blog), with your name and your website/blog or contact link to Patricia. Tell the story of your momento here.

Call for: one work on paper, post card size: approximately 6x4 inches (either vertical or horizontal)
any medium, original art or reproduction is acceptable theme: death

Optional twist: include a memento
Mementos play an important role in our remembering. A simple thing like a toothbrush, a letter, a toy, a paperclip, or a swatch of fabric, can be a fond reminder of a lost loved one. So please also send a tiny memento, if you like. See memento guidelines.

Momentos will be displayed with your work.

Neither Patricia nor the Willow Gallery WILL RETURNED YOUR WORK.  ALL WORKS WILL BE KEPT IN THE PERMANENT COLLECTION.

Exhibition space
Willo North Gallery

Please use the buttons below to put the artist call on Twitter, your FaceBook page, or to blog and write about this new chapter in the ABAD project.

ABAD LIFE: SOUTH CAROLINA - REID WOOD. EXPO THRU FEB 25, 2011 [141]

Reid Wood contribution to the ABAD Life exhibition taking place in Clinton, South Carolina, curated by Ann Stoddard.
http://abookaboutdeathlife.blogspot.com/

Les Joynes: New Paintings [140]

Les Joynes, who contributed work to A Book About Death, shows his paintings in New York through March 7 at 532 Gallery Thomas Jaekel.

Joynes' heavenly bodies and floating archeo-cognitive elements work as fused artifacts of memory collected from imagined topographies. The ring paintings, like Spring (2011), left, are baroque and rococo gateways inspired by Alain Resnais’ 1961 film Last Year in Marienbad, says Les. “They are like structures that floated to the surface in my memory like life preservers floating in after a storm at sea.”

See Les Joynes contribution to the original NYC ABAD exhibition here.

Joynes is recipient of the Nordic Artist Center Fellowship in Norway; Kolleg Artist Fellow, Bauhaus Foundation Dessau Germany; Edwin Austin Abbey Mural Fellowship and was Japanese Ministry of Education and Culture (MEXT) Scholar Japan 1997-2001.

The artist is a graduate of the MA Fine Art Program at Goldsmiths College, London; and possesses a B.A. (Hons) Fine Art, Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design, London; M.A. Sculpture from Musashino Art University, Tokyo. He was Visiting Scholar at Columbia University, New York (2008-2010) where he has been researching contemporary art, memory and artifact.  Les Joynes web site.

Dennis Oppenheim 1938 - 2011 [139]

Dennis Oppenheim died at age 72 of liver cancer on January 22, 2011.

Jerry Saltz obituary and farewell.

Image:  “Reading Position for Second Degree Burn,” 1970. Jones Beach, New York. Duration of exposure: 5 hours.

Seeking Kali Ray Johnson Flip Book for ABAD Italia [138]

Kali Ray Flip Book from William Evertson on Vimeo.

A Book About Death: Life [137]

Curated by Ann Stoddard, this exhibition takes place at the Elizabeth Stone Harper Gallery, located in the Harper Center for the Arts at Presbyterian College in Clinton, South Carolina. Exhibition dates: January 20 - February 25, 2011  URL: http://abookaboutdeathlife.blogspot.com/.

The archival set of the original ABAD exhibition is provided by Thérèse and Adam Zaid, of New York.

E. Sherman Hayman's Little Coffins [136]

E. Sherman Hayman, one of the many artists in the ABAD project who focused on the objects of death in a somewhat humorous way, has produced a video about The Final Frontier.  It's terrific as are her small art-centric coffins.

RAY JOHNSON & A BOOK ABOUT DEATH OPENING NIGHT VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS [135]

Video by Barry Rivadue. Please repost, blog, tweet, using the buttons below.  Thank you!

Joan Harrison: Tideline [134]

Joan Harrison, who co-curated the Ray Johnson & A Book About Death exhibition at CW Post, exhibits her immense Tideline collage piece at the Hillwood Art Museum, on Long Island, until December 16, 2010.

The piece, writes Joan, is 26 feet long.

See Joan Harrison's web site: http://www.joanharrison.com/

Bouler & Millmann: Festivus [133]

Hardcore ABAD artists, Nadine Bouler & Louise Millmann, celebrate Festivus in paint and collage.


RIPE ART GALLERY
67 A Broadway,
Greenlawn, New York
Opening: December 11, 2010
Through: January 8, 2011

Details on FaceBook

ABAD World Logo By LuAnn Palazzo [132]

 

LuAnn Palazzo designed ABAD ornaments (pictured here) as well as ABAD tee shirts.  

Please see: http://www.zazzle.com/designdivany/gifts