Category Archives: Art

June 15, 2012 · 4:05 pm

Johnny Ryan at Secret Headquarters, June 22, 2012

Are you looking for a “bad boy” artist who pushes the envelope? Well, in the often crazy world of comix, you will find Johnny Ryan proudly flying his freak flag. If you’re in LA, join the fun at an upcoming book launch for “War & Penis” at Secret Headquarters.

Press Release stuff for his new book:

WAR & PENIS BOOK RELEASE @ SHQ
FRIDAY, JUNE 22nd
STARTING AT 7pm
 
Your wait for disgusting and hilarious new Johnny Ryan comics is over! Join Johnny and the SHQ crew on Friday, June 22nd to celebrate the release of his new book, War & Penis. 
 
The story behind it all: 
“A few months ago, illustrators / comic book makers / funny people Johnny Ryan (creator of Prison Pit, Blecky Yuckerella, Angry Youth Comix) and Frédéric Fleury (founder of Frederic Magazine) started insulting each other by posting obscene, crude, hilarious drawings of the other on their Facebook walls. As they are both proud young men and also profoundly disturbed in their brains, they kept this going for, like, six months or something. Finally, here is the book that collects all those drawings, including an introduction by ZEN MAFIA’s Nate Walton, explaining how the whole sorry mess began.”

Leave a comment

Filed under Art, Art books, Comics, Comix, Johnny Ryan

Tagged as , , ,

June 11, 2012 · 12:20 am

ART: Picnic at Gas Works Park

Here is something I’ve been working on this weekend. I really like the way it came out. I had a pretty good idea of where I was headed but there’s always things that happen while you paint. This is a happy scene of a couple of kids having a picnic with a variety of animals at Seattle’s Gas Works Park.

2 Comments

Filed under Art, Henry Chamberlain, Illustration, Painting, Seattle

Tagged as , , , ,

June 6, 2012 · 9:21 pm

ART: SEATTLE Hosts “BORDERS” by Steinunn Thórarinsdóttir

For those accustomed to maybe a few Occupy protesters in the Westlake Center of downtown Seattle, a new art installation, entitled “Borders,” has taken over the space. It is made up of various figures sitting and standing their ground. It is by the Icelandic artist, Steinunn Thórarinsdóttir. Some passersby seem to be either mildly interested or amused enough to take a few photos. Others are more interested and want to pose and have their photo taken with the art. At first sight, it is a welcome offbeat distraction. Simply to place life-sized figures in various spots in a public square is not exactly cutting edge but maybe we don’t need cutting edge.

There’s something to be said for its getting down to basics. This work is meant to be contemplated. And there’s a good chance it will grow on you. A heads up, some figures are made of aluminum and some of cast iron and part of the experience is to see them decay over time. All in all, how can you go wrong with something like this, right?  This installation just went up and it is only temporary through the fall so we here in Seattle shouldn’t get too attached to these guys. Also, we’ve had these blue trees for awhile. I’m not sure if they are part of the art since there were no blue trees when this was up in New York. But they appear to go hand in hand.

It took a long time to warm up to Jonathan Borofsky’s “Hammering Man” but, once we did, he was accepted in all his anonymity and irony. These guys are definitely anonymous but definitely more earnest than ironic. They aren’t warm and fuzzy either. They lack any of the specificity attached to the characters in “Waiting for the Interurban” by Richard Beyer, a local favorite. They have no ears or eyes or even sex, actually. So, a bit on the creepy side for some people. Or each one can be a stand-in for a universal human form. Take your pick.

The title of this work is “Borders” and that should tell you a lot. The viewer is supposed to penetrate the borders between each sculpture and join in on the “conversation” going on between the art. You can take that however you like. Often the official statement on an art exhibit, however well-intentioned, can come off as rather remote and cringe-worthy. Sometimes it requires a second reading and you discover something. That should be the case with this installation. When no one is looking, just enjoy the work and see what happens.

For more information on “Borders” in Seattle you can go here. One last thing, Steinunn Thórarinsdóttir comes across as a very sincere person. You can see a cool video of her describing her work here.

Leave a comment

Filed under Art, Seattle

Tagged as ,

June 3, 2012 · 12:58 am

ART: Andrew Schoultz & Richard Colman at Cooper Cole

Cooper Cole has a show up that speaks to my heart. It’s in the spirit of the sort of work I strive to do. What struck me, right away, is the energetic movement created by the repetition of horses in some of Andrew Schoultz’s paintings. I’m not sure what it is saying since I don’t have the catalogue handy but I am eager to learn more. I am also intrigued with Richard Colman’s work, just as ambiguous as you’d expect but with a distinctive look about it. The show featuring the two artists is entitled, “Destroyers,” and seems to be a fairly apt description.

Press goodies follow:

Andrew Schoultz & Richard Colman
Destroyers
June 1, 2012 – June 23, 2012

Opening reception Friday June 1, 2012 / 6 – 10pm

For press and sales information please inquire with the gallery.

COOPER COLE is pleased to present a two person exhibition introducing american artists Andrew Schoultz and Richard Colman to their first showing in Canada.

Andrew Schoultz / Hand Repetition (Dark Horse Projection) / Acrylic, gouache, ink, and collage on paper / 30″ x 22″ / 2012

Andrew Schoultz’s mixed media work recalls a historical and political ephemerality that is faced with the inevitable fate of repeating itself. He explores themes such as power struggles, conflict, and sociopolitical hardships through detailed line work and vivid symbolism. While alluding to these scenes from the past, his frenzied yet whimsical work negotiates a familiarity with contemporary plights. Schoultz has exhibited globally in countries such as Denmark, England, Italy, the United States, and now Canada. His work can been seen in institutions and collections such as the Andy Warhol Museum, Torrance Art Museum, Hyde Park Arts Center, Laguna Art Museum, Progressive art Collection, and Frederick R. Weisman Foundation, amongst others. Most recently he exhibited at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, taking part in a two person exhibition in dialogue with the work of artist Paul Klee. Schoultz currently lives and works in San Francisco, California.

Richard Colman / Untitled, Figures Behind Pitchers / Acrylic and enamel on paper / 24″ x 20″ / 2012

Richard Colman’s work blends figurative imagery and bold geometry. Typically using symmetrical compositions, Colman explores themes of human sexuality, societal hierarchies, life and death. His work ranges from small to large scale painting, murals and installations. Colman has been working as a professional artist for over a decade and recently completed a commissioned mural for Gagosian Gallery in Los Angeles. He has exhibited internationally in countries such as Denmark, England, the United States, and now Canada. Colman currently lives and works in San Francisco, California.

Pairing these two artists and friends together creates an interesting dialogue highlighting their signature styles while exploring new territory through a variety of mediums including; painting, drawing, collage and installation.

Leave a comment

Filed under Art, Culture

Tagged as ,

May 17, 2012 · 3:01 am

Irving Penn’s “After Dinner Games”

Ah, the vanitas, a favorite theme for artists, where you have a still life with a strong connection to the ephemeral quality of life. Well, all still lifes carry that theme but some have it more than others–and Irving Penn had a master’s touch for such things.

For those of you who can afford it, here is an opportunity to own a rare early print of Penn’s work, “After Dinner Games, New York (1947).” It is quite satisfying, isn’t it? There are a number of games going on here and the end appears to be bittersweet.

From the press release:

I thought you might like to know that an extremely rare early print by Irving Penn is currently available on artnet Auctions. Rarely seen at auction, After Dinner Games, New York (1947) is only available until Tuesday, May 22, at 10:45 a.m. (EST).

This color photograph—one of an edition limited to 13 dye transfer prints of the  image made between 1959 and 1960—employs all the stylistic and formal devices that characterize Penn’s work. As is typical of his still lifes, the scene is composed of carefully, yet casually arranged food and found objects, which tell their own story through their physical and metaphorical autonomy. Like a Baroque vanitas, this work is laden with symbols that remind us of the transience of life; it says that we are all players in the game of life, an unpredictable game of risk and chance.

4 Comments

Filed under Art, Irving Penn

Tagged as

February 26, 2012 · 8:02 am

ARTIST TRUST 25th ANNIVERSARY BENEFIT AUCTION

The Artist Trust 25th Anniversary Benefit Auction in Seattle, on February 25, 2012, will go down as a very inspiring event. Artist Trust has been supporting artists for 25 years! It is the only organization in Washington state of its kind. It provides support for artists and it TRUSTS that artists will do what’s right and put Artist Trust grant awards to good use.

Wow, I can’t tell you how much it is an honor to be part of this year’s event. I’m very grateful to have gotten one of my works  accepted to be part of the auction and I am overjoyed that my work was sold. My work for this year was an original page from some comics I created for a 24-Hour Comics Day event I curated in 2010, “The Dog Who Would Be King.” You can read it here.

In a nutshell, I will tell you here that I am someone with a burning passion to create both written and visual art. Just read my graphic novel, “Alice in New York” to see how both passions collide to turn out something worthwhile and exciting. I graduated with a BFA in Painting but, not too far behind, I also earned a minor in Creative Writing. Since college, I’ve been actively pursuing both art and writing. This site, Comics Grinder, is a testament to that. I simply gravitated to the comics medium–it was inevitable. I write and draw my own comics as well as write about the comics medium. I believe my fine arts background helps inform my writing and my comics and, in turn, my involvement in comics helps enrich my life in so many ways. I’m not alone in this. You could say I belong to a small club of kindred spirits. Fellow aritst/writer/cartoonists get it right away. And organizations like Artist Trust certainly get it. Being part of this year’s Artist Trust Auction has been quite a thrill from my head down to my toes. I hope to join Artist Trust again in the future. And, as is most fitting, Artist Trust leaves me feeling even more hopeful about being an artist.

Leave a comment

Filed under Art, Artist Trust, Comics, Henry Chamberlain, Seattle

Tagged as , ,

January 17, 2012 · 1:24 am

ARTIST TRUST BENEFIT ART AUCTION in Seattle, Feb 25, 2012

The Artist Trust Benefit Art Auction is right around the corner: February 25, 2012, Seattle, Fisher Pavilion at Seattle Center, from 4 to 9 PM. More details can be found here.

For those of you in Seattle, mark your calendars now for Artist Trust’s biggest fundraising event of the year. Your participation helps Artist Trust with its vital grant-making and career training programs for Washington State artists of all disciplines. And, while you’re there, consider a bid for a piece of art of mine that was accepted for this auction. It is my honor to donate an original work of art, a page from a comic I created for the annual 24 Hour Comics Day event that I put together here in Seattle. This piece is entitled, “The Dog Who Would Be King, #12.” The number refers to the page in the 24-page piece. You can read it here. And you can read my graphic novel, “Alice in New York,” here.

You can purchase a print of this work as well as the 24-page comic book directly from me. The print is a limited edition on archival paper for $40. The 24 Hour Comics Day comic is 24 pages and goes for $3. Just go to CONTACT if you’re interested. And also feel free to contact me anytime. As a writer and artist, there are any number of reasons you may want to reach me. Artwork to buy? Illustration or writing gig? Publisher interested in my work? The list goes on. Thank you.

Leave a comment

Filed under Art, Artist Trust, Comics, Henry Chamberlain, Seattle

Tagged as , , ,

January 16, 2012 · 7:37 am

DALTON WEBB & HENRY CHAMBERLAIN ART SHOW

Dalton Webb, a graphic designer and illustrator, is a good friend. He invited me to take part in an art show he was putting together at one of Seattle’s leading salons, Tart, in the Ballard neighborhood. It was an honor to join him. Tart is quite a lovely place. It has an inviting charm about it, very elegant and easygoing.

Passionate artists are constantly creating work. I know Dalton and I enjoy art on many levels, from drawing and painting to art history. I focus on drawing and writing. His focus is illustration and graphic design. Other interests will come into play too. This show is a display of the joy of creating artwork, particularly revealing something about our inner selves. There are signs of the allure of mystery, nostalgia, childhood, a need to connect back with the past and make sense of the present.

Through it all, the search for self and subject matter, one prime source that has sustained us both is the comics medium. We’re both cartoonists. It brings out the inner child. It brings out professional work ethics. While we pursue many different things in our lives, I believe, it is that grounding in comics, all the comics read and all the hours of setting ink brush to paper, that inform much of what we do. The world of comics is both a creature of a bygone era as well as one of the hottest art mediums imaginable, still growing, still challenging, artists and enthusiasts alike.

Well, with that said, if you’re in Seattle, make sure to visit Tart. Come enjoy their beauty services and come enjoy the art! Tart is located at 2221 NW 56th Street in Ballard. The phone is 206 706 5220. The show is up now and will run through April. The painting of the cat catching a big fish is by Dalton Webb and he has prints of that for sale. The painting of a winter scene is from my graphic novel, “Alice in New York,” which is in search of a publisher.

Leave a comment

Filed under Art, Comics, Dalton Webb, Henry Chamberlain, Illustration, Seattle

Tagged as , , , , ,

November 18, 2011 · 11:49 pm

Portland: OPEN FOR BUSINESS at The Cleaners

An amazing group of Portland boutiques will ply their wares at the upcoming “Open for Business” event that runs from November 25 thru 27 at The Cleaners event space at Ace Hotel in Portland, OR.

If you’re looking for something new to wear or display that is out of this world cool, then check out this fine collaboration. Or you can always visit their respective Web sites.

The one that has intrigued us here at Comics Grinder is Antler & Co. We are always speaking with a melancholic sigh of only wishing for a place to hang our hats. Well, Antler & Co. has the solution.

We also are quite curious about hand-crafted all-wood eye glass frames from Moonwoods.

Well, this showcase of local designers has something for everyone. So, you decide what intrigues you.

And you’re clear where this is, right? 1022 SW Stark Street, in the Pearl District.

Leave a comment

Filed under Art, Portland

Tagged as , ,

October 7, 2011 · 4:28 am

Review: DETAINED by Eroyn Franklin

Eroyn Franklin’s special accordion-style comic book, “DETAINED,” calls attention to a serious problem in the United States and world-wide: countless people who fall between the cracks of a faulty legal system and end up being detained, sometimes by mistake, and often for indefinite periods of time. These stories pop up in the news now and then. You might see them as that news item on your screen you bookmark for later or meant to read but never got around to it. Well, you really should.

Consider all of us human beings on planet Earth, and all the countries and governments and conflicts and wars and violence, and the outright need for people to leave one hostile place for another, hopefully safer, place. And then you need to think of what may happen to a lot of these people seeking asylum, a better life, only to be scooped up by a corporate net and held captive with little to no regard for their well-being. Just check out this recent article from The New York Times if you think detention centers are rare and far between. On the contrary, it’s a boom market for the companies who profit from them. The United States, along with other countries, do not run or closely monitor their own detention centers.

What Franklin does with her book is give you a taste of what it’s like to be a typical detainee. There are so many different stories to tell, some gruesome and heart-breaking. These two that Franklin presents are not overtly dramatic and yet even these more understated portraits give you a glimpse into the rampant violence, neglect and utter incompetence that goes hand in hand with all of these detention centers. In this case, it is  Seattle’s former INS building and the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma. What Franklin’s portraits do is paint a picture of what is most likely to happen. At the very least, if you are a detainee, there’s a good chance you shouldn’t even be a detainee, your stay will be indefinite, your stay will be at least as bad as any prison, and there is a contractor profiting from your stay with no motivation to see you leave.

The book focuses on two detainees: Many is a Cambodian refugee who had a few run-ins with the law as a kid but who shouldn’t have ended up in a detention center; and Gaby, a Mexican, who simply got rounded up and must do some time at a detention center. The more you read about detainees, the more you wonder who exactly needs to be in a detention center. Given the fact that these centers are run for a profit, the overriding need to house people to make money is the only thing that makes sense. It is good politics and good business to crack down on immigration so people like Many and Gaby must be punished. Some detainees can’t bear the stress of the abusive conditions and not knowing when, if ever, they might be released and so they kill themselves. Franklin refers to that as well as the fact that these centers are so understaffed that the inmates must work, basically as slaves. The beauty of Franklin’s work is in its understatement. You be the judge, she seems to be saying.

This is a compelling story told in a compelling way. The continuous panorama that follows these two immigrants is quite mesmerizing. You literally loose yourself in the comics as you get a sense of day to day existence in these centers. It’s no surprise that comics journalism can be quite effective in telling a story and this is a great example of it. The book spreads out to 26 feet of folded up panles, each story on one side, a total of 78 color pages. This also includes, incredibly, two full-sized posters! You can pick up your copy by contacting the artist. You can also just visit Eroyn Franklin at her site. And, if you happen to be in Seattle, you must go see her at an amazing small press expo called, “Short Run,” at the Vera Project at Seattle Center, on Saturday, November 12. Admission is free. You must go! And check out CLP, the Common Language Project that compliments this book at clpmag.org. You can also  learn more at American Civl Liberties Union, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Detention Watch Network, Northwest Immigrant Rights Project and One America.

Leave a comment

Filed under Art, Comics, Eroyn Franklin, Seattle, Vera Project

Tagged as , , , , ,