Rah Crawford’s signature image for the Amsterdam AAF.
My favorite bit of Philly-on-the-road news is from Rah Crawford. Rah, who is possibly the commercial genius of the Philadelphia art world, created the spotlight image for the Amsterdam Affordable Art Fair!
Like most of his paintings, the image is a cross between my old black light Jimi Hendrix poster and Elizabeth Peyton!
I suppose it’s unreasonable to claim him for Philadelphia since he’s pretty much an ex-pat, having decamped for the Netherlands; but Philadelphia, the city that hates change, refuses to drop its claim on those who flee.
He’s doing the sort of things lots of artists do to survive–designing t-shirts and giant beanbags imprinted with Warhol images. The Stedelijk Museum is carrying the giant beanbags! But I don’t get the sense that doing this sort of thing makes him unhappy. He’s just got a business streak, a nose for pop culture, and unbridled creative energy!
Other things going on out of town:
Another Philly ex-pat, Brooklynite Adam Parker Smith, has his first solo exhibition in New York City will open Nov. 8 at Priska C. Juschka Fine Art. explores consumerist addiction to violence and the infatuation with the high school crush. Smith collaborated with seven teenage assistants from the Blue Sky Project during the fabrication of Bold as Love.
Prints Gone Wild poster
And Space 1026, many of them Rhode Island expats now in Philly, will participates in Prints Gone Wild 2, at Supreme Trading Company in Brooklyn, Friday and Sat., Nov. 2nd and 3rd.
The show will feature plenty of affordable art plus music of course. Here’s who else is participating in the print-off, which is being presented by Cannonball Press:
Tugboat Press Pittsburgh, PA
The Amazing Hancock Brothers McGregor, TX
Paping Brooklyn, NY
Sean Star Wars Laurel, MS
Howling Print Studios Brooklyn, NY
Yeehaw Industries Knoxville, TN
Triangle Poster Pittsburgh, PA
Team Lump Raleigh, NC
Drive By Press Madison, WI
Isle of Printing Nashville, TN
DRock Press Lexington, KY
Gabriel Martinez, from the series Self Portraits of Heterosexual Men
And finally, Gabe Martinez, who came here from Miami, will be having his first commercial solo show in Boston, opening Oct. 26 (reception Nov. 2). Honestly, this is long overdue! He is showing his Self Portraits of Heterosexual Men, which he showed earlier this year at University of the Arts (Roberta’s post here). The photos are from-the-knees-down shots of men at the moment they climax while masturbating. Martinez was not in the room, but he set up the tripod, etc. for the shoots. The results are sly, raising lots of issues about privacy, sexuality, gender, and romanticism. He found the men through word of mouth, Craig’s List, fliers, etc. I don’t know if that makes me more frightened for Gabe or for his subjects.
