June 20, 2013
My brother, special effects artist Gabe Bartalos, is having a show of his work at the University Art Museum at Cal State Long Beach from September 7 to December 8, 2013. The exhibition, titled Abhorrence and Obsession, showcases twenty-eight works including seven large-scale pieces he produced for Matthew Barney’s Cremaster Cycle. The show will also feature his visual effects and character design for a range of cult horror films.
Loughton Candidate, 1994, Cremaster 4 (Matthew Barney): foam rubber, cloth, & fiberglass. © Matthew Barney.
The opening reception takes place on Saturday, September 7, 6:00 – 8:00 P.M., followed by a conversation between Gabe and Matthew at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center. More information here.
In addition, UAM CSULB is collaborating with Long Beach Cinematheque to host special screenings in partnership with the exhibit on the CSULB campus in October 2013. All screenings will be free and open to the public. Details, dates, and titles can be found here.
June 10, 2013
I’m one of nine artists invited by Julia Scher to participate in her “Welcome Aliens” show, part of a larger exhibition titled A Short History of Cologne with Frances Scholz and Mark von Schlegell now on view at Ltd Los Angeles. Each of the invited artists contributed an ‘alien landing pad’ of their own concept and design alongside Julia’s musings on potential encounters with extraterrestrial life.
My piece, titled Moebius Landing Strip, welcomes aliens with an endless arrival to Earth. On touching down, alien craft proceed to loop in eternity, echoing the infinite dimensions of the cosmos from where they came, and where we reside. The object is constructed of paper, graphite, and glue.
The other landing pad artists, who include Julia’s students at the Academy of Media Arts Cologne, are Roman Hahlbrock, Jeff Cook, Karin Lingnau, Christian Sievers, Vanja Smiljanic, Amir Sorek, David Hahlbrock, and Heiko Diekmeier. The exhibition is up till July 3 at Ltd LA, 7561 W. Sunset Blvd #103, Los Angeles CA 90046 | 323.378.6842
May 30, 2013
Item 055 is among the many artifacts I retrieved from Antarctica for my Long View Project. I’ve been cataloging my collection by function, shape and material. With this current LV blog post I shift focus away from round metal objects over to folded pieces of fabric.
May 3, 2013
Tomorrow's Headlines, floor installation, 2012.
Frontrunner Magazine features an interview with me in their Art section this month. Frontrunner is a new media collective supporting creative entrepreneurs through the medium of storytelling. The Q & A was conducted by Edward Symes, founder of Frontrunner Magazine and Here and Now Films.
April 25, 2013
Ernest Shackleton’s British Antarctic Expedition of 1907-1909, also known as the Nimrod Expedition, made great breakthroughs in polar exploration, science, and even publishing, for it was this trip that produced Aurora Australis, the first book ever written, printed, illustrated and bound in Antarctica.
Eighty years after its original publication, this rare letterpress-printed book was re-issued as trade edition, allowing the larger public to experience the Nimrod crew’s creativity from cover to cover. An added attraction of the re-print is an introductory essay by Aurora Australis researcher John Millard that provides useful information about the original edition.
I discuss this edition, Millard’s text, and online access of Aurora Australis in my latest Long View blog post, hosted by the California Academy of Sciences.
April 5, 2013
This week Kala Art Institute kicks off Kala-fornia: State of the Art 3 – a two week exhibition of contemporary California art culminating with an auction to benefit Kala’s programming.
My contribution, Long View Study No. 20 (Bernardo O’Higgins), will be on view April 11 – 26 and available at the auction gala on Saturday, April 27, 6:30 – 10:00 P.M. The exhibition’s preview party takes place on Thursday, April 11, 6:00 – 8:00 P.M.
All events take place at the Kala Art Institute Gallery, 2990 San Pablo Avenue,
Berkeley CA 94702 | 510-841-7000
March 30, 2013
I ordinarily shoot my Antarctic finds from the angle that describe them best. But occasionally an item presents two equally interesting sides demanding equal attention. Antarctic item 018 is such an object, which I answer in both photography and writing in my newest Long View blog post.
March 15, 2013
MELT is an evolving installation that I’m working on in the studio these days. The first iteration of the artwork was limited to the floor, consisting of an array of ‘water drawings’ designed to evaporate over time on a 6×8 foot mirrored grid. I’m now experimenting with reflecting light off the artwork onto surrounding walls to suggest submergence.
February 24, 2013
The Heart of the Antarctic is Ernest Shackleton’s account of the British Antarctic Expedition of 1907-1909, one of four voyages he took to the southern continent. The Nimrod Expedition, as it’s also known, is best remembered for having reached within 100 miles of the Geographic South Pole, a record for the time.
My newest Long View blog post looks at Shackleton’s book, which drew on his and his crew’s diaries to describe a landmark expedition in great detail from inception to finish. Most exciting to me however is experiencing the expedition from Shackleton’s perspective, offering insight to his leadership, drive, and commitment to science and exploration.
January 30, 2013
Antarctic item 017 is one of the rustiest discards I brought back from Antarctica. In my latest Long View blog post I speculate about its intended use and ultimate path to oxidation.
