Photos: The Tronic @ Warper Party
Photos by Christina deRoos from Warper Party 8/16/11 in Brooklyn. More photos here.
Above: Thomas Bell
Above (L to R): Unknown dude, Thomas Bell + Gregg Jarvis = The Tronic
Photos by Christina deRoos from Warper Party 8/16/11 in Brooklyn. More photos here.
Above: Thomas Bell
Above (L to R): Unknown dude, Thomas Bell + Gregg Jarvis = The Tronic
Some recent activity in Brooklyn...
Remote Control Tomato @ Dimanche Rouge
sound: Thomas Bell / visuals: Christina deRoos / dancer/choreographer: Laura Arend
Streamed live on the interweb.
Participating physical locations:
Remote Control Tomato @ Dimanche Rouge_Brooklyn from Christina deRoos on Vimeo.
Please join me for this private viewing of "Something out of Nothing". I have a work in this exhibition and this is your opportunity to meet the other artists and curators and get a private tour of this excellent exhibition by No Longer Empty.
This Sat. Nov 14th at 7pm
The Invisible Dog
51 Bergen st Brooklyn
$100 donation
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Buy your tickets here for Evening with Curators & Artists November 7th, 2009 at 7pm @ The Invisible Dog Your donation of $100 helps No Longer Empty in its mission to create a new form of public art by utilizing empty storefronts and properties around the city as venues for art. Your gift will help support our organization in tangible ways- $100 funds our print costs, $100 will cover the cost of installing lighting, $100 goes towards purchasing materials for our children's workshop, $100 allows us to rent chairs for our panel discussions and so forth. Most important, your donation is an investment in New York City and helps us make sure that No Longer Empty is a destination for the arts for years to come. To make this event intimate and meaningful for the patrons, artists and curators, we have limited tickets being sold. To receive a tax deductible donation, please make your order here |
The Numbers installation will be on view for the Chashama Film Festival. A collaboration with Christina deRoos, Numbers highlights human costs of the conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan that are rarely reported in mainstream media. See photos of the process of installation as well as the final result here. The
installation consists of flag draped coffins and numbers stenciled on
paper then covered with bubble wrap. The width and placement give
viewers a choice between walking across and popping bubbles or making a
small but extra effort to jump across and avoid interacting. This
parallels the ability those of us in the United States have to avoid
witnessing the impact of the government policies carried out in our
name. It requires a bit of effort, although not much, to avoid the
messy reality of our ongoing policies in Iraq and Afghanistan.
*****
Numbers used include:
32,907 Weight in tons of bombs dropped by the U.S. Air force in Iraq & Afghanistan through 2007
6129 American and coalition military casualties in Iraq & Afghanistan
120 American military casualties since Obama was inaugurated on Jan. 20, 2009
46% The percentage of air raid casualties that are women are girls
766 The number of journalists and academics that have been killed in Iraq
1395 The number of contractor employee deaths in Iraq
102,083 Documented civilian deaths from violence in Iraq (Estimate is 93,552-102,083)
39% The percentage of air raid casualties that are children
>100 thousand The number of American military wounded
$7500 The amount the U.S. Army paid to two children whose mother was killed inside a taxi that ran a checkpoint. Both children were also in the taxi, and were shot and injured.
Thank you to Iraq Body Count, AntiWar, and iCasualties for maintaining databases that make these and many more numbers readily available.*****
Popping bubble wrap generally evokes enthusiasm from people regardless of age. With Numbers,
the excitement of walking, jumping, or otherwise popping bubbles is
tempered by the reality of stepping on representations of victims of
violence.
Numbers also presents an opportunity for participants to reflect upon the myriad impacts of war, including responses to loud or surprising sounds, such as the pops of bubble wrap. For child and adult survivors of war, loud noises can trigger intrusive memories, nightmares, hallucinations or flashbacks, sometimes resulting in exaggerated responses. As one Iraq veteran explains, "any little noise and I'd jump out of bed and run around the house with a gun." In the same way, the sound of an airplane flying overhead can cause stress for survivors of aerial bombings, while it is of no consequence to others.
Lastly, Numbers
is provides a visual reference point for the ongoing violence as the
total number of bubbles in the installation is approximately the same
as the total number of tons of bombs that have been dropped on Iraq and
Afghanistan to date.
Here is an exhibit that I have a work in that has been extended through the end of Nov. The work is a titled "Expectations" and is a collaboration with Jennifer Harris.
Here is the press release for the show:
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ART FILLS VACUUM CREATED BY RUSH OF EMPTY STORES NO LONGER EMPTY: THE INVISIBLE DOG Curators: The Invisible Dog When Press Preview: October 1, 12pm – 2pm |
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Beware:
“The Invisible Dog“ is unleashed this Saturday, October 3rd! The
latest group exhibition produced by No Longer Empty, “The Invisible
Dog” is a show “out of nothing” in a warmly decrepit out-of-use belt
factory on Bergen Street in Brooklyn. The Invisible Dog - a short history. The factory at 51 Bergen Street was built in the late 1800’s. Over the years it has been used for various things, including manufacturing, storage and parking. 51 Bergen Street was purchased in the 1970’s by one Mr. George Zorbas, who was a former US Army Air Corp pilot during WW II. After the war, he started his own jewelry and clothing business and eventually he owned several factories in downtown Brooklyn. After purchasing the building at 51 Bergen Street, he consolidated his business there and made costume jewelry, belts, necklaces, small clothing items and a well known children’s item called the “Invisible Dog.” At the peak of production, this factory operated 24 hours per day with three shifts and employed 150 workers. By the early-mid 1990’s, it became very difficult for this business to compete with low cost manufacturing in places like China and Mexico, so the business slowly dwindled. For the last 10 years, the main product manufactured at 51 Bergen Street was the “Invisible Dog,” and this product was sold to places such as Six Flags Amusement Park and to Disneyland. After Mr. Zorbas died in 1994 the building was sold to its present owners in 2007. In December 2008, Lucien Zayan, a native of Paris, discovered the Invisible Dog Factory and decided to transform it as an Arts Center. The ground floor will be the main space for events, exhibitions, performances and concerts. The Second Floor will be artists' studios and 9 artists have already moved in.The Third Floor will be a rental space for all kind of artistic events. |
I have quite a few pieces in the Spread Art exhibition at the Brooklyn Artillery show at Castle Braid. Along with my works there are works by Christina deRoos and Heather Garland.
Overall, there are about 20 galleries involved and a lot of great work. Please swing on by and check it out!
See photos of the current Spread Art exhibition here . Visit in person, weekends through October 31st: Castle Braid; 114 Troutman (between Central & Bushwick).
Above (Left to Right):
1) Cessation of Suffering, 48"x48", Acrylic & collage on panel, Thomas Bell, $1000
2) Waiting, 48"x48", Acrylic & collage on panel, Thomas Bell, $1000
3) Pain, 48"x48", Acrylic & collage on panel, Thomas Bell, $1000
4) Hope Remains, 30"x30", Acrylic, fabric, metal on canvas, Christina deRoos, $1200