Gay Haters

I'm working on an art project that starts with meeting guys on the internet for a hookup. So I've been pretty active on these hookup sites and every once in a while I've been encountering these haters, guys who have seen my postings and accusing me of being a slut...or worse. Of course the fact that they are there encountering every post I've put up would imply that they are spending quite a bit of time there themselves, so who's the bigger slut? But actually the whole notion of strangers monitering my activity and coming to conclusions about my moral makeup is astounding, part of what makes this project so interesting really...all this gay on gay hatred, is it really just self loathing? Jealousey?.. I had one guy commenting on my posts for over a year...here's an example.... Whoa, Daddy Whole new photo shoot, but was this taken 20 years ago, when U were a virgin? and my response to him..... Hey, I've been getting these mails from you and I have to ask....why? They kind of feel like harrasment. I'm single now and I'm hooking up a lot...big deal...It's nothing to be ashamed of...It's always, safe, sane and consensual. I'm very honest and upfront and I send a potential partner a very clear face shot and ask the same of them, so I'm not doing anything that's bad for my Karma, no one's getting hurt, It's usually pretty enjoyable for both parties. Are you seeing too many postings from me? Just ignore them, like everyone else who's not interested....obviously they're not intended for you. Craigslist has a built in 5 posting a day limit so there's no need for you to appoint yourself a cop and harrass me. But the saddest and weirdest part is that I'm being harrased by another gay guy for what? Liking sex? Being gay? adapting to growing older by labeling myself a daddy? As a 40 something gay guy, I've lived an entire lifetime of harassment, from my dad who beat me and bullied me for being a sissy, the kids in high school who harrassed me for being different, students in college, employers and coworkers...It's taken me years of therapy to come close to getting over that shit, of learning to accept my self and dare say even love myself for who I am. I'm finally starting to feel good about myself and really enjoying having sex with other men. Then you come along and start harrassing me, critiquing my pics and posts...why?? Why is another gay man harrassing me for trying to enjoy my life and have some fun recreational sex? You have got to be a stone-cold evil bastard to send these mean and hateful emails...and dude...you are wasting a hell of a lot of time and creating some seriously bad karma for yourself...but what comes around goes around, the only thing you are doing is stirring up more bad karma for yourself...but please, no more emails from you. They are unwanted and very sad. I hope you can find another way to get what you want and I seriously wish you, best of luck. He sent me a brief email saying sorry and that he'd stop, and he did. The thing is, I may put up a few posts a day, but that dosn't mean I'm meeting someone for every post I put up... far from it. Many of the responses are a few words, or a vague blurry picture. Or I'll get a flurry of enthusiastic emails setting up a meeting then....gone, the person disappears, never to be heard from again. I can post 5 times a day, for seven days in a row and still not meet anyone. It's all interesting, and a little sad but I have met some incredible guys. People who I've been so glad to have in my life, even if it's just for an afternoon. But most of all, I've learned a lot about myself. Any artist's art is first and foremost about the maker and this project is no exception. I've always been interested in myself alongside others, the way different people bring out different parts of me. And it is fun, too. But truth be told, it's a little exhausting and emotionally draining. It's turning into a really good art piece but I'll be glad when it's done. The variety is interesting and frankly, as a middle aged gay guy, I never thought I'd be able to meet so many handsome, sexy, desirable guys, I'm glad I photograph well. But truth be told, I was in a monogamous relationship for over a year and I really liked it. I would gladly trade all this variety for one person I could trust an confide in and build something deeper with, but right now I don't have a person like that in my life so I'm adapting to where I'm at and going with it.

Words of Wisdom from AA Bronson

The artist is NOT a professional. And the artist has no personal life. The artist has a vocation, not a career, and so the private and the public are one.

Jim Hodges at Barbara Gladstone

This is my favorite artwork in Chelsea right now

Historic Train Day

ation

For two weekends around Christmas the NYC MTA runs a subway train composed of historic cars from different eras. The begin and end at my subway station, nd ave and run along the F line

Jean Frederic Schnyder

Jean Frederic Schnyder @ Swiss Institute 18 wooster st. If you are out and about in Soho check out this free exhibit at Swiss Institute. I loved it!

Sean Landers in Mousse Magazine

I kind of love this painting and prety much everything that Sean has been up to laely, what a strange interesting career this guy is having. Heres a link to a recent interview... http://www.moussemagazine.it/articolo.mm?id=760

Christmas At The Factory

Gay Vietnam vet tackles Romney

Republican Mitt Romney probably didn’t know what hit him in a Manchester diner on Monday when he tucked into a booth to make small talk with an older man wearing a “Vietnam Vet” baseball cap.

Romney has been vocal in opposing cuts to U.S. military spending, and chatting up a veteran would seem like an easy warm-up to a day on the campaign trail.

But military spending wasn’t on the mind of Bob Garon, who served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War.

Garon is gay, and a newlywed. He was eating at the Chez Vachon diner, as he does most days, with his husband, Bob Lemire, 73. The couple — whom friends sometimes call ‘Bob One’ and ‘Bob Two’ — married in June after 15 years together.

Same sex marriage became legal in New Hampshire in 2010, but the state’s Republican-controlled legislature has moved toward repealing the law.

When Romney sat down next to Garon, the Epson resident asked him, “If two men get married, apparently a veteran’s spouse would not be entitled to any burial benefits or medical benefits or anything that the serviceman has devoted his time and effort to his country, and you just don’t support equality in terms of same-sex marriage?”

Romney reiterated his support for the Defense of Marriage Act. “And we apparently disagree,” he added.

“It’s good to know how you feel,” Garon said. “That you do not believe that everyone is entitled to their constitutional rights.”

After more sparring Romney was whisked away for a television interview, leaving Garon to hold court.

“We got married here, where it’s legal. Unless Mitt Romney gets elected,” Garon told reporters. “I don’t think his beliefs should dictate our Constitution. It’s not his choice, it’s my choice.”

“I went and fought for my country and I think my spouse should be entitled to the same [benefits] as they would if I were married to a woman,” he said. “What the hell is the difference?”

Garon told reporters he thought Romney would fail on his quest for the White House. “The guy ain’t going to make it,” Garon said of Romney. “You can’t trust him. I just saw it in his eyes.”

“At least Obama will entertain the idea [of gay marriage],” said Garon. “This man is ‘No way, Jose.’ Well, take that, ‘No way, Jose’ back to Massachusetts.”

Garon’s military service came decades before the 1993 “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law, which prohibited military personnel from discriminating against or harassing closeted homosexual service members, but barred openly gay, lesbian or bisexual persons from military service. The law was ended by President Barack Obama in September 2011, allowing gays to serve openly in the U.S. military.

Photo credit: REUTERS/Brian Snyder – Mitt Romney (R) talks to Vietnam War veteran Bob Garon at Chez Vachon Restaurant in Manchester, New Hampshire December 12, 2011.

Angry Birds, The Evening Dress

Now, just when you thought that the Angry Birds phenomenon might be about to explode in a puff of smoke and die, we bring you Angry Birds: The Evening Dress.
Well, what else was the wife of creator Rovio's chief marketing officer going to wear to the Finnish Palace?
Teija Vesterbacka, whose husband Peter is rarely seen wearing anything but his favourite red Angry Birds hoodie, had the dress specially made (as far as we know, you can't get this look in Harvey Nichols quite yet), for the formal event to celebrate 94 years of Finnish independence.
Well, it's definitely one way of asserting your independence - no one else would be seen dead in this, that's for sure.

Roland Barthes In China

It seems a chinese department store thought the name of the French philosopher Roland Barthes would be just right for their inhouse label. That country never failed to blow my mind. I'm glad I got to go

Marshmallow Manger

Astor Place Christmas decorations

What a great Idea, I love these, it makes astor place look like some kind of forest...

Jean Dujardin in "The Artist"

This guy has a mesmerizing face. The way he uses it and his body to express a wide range of emotions is fascinating. Theres something about his big head, big mouth with all those extra teeth crammed in there....he's fascinating to look at and his co-star here Berenice Bejo is equally fascinating, but I must admit, I kind of have a crush on the Dujardin guy.

You can see the trailer HERE...

Ai Weiwei's 1 Tiger 8 Breasts

– Nude War Between Ai Fans and Chinese Authorities: Ai Weiwei's assistant Zhao Zhao has been interrogated by the police over a photograph showing the artist surrounded by four equally naked women. The picture, entitled "One Tiger, Eight Breasts," is demure — there is no contact between the subjects. The authorities' accusations are suspected to be yet another attempt to silence the artist-activist. "If they see nudity as pornography, then China is still in the Qing dynasty," Ai tweeted. Soon after news of the investigation broke, Ai's supporters began tweeting their own nude photographs, from full-frontal shots to pictures of themselves as babies.

Carsten Holler's Psycho Tank

Last week i got to spend an hour or so floating around in 18 cm of salted water in this installation by the artist Carsten Holler. It was kind of amazing. Me and my friend Rick got naked, showered and entered. Then Carsten's official photographer Attilio Maranzano set up his camera and snapped away. At first it didn't seem deep enough, I was touching the bottom in some parts, then the current of the pump started to move me along, but my lighter friend, Rick was really moving. I was trying to avoid him when I'd bump into him or he'd bump into me but after a while I just stopped caring, it really didn't matter and that was part of the experience. After a while we were joined by 2 female friends of the photographer's assistant, 2 naked, female strangers joined us and we were all floating and moving around the tank, I was floating much better as the two additional bodies raised the water level. I closed my eyes and felt nothing but the occasional big toe against my head or leg rubbing against my side. When I'd open my eyes I became aware that I was actually moving along quite quickly. The whole experience was supremely relaxing and when I came home I ate then took a 4 hour nap....nice!

Louis Vuitton Window

These new windows seem to owe something to Hilary Harkness don't you think?

EIJA-LIISA AHTILA @ Marian Goodman Gallery

This is a drawing for an incredible video I saw there last week

Street Art

I love NYC!

Cattelan @ The Guggenheim

What a great crazy way to exhibit all of these sculptures and wall pieces, by hanging them in the rotunda!

Important News Regarding Abstract Art

NYC 10-29-11 ; SNOW

I remember a few times when I was a little kid growing up in Minnesota a snowy Halloween but this is the first time I remember seeng snow in NYC this early....

Minnesota

I spent a great day at the Walker art center, the stomping ground of my youth, with my former highschool sweetheart Roberta. That's here backyard in the first photo

Giuseppe Penone In Toronto

I was pretty thrilled to discover a whole room of Giuseppe Penone works in the Frank Gehry addition to the art gallery of Ontario. This room is kind of like a glass walled ships hull and the light is breathtakingly beautiful

More Architecture in Toronto

Architecture Tour of Toronto

My Friend Mark Krayenhoff took me to some of his favorite architectural spots around toronto today

Jenny Holzer

Amanda Lear on 9-11-01

The music that I associate with 9-11 is "I am a photograph" by Amanda Lear. I'm an artist and I make visual art about ethereal experiences, often about the experience of listening to music. In the spring of 2001 I was asked to be in a group show in Belgium called "Not A Lear" I was asked to submit a piece that in some way referenced the Euro-disco celebrity Amanda Lear. That was easy, since she was the cover star of The Second Roxy Music album "For Your Pleasure" and Roxy Music was my favorite band. Then the show traveled to the U.S. for a stop at Gracie Mansion Gallery, my piece , however was broken in transit so I was asked to submit a new piece for the NYC version of the show, opening on September 11 2001. The curator Jimi Dams and I agreed on a painting of a movie marquee with a Roxy Music song title on it which I was to deliver in the late morning of september 11. After the events of that morning I forgot about my commitment to bring the painting by and got a call at 1 pm from the gallery's director Sir Rodney Sir asking where was with the painting.....I was shocked as I didn't think the show would go on and open that night but Sir Rodney insisted it would so I got on my bike, put the painting under my arm and rode up to chelsea. I passed through the smokey west village and saw the office workers leaving on foot, walking away from ground zero and I got to chelsea and delivered the painting. Sir Rodney asked me to stay for the opening, I said I wasn't really in the mood but I might stop back later, Rodney said "Please return, Amanda's coming" . So I went home, cleaned up and headed back up to chelsea. By the time I got there, 7:45, there was no-one there but Sir Rodney, Amanda had come and gone and I was the only other person that showed up. I had a martini then left. Now everytime I think of 9-11 I think of Amanda Lear so I'm working on a piece to commemorate that ethereal experience based on Amanda Lear's "I am a photograph".

Here's Amanda on the cover of Roxy Music's 2nd album, for your pleasure, one of the first albums I ever owned

Phillippe Petit World Trade Center Tightrope walk

Depeche Mode Performs "Enjoy The Silence" atop the World Trade Center

Susan Rothenberg at Sperone Westwater

Great show, I loved this painting and so many others..

Hurricane Irene Hits Asbury Park

I was just laying on this beach a few weeks ago....Im supposed to go there next weekend, we'll see. Got through the storm all right here in NYC. The only damage I experienced is a hangover from 2 pre Irene martinis at the Boiler room last night...I'm sure I'll get through that too and hopefully in time to join some stranded european friends at the Eagle tonight...

Nothing Is Lacking

Be Content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you

Lao Tzu

Lao Tzu

At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want.

Lao Tzu

I Feel Love

2 lovely people I know were married yesterday. They've been in love for as long as I've known them, 15 years or so and the state finally recognizes that their love is just like any other couple's love. Love is nothing to be afraid of...it's ....lovely

Here's the official wedding notice from the NY Times

Patricia Anne Cronin and Deborah Anne Kass, both artists, are to be married Sunday at the Marriage Bureau in Manhattan.

Ms. Cronin (right), 48, is an artist whose work is in the collections of the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington and the Gallery of Modern Art in Glasgow, and was shown in 2009 at the Brooklyn Museum.

Ms. Cronin is also a professor of art at Brooklyn College. She graduated from Rhode Island College and received a Master of Fine Arts degree in painting from Brooklyn College. She did additional study at the Yale Summer School of Art and Music and the Skowhegan School of Art. She is a director of the Civitella Ranieri Foundation, an organization in Manhattan that provides residencies in Umbertide, Italy, for artists, writers and musicians.

She is a daughter of Anne Belluche Cronin of North Providence, R.I., and the late John W. Cronin. Her mother retired as a third-grade teacher at St. Augustine School, a parochial elementary and middle school in Providence, R.I. Her father was the procurement officer for the Narragansett Bay Commission, which provides wastewater treatment in Providence.

Ms. Kass, 59, is represented by the Paul Kasmin Gallery and by Vincent Fremont in Manhattan, and her work is in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Jewish Museum, all in Manhattan. She is also a senior critic in the Master of Fine Arts Painting Program at Yale.

Ms. Kass is a fellow of the Cue Art Foundation, a Manhattan organization that shows the work of under-recognized visual artists and also provides professional development and education. She graduated from Carnegie Mellon University.

She is a daughter of the late Selma Kaufax Kass Silverman and the late Dr. Saul Kass, who lived in Rockville Centre, N.Y. Her father was a dentist in private practice in Wyandanch, N.Y. Her mother was a substitute teacher in the Rockville Centre public schools.

Street Art

On the wall surrounding a parking lot on Clinton & Broome