Ai Weiwei Uses Art to Make Strong Political Statements...

...About China. In a country where many people are arrested and jailed for speaking out about the Communist party, Mr. Weiwei has been doing this for years via his artwork. His quiet yet powerful installations speak out against injustice. Recently he was written up in the Times.

Mr. Ai says he is ready for whatever comes. “I came to art because I wanted to escape the other regulations of the society. The whole society is so political,” he said. “But the irony is that my art becomes more and more political.”

Last Day: Artists in the Kitchen

Check out the Hell's Kitchen (NYC) artist studio tour.

Hell's Kitchen artists open their studios while local businesses and venues host performers for a multi-day event showcasing the creativity of artists living and working in this dynamic and historic community in the heart of Manhattan!

Osang Gwon: See It Before It's Over!

See Korean artist, Osang Gwon's sculptures at Arario New York through October 24th. This will be worth your while. Each sculpture is composed of varying materials - plaster, wire - and then covered with photos of the subject. Each subject is meticulously photographed so that the end result is both recognizable and somewhat abstracted by the shadows that occur in the photos. His work seems strong and focused. I'm looking forward to seeing where this artist goes.

Where Inspiration Visits

My studio is a contemplative place. It's also an office, a storage room, and a filing cabinet. But most of the corner shown here is devoted to art. It's both a functional space and a place for meditation. While working here, I go somewhere not readily visited by most people. It's a place that only some artists go. A private, quiet, solemn place. If I could stay there indefinitely, I would. But, I also enjoy spending time with my love and the bills must be paid - therefore I must leave every once in awhile.


I'm planning to install some wall magnets so that I can hang all recent abstract drawings (some not yet shown here).

Painting, Progression

This is where I'm at with Untitled, acrylic. It's approximately 5ft by 3.75ft. My technique uses only palette knives and scrapers. The inspiration came from Brian Rutenberg and the view from my apartment - east, overlooking the river and Long Island City, Queens. This piece is Adam's birthday present.

Obarh: A new find

I found Obarh on Saturday after I was walking downtown from the Hell's Kitchen Antique Fair with Adam. We were both drawn to this work. Obarh (not his real name) was displaying his photos, prints and ink drawings on the corner of 14th and 6th Ave. He gave a long speech as to what he was thinking when he created this. He's influenced by Asian and African subjects. He felt his inspiration for this piece is ying & yang, male and female and opposing forces meeting at the center. Description aside, this piece really speaks for itself.

Serigraph 8x10 in. Obarh (c) 2008

Painting Again

Although it's been some time since I last posted, I've continued to work on the Canalize series - I'll post those works later this week - and a new painting style seen here. I got a bit of inspiration from Brian Rutenberg. This is a work in progress. You're seeing the underpainting.

June: Marker, More Marker and the Second Coming of Solemn

This is the most exciting creative output I've had in awhile. The daily job has calmed down enough that I can focus on these ideas that have been brewing for quite some time. Best Take: Love came first, then Pleasing No One, both in marker and then Solemn II. As with the first, I'm starting Solemn II with sumi ink. This work is of course in progress.

Best Take: Love




Pleasing No One




Solemn II (in progress)


As far as documenation is concerned, these shots were taken quickly this evening. I will document these properly in the coming weeks.




Detail: Pleasing No One

Hardtman Art Exhibit - Manhattan - April 10th

Please join me at Creative Bubble’s Second Acts Exhibition as I exhibit my newest series of graphite and mixed media drawings.



The opening reception will take place on Thursday, April 10, 2008 at Creative Bubble.

LOCATION: 79 Fifth Avenue (between 15th and 16th Streets), Fourteenth Floor, New York, NY

TIME: 6PM – 9PM

RSVP link: http://www.creativebubble.com/secondacts/rsvp.html

Best,
Christine

Mixed Media - Paper, Copper Plate

(c) Christine Hardtman 2008

Untitled (as of 2/08)
Paper, graphite, copper intaglio plate

Collage 1

(c) Christine Hardtman 2007

Untitled, December 07
Magazine rippings on canvas

Cover for MIN Magazine Finished

The gatefold cover is finished. It's 21 x 13 inches but will be shrunk to fit the magazine's format.

(c) Christine Hardtman 2007

Illustration Project for Magazine: Update

As of October 16th, the graphite drawing (soon to be gatefold cover and 2 page spread) has been scanned and is going to be digitally colored. It's approximately 14x20 inches:

Mixed Media: Solemn Finished

(c) Christine Hardtman 2007

Graphite, sumi ink, and acrylic on somerset paper.

I feel like this piece may be finally finished. Note: The vibrant orange background (with a slight gold shimmer) doesn't come out too well in this shot.

Two More Chelsea Receptions I Just Have to Comment On...

These two artists struck a cord with me due to their style and medium. My affinity for the graphite medium drew me to these two shows last Thursday. Michael Whittle at Daniel Cooney Fine Art and James Nelson at McKenzie Fine Art. Yes, again at 511 West 25th Street. One need not venture far to hit gold (or so we hope) in the Chelsea gallery region.

Michael Whittle, Channels, 2007:
Mr. Whittle is an architect. Some of his pencil & ink drawings have multitudes of the same precisely drawn object. They clamour in their strange environments. His psyche constructs stark civilizations made up of these icons and lines.


James Nelson, China Head, 2007:

I found Mr. Nelson's rhythmic patterns very familiar. I wanted more depth but maybe I'm reaching for that in my own work. His abstract environments have a filthy, overwhelming feel. The globular objects push, pull and constrain an unknown host.

This Week: Chelsea Gallery Scene

So I ventured again to Chelsea this past Thursday the 6th for a few select artist receptions. It was quite busy as per chelseaartgalleries.com. 88 receptions in one evening made for quite the hoard of people. Goerge Billis Gallery was popular at 511 West 25th Street. Stephen Hicks, David Leonard and Susan Jane Belton were a few of the artists showing. Marcus Kenney was downstairs at Robert Steele Gallery. Stephen, David and Marcus drew me to this location. Mr. Leonard and Mr. Hicks paintings were of NYC landscapes.


Reaching for more than a typical landscape composition, Mr. Hicks built his dyptics and triptychs from multiple views of the same building or street scene.



Mr. Kenney's painting, mixed media collages were hard edged . The trigger happy children, scenes built from paper archives (one including a liquor store stock book), and random pattern cutouts created scenes from a futuristic world overcome with industry and insanity. This last show especially worth a look...

Illustration Project for Annual Magazine

These are two mockups created for an editorial team. I was hired to create a magazine gatefold cover, spread and additional caricature of the Editor-In-Chief. Both the cover and spread will feature their 21 'most intriguing' people in a crazed office environment. Based on their vision, I gave them a choice between the two styles. They chose (what I consider to be) the less sophisticated - more generic - style that I created (blue shirt). The character w/ green shirt, as you can see is reminiscent of the "Mother" piece shown below. I will post the end result within the month.

Painting: Monkey Man Update

This is where I'm at with Monkey Man as of this evening.
The medium is acrylic on canvas. 36 x 36 in.

(c) Christine Hardtman 2007

Other Artists: Mercedes Helnwein

Mercedes Helnwein's work speaks for itself. These representational drawings really drew Adam, Stephen and I on our visit last month to Bespoke Gallery in Chelsea. The subject's poses are at first a little abstract and awkward. They lend well to her style. The line quality and understanding of medium is precise. I recommend seeing these works in person.

The piece noted above is called The Wall, colored pencil on paper.

There are quite a few references to her father/famous painter, Gottfried Helnwein in her bio. Since her hand created these pieces (didn't she?), should she now allow herself all the recognition on these works? Does one have to live in one's famous father's legacy?

My mother's a chemist/teacher and my father's an engineer....

Painting: Untitled Acrylic

(c) Christine Hardtman 2007

Acrylic on canvas - May 2007. This was inspired by an artist I recently saw at Opera Gallery in Soho. Testing out styles...

I prefer oil but I don't think my roommate would appreciate the stench. Once studio space is acquired...