Was finally able to continue some work after a hiatus. Behold – Corrosion #4! Please check out other pieces from the Fall from Enlightenment series.

Good turnout at the 2014 Valdosta National opening, despite being held on a week night. Thanks to Julie Bowland and other faculty for their planning and coordination of the show, and for their presentation of artists’ work.

I was fortunate to be given a wall to myself.

Some great links about subjective cartography passed on to me by Greg Giordano, courtesy of Brain Pickings.

For decades (if not centuries), the credibility of cartographic products (i.e. maps) has been characterized and promoted as purely technical and therefore objective or apolitical. While the techniques and technologies that ensure spatial accuracy and precision (two very different things) are what make maps so valuable, no reputable cartographer or GIS analyst who understands the creation of a map from start to finish would make claims to objectivity.

With the advent of cell phone technology and web mapping applications, cartographic literacy and spatial thinking has risen sharply. The ability to create your own maps (despite continuing constraints of data vintage and cost) has never been easier.

All maps tell a story about space and time, so it’s important to diversify the stories being told as much as possible.

Another shout out to long time Burlington, VT friend Greg Giordano (aka Flame Ape, based on one of his comic characters). Greg’s illustrative style and layering of color and texture make his works worth taking studious long looks.

Greg has been creating comics for many years, and collaborated with many other artists and writers. His current project, co-created with Bill Woodcock, is called Holliday. A great surreal mixture of the old west, modernist science, and the occult to create a tale of guerreromancy surrounding the historical figure of Doc Holliday.

Just a shout out to Tallahassee friend Bill Humphries who, in addition to great photography, does hilarious and poignant paintings.

My two favs from his 90s work are ‘Pillsbury Rothko’ and ‘Nuclear Siblings See Red’.

Should have posted this a few weeks ago. I was able to go down to Miami for Art Basel this year to check out it’s organization, the gallery players, the kinds of works shown, and the kinds that sell. Essentially, it’s a trade show for gallerists to hock their artist’s wares. I wasn’t too impressed with the show at the Miami Convention Center, partly because the works there were predictable (though of high quality) and partly because the patron atmosphere there bordered on caustic – I’ve never seen so many vile people struggle to look glamorous and important.

The Wynwood district in midtown Miami was a very different experience. Many of the old gentrified commercial buildings had large murals recently painted, and frankly that’s how every city should look. Patrons were younger, more enthusiastic, and more diverse (both in background and income). The various venues included the expected ‘high art’ works, but also many new and unconventional works. If you get the chance to go in the years to come I recommend you focus your attention in midtown.

Yarn-bombed building (possibly Olek) with sculpture artist Phil Gleason in foreground.

Back in November I submitted 3 works (below) for consideration in the 2014 Valdosta National juried competition hosted by Valdosta State University (VSU) Department of Art and Fine Arts Gallery in Valdosta, GA.

I’m happy to say that all 3 works were accepted and will show in the competition. The exhibition is scheduled for January 21 – February 8, 2014 (Opening Reception: Tuesday, January 21, 7-8:30pm).

Mutual Consent

Sex Sells – Budweiser

Corrosion #1

Thanks to the long holiday weekend celebrating our colonial past, I had time to finish another piece in the Sex Sells series. I have two others started and will hopefully get them done over the xmas break.

Finally relocated all my content into this new domain – retrozoic.com – which was originally published at sabotagica.com. Sabotagica is where various comics and illustrations will now be published, while Retrozoic will house so-called low brow paintings.

Sorry, the site is currently under construction.

Stay tuned.