Creative Sugar Magazine - Dec 2012

CREATIVE SUGAR
THE FALL ISSUE

DEC 2012
EMERGI NG
ART
THE WINNER ISSUE
2 Winter 2012 CREATIVE SUGAR
COVER
Photography by Charl ey Parden
Creati ve Di recti on by Bai l ey Nol an
Creati ve Assi stant & Wearabl e Scul ptures by El l en Robi n Rosenberg
Fashi on by BabySki nGl ove Col l ecti on
Model s: Bai l ey Nol an, Charl ey Parden, Vi va Soudan, Kathl een Wei gand,
Marta Borazani an, Anni e Goodfri end, Wesl ey Fl ash (not shown),
Mari ssa Mi ckel berg, Wabs Mi ckel berg, & Bertha
CREATIVE SUGAR Winter 2012 3
Creative Sugar
Issue NO. 3
Editor-in-Chief
Sabrina Scot
Copy Editor
Marilyn Recht
Contributng Editors
Jef Grunthaner, Visual Arts
John Thomas, Performing Arts
Photographers
Laura Bler
Joseph Gallo
Writers
Ethan Boisvert
Jen Pit
Jenny Green
Kenneth Lundquist, Jr.
Marilyn Recht
Graphic Design by
Sabrina Scot
2012 Creatve Sugar magazine is
published by Creatve Sugar Media, LLC.
All rights to art, words, photos, design and
copyrights are the property of the Artst.
All work in this publicaton may not be used
without the Artsts consent.
Headquarters: New York, New York.
Contact:
info@creatve-sugar.net
ph: 1-888-669-5513
web: creatve-sugar.net
facebook.com/creatvesugarmagazine
Our Winter Winner Issue features the work
from brilliant winners in the categories of flm,
photography and design.
As 2012 comes to an end, we remember the
hard work and dedicaton we have put into our
own work. We will also remember the work of
the individuals interviewed for these stories as
they talk about what being a winner means to
them.
Happy Holidays and thank you for supportng
Creatve Sugar, enjoy!
FROM THE
EDI TOR
EDI TOR- I N- CHI EF
V
I
S
U
A
L

A
R
T
ARTI ST J ARRETT BURCH 6
BY KENNETH LUNDQUI ST, J R
PORTRAI T OF AN ARTI ST 8
J OSEPH GUY GURKA
BY MARI LYN RECHT
KL J : FI L MMAKER OF THE YEAR 14
BY ETHAN BOI SVERT
TAKE ON FI L M 18
BY J OSEPH GAL LO
MEL I SSA ROBI N: 22
PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR
BY KENNETH LUNDQUI ST, J R.
VI TO ACCONCI : 28
DESI GNER OF THE YEAR
BY J EFF GRUNTHANER
P
E
R
F
O
R
M
A
N
C
E

A
R
T
COBRA CLUB 34
BY J EN PI TT
LUCENT ENCOUNTER 36
BY J EN PI TT
PANTO OR NOT PANTO 38
BY J ENNY GREEN
BABYSKI NGLOVE 40
BY J OHN THOMAS
s the winds rip through the city, rain peltng
the windows, the vibe of the evening is an
infectous excitement. I gaze at the work
of a painter who feels paintng is like breathing: its
something basic he just has to do.
Jarret Burchs art immediately reminds me of Rothko,
who happens to be one of his inspiratonal fgures.
I love the color feld painters such as Sam Gilliam
the New York School, he says. With rare excepton
its the 20
th
and 21
st
century painters, famous or not,
who are my gods. Richter and Frankenthaler. Many
others.
Jarrets creatve process is driven by music, novels,
and everything thats happened to him since child-
hood. Stylistcally he says he tries for the visual
equivalent of a song by A Place to Bury Strangers, or
the Bulgarian Womens Radio Chorusor Tom Waits
or Lennon and Onos #9 Dream. When everything is
working, whats happening on the canvas has a fow
but that process fow is diferent each tme Im at the
easel.
Jarret primarily works in acrylics, and mixes diferent
brands with diferent pigments. Theres usually quite
a bit of noisy stumbling involved. The process is a
pulsaton. Or a spasm, he says. His process is to paint
a while, step back or lie on the foor looking at the
canvas, and then step back into it.
He goes on to say, Instnctvely I know when a paint-
ing is fnished and if I push beyond that instnct usu-
ally its disaster. Spontaneity plays a big part in my
process and once thats not there, the act of paintng
is like trying to run in knee-deep mud. But any paint-
ing can be salvaged and reimagined.
Interestngly, Jarret doesnt feel comfortable work-
ing in a horizontal format. Vertcal? Fine. Square?
OK. There was one piece I did for an opera singer for
her midtown apartment that was quite a bit of work,
actually. It was to be a 3-foot by 4-foot enlargement
of a much smaller horizontal-format paintng from
years back that wasnt easy to reproduce at all.
Like most artsts Jarret is looking for that primal
resonance from his viewers: A resonance that shifs
frequency when you see it the next day or consider
it at a diferent angle. Maybe Im trying for a psycho-
spiritual mirror?
Working on larger scale canvases is a goal for Jar-
ret. Artstcally, he feels he can go as far as his work
leads him. The journey has been very interestng.
Whether anyone else ever sees the results is irrel-
evant. Growing up poor, we werent taught how to
dream and, going further, say, the wish of having a
solo exhibiton in any major city seems dangerously
delusional, though I wouldnt mind having a bigger
audience.
Deep red is Jarrets favorite color, and theres no
doubt that his artwork will contnue in the manner of
that color, with passionate, courageous beauty. Visit
jarretburch.com for more.

Elucidated Environments:
Artist Jarrett Burch
by Kenneth Lundquist, Jr.
A
Above left: accreti ons
below left: i stanbul
above ri ght: li la mae watson i s the one
below ri ght: ki ng of dogs
all pai nti ngs by j arrett burch
PORTRAIT
OF AN ARTIST
by Marilyn Recht
culptor Joseph (Joey) Guy Gurka is a warm
and funny New Jersey natve who is pas-
sionate and precise in his art. A serious
thinker, he cites Victor Delfn, Chuck Close,
Tom Friedman, Boaz Vaadia, and Joaquin Torres
Garcia as inspiraton. Here is an excerpt from his
philosophy:
I fnd beauty in decay. The
objects I collect have a history
imbedded in them. I am very bi-
ased with what art, flm, litera-
ture etcetera that I consume.
In these tmes of informaton
overload it can be quite difcult
to keep ones flter clean. As an
artst I behave as the catalyst.
I meet these objects at invari-
able points in their trajectories
and freeze them in tme. The
transformaton begins through
the union of seemingly dispa-
rate objects to create a greater
whole.... I allow my art to con-
trol me. Never vice versa.
Tell me about this [the keyboard piece].
One day I was running through Dumbo and notced
a piano overturned. Someone had just gone to town
on it, smashing the keys in with their feet. [For me]
its kind of like rescuing a wounded animal. I sat with
it for a while before beginning to deconstruct it by
cutng the wires, breaking of the keys and collectng
its diferent components to bring back into the studio.
My hands were all cut up and bloodied. [laughs] I sat
with the pieces for a while. The keys themselves are
what really struck me as being the most interestng
aspect.
Do you have a certain concept of this?
In the past it used to be the entertainment of the
household. Everyone would sit around the piano and
play music. This piano wasnt repaired as it would
have been in the past, but simply discarded and lef
on the roadside. Its prety amazing. More and more
I feel like people are losing the ability to communi-
cate or socialize around normal setngs. While I was
cutng the strings of the sound struck me as being
very compelling so I started recording the sound in
the background. It feels like its the ghost or spirit of
the piece and thats what spoke to me most. All the
discordance and abrasive notes are refected in the
energy I spent constructng it and the piece itself.
Its unttled?
Yes. I rarely ttle my pieces.
[Regarding the Column]:
This is a renditon of Brancusis Endless Column. I
primarily work with whats around me and Coke Zero
cans are in surplus in my apartment. I let the piece
slowly reduce in scale its more powerful and the
tension is more predominant on a smaller scale. I
designed a template to create the shape that would
then be folded, pop riveted, and placed over the dow-
els. This piece took me many many hours to fnalize
and to understand which directon it wanted to go in.
It went through many incarnatons, shapes: spirals,
cubes, squares, and then fnally went back to the
inital piece. Which is the endless column.
Sometmes I do approach a thing from a conceptual
point, whether its transforming the materials or
constructng something. Its a constant batle with
the materials but it always starts with gathering and
letng the pieces sit in my studio and then eventu-
ally they come together Im caught in the space in
between so I behave as a flter of sorts. Theres some
element of beauty and an object that has a history,
thats part of a persons life. Not specifcally the coke
can but most of the other objects were discarded.
Im paying homage to what they were so people will
see this strange discarded object as something a litle
more beautful.
Youve kind of inherited the Ready Made school?
It is in my psyche. The way they handled the materials
and treated them. I guess you could consider it more
of a low-brow art. I feel if the artsts hand is visible in
the piece and its not something thats super polished
or manufactured or mass produced that a person will
feel more inclined to approach it. People are fallible
and that needs to come through in the art. Im trying
to allow my personality to naturally come through the
piece without clobbering people over the head with
it.
[On the Anchor]
I had a dream afer losing a friend not physically but
spiritually. I dreamt there were all of these anchors
foatng, coming out from the water, its kind of like,
to borrow a [Milan Kundera] ttle, the incredible light-
ness of being, this weight was being lifed of me.
S
So it was a positve separaton?
Yes but not having known that untl it occurred.
And thus the balloon as well?
Yes its clear, sterile. This heavy object is perceived as
being suspended somewhat.
What is it made of, metal?
Actually its styrofoam that I treated to look like
rusted metal. There are actually tools for sculptng
in Styrofoam such as specifc blade types, hot knifes,
etc. The piece has coarse angles and edges. I wanted
it to have a raw metal feel. I sanded certain areas. If
you look close you can see some seams that lend to
welded metal. Its transforming the materials again to
have the person see an object as is. I could have just
taken a giant anchor and suspended it but
It wouldnt be your anchor.
Exactly. That would lend to the ready-made. I feel that
this is a lot sofer and more approachable.
I guess the advantage of not ttling is that you leave it
a mystery.
Or open-ended. Some pieces have dialog and some
do not. This [car] is a renditon of a work by Joaquin
Torres Garcia, hes a Uruguayan artst.
Is that rock or stone?
Its aluminum foil. I compressed all the foil and
treated it so it would rust. I then rubbed dirt on it. I
wanted it to look as if it had been dug up from the
earth. When I was in Argentna I was really drawn to
his work for some reason. I later read that he had a
huge exhibit in Rio and there was a fre that he lost a
lot of his work in. I had a similar thing happen to me
when I was in college. There was a fre in the house
where my art was being stored and it was destroyed.
The water to extnguish that fre fnished the job. I
was kind of thinking about all that when I was making
the piece. Ive always felt drawn to Latn America.
[On Metamorphosis or the piece that created itself]
This was a balloon that I flled with insulaton and let
sit for a few days to semi-harden. I then pierced the
base, lef the studio, and when I returned the next
evening I found what hadnt dried started oozing out.
It just kept collectng and transforming itself and
at tmes it looks like its defying gravity. Just frozen
in place. Its a natural formaton. This is for me the
most successful as far as what Im trying to do in
transforming materials. At that point I realized the
piece took on its own life and I became a bystander
in the process. You could see how the plastc is fus-
ing with the material; as days go by more and more
oxygen escapes. The way the materials are fusing
together it almost looks like its a plastc castng of
some sort. The silver is paint. I literally had to trim
the amber like material at points because it became
so impregnated.
A lot of artmaking is just working through the prob-
lems. If youre afraid of the problem then youre
not going to have the forttude to solve it. Its being
at war with it of sorts. Its very seldom pure love. Is
this working? Is this not working? Its easy to keep
yourself insulated and just stay in the fantasy that its
complete before you get there.
[On the balanced foor piece (tower)]
I dont necessarily sketch, I just start playing with
materials to understand them. I used a dowel that I
dissected into small pieces and began building small
structures with to see what worked for me. This is
eventually what I decided upon. I had an idea of the
materials and I put it out there in the universe or
what have you. I thought about it, I meditated on
it every day. Its very difcult to shif gearsIm a
professional, Im a commercial worker, Im an artst. I
take pictures with my iPhone all the tme just to keep
my eye fresh and it helps fesh out what I want to
work on.
What are these slats made of?
These are actually blinds. I treated them because I
wanted them to look like metal to increase the ten-
sion. When you get close it almost feels like theyre
vibratng. I like mate, not anything glossy, too
overpolished. I dont feel like everything needs to be
so clean. Its painted with chalk paint and the bolts
are actually just primed The inspiraton was the
transmission towers, the electrical towers everyone
complains about giving them cancer. Lying under-
neath one I found solace beneath all the intersectng
lines.
Where was this?
In New Jersey. It was a family functon and I just
wanted to go for a walk and theres enough transmis-
sion towers in Jersey. I want to actually have a mirror
beneath the piece so it appears endless. I have an
afnity towards creatng towers for some reason.
Sometmes the meaning of something doesnt come
tll afer you create it. Just have to see where it takes
you.
How are these balanced?
Theyre literally just stacked one on top of the other.
Theyre balanced. Tension and anxiety, what I feel
right now [laughs]. If you get close, if you ever see
red and blue but up against one another, the colors
vibrate. This has a similar feel. Theres a lot of energy
in this piece.
How long have you been sculptng? Youre very seri-
ous about it.
Consistently? Since I got studio space in 08. But Ive
always done it in college. So 12+ years. I lost a lot of
my pieces but theyre stll always with you. I wonder
if I was to revisit them what voice would I have. You
write a poem and you lose it and you write it again,
its revised because youre employing diferent sen-
sibilites. Theres constant progression. I think about
other pieces I did in the past and they had a more
assemblage kind of feel.
What/who inspires you?
I dont really look for inspiraton. Its like having a
running partner. Once they bail youre lef to your
own devices. So why harbor this dependency. Chuck
Close once said, Inspiraton is for amateurs. Real
artsts show up and get to work. Thats what it is, its
not like there are these magical epiphanies. You gota
work through it, you gota fgure it out. But some
pieces, [Disdain for the beachball of death, not
pictured here], that was a concept, it came from frus-
traton at the beachball of death as anyone who owns
a Mac can relate to. This piece here [Metamorphosis
or the piece that created itself] was about the trans-
formaton, about transforming on its own. I purely
behaved as catalyst, I just let it be. But others like the
column are well thought out. I needed to design the
template and work through all of these incarnatons.
Other things are inspired by sharing a story about
someone I never met. Like the car piece. Other things
are sheer love of the material, the color relatonship.
What made you choose the medium?
I like the freedom that it ofers. I feel like people
are less intmidated by sculpture and therefore will
engage with it more. I found paintng to be quite
constraining. Not to menton the silent competton
with paintngs long history. Being concerned with the
space between things both physically and metaphori-
cally, I fnd working in 3D to translate beter to the
person experiencing the piece. They are less inclined
to feel the need to discover the meaning such as in
a 2D piece but instead experience it fresh as if theyve
just discovered something.
You can contact Joseph at josephguygurka@gmail.
com. His Web site (in progress) is josephguygurka.
com
ALL ART BY JOSEPH GUY GURKA
PHOTOS BY LAURA BLER
KLJ aka Kenneth Lundquist, Jr. has an aura about
himsomething uncommon, confdent, and warm
its hard to say, exactly. Hes like a movie star,
mysterious in manner and opulent by design. Hes
been seen in the underground arts scene throughout
the New York City region for some tme, but now
his renaissance is beginning to take a more concrete
form. I had the chance to sit with him and discuss
the recent honor of being awarded Filmmaker of
the Year 2012, NYC from RAW natural born artsts.
Its an interestng story...in a roundabout way flm
chose me. I went to school for music compositon. I
quickly learned that a surefre way for folks to listen
to my music was to make a moving visual to the
track. I began creatng short flms to accompany my
music, and shared them via the web. This was at a
tme when Facebook didnt exist, and YouTube was
just beginning to be the norm. Afer a few of the
flms debuted, folks commissioned complete flms
from me, rather than just music. So began my flm
career and opened the door for WulfLynx Studios,
my full service arts consultancy. With WulfLynx,
Ive been able to extend my creatve reach further
than I could as a solo artst. Plus, it provides me
the awesome opportunity to collaborate with,
and consult for, amazing artsts, companies, and
organizatons.
Its not uncommon that passionate creatve types
have their hands in many pies. I asked KLJ what his
inspiraton would be.
The interconnectvity of everything in the Universe
is what truly inspires me. I fnd such delight in the
fnest of details. The delicate workings of this grand
and graceful machine are truly magical ofen I
stand in awe of it all! I believe within this vast scape
of potental, creatvity exists as the truest form of
expression.
Its hard not to agree with him; with all these
expansive ideas, I ask about his interestng
approaches to creatve expression in flm.
Ive found that most flmmakers spend much of
their producton tme planning, storyboarding,
and such. I prefer to shoot on the fy within that
organizatonal approach. I fnd that spontaneity
combined with proper planning creates the best
result. In working with actors, I like to throw them
into a scene where the basic arch is understood, and
they have the opportunity to infuse improvisaton
KJL:
Filmmaker
of the Year
by ethan boisvert

photo by meli ssa robi n photography

into their performance. What interests me the most
about flm, besides creatve collaboraton, directng,
and composing music for itis the business side of
flmmaking. I thoroughly enjoy producing, truly an
art unto itself.
Spontaneity is a great force that provides the
realness of wondrous creatvity. Im sure there are
some partcular moments from previous shoots?
His intense eyes show he has some incredible
adventures to share.
My most memorable flmmaking experience
is certainly when I was in Kabul, Afghanistan
& Kinshasa, DRCongo. I was in these locatons
creatng a documentary series about the travels
of a humanitarian pilot who worked with the
United Natons. The frst flm, HEART - The Congo
Chronicles, went on to win the Golden Reel Award
from the Nevada Film Festval in 2009. The second
and last flm in the series, The Common Humanity,
which was shot in Kabul and Bamiyan, Afghanistan,
is set to be released in early 2013. Being in these
locatons, interactng with the communites there,
gave me such a world scope in terms of my place in
the world. I saw abject poverty, death by disease,
hunger, unclean or lack of water, deplorable
living conditons, and general despair. Above all, I
encountered a sense of life that perseveres through
the most challenging of circumstances. It was
wonderfully magnanimous!
Afer all this, I ask what the honor of being awarded
Filmmaker of the Year, 2012, NYC must be like.
RAW natural born artsts is a fabulous organizaton
designed to give artsts of all disciplines of creatvity
exposure in a world of tmid markets and radical
trends. Im so excited for the future of where RAW
will grow & evolve to. Winning Filmmaker of the
Year NYC 2012 from RAW natural born artsts is a
fantastc honor! The music video Ohayoo Ohio
is the flm that won me the RAWard. It also won
the Coolest Flick award from the Silk City Flick
Fest in 2010. The flm is in a 60s espionage style
with the music of the internatonally acclaimed jazz
orchestra, Pink Martni. I produced and starred in the
flm. It is my hope that this award will provide even
more credibility to my work. Being an independent
flmmaker in a world of contnuous consumpton and
super-saturaton of media can be quite challenging.
Rising above the crowd has always been my goal in
creaton.
Certainly, a bright future from here is obvious. Whats
on your plate for the upcoming year?
In additon to the upcoming release of The
Common Humanity, Im working on an art
documentary centering around the abstract painter
Ethan Boisvert and his quest for 7 huge murals of
his work as public art in downtown Hartord, CT.
Im also working with acclaimed writer Michael
Cianci to produce a series of short flms based on
his scripts. Plus, Ill be producing & directng several
music videos for up & coming artsts, and other
projects as they materialize. Music hasnt fallen to
the wayside, as Ive composed a new concept album
for the Manhatan-based jazz singer Tierney Boisvert,
which is set to premier mid-2013; and I contnue to
compose material for future projects both personal
and commissioned.
Being the consummate gentleman, he insists on
giving a few partng words.
Id like to thank RAW natural born artsts,
Creatve Sugar magazine, all of my supporters, and
friends. Most of all Id like to thank Melissa Robin and
Ethan Boisvert for being the greatest friends anyone
could ask for. Im confdent that the future will
contnue to hold new and excitng adventures for me;
and I welcome them with grattude and open arms!
For more about KLJ, visit kljinc.com and Like him on
Facebook at facebook.com/kljinc
Above left: kl j photo by meli ssa robi n photography
below left: kl j photo by meli ssa robi n photography
above ri ght: kl j photo by sabato vi sconti
TAKE ON FI LM
BY J OSEPH GALLO
SUNFLOWER TAKEN WI TH A 50 MM L ENS. TAKEN
WI TH THE L I GHT COMI NG FROM BEHI ND THE
BLOOM. THE L EAVES APPEAR AL MOST TRANSPAR-
ENT. I LOVE THE CONTRAST BL ACK AND WHI TE
GI VES.
A GUM TREE SEED TAKEN AT PROSPECT PARK WI TH
A 50MM L ENS. THE ROUND STONE COMPL I MENTS
THE SEED. THE APERTURE I S WI DE OPEN MAKI NG
THE BACKGROUND CREAMY AND DRAWI NG ATTEN-
TI ON TO THE SEED.
A FL AG TAKEN WI TH A 50 MM L ENS AT 1 PENN
PL AZA. I SAW AN OPPORTUNI TY FOR A PATRI OTI C
I MAGE. THE FL AG LOOKS TATTERED BY THE WI ND.
PROSPECT PARK. A SI L HOUETTE OF A BI RD I N A
TREE. SI L ENT AND STRONG. WHAT CANNOT BE
SEEN CAN SOMETI MES GI VE AN I MAGE POWER.
I STUDI ED BL ACK AND WHI TE FI L M PHOTOGRAPHY
UNDER MI CHAEL SI LVERWI SE, AND COLOR FI L M
PHOTOGRAPHY UNDER CHRI STI NE CAL L AHAN AT THE
I NTERNATI ONAL CENTER OF PHOTOGRAPHY.
Good Game. Two-hour looped
performance of a post baseball game
hand slap, 2010.
Photo provided by Artsts.
ts a mild, late-fall afernoon. Melissa Robin is standing behind her Canon 5d
Mark 2a usual and familiar spot for her. Her sapphire blue eyes shimmer at
the perfectly composed environment through her favorite 85mm lens. She
smiles knowingly; this is simply her destny at work.
The reality is, photography chose me. Before, nothing else seemed to give
me such release and inspiraton. In the frst few moments of holding my frst
camera I knew photography was going to be a powerful infuence. It is a way
of life, it is how I let go of all my negatve energy, it is how I heal and it is how
I celebrate what is most important in my life. There is nothing more satsfying
then capturing a beautful moment or visually creatng a dream and sharing
it.
In absorbing Melissas body of work, one can surmise that inspiraton is some-
thing in full supply for her.
Im inspired by a range of things: color, music, light, my dreams and mostly
human emotons. All of these combine, overlap and separate in diferent ratos
and inspire me endlessly. But I must say, it really is all about connectng with
my subject: the moment they open up and let me pass the walls guarding their
heart, is when the magic begins. Telling their story, seeing unhindered emo-
tons pour out from their eyes, allowing what was once closed of to surface
and breathe, release and heal; this is what Im drawn to, compelled to capture,
to share, and what I love most.
MELI SSA ROBI N:
PHOT OGRAPHE R
OF THE YEAR
BY KENNETH LUNDQUI ST, J R.
I
sands of ti me by meli ssa robi n photography
I like to scout for interestng places. When I was
based in New Hampshire, fnding an abandoned
warehouse or serene clearing surrounded by forest
or a new river turn was very easy and abundant.
Now, based in New York City, my scoutng has ex-
panded with urban infuence: alleys, buildings with
interestng fxtures, windows, doors or stairs, the
many parks and certainly any place with an amazing
skyline. I geo-tag any place that piques my interest
and when a new model or concept starts to form, I
go through my catalogue and pair up the most ftng
locaton.
I asked her what some of her fondest moments are
in creatng her magnifcent photography.
Its hard to choose one or two favorite memo-
ries: the moment my subject or model opens up
is defnitely one but I also enjoy the behind the
scenes moments. The prep work on set: watching
the model transform with hair and make-up, seeing
the elements of costume, character, background and
concept interactng, and all the funny things I say
and make them do, just to get the perfect shot. Its
always a lot of hard work for everyone involved but
seeing it all come together makes it worth it.
Melissa has recently been awarded Photographer of
the Year, NYC 2012 from RAW natural born artsts.
She describes her reacton and elaton for such a
wonderful honor.
Honestly, I am very humbled by this award. Look-
ing back on my photography over the years, I cannot
only see my growth but I can also see my style
evolving and working into each concept. This award
validates my path and will serve as a reminder that
how I interpret the world is supported and known,
and that my progress is not just seen by my eyes. I
know there were many amazing photographers
from NYC competng, and that I was a fnalist lef me
dumbfounded. Now, having won, I will not take it for
granted.
The art of photography envelops an enormous
range of subject mater and I am hoping this will
bring new eyes, new minds, new ideas and, mostly,
more empathy into an area I feel is overlooked.
There is real beauty in the painful and generally
deemed ugly facets of life and I know the healing
power that comes from investgatng and explor-
ing through the darkness of sadness. By seeing my
interpretaton, I hope for more people to refect and
bow by meli ssa robi n photography
discover a connecton to me, or the concept, or the
emoton, or any element, really, and then to concep-
tualize their feelings with art as an outlet. I strive to
make dreams a reality. Whether that happens by trav-
eling, writng, paintng, photography, fghtng crimes
or learning endless facts about things I had no idea
existedjust go do whatever it is that will make you
happy. You are the only limitaton in your life.
I am currently in the middle of an introspectve 366
self-portrait project: one self-portrait every day since
January 1st. I had no idea how difcult this would be,
not only to keep up with, but how invasive I could
be to myself. However, this project is proving its
worth and looking back, I can see a lot of strengths
and weaknesses where I might not have acknowl-
edged them before. It has also pushed me to stay
focusedfnding inspiraton and being creatve daily.
This project has been exhaustng, yet entertaining and
rewarding. I plan on contnuing with my portrait and
wedding business as those industries keep me current
and the clientele are always fun and wonderful. I will
keep photographing the fne art series I have already
started and hope to have them published in a series
of books, once fnished. And, of course, the ones stll
forming in my mind and in my dreams, I hope to start
shootng soon. I also plan on traveling more, out of
the country if possible, and using the new environ-
ments and cultures I fnd in my photography.
I want to thank my family and my friends. I would
not be here without them and I am forever thankful
for their unconditonal support and how they have
helped shape me. Along with them, the creatve
community I have been immersed inthere are so
many wonderful models, photographers, make-up
artsts and just creatve souls I have been lucky to
meet and work with over the years. All of them have,
in some way, infuenced me. You are all beautful,
thank you.
Learn more about Melissa, and see her work:
www.melissarobinphoto.com
Top: Take me away
Bottom: Hurri cane
by meli ssa robi n photography
photo by ri chard kern
cconci Studio is a decidedly collaboratve enterprise. Originally founded in 1988, many people gener-
ally those formally trained in architecture and designhave been involved with the studio since its incep-
ton. Originatng in the mind of Vito Acconci, the studio is bent on the realizaton of individuated freedom
relatve to a persons environmentseeking to design spaces that can readily translate into whatever is
most suitable to a persons desires and needs. This being the ideal, Acconci Studio works are not art. Acconci
himself vehemently dislikes this term, consistently pointng out that the productons bearing his name are not
aesthetc in any traditonal sense. Nevertheless, its undeniableas will be shown in the following inter-
viewthat Acconci Studio designs are extremely lovely, if only for the reason that they upset our habitual
notons of spatal utlity, fipping them in such a way that conventonal characteristcs of design come to be
reconsidered.
Acconci Studio designs are generally distnguished by an aura of radical displacement, a kind of alienaton
from their surrounding circumstances, like eforescences dtourned from the customary limitatons of tme
and space. Due to the collaboratve process underlying each work, Acconcis designs propose non-linear
responses to the constructon of space, troubling conventonal dichotomies of interior/exterior, object/enclo-
sure, entrances/exits, and even the temporality of before/afer relatonships. In efect, collaboratve discussion
functons as a kind of middle term between premises arguing that architecture realize a radically ungoverned
freedom, and practcable design ideas that can be structured into public spaces already earmarked by some
socially proscribed utlity.
When I interviewed Acconci, he was highly conscious that the design he was going to present at Design Miami
was stll in a nascent, undeveloped state. Intended as a buildable structure that would engage a variety of
dissimilar persons, he seemed slightly dismayed by (if not wholly indiferent to) the fact that the fair would be
atended by mainly collectors and an interested public actng as monied tourists. At frst, Acconci spoke about
his project with some reluctance, referring to Design Miami as a more or less avant-furniture fair coinciding
with the fve-day schedule of Art Basel. But since Design Miami had awarded him the honor of Designer of the
Year, enthusiasm gradually picked up, and Vito started to use me as a sounding board for a project that was at
the tme only in its conceptual stages. The following conversaton demonstrates Vito Acconcis unique sensibil-
ity, in which literal fact shades into revolutonary theory, evidencing that humanity cannot truly be free untl
people can freely construct the architectural environments they inhabit.
-
VI TO ACCONCI
AT DESI GN MI AMI
BY J EFF GRUNTHANER
A
I want to do new pi eces. . . new begi nni ngs of pi eces.
I can draw i t [a stage]--I can
pul l out a pl an. I t d be easi er to
draw i t. . .
Can you tell me about Design Miami? How did you get
involved with it?
We were picked.
How does it relate to Art Basel?
This has nothing to do with galleries. Its not an art
fair; its a design fair. There are two at the same tme.
Theres a design and then an art fair. Like Zaha Hadid
got Designer of the Year a few years ago. Its always a
designer. It has nothing to do with artsts. The art fair
has been around a long tme. The design fair, maybe
only less than fve years
Are they marketed together? Are they simultaneous?
Theyre simultaneous. Theyre togetheror well, not
too much. Theyre in diferent places. The art fair is
always much, much, much more popular than the de-
sign fair. Because the design fair, well, the design fair
is mostly a furniture fair. So there are probably just
as many things to buy as at an art fairat probably
lower prices, unless its one of a kind.
How are you approaching designing the project youre
going to do?
Well, we were given a space. I want to doI mean
this is probably implausible. I dont want to show
whole pieces. I want to do new pieces. Well, new
new beginnings of pieces.
You mean use the design fair as a kind of stage..?
Far from a stage. Because I want people... People are
going to walk through it. Its a threeI mean I can
draw itI can pull out a plan. Itd be easier to draw
it
This is outsidethe sidewalk, row of buildings. This is
the street. Theres an entrance herebut theres also
an entrance here, when I saw it about a week or so
ago
So its three long rooms?
Yeah, like 75 f. This is not do much a room. This goes
through to a kind of interior courtyard. So when I saw
ityou go through here. This is a ramp. Its a ramp
up. And then you can go into an entrancethrough
this room or this room. This can be used as a room.
All glass here. And this is all glass.
So you can see through them?
. . .to be constantl y pl aces that
peopl e woul d go i nto.
. . . mesh behi nd mesh behi nd mesh.
Yeah. Totally. Totally.
Did they give you the space, or did you model it?
They gave it. Modeled? No...
Because maybe they wanted to give you something
that you could work with specifcally...?
Well, it was a choice between this and a larger space
that was unbroken. This space has a lot of diferent
incident in it. Like there might be something coming
out here. There might be something there. You go
in here. I chose this specifcally for that; because I
though the only way we could do something was to
te into already existent spaces.
I hate clean white spaces. I dont know what to do
there. So I defnitely chose against a clean white
space. Whereas here Its kind ofthe way were
thinking of it is somewhere between virtual and an
actual. The base materials going to be meshthough
this is too small scale. So, for example, its going to be
constantly places that people would go into.
Could you elaborate on what you mean by incident?
Usually gallery spaces are totally clean white spaces.
This has railings here. This has a room to go into here.
So theres already stuf there. And stuf maybe we
can now play of of to make a space within a space.
These kinds of spaces. Wed like to try to work with
light, but I dont know how much lights going to work
here. The space is very, very lit. Though its open at
night, too.
When you say spacedo you mean objects like youd
place here and there?
No. Make a space: an enclosure. No objects.
(draws)
But itll be made, I mean, the way were thinking now.
Each enclosure will be made of mesh behind mesh
behind mesh behind mesh. You can turn. And its a
way to be able to do something thatmaybe doesnt
need to have structure. Things can all hang from the
ceiling. And then there would be a cut through it. So
the walls would be the edges of mesh.
Is this a livable environment? An inhabitable space?
Its fve days. (Laughs)
In terms of its being a draf, though.
. . . i t s a cross between vi rtual and physi cal .
I mean, we coul d have done a
show of a number of furni ture
pi eces. But we woul d have had to
shi p them al l . We woul d have had
to spend so much money and ev-
erythi ng. Why bother to do that?
I don t want to show peopl e what
we ve [al ready] done. . .
. . . i f a vi rtual space i s tri ed and tri ed and tri ed. . .
eventual l y somebodys goi ng to fi gure out how to
make i t, how to turn i t i nto a physi cal space. But
I don t know i f that can ever happen---or i t s a
total l y di fferent worl d.
No. Not at all. Thats why Im saying: Its like a walk-
through model. But I dont even know what its going
to model yet. Because I have no idea what the proj-
ects going to be. But theyll all be diferent. Therell
be voicevoice describing possible projects. But I
dont know what that will be. Thats why Im saying
its a cross between virtual and physical.
But this project stems from work you already do. It
stems from interests you already have.
Well, I cant help but do that. But I dont know what
any of the things would be, untl we start to design
this. I mean, when I did installatons in the 70s, the
audio always came last. I always needed to have
an idea of the space frst. But this is a way to try to
antcipate possible projects. Every project tries to
do something we didnt do before. I mean, we could
have done a show of a number of furniture pieces.
But we would have had to ship them all. We would
have had to spend so much money and everything.
Why bother to do that?
I dont want to show people what weve done. I want
to try to make a space that would be a chance for us
to start to think of what happens if we have to think
of a piece now.
It seems that the ideal you try to approach in design
is a totally freely modeled space. Meaning: this ob-
ject or this enclosure could be any number of things
someone desires it to be. Youve spoken of walls that
could be either a toilet or a table or a chair
Yeah, I dont know if weve done that so much. I
would like to have a space that people could change
into a version of their own space. I dont know if
weve really done that, though. Its feasible. But
its feasible in a way that really isnt I dont know
how to make a space that a person goes into, and,
this might be a wall, then they lean against it and it
becomes a seat.
But we do know how to make spaces that can hinge.
So it can be part of the wall or not. Thats not really
choice; because there are only two maybe three
choices. So the choices are already set up.
Yeah, its administered. Like administered freedom
Yeah, and that I dont know how to change that. I
think things will change in the future because I think
something that maybe digital thinking and computa-
tonal thinking can lead to is possibly something like
that. But right now, the computatonal and digital
. . . [Peopl e] are al ways goi ng to thi nk of
me as the person who di d Seedbed. . . So,
i f were Desi gner of the Year---they mi ght
have to do a doubl e-take.
i t s a prel ude; i t s an anti ci pati on; i t s a physi -
cal space that were usi ng as a ki nd of model .
stuf really exists much more on the computer than in
a physical space. But I wonder sometmes if a virtual
space is tried and tried and triedthat eventually
somebodys going to fgure out how to make it, how
to turn it into a physical space. But I dont know if
that can ever happenor its a totally diferent world.
How do you contextualize this project in relaton to
previous Acconci Studio designs?
I dont think weve done anything like this, because
weve never done anything frst of all so fast. But a lot
of it wasthey only told us about thiswhat is it now,
a month ago? I think its important for us because I
dont think people think of us enough as designers.
Theyre always going to think of me as the person
who did Seedbed. So, if were Designer of the
Yearthey might have to do a double-take. I mean
sure, in an art context, almost everyone thinks of us
as artsts. They dont even know the work we do now.
And you cant really decide on the project youre go-
ing to do untl youve seen the space
Weve seen the space. But we havent seen what
were going to put into it. But I dont think we need to
see what were going to put into it. We just need to
plan it and see it in rendering. We have a litle model
that weve started, but nothings in it yet.
So, either you can render it virtually, which is sort of
the same as going there physically
But this space would never be the space in which
these things are actually built in. Its just there for fve
days. So its a prelude; its an antcipaton; its a physi-
cal space that were using as a kind of model.

YOGA + BAR = COBRA CLUB
explori ng a uni que concept

Yoga and Spirits is the moto of the countrys
frst Yoga BarThe Cobra Clublocated in the
heart of Bushwick of the Jeferson L stop. It might
seem surprising to many that this concept did not
sprout years ago, especially in Brooklyn. However,
as gentrifcaton moves farther east, making its way
from Williamsburg to Bushwick, the Cobra Club
maintains low prices, excellent deals, and a laid-
back, unpretentous mood. This is how owners Julia
Hufman, Nikki Koch, and Dana Bushman like their
business to runno-nonsense cocktails, and no-
nonsense yoga. A common motf is enjoying the
now, which matches the balance of Yoga and Spirits
just right.
These women have been working in the biz for a
while. Julia Hufman was co-owner of Greenpoints
Lulus and also general manager of the Lower East
Sides The Delancey. Nikki Koch owned a cofee
shop in Seatle for many years and co-owned a bar
in Manhatan. The three of them began taking yoga
classes together under Jay Brown. Afer class they
would feel such a sense of openness and bliss that it
sparked conversaton between them, and they would
search for a nearby relaxed bar they could hang out
at. I felt like the best version of myself aferwards,
and wanted a place to let that feeling linger, said
Nikki. Then the idea came to them: to open a space
where people could beneft from the practce of yoga
and relish it aferward, before resuming the busy
demands of the city. Nikki resides in Bushwick and
thinks of it as a place with a lot of people and not a
lot of places [to go and we thought it would embrace
and enjoy the bars concept.
A striking characteristc of the club is its staf, which
is relentlessly hardworking and friendly. Plenty of
customers have become regulars in the few months
since it opened in early July and say they chose the
Cobra Club because of its staf. The space doubles
as a cofee shop in the daytme, where people feel
comfortable to sit with a book and a cup of tea,
or write on their laptopsyet amazingly the place
never looks like a laptop-infested cofee shop or a
drunken storm of teenagers. This owes itself largely
to Nikkis rule that there be no Jgerbombs, no Red
Bull, no puke fest. The selecton of alcohol here is
sophistcated and diverse, starring a diverse selecton
of prime tequilas and whiskeys. Nikki and Julia
developed a tasty and powerful specialty cocktail
menu with the help of awarded mixologist, Josh
Demarca. From a jalapeo tequila-infused Dead
Lock to a Prosecco and St Germaine Return of the
Fly, there is something for everyone, with top shelf
liquor and fresh squeezed juices.
A high standard isnt only reserved for the alcohol
component of this establishment. They make sure
that all their products, food, cofee and dairy, be
locally sourced and organic.
Nikki Koch teaches many of the yoga classes at
The Cobra Club and plans on taking on more of a
yoga instructor role as the business grows. She has
been practcing for ten years and teaching for three
and a half. Her philosophy of yoga is that it be as
acceptng and opening as possible. You will never
see a power yoga class take place here, or a hot yoga
class. She says those forms of yoga, though popular,
force the body to work at a rhythm the body might
not necessarily be comfortable with, which in turn
breeds judgment and compettonboth of which
deviate from the purpose of yoga. She explains
further that The noton of Classical Alignment
comes from one single master and has been passed
down how can all the worlds bodies perform in
the same way as one masters? Plus this is a man
who grew up squatng at meals, using his body in a
million diferent ways from other people or whole
cultures. Another element that detracts from self
judgment is the lack of mirrors in their yoga room:
It isnt a dance class, you have to live in the moment
of yoga and feel it in your body, not focus on seeing
it. Nikki and a few others teach yoga and Pilates
everyday at least twice daily at the club. Saturdays
and Sunday feature a 1pm hangover yoga class
which strays from upside down poses and rewards
you with a complimentary Mimosa or Bloody Mary
aferwardsbringing the bar and the yoga elements
into a cozy unison.
The Cobra Club, 6 Wyckof Ave. Jeferson L stop.
BY J EN PI TT
nter the carnivalesque theater world of Lucent
Dossier, hailing from laid-back Los Angeles to regale
tumultuous New York City with their show, Lucent
Encounter, which is playing at the Liberty Theater untl
January. The ambulatory group is a motley collage of
many personalites and abilites, including but not limited
to aerialists, contortonists, dancers, belly dancers,
singers, acrobats, painters and other characters. The
artstc director, who goes by the name Dream, says that
she sees herself as less of a director and more like that
carved wooden woman at the bow of a ship (which afer
much head scratching we remembered was technically
called fgurehead), partng the waves and leading the
way. There is certainly something strikingly mermaidly
about Dream, who is tall and has fowing blonde hair.
Dream revealed that at the beginning of her career she
pined for the Broadway life and spent most of her youth
in New York as a classical dancer and actor only to fnd
that she couldnt put her fnger on what was stfing
about it. Soon a sparked curiosity led her to Burning
Man, where she was exposed to the whirlwind of fre
dancing, acrobatcs and wild-child performances. Up untl
this point, she said, the problem was I was always a bit
of a hippy with a punk rock side and the people like me
I had encountered before, honestly, were just not hard
workers. Then I went to Burning Man and found these
crazy and free performers that had an amazing work
ethic and said yes lets to everythingand ultmately
that is the motor of our companyyes lets. Many
performers initate themselves into theater in a classical
manner only to fnd it repettve and unfulflling, or
perhaps in this day and age, flm and T.V. have replaced
the classical role of theater, challenging performers and
directors to take it up a notch and think, or rather act,
outside the box.
I also spoke to Dayna, one of the troupes original cast
members, who is also responsible for management and
correspondence. One day she saw Dream and another
partner rummaging through an L.A. fast food chains
dumpster for chicken bones they would then bleach and
use for the set of their frst show ever. And, afer years
of success, I do not doubt that Dream would do that
againmaking this company truly devoid of hierarchy
and flled with whimsical humility.
The company collaborated with the DoLab and shared
a warehouse space in the heart of downtown L.A.
where some of the cast members live and describe as a
magical palace of imaginaton and creaton. The DoLab
specializes in constructng interactve environments;
clearly the shared space made the sky the limit in terms
of what feats could be accomplished. This allowed Lucent
to manifests their ideas as physically big as possible.
Throughout the past few years Lucent Dossier has been
invited to showcase their craf at Coachellaa perfect
venue that links people to new forms of performance.
Coachella has served as a springboard for many
other projects. Because Lucent Dossier makes itself
an ambience, an atmosphere, festvals like Coachella
and Burning Man add to the audiences experience
as they enter these non-quotdian setngs. When I
frst experienced Lucent at the El Ray theater in L.A.,
it was like a party that seamlessly turned itself into a
spectacle. There were moving musical pieces; an aerial
love scene on a huge, suspended, rotatng half moon;
a painter bringing a canvas to life. Intermissions usually
serve as small pauses from a performance, but Lucent
keeps the disbelief suspended throughout, with music
and dance and some character interacton between set
changes. Although there was a stage, the audience was
completely connected to the performers and a united
experience was created. This is what makes every
Lucent Dossier performance unique, the sharing of a
communal spirit in a given place.
How does Lucent keep their shows unique and fuid?
The cast rely heavily on movement improvisaton as a
base for most of their scenes. This requires that they
be very tght-knit and connected to each other, which
is immediately apparent. Christne Ivy, one of the
choreographers and dancers, said they came up with a
last minute rat dance sequence for this performance
because we had found an interestng way in which the
human body poses itself as a rat; it triggers many plots
and movement sequencesplus it conjures a certain
New York imagery, so they put it in the show. When
I asked Dream about this, she asserted that (using
another nautcal metaphor) though I might cast a net
and gather the material, it is them that provide it.
Lucent Dossier will be performing at the Liberty Theater
untl January, so be sure to check it out. They are also
available for private bookings for events and partes.
LUCENT
ENCOUNTER
BY J EN PI TT
E
LUCENT
ENCOUNTER
BY J EN PI TT
PHOTO BY SEQUOI A EMMANUEL L E
PHOTO BY PHI L HOL L AND
For a country that has championed the business of
show more than any other, it is confounding that
America has not yet plundered the theatrical treasure
that is Panto. Panto is short for pantomime, but never
use that word on these shores, as folks arrive dumb-
founded, expectng to see Marcel Marceau. PANTO IS
NOT MIME, though it does borrow from the European
traditon of Commedia. Panto, so far, is a distnctly
Britsh thing, which also means it has some founda-
ton in Blightys Commonwealth parts (oh the Raj!). In
American terms, elements of the form exist in vaude-
ville, musical theatre, childrens theatre and even
sports events, yet it is more than the sum of these
parts. According to the Litle Oxford Dictonary (which
is the perfect size for Transatlantc travel), pantomime
is:n. dramatc usu. Christmas entertainment based on
fairy-tale.
But so few words do a grave disservice to the highly
physical and fabulous spectacle that is an essental
staple of the Britsh and Irish festve calendar. Panto
takes a well-known fairytale or fable, with its exter-
nal dynamic of Good versus Evil, and a meltng pot
cast of larger than life characters, usually featuring
a principal boy whos a girl, a dame who is a large
and entrely unfeminine dude, and even a horse of
two people (the rear role being the low point in any
actors career). This mix is then strred with a healthy
dose of local colour and satre and songs that may be
parodies or direct copies of current popular music.
Hilarity ensues with the vast amounts of irreverence
and innuendo that any Britsh accent allows. And the
vital garnish of the form is audience interacton, in
routnes that have become as familiar as smog to the
Brits, such as Hes behind you, Oh no he isnt, and/
or Oh yes he is, with liberal usage of jeering and
hissing, along with any other schtck that may pop up
during the course of a show. Christmastme would just
not be Christmastme without a Panto (whatever your
religious stripe, or lack of, might be).
Not only is Panto the most genuine and big-hearted
fulfllment of the fun for the entre family clich,
but it is really the most democratzing form of theatre
imaginable: if people only go to the theatre once a
year or even once in a lifetme - they ought to go
to a Panto. In fact, it is usually the frst live entertain-
ment that Britsh children see. And it exists on every
level, from scout-huts in the boon-dog-shires to the
fanciest playhouses in Londons West End. As such,
Panto has been saving Britsh theatre since the days of
David Garrick, putng bums on seats since the early
1700s. When the aforementoned actor-manager frst
began managing the Drury Lane theatre, circa 1747,
PANTO
OR NOT
PANTO
photo by j ohn watts
he spurned the vulgarity of the Panto, promising the
pursuit of higher arts:
Tis yours this night to bid the reign commence
Of rescud nature and reviving sense;
To chase the charms of sound, the pomp of show,
For useful mirth and salutary woe;
Bid scenic virtue from the rising age,
And truth difuse her radiance from the stage.
Unfortunately, the ever-present realites of economics
soon strained Garricks elitsm and he was prompted
to throw in his lot with the populist romps. According
to The Drama, vol XV: Britsh Drama (ed. Alfred Bates,
1903), the genius of nonsense would swell the re-
ceipts to $1,000 a week, double the usual take. And
audiences lapped up a 20% price hike for their Panto
fx, paying 5 shillings for a box.
The true champion of the Britsh pantomime was one
John Rich, described in the above volume as a coarse
illiterate man with a strong dramatc genius. In
1717, with the stage name Lun, he began acclaimed
albeit, at this tme, MUTE - performances as the
Italian commedia archetype, Arlecchino, in Harlequin
Executed. Not to be outdone, in 1723 the competng
Drury Lane theatre produced a much more elaborate
spoken comedy, Harlequin Doctor Faustus, which
is considered the frst true English pantomime. This
sparked a lastng rivalry with the theatre at Lincolns
Inn, which Rich had inherited from his father.
So it seems, for all its comic intent, the pursuit of Pan-
to is a serious business. I must say, I never imagined
I would be involved in heated debates about how a
rat or a fairy might frst appear before an audience, or
whether Dick Whitngton (star of a classic UK Panto
tale) should be a girl or a boy, let alone fnding the
justfcaton and character choices for an ugly sister.
But these are the subjects that have been consuming
my soul as I seek to complete a new Britsh invasion
of the most benign kind.
This year my internatonal theatre collectve, The OP-
Timistks, is presentng a unique hybrid of the Panto
style for New Yorkers of every hue. Dick Whitngton:
An Xmas Panto for NYC is a truly transatlantc col-
laboraton that seeks to persuade Americans to take
the family-oriented musical parody to heart like never
before. With Britsh-American writng partnerships for
the script and music, an American-Irish directng team
and a cast from both sides of the Pond, hopefully we
have found the formula to make magic happen.
There have been pockets of Panto in the USA since
the 19th century, including recent west coast eforts
by Nigel Lythgoes (American Idol & Pop Idol impre-
sario) family. And several US celebs - from Henry
Winkler to Mickey Rooney - have followed in the foot-
steps of their Britsh counterparts, who fock to the
Panto to fll their cofers as their stars begin to wane.
You will have a chance to start your love afair with
Panto at New York Citys Dixon Place this Christmas
on December 21, 22, 28 & 29. Dick Whitngton: an
Xmas Panto for NYC tells the story of a poor, up-
state boy who follows his star to NYC along with the
scheming Sara Pain and bungling Mayor Gloomberg in
a quest for success on Simon Trousers P-Factor Talent
Contest.
Tickets are just $18, which is cheaper than a 3-D
movie! Visit us online: htp://www.dixonplace.org/
html/Whitngton_Dec12.html mailto:jennydgreen@
gmail.com 1 (347) 407 - 1468
photo by j ohn watts
panto i s not mi me
BY
J ENNY
GREEN
BABY
SKIN
GLOVE
"the art of produci ng from the forest whatever i t can yi eld for the servi ce of womyn"
-pi nchot
Photography by Charley Parden
Creati ve Di recti on by Bai ley Nolan
Creati ve Assi stant & Wearable Sculptures by Ellen Robi n Rosenberg
Fashi on by BabySki nGlove Collecti on
Models: Bai ley Nolan, Charley Parden, Vi va Soudan, Kathleen Wei gand, Marta Borazani an,
Anni e Goodfri end, Wesley Flash (not shown), Mari ssa Mi ckelberg, Wabs Mi ckelberg, & Bertha
BabySkinGlove is a group unique in the performance art circuit for their devoton to glamour and spectacle,
and for their larger-than-life personas. Whether inspiratonal ballet students one night or abused country
superstars the next, their trail of trashed camp and digital detritus leads the NYC counterculture contnuum
to father out territory. Their shows seem heirs to Jack Smiths hermetc drag culture or No Wave cinemas
iconoclastc identty games. But precedents are hard to peg when a group mutates so casually.
As a unit, their collectve polymorphous perversity knows no bounds. Historical eras get turned inside out, and
hopelessly dated concepts like gender are lef at the door. Audiences are osmotcally drawn into the group
dynamic while the cult-like charisma of their leader, Bailey Catherine Dorothea Nolan, suggests total control.
Throughout all the transformatons the group may navigate, her unifying vision is the most consistent facet of
the group. Here she answers questons about BabySkinGlove in fabulous detail.
BY J OHN THOMAS
BABY
SKIN
GLOVE
What is the goal of BabySkinGlove?

Someday tme travel will be as pass as home
phones but in the meantme theres BabySkinGlove.
Ultmately transportaton is my goal, a full body mo-
ton from one real space to another psychic space.
I want to remove every viewer from that cold hard
gallery chair and drop them smack dab in the center
of the Olympic rowing team paddling through the
Arctc Ocean circa 1933 with litle bits of ice on every
nose hair as they leave the show. Every tme some-
one explains the Internet to me I have to sit quietly in
a dark room for a few hours to readjust my pupils to
the size of my new brain. BabySkinGlove is the same
thing as the Internet both in afer-afect and com-
plicated defniton. Really Id like to systematcally
erase all things defnitve spanning from tme through
gender. With each performance, I provide a platorm
for a person to think about something that they dont
want to or dont know how to or a place to not think
at all. Im providing empty space so we can all get
together and redefne empty. Eventually your Christ-
mas shopping list will read BabySkinGlove Barbie for
baby, Margiela x BabySkinGlove for Mama, and the
Ford BabySkinGlove for Daddy; in the year 2072 when
my great grandchildrens lungs have evolved into
carbon dioxide pumps and the sky is a regular purple,
BabySkinGlove will be to them what Pee Wee Herman
is to me: a faux pas and a good memory but in the
meantme I want a private jet and a house big enough
to give each cat a bedroom.
What do you consider BabySkinGloves most ambi-
tous actons?
Being a woman in this day and age is stll a radi-
cal move. Sufrage wasnt even a century ago and
I can barely say the word aborton in this country
without hearing a gun cock. I live in a moment of
constant truth and do not bend my ideals for anyone
regardless of how many bridges Ive lef smoldering.
BabySkinGlove is the vagina that youve always want-
ed to look inside but were too shy; Ive splayed every-
thing out for your convenience. I consider myself to
be the keeper of female energy in the tri-state area
as if I was an estrogen-bound sun and surrounding
me are solar rings of every womyn form. I have been
known to pop the dull cherry of an audience just on
sight. I am interested in that which functons on the
borders of life, the desttute, the lonely, the yearning,
the drag. I am interested in speaking a language that
is not easily recognized but immediately understood.
What do you think the role of glamour in perfor-
mance art is?
All performatve arts are expressed through the
body. How a performer chooses to decorate ones
body equates what a painter would spread across
a canvas. I will look at your color scheme before
I see your haircut. Susan Sontag talks about how
people can be categorized by their response to bodily
peripheries. Those more in touch with their hygiene,
e.g., blinged out mani-pedis, will undoubtedly waste
hours of their lives on the details but ultmately be
more prepared for human connectons while those
disgusted by fngernails and fallen hair are destned to
spend more energy on questoning the human condi-
ton. Glamour is a state of mind. I have never been
rich and my income is almost comical but I am in a
constant state of richness. The universe has a way
of delivering exactly what is asked of her. Present-
ing myself as someone with money is the same thing
as being someone with money. As an artst, I ofer
people a show through not only my body of work but
also my body itself and avidly await your read.
How do you feel your work fts in with your peers?
What artsts do you feel camaraderie with?
A few years ago BabySkinGlove hired a limo and
abducted Ryan Trecartn, Lizzie Fitch, and their entre
entourage of boygirls. There was a moment that
night when I was in the pool talking about Raven
Symone surrounded by people just a few years older
than me who were making art that moved me deeply,
people I consider my artstc heroes, when a locked
door in my head came unhinged and the universe
delivered a message to me ultmately about how I
was cosmically BFFs with them and like them I have
a duty to strive for personal artstc perfecton. Im
at a moment in my own history where anything is
possible. Im basically Martha Stewart afer prison.
Following the advice of another Martha, the pioneer
of performance art Martha Wilson, I go to and apply
for everything that interests me. The key to success is
sometmes as simple as follow-through. Im not one
to look over the urinal to the gentleman next to me
and giggle. As always there is a lot of good and bad
art happening right now but its a mater mostly of
cultural taste buds. I have a laundry list of Facebook
friends who I admire and ofen digitally stalk including
Raul de Nieves, Labanna Babalon, Ann Liv Young,
and Colin Self who have unknowingly contributed
to my growth as an artst in New York. Additonally
I have my pride and joy: BabySkinGlove comprised
of the people in my life who are the driving force
behind everything you see, the hammer and nails
themselves.
What sources does BabySkinGlove draw inspiraton
from?
Google images is my homepage, my inspiratons
are infnite. Currently Im working with Miss Piggy,
the forestry industry, extreme layering, female
country music stars, red food, Anne Geddes, holiday
cards, corporate marketng, and all the things that
microscopes make. As a Taurus, Im mainly concerned
with the things immediately surrounding me such as
top Instagram users and whats new on Hulu. Most
of my endeavors begin with an image in my head, a
color or an outit or a character, and take on new life
forms as I birth the image from 2D to 3D or at tmes
4D and obviously 4G. Additonally, every project
speaks to me from a diferent level of the animal
kingdom. Recently Ive been really in touch with
my whale spirit animal afer spending part of the
summer in Nova Scota. I have a strong connecton
to all things too large to hold, specifcally all bodies of
water. I am eternally interested in that which came
before and my earliest bodies of work could easily
be labeled historical reenactments, always 100%
accurate according to the Internet.
At your performances you take on a guru or guide
role. What are your qualifcatons for this if any?
What is the atracton to taking on this persona?
I recently had my aura read and the reader told me
that I have dominant energy, meaning my biological
make-up allows me to literally actvate the energy of
the people around me. I think were all just masses
of energy walking around exchanging litle partcles
of ourselves with each other. Being a performer is a
mater of crowd control. I have spent years prodding
and pruning my energy so as to deliver my best self
in all circumstances; I have worked deliberately to be
able to pick and choose who or what I allow in and
out of my person. Most people have this ability but
rare is the instance when I fnd a counterpart to this
thinking. It is our quintessental duty as good humans
to acknowledge each others energy because without
it, we wouldnt be able to grow or change. Personally,
during performances I am able to separate from my
shadow self or my everyday persona and access my
higher self thereby literally taking on the role of a
spirit guide.
To what extent is your work a parody or pastche of
self-help techniques?
Nothing I do is a parody and my aim is never to
mock, only to respond to the things the world is
telling me. Although elements of humor are litered
throughout my work, I am reaching much deeper
to relate to the most base level of humankind. Art
helps people in just as many ways as therapy or
reading. I provide a service and I give a part of
myself to everyone who embarks upon that service,
sometmes unbeknownst to them. I fully believe
in self-help methods and the communites people
build in order to beter cope with the complicatons
of living. My work is a tool to aid in all forms of
improvement. In a way I am studying the art of self-
help.
BabySkinGlove performances recall the utopian
promises of cults and only hint at their sinister
dimensions. What is the BabySkinGlove concepton
of utopia?
It is very easy for Person-A to look at a white foor
and say to Person-B Hey, this foor is blue. Then
Person-B, an upright average self-deciding citzen
will look at the foor and say to Person-A, No this is a
white foor. That happens all the tme everyday. But
lets say Person-A invites Person-B over for a cup of
cofeethen Person-A bakes Person-B a homemade
strawberry rhubarb pie and braids Person-Bs hair
and shows Person-B the right way to put on liquid
eyeliner and then gives Person-B a litle grey kiten
named Cookie to keep Person-B company in the
wee hours of the night, Person-B will love Person-A
forever. And next tme when Person-A says Hey, this
foor is blue, Person-B might say, You know, Person-A,
I never thought of blue in that way! In utopia,
BabySkinGlove is the eternal Person-A.
How would your work functon as mass media? Do
you ever dream of courtng a very large audience?
Aside from the incredible psychic following I have
now, of course. I dream of a world where RuPaul and
Kris Jenner birth the ultmate momager guru for me
to keep courtside in the event of any and all emer-
genciesfashion, medical, legal or otherwise. Id
love to eat gold with Marina Abramovic and James
Franco. I would love to be able to access the larger
community that I draw from, a privilege that ofen
comes alongside a hard-earned reputaton or a trust
fund. However, I am truly focused on personal inter-
A GI NGERBREAD BOY I N NAZI SPACE
MARS=VENUS
FLYBOY SHOOTS HI S L ADDER
SI STER NANCY S
actons with individuals. My most successful perfor-
mances have been staged in my house in Ridgewood
where the level of spectacle involved in the transfor-
maton overshadows the headcount. I wouldnt mind
being a reality television star or allowing the world
to access my unmasked self as I have a unique gif of
nearly infallible self-confdence. It is important to me
that I reach the world in person, I think Ill be more
interested in video once holograms are available for
home use. In the end, my goal is to leave a lastng im-
pression on all the people I encounter far and wide.
What projects can we expect from BabySkinGlove in
the future?
For the past year, I have been researching a colony
of women in North America who self-proclaim
themselves to be mourning the death of over 100,000
Cardinal birds that were massacred in 1853. The
women have lived secluded on an island since then
wearing only red and maintaining a matriarchal
society. I have developed a complex relatonship with
their community and am working towards a museum
exhibit to showcase their incredibly inspiratonal
culture. Alongside these women I have been working
on a series of customized red wool dyes used to make
one-of-a-kind fashion pieces created specifcally
for deeper zodiac expression. On November 30
th
I
am debutng a collaboratve project with artst Jay
Critchley at a new exclusive spa and/or gallery in
Bushwick where we will ofer people the opportunity
to escape historical judgment and enter into an ant-
archive treatment. And as always, Im working on my
cult.

Creative Sugar Magazine - Dec 2012

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