The Pencil Factory

As I walk through normal gallery tour in Chelsea, I ended up being a little more disappointed than normal. This was supposed to be a good sighting of figurative paintings. However, I was able stumble upon some real gems in other artistic disciplines. First was the opening of Trudy Benson’s paintings paired with Modelo especial at Freight + Volume. Trudy’s large abstract paintings contained a variety of painting techniques in each from hard edge painting to using hold tubes of paint. Each of these exquisitely composed paintings has a great balance of text and color.
Second opening was for DFN gallery’s new location in the 80’s for the last day of Alyssa Monk’s show “Oil and Water” Each of the images display a figure trapped in water smashed against either glass or clear ice. In the painting “Koi”, the figure seems content in her underwater accommodations and has become accustom to the world around her. The painting has a beautiful mixture of lose gestural paint handing and tight rendering. Each of the six to seven foot painting embodies an emotion of how people interact with their given environments and often are trapped within them.

Back in Greenpoint where I have been spending hours upon hours, it was finally time for me to find a watering hole close to my studio. The Pencil Factory on 142 Franklin st, provided a few beers that I’ve yet to have. First was the Troeg’s Dreamweaver, but the Anchorsteam a beer created in the ancient art of brewing from 1896. The Anchor Brewing co., a San Francisco based brewing company brought me joy, in the form of a perfectly poured beer with two fingers of head. This yellowish amber, malty aromatic beer has a 4.9% ABV that is light and complicated on the palette. This is an ideal summer beer, no wonder Californians love it so.

I’m starting to believe I have a love for Indian Pale Ales because every time I see a new one; it has to be tasted, analyzed. I love hoppy beers with high alcohol content and IPA’s never seem to falter in that department. Looking back up at the chalk board in the Pencil Factory, I see Southern Teir IPA and my excitement rises. This Golden yellow beer is equipped with a sweet but hoppy aroma and a 6.9 ABV. This easily drinkable beer which is lighter than normal IPAs leaves your mouth dry. Overall, it’s a good choice.

Its warm out

Why hello there April, think you for ushering warm weather you have brought and the production of summer beer. On a second note, I will be searching for and reviewing the beers from the WBA (World Beer Awards) from last year. On to a beer which was no listed this year, Twisted Thistle from the Belhaven Brewery. Carrying a 6.1 ABV the Twisted Thistle as a light and sweet aroma with the hoppy kick you get from IPAs. With a healthily serving of hops this beer has a great blend of hops and wheat which make it smooth and easy to drink.

I don’t experience beer that I find hard to consume often but Troegs brewery made one. Their Dreamweaver, an American Pale Wheat Ale has wonderful citrus aroma, but was a little too soft. It was so light that it was almost undrinkable for me, not because it was not well made but it did not stimulate my palette. With a 4.8 ABV and cloudy yellow color, this is still a beer to try.

Having been busy making my own art, I have been unable to to see much as work as I would like. I did however walk into Elizabeth Harris to see the work of Greg Lindquist; the show included both paintings and sculptures. Greg, created plaster/ceramic tiles on the floor to be stepped on and destroyed during the duration of the exhibition. The front room of the gallery contained Greg’s paintings hung at different heights on the wall giving the view different viewpoints of similar images. His sculptures in the second room came off more as a ruin of decaying old buildings.

March in Chelsea

Walking through the gallery district in Chelsea, I am trying seeing as much art as possible. Stopping first at Jenkins Johnson for a photography double hitter, where in the front room there are series of cityscapes. The cityscapes are composed of nine smaller works in 3x3 squares in black frames. Courtney Johnson uses the black frames to highlight the neon lights of a city’s nightlife which Johnson is focusing on. Moving to the back gallery was the work of William Wylie titled “Stills”, a series of black and white photos of flowing water that are both quiet and beautiful.

Next stop is Gana Art to see the complex monochromatic works of trees made with burned incense holes on rice paper and displayed on scrolls. Walking into this dark gallery, these works invokes a memories of walking through the forest as a kid. Now its time to leave this relaxing atmosphere and head back out into the hustle and bustle of NYC to reach Betty Cunningham for the works of William Bailey. The first room consists of mostly of small still lives that have a similar focus and color palette to that of Giorgio Morandi. Along with the paintings are figure studies that show Bailey’s quick touch renders and gorgeous line quality. His larger works in the back of the gallery, kept the muted palette of the still lives but the figures lacked energy. Using stylized figures, Bailey created quiet scenes in a difficult world which I believe would be eased with a little R and R with a bottle of anything.

So, I took this as a hint to stop looking at my first passion and move on to my second, Booze! Barcade opens at 2pm and is equipped with a rotating beer selection for there 20 plus taps, so there had to be something new. IPAs seem to be crossing my lips more frequently so a natural choice was Arcadia’s Hop Mouth Double IPA with its hoppy aroma with a kiss of citrus. This cloudy brownish-orange ale is bitter, hoppy beer is slightly off set by the grapefruit and leaves the tongue feeling dry. With a 8.1 ABA, I would recommend this any fan of IPAs.

Stumbling back to my old stomping ground I go back to Sweet Revenge a.k.a. Close Bar, to found a new beer on tap, Kelso’s Nut Brown Ale. Having a dark brown color with a sweet hoppy aroma, this beer created sheer excitement within me. Its almond taste was light and flavorful with a ABA of 5.75 finishes with a sweet nutty conclusion. Kelso a Brooklyn based brewery made a drinkable beer that could easily turn from one to four before you know it.

Dumbo Art Walk

Hopping of the A train at high street in Brooklyn, I’m head over to 111 front street to see what the Dumbo art walk has to offer. Last month, A.I.R. Gallery had by far the best shows and wine in the building. Jee Hwang, the first recipient of the Emma Bee Bernstein Emerging Artist Fellowship, works on paper with a solitary figure struggling with her own existence in the fellowship gallery. “I Have Something to Say” was a step directly into the artist’s world and how she relates to being a stranger in a culturally different country. Moving through A.I.R. to the Gallery II where “The Man I Wish I Was”, I encountered a 12”, maybe 15” television on the floor showing the “The Corner” By Shannon Plumb. This video of slap-stick comedy showed her dressed as different types of men potentially on street corners. My person favorite was the 1990’s type of thug in front a Mcdonald’s restaurant dressed in Slick Rick the Ruler’s jewels.

On the search for free booze, I ventured out to Dumbo’s first Thursday once again, but now stopping at Smack Mellon. First, the lager they were given out was outstanding or it was all the wine I had before. Second, there was a band playing under a sculpture of a giant bone that emerged from the wall which became a metal rod at the head of the bone. John von Bergen’s site specific installation pulls together both giant white wall of Smack Mellon with its rusted column that supports the gallery.

Leaving dumbo for Clinton Hill I transitioned from slap-stick comedy to a porkslap farmhouse ale. This pink can with two pigs belly bumming was an irresistible choice as I when I walked into Sputniks to see some familiar faces. This light amber colored beer greets your tongue with a uniquely malty flavor finishing with a swig of hoppy delight. This light beer is flavorful, cheap and goes down extremely easy. This 4.3% abv is brewed by Butternuts Beer and Ale co. is a great selection for a funny can and light beer.

The end of the travel season

The art galleries have been booming with great shows, while I have been gallivanting around the states. Needless, to say I was unable to participate in the New York art scene for quite some time. Having returned just in time I was able to see my friend Yushua Klos’ thesis show which was two giant block print collages at the Hunter College. Creating mountains out of pieces of different African Americans, Klos creates a foundation for the black male’s growth. He really filled the space and prints were some of the best works in the exhibitions.

The space was a five to six rooms of galleries housing all the current graduating MFA students and every movement in art seemed to be present except performance and video art. Walking into one of the many side rooms I stumbled upon the work of Ellie Iron and her branches that span from the floor to the ceiling. Under closer evaluation, each branch is made up a series of different branches with color-coded bands that indicated where they were found in NYC. Using the New York watershed as inspiration she created drawings and mixed medium works of biomorphic images that mimic her many branches.

Iron’s work was trumped by an IPA from San Diego, CA. This 7% ABV ale from Green Flash West Coast Brewing Company is my new favorite IPA. Having tasted it in sunny San Diego, I had to find a place that sold it in the city. This place was right under my nose, The Blind Tiger on Bleeker st is a beer lovers dream and they have a 30 dollar bottle of beer. This IPA features a hoppy aroma topped with citrus blast with a bitter and hoppy finish. This Dark Yellow IPA matches its citrus flavor and has become one of my favorite beers.

Visiting my home, my friend’s parents bought a limited edition dogfish head and I had to try it. This 18% ABV had a sweet finish to its extremely alcoholic beginnings is called the Raison D’extra. Yes, it has a sister beer called Raison D’etre but is has a lot more kick then its 8.0% ABV counterpart. Did I mention this ale is brewed with raisons, well it is and it’s a wonderful change from the many citrus beers out there!