Writing, Images, and Pop Culture Overanalysis by Elizabeth Grammaticas
Hey Folks,
I will be participating in the upcoming show “Go Small” which will be held at the Distillery Gallery. The show features over 20 local artists working on 10×10 panels. The opening reception will be February 24th, 6-9. The show will be on display until March 31st. My works will be a surprise even to me as a result of my astounding indecisiveness . Come stop by!
An exciting new thing is happening in our studio space. It has happened before, and it’s even more exciting because it will happen again.
As some of you may know, I life a unique M.C. Esher-esque kind of live/work space located in the Distillery in South Boston. Most people’s reactions upon entering this space is ‘wow, I had no idea this type of space still existed in Boston!; It’s true that they do exist, but is also true that they are few and far between.
The space is too good to hog it to ourselves, so if we have this big unique awesome space..why not share it with other artists and like-minded folks? There had been events years ago, but then there was a dead period before we moved in. Upon moving in, the first event we had was the after0party for my 9.02.10: Teen Tv Residue gallery opening. We brought folks over from the gallery, and then had the fantastic (and large) band Hallelujah the Hills jam out. It was splendid, and won over a lot people.
Following HtH, we had a smaller event in November, “the Loitering Party”, a benefit for a retreat center in upstate New York. The event included a Hi-5 championship, with trophies..live music, impromptu magic tricks…and a pillow fight in our cistern.
Dirkchinstrap & the Lawnmower Aborshuns
Our most recent event was coordinated with the fabulous Mali Sastri of the band Jaggery. In the past these events, ORGs, were held at her place in the South End. This was her first Org held away from home, and thus became known as “Org Away From Home”. There was a wonderful collection of live music including Mary Fay Holt, Jaggery, Garvy J, and Black Fortress of Opium. There was also live theater by Naomi Bennett , poetry read by Edrie of Army of Broken Toys and Adam Annable. Art scenes in Boston can be very insular to say the least and this event was a splendid merging of worlds.
Mali Sastri Soundchecking.
Garvy J
So things are starting to get going, and it has that magical-artists-coming-together-feeling. The next event we are working on, being spearheaded by my roommate Mary Fay Holt, will be taking place Saturday March 5. The theme is Sex and/Or Death, and will be a splendid variety of things including live music, performance, installation, and a malcontent craft fair. If you are interested in the music/performance end..email : Maryisawesome@gmail.com, and for the art/craft end..or to be on our mailing list.. email myself at: drawsomethingawful@gmail.com
A big thank you to those of you who have helped us get this going, and hopefully this is the start of a beautiful friendship with Boston underground arts.
A website and more information to come. Happy New Year Folks!!
I will be participating in my second South Boston Open Studios, less than a month away! Thank you everyone who came out in the spring, the fall open studios is known to be bigger and better, so please stop by! We have a little oasis of artists in Southie, and it’s definitely worth a gander.
Mark your calendars.: We will be open November 6th & 7th, 12-6 each day. I , among many other talented folks, will be over in Studio 11.
More information over at : http://www.southbostonopenstudios.org/
9.02.10:Teen TV Residue opening at the Distillery Gallery in South Boston last week. There was a good turn out, despite the near 100 degree weather, moving day for much of Boston, and the fact that this was my first post college/non-cafe gallery show….and of course, the usual last minute chaos. In the hindsight, the show could have been bigger, better, gone more smoothly etc…but the bottom line is that it happened, and folks enjoyed it…..and it was good.
Among many things, including strong pieces, strong artists, and a strong turn out for the show, one of the things I am most proud of about the 9.02.10 show is that it started from something very personal and became thing universal. The unfortunate part is I realized the unversitility late in the game, thus. lst minute. Still, we delivered….from Jessica Pollak’s shadobowboxes of the men of Buffy,
The Men of Buffy: Oz, Angel, Spike-by Jessica Pollak (courtesy the DistilleryGallery Flickr
to Mary Fay Holt‘s Virginity Lost Specimens..
"Last" By Mary Fay Holt. (Includes Alex P. Keaton, Spike Nelson, Brenda Walsh, Buffy Summers, & Blair Waldorf)
Independently we also had a Jordan Catalano (“Hunky Dreamboat”) by Tony Bevilacqua and an Angela Chase (..can like, narrate”) by Cassandra long. Robert daVies tied it all together by painting the thought/speech bubbles
"My So Called Life Installation" by Tony Bevilacqua, Robert daVies, & Cassandra Long
We also had a collaborative project amongst studio 11, spearheaded by Nick Ward & Mary Fay Holt…an interactive teen bedroom. You could write notes to your high school crushes, or to anyone, rummage through this fictional teens things, or just hang out and remember what it was like.
"Becca loves Zach" -Studio 11 Colloboration
Across from the teen room, Kelsey Jarboe’s piece “Makeup Takedown” contained a video loop of YouTube videos of female teens dressing up their straight male friends in drag. Participants were allowed to sit down, and dress themselves up too
"Makeup Takedown" by Kelsey Jarboe
And of course…there was my 90210 pieces, Some crying Brendas, a stoic Branda, and of course…Donna Martin Graduates.
Brenda,Brandon,Brenda-Elizabeth Grammaticas
Brenda Walsh is Crying!-Elizabeth Grammaticas
Donna Martin Graduates!-Elizabeth Grammaticas
and of course, let’s not forget…our very own Peach Pit
Peach Pit at the Distillery
All and all, we put together an enjoyable, fun show….thank you everyone who participated…thank you everyone who came, and thank you everyone who’s interest we caught for future shows. For a first show, I say we did a good job folks. More on the after party and studio 11 events to come….
Press Release:
The Distillery Gallery Presents:
“9.02.10: Teen TV Residue”
September 2 – October 7, 2010
Opening Reception: Thursday, Sept 2, 6 -9pm
free and open to the public
516 E 2nd St., first floor
contact: Scott Chasse, gallery director
(978) 270-1904 / scottchasse@gmail.com
http://www.gallery.distilleryboston.com
Gallery Hours: Mon-Sat, 9-5
9.02.10: Teen TV Residue
The hit television series Beverly Hills, 90210 premiered 20 years ago. To mark the anniversary of this cultural phenomenon, The Distillery Gallery presents 9.02.10: Teen TV Residue. The exhibit focuses not only on the impact of the 90210 sensations of past and present, but on the impact of teen television as a whole. Artists’ reactions to additional shows like My So-Called Life, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Gossip Girl invite the viewer to fathom the idea that you don’t have to still be a teenager to feel the impact of teen TV.
For a few overlapping generations in the U.S, it may be very difficult for someone not to have an opinion on Beverly Hills, 90210. The original version was the first U.S. soap opera specifically aimed at teens. It chronicled epically dramatic relationships and friendships of the cast while tackling topical teen issues. Any sort of problem or lesson tended to be solved in a single episode where, no matter what, these privileged teens prevailed against their trials and tribulations. The candy-coated nature of the show made difficult issues digestible by presenting the Beverly Hills, 90210 version of life’s difficulties, as ridiculous as those versions may have been. Luckily, the average viewer usually prefers the ridiculous and the colorful over the cruel and painful, as does the American public.
9.02.10: Teen TV Residue presents recent works and pieces created specifically for the exhibit by Elizabeth Grammaticas, Jessica Pollak, Kelsey Jarboe, Mary Fay Holt, Matt Bennett, Nick Ward, Robert daVies, Cassandra Long, and Tony Bevilacqua.
Please join us for the opening reception on September 2nd (9/02/10), from 6-9pm.
To Boston etc folks, I will be participating in a group show at the end of this month.
From the release:
“Studio 11 – A Retrospective” is a group exhibit featuring works by current and former inhabitants of the famed and fabled five-story loft which anchors the northeast tip of The Distillery. Show runs from April 29th – June 1, 2010. Opening reception April 29th, 6-9pm, free & open to the public.
Exhibiting artists include: Dara Backaler, Fiona Bank, Tony Bevilacqua, H. Boney, Gregory Crist, Michael Dacey, Robert daVies, Jon Demiglio, Nicole Deponte, Alex Feinstein, Elizabeth Grammaticas, Mary Walker Graham, Tricia Gray, Mary Fay Holt, Dynamo Jenkins, Maria LaCreta, Nick Rodrigues, Tyler Rowland, Necole Schmitz, Nick Ward, James Weinberg, and more TBA…
http://www.gallery.distilleryboston.com
I am currently in the process of redesigning my main artist website. If you happen to go over there and see the void, that’s why. In the meantime I will be trying to put more work into this blog. maybe.
Anyway, the good news is I officially booked a show in September at The Distillery Gallery. It’s for my Beverly Hills, 90210 series that I’ve recently started on. Some of my loftmates are most likely going to collaborate.
The best part is, the opening will be on September, 2, 2010.
or……9/02/10.
Also, there should be a studio 11 show coming up in a couple of months too. It’s for anyone that’s live in our studio in the past 25 years. It should be interested.
Stay tuned for updates…closer to the actual dates.
