Greenpoint
Brooklyn
Everyone knows Brooklyn
is filled with artists. One can scarcely throw the proverbial stone without
cracking a camera lens or clanking against a can of spray paint. Along with
those artists are thousands of artists’ studios, many of which work in
collectives which have annual or semi-annual open studios where the public can
visit and buy work. Steve Keene has one-upped the idea of the annual open
studio by making his studio open every week.
Pretty much any given Sunday
members of the public can walk right into Keene’s home without so much as
ringing a bell or knocking on the door. His studio is a converted garage
attached to his house in the Polish/Russian/Artist enclave that is Greenpoint.
If you’re lucky you might get to watch Keene work, other days you have to
settle with marveling at the sheer quantity of pieces filling the space, but
either way he’ll come and say hello.
Steve Keene is a radio DJ
cúm painter/sculptor with a Master’s from Yale who began making mass-produced
works in 1993. He wanted art to be as affordable and readily available as
music. He works in large editions of paintings and engravings on wood, lining
up the small panels and making them all at the same time. His studio is filled
with album covers and newspapers which serve as sources of inspiration for his
pieces. The combination of music and art is integral to his creativity: he’s
created album art, stage sets, posters, and video sets for various bands like
the Silver Jews, Pavement, Apples in Stereo, and Soul Coughing.
You can easily buy
Keene’s art from his website--$30 will get you five paintings of his choice
from whatever is available that day. He also has some pretty fabulous cut metal
pendants on chains. If you want to pick your own art, you have to head in
Brooklyn. It is well worth the effort, however, as he will often give away
works or sell them for $1 if he has a surplus lying about. My beau and I headed
over the first Sunday of January and Keene gave us a New Year’s discount: we
left with four paintings for $2. And they all come ready to hang.
Keene seems to be on to
something. Most artists hope to sell a few dozen works a year for a several
hundred or thousand dollars a piece. They are generally unsuccessful. But Keene
makes and sells thousands of paintings a year. In one of the many articles you
can find links to on his website he says “it’s O.K. with him that none of them
will hang in New York City’s Museum of Modern Art.” They do, however, hang in
the homes of celebrities like Dennis Hopper and Devo, along with thousands of
more modest abodes.
If you’re going to take
the trouble to head over the Greenpoint (and I suggest you do) be sure to walk
one block over to the Peter Pan Donut and Pastry Shop on Manhattan Avenue. They
have the best donuts in all of New York, maybe even the world. I can’t remember
who it was, but a well-travelled musician was interviewed
on NPR years ago and was asked his three favorite dining experiences. He listed
some fancy places in France or Japan or Russia, and then the time he had a donut from
Peter Pan. Give them a try and see for yourself. You might find yourself using
the G-train much more than previously expected.
very cool article. I checked out his web-site and clicked on his blog - it needs updating (last blog was 2009), so perhaps you could help him? ;)
ReplyDeleteAs always - your devoted Aunt Cheryl