Creative Sugar Magazine - March 2014

CREATIVE SUGAR
THE FALL ISSUE

MARCH 2014 - AN EMERGI NG ARTI ST MAGAZI NE
2 Spring 2014 CREATIVE SUGAR
COVER
PHOTO OF ARTI ST SHAUN EL L I SON
BY GRAHAM COPPI N
FEATURE ON PAGE 13
CREATIVE SUGAR Spring 2014 3
Creative Sugar
Issue 8
Editor-in-Chief
Sabrina Scot
Copy Editor
Marilyn Recht
Stylists
Amber Hards (assistant)
Harriet De Winton
Rebecca Wood (assisstant)
White Pak
Photographers
Alex Traylen
Amanda Thomas
Jason Homa
Joseph Gallo
Writers
Adam Devlin
Beverly Cossia
Christna Donahue
Dena Ferreira
Ely Sepulveda
Ethan Boisvert
Ignacio Alexanders
Morgan Clarke
Samantha Weiss
Dress Designer
Molly Mishi May
Makeup Artsts
Inma Azorin
Grace Kinsley (assistant)
White Pak
Hair
Inma Azorin
Rebecca Simpson
Art Directon
Sabrina Scot
2014 Creatve Sugar Magazine
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.
New York, New York
Contact:
info@creatvesugarmagazine.net
web: creatvesugarmagazine.net
facebook.com/creatvesugarmagazine
FROM THE EDI TOR
EDI TOR- I N- CHI EF
Thi s coul d be consi dered the i ntervi ew i ssue. We ve
found a group of arti sts whose stori es wi l l hopeful l y
peak your i nterest and i nspi re you. Be sure to submi t
your art story and i f you have that fri end who i s al ways
worki ng on fol l owi ng thei r arti sti c vi si on, send them
our way. That s what we want to feature, that s what
we are al l about.
Enj oy!

A
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RACHEL COHEN 6
BY IGNACIO ALEXANDERS
NICASIO FERNANDEZ 10
BY CHRISTINA DONAHUE
SHAUN ELLISON 13
BY ETHAN BOISVERT
THE BEAUTIFUL AND THE DAMNED 18
FASHI ON EDI TORI AL
MARISSA NADLER 22
BY ADAM DEVLIN
BADPUSS 24
BY DENA FERREIRA

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REBAROQUE 30
BY SAMANTHA WEISS
LONDON CAL L I NG 34
FASHI ON EDI TORI AL
J UL I E VAN SUCH 38
BY ELY SEPULVEDA
TAKE ON FI L M 40
BY J OSEPH GAL LO
TOMMY T 46
BY MORGAN CL ARKE
PETER SHOUKRY 50
BY BEVERLY COSSI A
SHOW DATES 52
Any day in Brooklyn is a good day for art. Wheth-
er one is in need of landscape inspiraton on Bay
Ridges Shore Road or something more abstract
and bright on Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg,
art in Brooklyn is not hard to fnd. Every now and
then one has the opportunity to experience the
art and converse with the artst. We get to ask
questons like, Where did the inspiraton for this
line, this color, this fower, come from?
We spoke with Brooklyn-based artst Rachel Co-
hen in a local Clinton Hill cofee shop. As she drank
her cofee she spoke about her atempts to make
sense of lifes chaos through art.
Why did you become an artst?
RC: Ive have always been an artst. It all began in
kindergarten. I drew a full horse scene and look-
ing at the piece now I think to myself thats re-
ally good for a kid. The talent is almost primal,
its always been there. In college during my un-
dergrad I studied English literature, and although
I created a lot of work I never took an art class. I
never thought of getng involved in the schools
Art program.
Not having thought about art during your under-
graduate studies, how did you end up becoming
Rachel Cohen the artst of such energetc work?
RC: In 2008, when everything began going down-
hill with our economy, I found myself working for a
post-producton company that made visual efects
Rachel Cohen: Dancing with chaos
for commercials. When that industry began to
get pummelled because everyone started pulling
their advertsing funds due to the recession, I re-
alized that partcular job was not going anywhere
for me. During that tme I had a moment when
I asked myself What am I going to do? Having
worked a ton of random jobs, everything from
fashion to executve assistant, I tried everything
and in doing so I became extremely frustrated
with life. Feeling overwhelmed, I started paintng
a lot during that tme and thats when it fnally
came to me and I said to myself Wait a second
this is what I do, paintng! This is what I want to
do. I thought of going for an MFA but realizing
that art was the one thing that has always kept
me together I weighed it against a Masters in art
therapy but the economy being as bad as it was,
I could not pull the trigger on an MFA. I decided
to earn my Masters in creatve art therapy from
the Prat Insttuton.
What brought you into art therapy?
RC: I became an art therapist mainly because
I felt that art saved me, I believe that art kept
me going. Paintng and the process of creaton
helped especially in my teens, my twentes and
post college life. My art helped me stck out and
deal with the chaos of life. A Masters degree in
creatve art therapy would allow me to have a
day job atached to creatve expression and most
importantly it would allow me to help people.
By Ignacio Alexanders
I became an art therapist mainly because I felt that
art saved me, I believe that art kept me going.
I MAGES OF WORK COURTESY
OF RACHEL COHEN
During that tme around our city I notced that ev-
erywhere I looked things were getng really dark.
As an art therapist I am able to pursue my art but
most important it allows me to give back.
Whats your process before you begin to work on
a piece?
RC: It always begins the same, I have my rituals
and its always the same process. I make a playlist,
which I spend a good amount of tme organizing.
The music must be perfect before I begin to work.
Then, I grab my American Apparel fanny pack, put
my headphones on because I cant paint without
them, sometmes I dance and I begin.
I start with an ink layer. I put the ink down on the
canvas and I let it react, and it reacts diferently
every tme based on -- the slope of the foor even
how heavy I gesso it. That becomes a source of
the catalyst to what will come next. I let that dry,
let that happen and I come back usually the next
day. I look and see whats there, I analyze the cha-
os. Chaos only because I have no say on what the
reacton of the ink looks like and that chaos is my
startng point.
Where does the inspiraton for your work come
from?
RC: I am inspired quite plainly by life and the day
to day of life. A lot of my work comes from work-
ing out the frustratons of daily life. My work is
the tension between control and lack of control
over chaos. It mimics what the experiences of life
are for me. Work frustraton, relatonship frustra-
tons, and train frustraton, its inspired by the
idea of being out of control in a place like New
York. As a young person and young artst theres
not a lot of support out there. I am a big inspira-
ton for my work and everything I come across.
My job as an art therapist also plays a part in the
inspiraton of my work.
Is Rachel Cohen the person any diferent from Ra-
chel Cohen the artst?
RC: I thought about this queston a lot and no,
which is really cool. My art is about my personal
experiences; moreover my world revolves around
the art studio, art galleries environment. My day
job is to help other people be creatve and in do-
ing so I have realized Rachel the person and Ra-
chel the artst are one person. I am the artst Ra-
chel Cohen the person who keeps paintng even if
all I want to do at tmes is cry in a corner.
What do you hope people get from your work?
RC: I hope that people will be able to connect
with my work in a way beyond what is presented
on my canvas. Even if what they see in the inks
and what the text solicits from them is difer-
ent for every person, my biggest hope is that my
work will open all the nuances that are here in
our world. I want them to connect with the world
even if there is no plan because sometmes is all
about the moment.
Rachel Cohens dynamic work is sure to make
anyones heart skip more than a few beats. From
her complementary colors to her choice of text,
the work is well developed not only in skill but
in the exploraton of the deep dark seas of the
human soul. The viewer embarks on a journey
guided by a compass with a pointer that aligns it-
self with the magnetc feld of the human heart.
Rachel Cohens art allows its viewer to fnd hope
in chaos.
For more informaton or to contact Rachel Cohen,
Please visit www.rachelcohenart.com
nicasio fernandez:
wonky genderful
By christina donahue
( TOP) PORTRAI T OF MY MOTHER,
THI S BI SH
OI L, PL ASTI C AND CAUL K ON
CANVAS
32 X 40
( BELOW) BEACH, ON A NI CE DAY
OI L ON CANVAS
46 X 34
13
ne look at Nicasio Fernandezs piece and the
viewer is instantly transported to a world
of color and thought-provoking imagery.
The various mediums that make up his
numerous pieces make his artwork a joy ride
for the senses. His pieces convey a nostalgic
undertone; viewers might fnd themselves
chuckling to themselves, reminded of past
experiences that the artwork helps bring to the
surface. All of his pieces are accompanied by
quirky ttles, such as Portrait of My Mother,
This Bish or Lonely Drinker at the Wrong
Address. His whimsical pairing of cartoon-
like characters with adult themes of sex and
politcs, such as childhood cartoon-like fgures
with naughty imagery of female and male
genitalia, allows viewers to see these topics in
a new light. I was fortunate enough to pick the
mind of the man behind these intriguing works
of art and ask him some questons.
When did your love of art begin?
My love for art began when I was very young,
probably around 2 or so. When my brain could
kind of functon. I would watch Bugs Bunny
everyday and just get mesmerized by the
humor.
Can you describe your style of art?
My style of work involves wonky genderful
characters displayed in a child-like manner
clashing with adulthood aspects such as sex,
money, mockery and politcs. The result of the
work will end up in a bawdy perspectve.
What do you enjoy most about creatng art
pieces?
I just enjoy working and being productve.
Putng paint on any material is an indescribable
feelingas well as letng my subconscious
actually do what it wants to do.
What drives you to create the pieces that you
create?
Well I never work on one piece, I have multple
works in process. This helps create the next
piece without thinking. For the most part its my
thoughts constantly being ahead of me, creatng
the next thing for me to do while working or
doing anything else.
What do you hope viewers of your art take
away from viewing your pieces?
For now, I like the viewer to be engaged with
some laughs and their own personal thoughts.
Perhaps something from their childhood that
the paintngs bring out they may have forgoten.
That one terrible one night stand or their
favorite cartoon.
Ive notced you use diferent mediums for your
art (video, sculptures, canvas). Do you feel it is
important to use many diferent mediums? Are
there diferent messages you are trying to put
across?
I try to incorporate mixed elements in my work
such as cat hair, gliter and rhinestones, just
to name a few, because they remind of my
childhood. (Plus there is no escape from cat
hair.) I dont think its important to use mixed
media unless you think its best for you. I just to
try access what I have around me.
Can you describe your artst process? How do
you begin to create your next art piece?
My process is surrounded with chance and
control connectng simultaneously. Doing lots
of research but having litle thought for whats
going on. The results boil down to me making
what I want to make.
To learn more about Nicasio Fernandezs artwork
visit his website at: www.nicasiofernandez.com
O
14
PHOTO BY GRAHAM COPPI N
painting came as an evolution
while searching for truth.
shaun ellison: unearthing the layers
By ethan boisvert
hile visitng galleries in Chelsea, I
happened to walk into Shaun Ellisons
opening exhibiton Yankee Zulu at the Anna
Zorina Gallery on 533 West 23
rd
St. I was very
impressed by the bold colors, intelligence, and
strong, unforced executon of the work. The
show was packed with guests who were very
celebratory and engaged with the work.
I revisited the show multple tmes and found
the paintngs to become more revealing each
tme. In short, I would defne them as mostly
fguratve, infuenced by the modernist era,
ofen fusing diferent methods of compositon,
and experimental forms of media applicaton.
One of my favorites was You and I (on Yellow)
which consists of a nude female and clothed
male sitng in chairs facing the viewer. There is
a wonderful hierarchy of color that is somewhat
unpredictable and accentuated through the
use of various brush strokes and layering of
joint compound. This creates a set of horizontal
lines that move across the canvas, adding a
dimension reminiscent of painted objects. The
forms do not follow the horizontal lines but
rather collide or, beter yet, sweep over them.
There is an interestng scratching happening in
the males shirt that not only gives character in
its expression, but also works as a mimicking
device to the other horizontals in the piece,
thus bringing in an unexpected contnuity.
Overall, the show was very coherent and
each piece was unique. A hauntng quality
encompasses Ellisons work; there seems to be
a soul within each piece, as if at any moment
they could come to life. Most photorealist
painters desire this efect but almost never get
it. I had to fnd out more.
I scheduled a visit with Shaun at his Bushwick
studio. I frst looked over some work and then
we began to chat. Since Shaun is from South
Africa, I had to ask, What does that mean to
you and your work?
Shaun explained, My approach to paintng is
not necessarily just fguratve nor is it South
Africanspecifc. I am inspired by many things,
such as modernist paintng, meditaton, the
accident, the language of feeling as opposed
to intellect or academic paintng. But to some
extent I like bringing in some sort of context.
The fgure for me has multple uses. It engages
the viewer frst, ofering a certain viewpoint as it
interacts with its interior and it also engages the
viewer with ofen a certain meditatve quality.
I dug deeper. I am interested more about the
modernism and method. I see hints of many
things, Matsse, Gauguin, Milton Avery, even a
neo-expressionism from the 80s.
Shaun explained, Yes that is all true. I
partcularly am inspired much by Jean Dubufet,
Chaim Soutne, and Francis Bacon. I am drawn
to non-academic visceral work and that is
what I create. Its more about the art than any
statement that could be said about it. This
type of work you really need to see in order to
experience it.
So how longhave you been paintng? I asked.
Well I can give the generic answer, my whole
life, but I didnt get serious tll my early 20s.
Philosophy was my directon before this and
paintng came as an evoluton while searching
for truth. I see truth in all of life and want to
recreate my experience in a genuine way, so that
I do not miss out on the experience that afects
me.
And this truth you speak of, what exactly do you
mean by this?
W
16
Well I think our culture has a sinister underbelly
to it. There is a certain amount of plastcity,
superfciality, even a conditoning not to queston
things anymore. We are also more removed from
reality via technology. I would like to see more
people personally connectng and addressing things
more directly.
So where do you see your work going in the
future.
I am really interested in paintng bigger. There is
a whole new challenge to that. I want to paint on
the foor more because there is something really
natural about that where your whole body becomes
a part of the process. Its diferent than the stfing
efects I feel when on the wall. I want to focus more
on the concept of saturatng an area with form and
then have very large inactvated spaces to balance
that. Also I am really into watercolor and like the
efect that has. There is a certain layering quality
that you can get without having texture, so that is
infuencing my directon in paintng with oil.
And your life here in the city?
Its been good so far. There were tmes I thought
about leaving because it can be such a grind. But I
am really enjoying my tme more than ever here in
Bushwick. This is a cool town. It has a certain kind
of humbleness about it, which you dont necessarily
see in the middle of Manhatan. Id like to see more
connecton in the art scene here. Many artsts are
so ofen alone in their studio.
We parted ways and I was lef to refect not only
on the paintngs, but the light he shines on his
practce with his words. Shaun is making genuine
work that is part of the antthesis to this cultural
degeneraton. It is not slick, nor designed as a
plastc trophy to be manufactured in some huge
factory for uber-rich investors only interested in
the market. It does not pretend to be something it
isnt, which is a major problem with academic art of
today. Whereas many artsts are out there trying to
make philosophy to back up their work, Shaun, who
studied it, refuses to use it as his excuse or crutch to
justfy the work. Its made by hand with heart and
it stands on its own, unique and specifc to him and
strongly engaging the viewer. This is a young artst
who has a long future to make many more paintngs
and be involved in projects that have not even been
conceived of yet.
17
( ABOVE) YOU AND I ( ON YEL LOW), 2013, MI XED MEDI A ON CANVAS, 60 X 48
( TOP L EFT) SHE J UST APPEARED, 2013, MI XED MEDI A ON CANVAS, 27 X 21
( BOTTOM L EFT) MUSL I M MAN 2, 2013, WATERCOLOR AND I NDI A I NK ON PAPER, 30 X 22
&
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THE
B e a u t i f u l
THE DAMNED
CREATIVE SUGAR Spring 2014 17 19
THE
B e a u t i f u l
THE DAMNED
PHOTOGRAPHER: AMANDA THOMAS
DRESS DESI GNER: MOL LY MI SHI MAY
STYL I ST: HARRI ET DE WI NTON
STYL I ST ASSI STANTS: AMBER HARDS
REBECCA WOOD
MAKE UP ARTI ST: I NMA AZORI N
MAKE UP ASSI STANTS: GRACE KI NGSL EY
HAI R STYL I STS: I NMA AZORI N
REBECCA SI MPSON
MODEL S: MOL LY L EWI S- SMI TH
ARABEL L A L EWI S- SMI TH
ROB NORBURY
EMI LY BREEZE
BECKY MERCER
DAM COOMBS
OUI S L EWI S- SMI TH
20
22
marissa nadler
Feb 8 at
glasslands
gallery
By adam devlin
Marissa Nadler played to a swelling crowd February
8
th
at Glasslands in Brooklyn, New York. Glasslands
is located at 289 Kent Ave, a former community
art space gone fully reputable venue, with its
own legacy and style. A bevy of PVC tube lights
speckles its ceiling, flling the void once occupied
by iconic light cloud installatons. Small and cozy
Glasslands hosts a small foor space with a bar and
a modest balcony against the lefmost wall upon
entering, a railing made of spare metal and wood
that flls out the spaces ersatz-ramshackle design.
An enduring veteran on the Kent Ave venue strip,
it thrives in the wake of 285 Kent, its unafliated
neighbor venue which closed for good a few weeks
ago. Glasslands has gone legitmate and press-
worthy, with an atractve, well-designed web page
and even rotatng drink specials.
Opening for Nadler was Zachary Cale, a mostly
country rock group, and Amen Dunes a krautrock-
afected psych rock band. Cale opened up the
crowd with some easy banter, joking about the
weather and exchanging awkward smiles with the
other members of his band. Strummed acoustc
guitar and more than one carefully labored-over
synthesizer made for hybrid country balladry
that was far harder on the country than many
other groups in the genre, with a unique style
that explains Cales hard-earned critcal praise.
The set dulled in the fnal minutes along with the
audiences waning interestan embarrassing
but unavoidable fact of being an opening band
but not enough to kill the mood completely.
Afer Zachary fnished up and cleared the stage,
Amen Dunes shifed the perspectve of the night
to something more unpretentous and fuid.
At frst, it was hard to tell whether or not they
had started; the assorted tune-ups and sound
checks gradually setled into an inculcated
groove, with drummer Parker Kindred beatng
out sof rhythms in an odd illogical heartbeat.
Damon McMahon stuck to loose rifs, gliding
through a suite of songs without moving much
and proudly displaying his handmade Aphex
Twin t-shirt, while Jordi Wheeler struck his best
...she challenges you to find
comfort in tension...
PHOTO BY ADAM DEVL I N
Bryter Layter pose and messed with efects
pedals. Ive seen Amen Dunes twice before and
always thought they needed to loosen up on
stage, and I think this performance rewarded
that opinion. Hazy and inspiring, they showcased
some of the fnest true psychedelia Id seen in a
while; not just druggy but deeply compatble
and cooperatve. It was as if they had leaped
the impossible hurdle linking casual late night
practces with the strictness of a stage show.
Once they were fnished, they dispersed with
litle fanfare.
Nadlers audience draw overwhelmed the
comparatvely small venue. As she set up the
room flled to capacity, a mass of fans scrutnized
her every move as she confgured cables and fell
victm to feedback problems, while bandmates
Nina Violet and Janel Leppin atempted damage
control. Stumbling back and forth through the
backstage curtains, she eventually reappeared
alone with a guitar. Afer a quick apology
the frst of manyshe began a near-fawless
renditon of Holiday In[n], one of many
touchingly simple solo pieces she would perform
from her new record.
Marissa Nadler is a consummate professional
in performance, and carries a remarkable stage
presence. Foolhardy and genuine between
songs, she apologized multple tmes for
lacking synthesizer accompaniment, despite
playing almost entrely new material which a
fair amount of the audience had probably not
yet heard. Yet it was shared serendipity among
everyone in atendance; songs like Drive and
Dead City Emily jumped out on frst chorus
and seemed immediately familiar and fond.
And as the glassy chords and brilliant tmbres of
cello and violin collided raucously on Anyone
Else, the room swelled with stunning tension.
Marissas beautful songwritng carries a bleak,
blackly gorgeous edge to it, like the shatered
remnants of a once hopeful folk singer struck
with some incalculable tragedy. In most other
ways her music is conventonally folksy and
aesthetc, but her voice commands a darkness
that, either practced or real, is deeply moving.
Nadlers bandmates also forged a name for
themselves, with Nina Violets steel pedal
proving an especially powerful counterpart to
Janel Leppins studious cello work. In lieu of
synthesizer parts, Leppin flled in on cello for
about every song Nadler performed, making
a sofer but more organic form of Marissas
material. Not as ethereal as Nadler might have
intended, the cellos inclusion was nonetheless
a fne substtute, a chilling tmbre, and sparse
enough not to come of as overwrought.
Instlled with Nadlers sense of space and
her penchant for building fractured worlds
not dissimilar to traditonal folk but made
slightly askewa straight approach to folk
instrumentaton stll worked in her favor.
Her distnctve voice carries this directon,
partcularly the way she waltzes just outside
of a waltz, or upsets the balance in a ballad. To
follow the familiar changes would be too easy;
she challenges you to fnd comfort in tension, to
go through it all and witness the bleak sadness
and come out the other side inured and calm.
From that you will never be able to decide:
was this a pleasant experience or a harrowing
one? She makes sense of that space, existng
in it by choice and borne of a lastng artstc
deliberaton. It was a wonderful showing on the
crowds part, and a wonderful performance.
Nadler closed out with an encore of older
material, then a quick goodbye and a smile.
Marissa Nadlers newest record, July, is out now
on Sacred Bones Records.
badpuss:
a popumentary
By dena ferreira
By dena ferreira
adPuss: A Popumentary undresses
female stardom to reveal a hypersexu-
alized culture of young, misguided girls.
A story that in many ways parallels
todays Hollywood headlines, the flm is about
BadPuss, an all-girl band whose rise thrusts
them into a hedonistc, raucous culture, and
eventually a painful fall from fame.
The flm refects pop stardom through the
lens of a funhouse mirror. Lara Reares, the
creator of BadPuss, has high hopes of bring-
ing the band back together for a comeback
tour, but this is not as easy as shed thought.
Years have passed, resentments have festered
and dark secrets have come to light. Docu-
mentng the revival of this threesome is a
desperate reporter willing to follow around
bandmates Lara, Kassie, and Ro just two days
before the great comeback tour, Body Shots
and Hot Regrets, kicks of.
The flm is a ride of cosmic proportons sans
the protectve gear, depictng the medias im-
age of lascivious spoiled pop stars. It propels
itself into whimsical stardust then dives deep
down into hell fre through the unfortunate
and ofen hilarious calamites of three tragi-
cally beautful women trying to survive in the
chaos and debauchery of contemporary pop
culture. Its not a tale of cauton, but rather a
grand fantastcal tragedy, says writer/direc-
tor, Emily Wiest. If there is a message, its a
byproduct of the struggle.
Wiest weaves a strong, dark humor into the
depicton of a fallen all-female pop band.
Their tragedy is our humor, much like what
Whoopi Goldberg did in her Surfer Girl stand-
up. Wiest takes serious subject mater and
presents it in a way that is at once hilarious
and sexy--untl the harsh reality of partying
to abandon, fornicatng recklessly and resort-
ing to violence renders you speechless. The
laughter contnues even as you realize the
deeper, more meaningful story beneath the
plot.
Britney Spears in a state of panic shaving her
head had everyone glued to the news. Miley
Cyrus swinging from a wrecking ball naked and
suggestng lewd sex on this years MTV Music
Awards got lots of atenton and sold millions
of albums. We laugh at their tragedy or we
rally behind them blindly. But really, what is
funny about a young girl in a state of panic
who makes erratc decisions because she is
desperately trying to fnd her own voice, or
breathe, or break out?
The daughter of Oscar-winning actor Dianne
Wiest, Emily grew up surrounded by racon-
teurs. I asked her at what point in her life she
knew she wanted to act, write and direct.
Im a storyteller, she said. The frst book I
ever wrote was called Long Knowits, and I
was three. Sadly it has yet to be published. I
always knew I wanted to be a storyteller and
Im stll refning what that means. I grew up
backstage in old theaters. If you spend a sum-
mer crouched in the dark listening to Oedipus
and Salome over and over, and you hear those
heightened moments, you know the extremes
B
of the ups and the downsshes dancing, hes
gouged his eyes out againits bound to have a
bit of an impact, it becomes a part of you.
Actress Sydney Lemmons grandfather is Jack
Lemmon. Asia Ashford, another Popumentary
star, is the spawn of music royalty Ashford and
Simpson. The third actress, Hannah Sorenson
comes from the plains of North Dakota and her
mother is an artst.
I think the biggest gif we all share is that our
parents understand the need we have to create.
It frees you up, that kind of support.
The cast raised the money themselves on kick-
starter.com; no parent pulled favors, wrote
scripts, or even acted in the flm. Together they
raised an impressive $28,000 $3,000 more than
their goal from 190 backers. The BadPuss
website features some great video of the team
asking for donatons, and also features set design
video and an interview with Jon Barber Gutwillig
of Disco Biscuits, the man behind the music.
I interviewed Wiest, Lemmon and Sorenson while
crammed in the kitchen of their photographer
friends apartment as they got their hair and
makeup done for the days shoot. Janis Joplin was
blastng out of the front room so that Wiest could
get into character. Lemmon stretched cat-like on
the foor drinking cofee while Sorenson trans-
formed from the girl next door into a magnifcent,
sparkly, bubble gum pop starlet. The love they
have for one another was evident as they remi-
nisced about their summer of flming and frst
impressions of meetng one another. Each spoke
about the struggles of being so new in this busi-
ness. Their biggest concern seemed to be the lack
of work on their resumes and making money
just like any struggling actor from coast to coast.
Wiest and her co-stars Lemmon and Sorenson
all talked about the importance of collaboraton.
Wiest atributes much of the success of the flm
to her producton team and their belief in the
project. If she started to get doubtul or confict
arose, it was the team that kept her focused.
Producer Karli McGuiness had this to say about
producton: As a flmmaker friend of ours warned
us, A lot of pre-producton is putng out fres. To
that we say, we are fearless fre fghters! We are
fearless due, in large part, to the support we have
from experienced professionals in the industry
who have made themselves an irreplaceable
part of this process.
Wiest adds, The fearless frefghter is Karli Mc-
Guiness, and she lived up to it on a daily basis.
So how does one go about getng the right
ensemble together?
BadPuss is awesome because people just kind
of fell into the project. It started with close
friends and then spread as the project grew.
Carrie Keagan signed on through VH1 with
Keith Koslov, another of our producers. Our
designer Claire Deliso was a college friend from
our undergraduate studies in theatre. Shes an
absolute powerhouse. We had this fne art-
ist raised in the French countryside designing
massive sets and costumes for a rock band, it
You know, why is something so child-like
and pure and loving and young so sexualized?
was like this perfectly unexpected culminaton
of perspectves. She made us romantc and sexy
without losing the humor. My favorite quote
from her (imagined with the slightest French ac-
cent): Nipples! We must have more nipples!
Each scene is driven by a hard beat mastered
by Jon Barber Gutwillig, who also acted in the
flm and can be heard on the website. Yes, the
part of DJ BarberShreds was writen for him,
says Wiest. He really got it and loved it and just
started composing tunes. Hes a master, because
its a story that looks back over the careers of a
group of musicians so you kind of witness the
death of the instrument throughout their musi-
cal trajectoryHe just transitoned through each
phase without batng an eye, writng these hit
songs with lyrics meant to ft into the mocku-
popumentary genrefrom the hardcore rock
ballad Chain Me to Your Twin Bed College Boy,
through the gangster I Aint Yo BadPuss, and
onto the upbeat club mix Ketamine Santa.
Sydney Lemmon and Hannah Sorenson provided
their own vocals, Leah Elizabeth provided mine.
The other contributng musicians include Steve
Molitz, The Infnite Wizard (Robin Hood) David
C. Butler, Clay Parnell of Brothers Past, Robert
Sahm, Zane Nominee Urquhart, Brandon S.
Meyer, and Cara Salimando of Novelete.
Wiest is destned to be a 21
st
Century writer and
star and she is not alone. Each actor in the flm
does a brilliant job conveying the emotons of a
girlie pop star who has begun to lose her shine
and is desperately trying to make a comeback .
The tension and confict between Lara, Ro and
Kassie make for great drama and dark humor,
but the point is that these lost starlets could
beneft from the real-life directon and focus of
their creator, Ms. Wiest.
Hannah Sorenson is a pleasure to watch. Her
character Kassie is a walking heart with legs,
says Sorenson. From her big wide-eyed expres-
sions, her tantalizing naivet and sexy costumes,
you cannot take your eyes of her. A great de-
parture from the actress herself, who unlike her
character is a grounded woman, a Yale gradu-
ate who prides herself on intellect and doesnt
rely on her good looks to get by. About playing
Kassie she says:
Shes a sexualized child in this world - which
I think was a pleasure to play because it asks
some really important questons about our pop
culture, media and how women are represented.
You know, why is something so child-like and
pure and loving and young so sexualized? And
what happens to these people? There is some-
thing very distorted about this.
The flm also puts a mirror to the face of the
fanatcally frenzied young girls who believe these
women are demi-gods, destned to be their
best friends forever. They cry to them over the
Internet, make YouTube videos pledging their
devoton to their icons, but when the idol falls,
the fanatc falls too.
Sydney Lemmon, who plays Ro in the flm
(whose character seems a bit hostle on the idea
of a resurrecton of the band), talked about how
she came to play Ro.
You know, why is something so child-like
and pure and loving and young so sexualized?
( L- R) SYDNEY L EMMON, EMI LY WI EST,
HANNAH SORENSON
I was on the road doing a natonal tour of Romeo
and Juliet and Animal Farm and I was in Tennes-
see when Karli, the producer on the flm and also
a long-tme friend, just wrote to me. The subject
line was Bad Puss and I thought Oh this is a
viral spam but then I read more and thought,
okay, tongue and cheek, thats a good sign, aware
of itself, good, mocumentary, it was really inter-
estng.
As Emily and I wind up our day of shooting for the
magazine with photographer Jason Homa, who
also does all the exquisite stlls for the flm, she
stresses the pleasure of seeing something you en-
visioned come to life; to see the sets come to life,
the characters take their frst breath and to have
people read your story and get it. Wiest said, Its
a beautful thing.
Before leaving I want to know what Wiest would
say to that lonely, frightened girl, wrapped up in
the media gliter and pop idolatry crying her eyes
out on YouTube or just writng her pain in her
closet.
To her I say, Go outside. Live a litle. Live the
life that BadPuss cant because theyre so damn
busy being that.
By that Ms. Wiest means the young girl drown-
ing in the pop world of eye candy, sex and illu-
sions.
We need to set higher standards for our young
girls today; give them access to a more confdent,
intelligent and independent role model who
thinks for herself and doesnt rely on her sexuality
for validaton.
Trailer:
htp://youtu.be/LxKeO-L7Wq8
htps://www.facebook.com/
BadPussAPopumentary?notf_t=page_new_likes
SYDNEY L EMMON
HANNAH SORENSON
AL L STI L L PHOTOS
BY J ASON HOMA
PHOTOGRAPHY
( L- R) SYDNEY L EMMON, EMI LY WI EST, HANNAH SORENSON
rebaroque:
upcycling the art of sound
by samantha weiss
rebaroque:
upcycling the art of sound
Back in the day, your music was like your furni-
ture, Mikal tells me, shifing back and forth on
his chosen perchthe one clear area of his work
desk, which is almost the length of his studio in
Bushwick. His long legs swing back and forth in his
dark jeans as he fdgets with the gray, tweed cap
on his head. Im trying to bring that back.
Mikal Hameed is the founder of Re-Baroque,
which is part of his desire to combine art and
music into something new, artstc, and functonal.
His pieces seek the perfect marriage between art
and sound, which is achieved through paterned
canvases with high-quality speakers that connect
wirelessly to any Bluetooth device. The meet-
ing of both worlds began as a birthday gif to his
partner, but soon was picked up by Anthropologie
and other retailers.
As I glance around the studio, Mikal explains the
basics of his projects. Im dealing mostly with
traditonal paterns right now, he states, gestur-
ing behind him to two speaker systems hanging
on the white walls of the studio. Both display a
simple, yet elegant, argyle print, encapsulated by
intricately carved wood frames that have been
spray painted to bright blue and baby pink. The
table on which he is sitng holds several un-
framed pieces stll in the making, in bright foral
colors and other varying paterns. Those are for
a hotel, he says, proud and excited. Theyve
ordered twenty-four pieces. Thats what Im trying
to branch into right now, more hotels and other
larger clients like that. At the moment, most
orders come online from individuals who pick out
sizes of frames, then send Mikal the fabric they
want their speakers to be displayed in. The rest
is up to him, and it usually takes about two or
three days for him and his assistant, Fernando, to
complete the work.
I ask him whether the type of music that plays
through Re-Baroque speakers changes the mean-
ing of the art, but he shakes his head. The
meaning of the art is for the client to enjoy, he
states. I mean, I did a couple of country fags
which would ft beter with that countrys music,
and Ive done a jazz series that would work great
with jazz music, but other than that, its the client.
I dont only do speakers, though, he says, jump-
ing of the table for a moment to survey the large,
custom-size speaker system in the center of the
studio. This one is for a barber shop in town. The
guy wants his logo on it, but I hope I can convince
him not to do it. I agree with him; the large, black
velvet system is contained in a simple black frame,
with one speaker painted bright gold to add some
favor. Its the perfect mix of class and edge. But
the speakers are just specifc to Re-Baroque. Ive
done a trumpet into a lampa tampand the
keys turn the light on and of and adjust the bright-
ness. And before this speaker was here, there was
a snowmobileI just got back from showing that
in Germany.
Hes also working on a headboard with speakers
and lights on either side, for reading at night with-
out having to have a bulky nightstand and lamp
beside you, and a dresser that can hide all of the
wires in a home (for cable, Wi-Fi, televisions, alarm
clocks, or anything else that might be around) and
keep them organized without taking up as much
space. The entre purpose for Mikal is to make
things beautful and functonal at the same tme,
with a personal touch that his larger compettors
cant reach. Some people take my idea, but they
dont really do what I do, he explains. Theyre all
about the botom line, and Im about personalizing
it and making something that really fts in with the
rest of your dcor.
Hes also about keeping the marriage between art
and music at the forefront of his designsboth
of his parents were professional jazz musicians,
but he was unable to learn to sing or play an
instrument, and so he chose visual art instead. I
searched through the DNA, you know? Instead
of creatng an entrely new person out of myself,
I searched into what I already had inside me and
brought it out in a new way.
The conversaton shifs back to his recent trip to
Germany. He tells me about losing his phone in the
airport, only to have someone bring it to the plane
just before taxiing onto the runway. He pauses
for a moment, looking around his studio with the
same wide smile thats been on his lips the entre
meetng; then he shakes his head and laughs. Im
a lucky guy, he says. Im the luckiest guy in the
world.
Photographer: Al ex Trayl en
MUA & Styl i st: Whi te Pak
Model : Zoe Brown
Al l cl othi ng by Yane Mode
LONDON
CALLING
35
34 Spring 2014 CREATIVE SUGAR 36
38
carves can be charming, they can be state-
ments; scarves can make or break the outit,
or quite simply provide the warmth you need
for winter. But if youre reading Creatve Sugar,
you likely put a bit more efort into what goes around
your neck (or elsewhere). All black and no play can be
so blas on a crowded street youll need some-
thing extra special to stand out in a great way. Feeling
feminine, modern, and edgy? Are you tred of seeing
the same wonderful scarf you just bought walk past
you tme and again? Julie VanSuch has something for
you. A Brooklyn based, self-proclaimed luxury scarf
designer, VanSuch strives to provide you with unique
designs digitally printed on natural fbers that just
beg to be looked at. I sat down to have a chat with
the head of J.VANSUCH Studio to fnd out all about
her drive, her aesthetc, and her fresh scarves of
course!
Already designing from her senior year at Rhode
Island School of Design (RISD), VanSuch started her
own line in 2012 with the push of her best friend
Frank Marando. She became fascinated with the pos-
sibilites of communing prints and materials to
create fun scarves to wear. Whether shes traveling
to Barcelona or Paris, Oslo or Belize, or just walking
down the buzzing streets of Manhatan, VanSuch is
on the lookout for inspiraton in the small things. A
busy woman with her own line, she fnds the tme to
do custom work for boutques as well as personal or-
ders. She knows who her ideal client is, a contempo-
rary post-modern woman who likes to stand out with
a wild print but is also sophistcated enough to have
impeccable taste and weed out the bullshit. She loves
luxury but knows how to have fun, and VanSuch is
ready to design for her. With key elements such as
surrealism, nature, mystery and modernism, you will
fnd bold prints and paterns with great splashes of
color in each of her annual collectons.
ES: Why do you design?
JVS: Mostly to feed my soul and because I feel so
passionate about designing something beautful to
inspire others. It is so heartwarming every tme I get
a customer who tells me how much they love my
work.
All Black and No Play
Can Be So Blas
ES: What motvated or inspired you to become a
luxury scarf designer?
JVS: I saw a hole in the market for more artstc,
painterly, and compelling scarf designs. I like the idea
that what you wear refects your mood and tells a
story. I thought of it as an opportunity to showcase
my paintngs/artwork into a wearable item that is
personal and collectable. I enjoy the idea of keep-
ing people warm and creatng a piece that some-
one gives as a special gif and does not dispose of
at the end of each season like many clothing items.
A scarf is a tmeless classic piece in your wardrobe
that makes you feel good and can be sentmental.
My scarf line is a modern take on a classic accessory,
using innovatve digital prints, modern shapes, and
luxury materials.
ES: What is your creatve process like when design-
ing?
JVS: I play around with many techniques and allow
myself to experiment; this includes drawing, paint-
ing, sewing, and collage. Then I pick my favorite
patern studies and fgure out how I want to com-
bine them. As I am working, I start to narrow down
my color palete and focus on the most beautful
techniques. One of my rules in designing is that it
has to be a combinaton of 3 diferent elements
or paterns. Afer I pick out my favorite elements
to focus on, I scan them into the computer. In Photo-
shop, I can easily copy and paste all my diferent pat-
tern studies and fnish out the layouts in the exact
size of the scarf or accessory. The fle I create is then
what I use to digitally print on fabric.
ES: Who are your role models as a designer?
JVS: I am completely obsessed with Mary Katran-
zou, Prabul, Phillip Lim, Christopher Kane, Jonathan
Saunders, Dries Van Noten, Balenciaga, and Opening
Ceremony.
ES: How do you set yourself apart from your com-
pettors?
JVS: My designs tell a story that I fnd is rare in the
by Ely Sepulveda
S
current market. Each print design is an original
design and a limited editon. I only print 25 pieces
and when they sell out, thats it. These are not
mass produced and you cannot just fnd them any-
where. I also do a lot of custom work. My custom-
ers appreciate the fact that they are getng a one
of a kind piece that is made with love in Brooklyn.
ES: Do you plan on expanding into other accesso-
ries or apparel?
JVS: I would love to someday expand into apparel.
We will contnue to focus on accessories for now
untl we are ready for that next leap. Stay tuned
for our upcoming hair accessories and Mens Fall
line. I would also love to expand into tech accesso-
ries and handbags.
ES: How do you see yourself and your business in 5
years?
JVS: I see the business expanding into other prod-
ucts and our studio growing to host more equip-
ment and local artsans. I love the idea of all these
local crafsmen in all varying skills working on the
J.VANSUCH line.
ES: What are you doing to accomplish these goals?
JVS: We are adding in some more embroidery
techniques to the Fall line and working with a local
small factory in Greenpoint. Our hair accessories
are also being sewn there. I am experimentng with
many more fabric and print techniques and sil-
houetes that will shape our future collectons in a
major way. I love collaboratng and learning from
all the incredible artsans I know.
Julie VanSuchs current Spring line, the Kinetc col-
lecton, silks featuring hand-painted elements, is
on sale now at jvansuch.com. While there, get an
inside look at past collectons and a taste of whats
to come, including the launch of her Fall line in
September.
KI NETI C BLOSSUMS
KI NETI C CI RCL ES
KI NETI C STRI ATI ON
J UL I E VAN SUCH
34
TAKE ON FI LM
BY J OSEPH GALLO
41
43
GOWANUS CANAL I N BROOKLYN, NY
BY J OSEPH GAL LO
FI L M PHOTO
BY J OSEPH GAL LO
45
If you took a camera, and I took a camera, and we
shot the same thing, whats the diference?
-TommyT
I sat down with Tommy in his Queens studio to catch
up on life. Weve known one another for over ten
years now so we skipped the formalites and got
right into reminiscing about growing up in Brooklyn.
Remember when we used to get in trouble and
have to stand on that stage? Tommy laughed with
me as we recalled some of our best childhood
memories.
Yeah man, we would kill for some recess tme too.
The conversaton about elementary school and be-
ing nine years old gently transitoned to the topic
of cameras. He was eyeing my Nikon D5000 and sud-
denly I felt intmidated when he asked me what kind
of camera I had. Tommy walked over to scope out
my less than par camera gear and began to mix-and-
match lenses with cameras. He was as genuine and
easy going as I remembered.
When did you frst notce your love for photogra-
phy?
Would it sound stupid if I saidwhen Ipicked up
my frst camera? [Laughs] What happened was, it
started of as a hobby. Basically, I did graphic design.
And when you do graphic design, you need qual-
ity pictures. I decided to spend like $400-$500 on
Christmas and I picked up a camera for graphic
design, but then I started liking the quality of the
pictures. Thats how I picked up photography. Then
people started saying oh you take pictures, do my
shoot...then that turned into party pictures, then
party pictures turned into a website, and I just built
on that.
How did you teach yourself photography?
YouTube. Trial and error, experience, and YouTube
were the main teachers. The editng was amazing
because I already did it with Photoshop, but learn-
ing how to use a camerajust tme and YouTube.
Where do you fnd most of your inspiraton?
I would say fellow photographers. The people
that I know that are photographers do really dope
stuf, and that inspires me to do dope stuf. People
will look at other people who do the same thing as
them as competton, I see them as an inspiraton.
What has been your favorite type of shoot thus
far?
Hmm, my favorite? I think Im going to say beauty.
High-end beauty. I chose that because I dont get
to do many. Most of my clients dont come to me
for that, and I like it because its very interestng
when you get to the editng part. I get to put my
own artstc spin on that. Even afer the hair and
the makeup artsts do their thing, I get to go back
and do my thing. Its very detailed. You have to
pay atenton to skin and pores
How do you motvate yourself before every piece
that you do?
Honestly, some of them Im not motvated to do.
Some of them I just have to do because someone
hired me to. The ones that I like to do, I plan them.
I envision what I want and when I get there, I start
making it happen. My personal shoots, the ones I
do on my own like the 52 Project, I know how the
lightng is going to be, and the kind of models I
want.
TOMMY T:
THE MAN BEHI ND THE LENS
BY MORGAN CLARKE
PHOTO BY TOMMYT
PHOTO BY TOMMYT
Tell me about the 52 Project.
Basically, thats a project based on portraits. So I
want to feature diferent people, not necessarily
certain models, or actresses, or celebrites. I just
want your regular, normal, day-to-day people. A lot
of tmes, clients may come to me and they want
me to take pictures for their clothing line with their
vision. With my 52, I want to show people my more
creatve side on my terms, my rules, and my vision.
What do you feel is the best/worst thing about
being a self-taught photographer?
The best thing I would say is when you see how far
youve come. You know that nobody helped you.
Nobody held your hand. Its kind of like a proud
moment where you get to say wow I did this on my
own. You dont owe anyone anything, and no one
can say I taught you. Thats a really good feeling.
The worst thing is no one is teaching you! [Laughs]
You have to make a lot of mistakes to learn. Even
with business, since photography is my business,
you have to learn those business skills, how to
negotate, and how to price your work without
anybody helping you.
How do you feel afer youve completed your
projects?
Most of the tmes, when I fnish a shoot, I cant
wait to edit. Thats really the best part. Sometmes
I get upset when people post my photos when they
arent edited because I feel like they arent show-
ing my true potental. When Im taking a picture
Im always thinking, damn I cant wait to get home
and do this, do thatthats where most photogra-
phers get to show their creatvity. I get to go home
and put my spin on it, and thats when it becomes
MY work, and thats what really excites me.
What are your short-term and long-term goals?
My short-term goals right now are just to get ex-
posure. I just want to build my name. I dont have
a tme limit; I dont have a monetary goal. Getng
exposurethats the foundaton of any business.
Im not trying to get rich quick; I just want to build
my brand. Word of mouth, networking, social
media, getng a good client base are all of my main
focuses. My long-term goal is to own my own stu-
dio. I give myself about ten years for that because
Im trying to do it without investors and loans. I
want to do it straight cash. My father and his father
were both self-employed. My grandfather owned a
tailor shop. He didnt rent it out, he actually owned
the building. Thats what I want to do. I want to have
my studio with my business running out of it to help
promote each other. I have good support and most
people dont have that. Their parents want them to
get a 9-5, be a doctor, or be a lawyer. My parents
support my entrepreneurship. They see my vision.
Do you have any advice for those who are pursuing
the same things as you?
You have to be very brave. A lot of people wont
respect it, or they wont understand it. You have to
be brave enough to contnue going through it even
when youre misunderstood. When I was getng
ready to graduate, a lot of people were asking me
what are you going to do now, meanwhile Ive been
doing photography for so many years. When I tell
them Im going to be a photographer, they look at
me and ask what are you really going to do. You
just have to believe in your goal, and believe in your
business. As long as you have that, some support
and a good foundaton youll be fne. You also have
to be personable too. Patent and personable.
TommyT is a man with a plan. He is a visionary who
makes his own rules, and always adds a personal
touch to his work. He is the epitome of young, fresh
talent, and defnitely someone you can expect to do
big things.
Check out: www.tommytphotography.com
PHOTO BY TOMMYT
PHOTO BY TOMMYT
( L EFT) ARTI ST AND FASHI ON MODEL PETER SHOUKRY
( TOP RI GHT) SHARE MY DREAM DARL I NG
( BOTTOM RI GHT) RI SE EGYPT
( BOTTOM L EFT) I M GOI NG TO PAI NT THE WORL D
Peter Shoukry not only has charm, good looks,
and amazing style, but the mind of a true artst.
Migratng from Egypt to Los Angeles at age ten,
Peter never imagined that at age nineteen his art
would be featured in one of the most popular
museums in Los Angeles. As he got more gigs,
his passion not only increased for art but also for
fashion as he scored a major deal with Envy Mod-
eling Agency. Infusing fashion into his art, he has
created something incredibly refreshing to the art
scene.
Can you remember the frst thing you ever drew
or painted?
The frst thing I ever drew was a spider man fg-
ure. I didnt even know I could draw. I remember
in high school I kept asking one of my friends to
draw for me untl one day he told me to try it
for myself. And I did.
How would you describe your artstc style?
Defnitely abstract. I like to give people a lesson
on art along with anything Ive learnt.
On your website, you have two paintngs called
Rise in Egypt and One Night in Paris. Do any
of the places you visit have any impact on your
art?
Absolutely. Traveling is my biggest muse. But
I like to incorporate the culture and even the
politcs and give it a scene. Rise in Egypt was
inspired afer a trip I took there. There was so
much turmoil and I thought how could I give back
to my people? How can I inspire them? I wanted
to contribute and motvate and let them know
that this will pass.
How did you feel about having your art work
exhibited in La Contemporary Museum? It was
awesome. It was my start. The best thing I could
ever have. It was my foundaton you know. It was
such a reward, such a blessing for my work to be
validated.
How has the fashion scene afected your artwork
and the way you interpret your art?
I had always been into fashion. I had lost some
weight and I started to look diferent so I lost some
more. I later got signed by Envy and started doing
some work for Banana Republic and H&M. I def-
nitely make my art to look like a photo shoot. I like
for the characters that I draw to look like theyre
posing. But I like to market myself as a model and
artst.
What are some qualites you think an art piece
needs to have to be considered a masterpiece?
It needs to have everything; it needs to have
compositon, it needs to be something that people
can relate to. It needs to have a meaning and that
meaning I want you to fgure out for yourself. Ill
give you a hint but the other 50 percent needs to
come from you. Then comes that moment when
everything fnally comes together and every line,
every stroke that I have made will make complete
sense. I used to start without thinking about it and
start paintng or drawing. Now, Ill let all my ideas
come together frst before I start. When you take
your tme and have all your ideas together, you will
have a masterpiece.
What is your take on the art scene today? Do you
have any advice for any young artst just startng
out?
The art scene today seems so big but its so much
smaller than before. There are a lot more artsts
than before, but fewer artsts who only breathe
and live art. I mean its all over the place. I would
say street art is this generatons art form. Thats
why I like to make my art colorful like street art. My
advice to any artst is to get as much out there as
possible. Dont think about the money. Let people
see your art. It wont be easy at frst but to make it
you have to fail.
THE ARTI ST & THE MODEL:
PETER SHOUKRY
BY BEVERLY COSSI A
SHOW DATES
AFA Gallery
54 Greene St
NYC
Joe Sorren: Knock Three Times
March 8 April 6, 2014
Opening recepton: March 8, 2014 6-8 pm
The works explore new forms and palete highlightng tender
faces and gestures of his signature fgures.
BAC Gallery
111 Front Street, Suite 218
Brooklyn, NY
Subtle Approach
March 6 July 31, 2014
Subtle Approach is a group exhibiton featuring the work of
four Brooklyn-based artsts whose clever techniques and abil-
ity to simultaneously push and pull their ideas and materials
slowly reveal something other than what the viewers eye
immediately perceives.
Artsts:
Megan Hays, Colleen Ho, Sarah Nicole Phillips, Carlton Scot
Sturgill
Curated by Courtney J. Wendrof
Opening Recepton: March 6, 6-8pm
Bety Cuningham Gallery
541 W. 25
th
St.
NYC
William Bailey
Feb. 13 March 29, 2014
While the current exhibiton concentrates on William Baileys
recent work, both fgure and stll-life paintngs, also included
is a selecton of earlier paintngs including Italian Profle from
1963, Girl in White Skirt from 1977 and LAtesa from 2006.
The earlier works serve to reveal the evoluton over the last
50 years of Baileys paintng style and subject.
From his early work to the present, his imagery --- whether
stll life, landscape or fgure---is composed solely from his
imaginaton or, as he would say, it comes from my head.
This imagery is adjusted and refned in each paintng.
J OE SORREN, BOTH SI DES NOW
CARLTON SCOTT STURGILL, COUPLES IN THE POLO FIELDS
WILLIAM BAILEY, CITIZEN AMONG THE
MONUMENTS, 2013
Chambers Fine Art
522 W. 19th St.
NYC
Multple Perspectves: New Works by Xie Xiaoze
February 27 April 12, 2014
Opening: Thursday February 27, 2014, 6 8 pm
Clifon Benevento
515 Broadway, 6BR (Between Spring/Broome)
NYC
Petroleum Jelly - Polly Apfelbaum, John Burtle, Kirsten Nash,
David Zutermeister
Opens March 8, 2014
DEte Nogle Michael Clifon & Michael Benevento and
DEte Nogle present: Regressing to Mean
Opens April 19, 2014
Polly Apfelbaum A Handweavers Patern Book
Opens May 31, 2014
Flowers Gallery
529 West 20th Street
NYC
March 6 April 26
Ken Currie
Opening recepton: March 6, 6-8pm
Following his recent show at the Scotsh Natonal Portrait
Gallery, these paintngs contnue to examine the relatonship
between paintng, power and portraiture. This exhibiton
explores among other things the inherent absurdity of the
human situaton, and has drawn infuence from the Spanish
Masters Velzquez and Goya. Both these painters worked in
the Royal Courts but recognized the vanity, indeed idiocy, in
the rituals and protocols of court life. The fgures in Curries
work nod to the icons of the Old Masters, a barely concealed
hint of satre of our own contemporary version of court life.
Ken Currie was born in 1960 and currently resides in Glasgow.
He graduated from the Glasgow School of Art in 1983 and
has been exhibited internatonally. His work is held in many
collectons including the Scotsh Natonal Portrait Gallery, the
Scotsh Natonal Gallery of Modern Art, the Natonal Library
of Scotland, the Tate Britain, the Boston Museum of Fine Art,
and the Yale Center for Britsh Art and The New York Public
Library.
KEN CURRIE, RED TRIM, 2012
SHOW DATES
Garvey|Simon ART ACCESS
547 W 27th Street, Suite 207
New York, NY
J .Ivcevich: Shreds
February 19 - March 22, 2014
J IVCEVICH: Shreds, an exhibiton highlightng the artsts most
recent reinterpretatons of shredded subway posters found
both in New York City and other places in his travels. This will
be Ivcevichs second solo show in New York and his solo exhibi-
ton in the U.S. The opening recepton will be held on Thurs-
day, February 20, from 6-8pm; the artst will be present.
Alan Bray: New Paintngs
April 29 - May 31, 2014
ALAN BRAY, an exhibiton highlightng the artsts newest ca-
sein tempera landscape paintngs. This will be Brays 7th solo
show in New York and his frst with Garvey|Simon Art Access.
The opening recepton will be held on Thursday, May 1, from
6-8pm; the artst will be present.
Hasted Kraeutler
NYC
Romulo Celdran
Feb 13 April 12, 2014
Hasted Kraeutler is pleased to announce the exclusive U.S.
representaton and inaugural exhibiton of Romulo Celdran,
beginning February 13, and running through April 12, 2014.
The artst makes sculptures and drawings of objects from his
everyday life on an exaggerated, larger than life scale. The
works in this exhibiton encompass two series, Zoom and
Macro.
Jef Bark: Golden Boy
April 17 - May 31, 2014
Recepton for the artst on Thursday, April 17, 6 to 8 p.m.
The photographic tableaux in Jef Barks newest body of work,
Goldenboy, exist in an eerily ambiguous tme of day, some-
where between the burning, frst rays of dawn and the last
glow of sunset. Sufused by a warm, languorous light that
evokes the close heat of Southern California, and set amidst
colors and textures that recall the 1980s, the series was in-
spired by aspects of Barks own autobiography.
Although most of the photographs appear to take place
outside, and have an authentcally rich, saturated West Coast
palete, every one of them was actually taken inside Jef Barks
J. IVCEVICH, SHRED MANDALLA II, 2013
ALAN BRAY, DROWNED FOREST, 2013
ROMULO CELDRAN
New York garage, on a metculously constructed set meant
to replicate the California backyard in which he made his frst
photographs. Barks insistence on building these complex,
intricate sets from the ground upworking in the controlled
environment of his studio, rather than at the whim of the
elementsis an essental element of his metculous, tme-
consuming process. In that spirit, the exhibiton includes a site-
specifc installaton that ofers a wholly sensory and immersive
experience. Soaked in the warm light so masterfully captured
in the photographs, and scented to evoke the salt-kissed air of
the sea, the installaton is fted with live parakeets, transform-
ing Hasted Kraeutler into Southern California, circa 1980.
Joshua Liner Gallery, Gallery One
540 W 28th St. NYC
Pema Rinzin: Abstract Enlightenment
Joshua Liner Gallery is pleased to present Abstract Enlighten-
ment from Tibetan thangka painter and contemporary artst
Pema Rinzin. This exquisite body of work will be Rinzins
second solo show since exhibitng with the gallery in 2011.
Combining his knowledge of traditonal thangka paintng with
his worldly travels to create contemporary pieces, Abstract
Enlightenment includes work diverse in color and size. Please
join us and the artst for the opening recepton on Thursday,
February 27 from 6 to 8PM.
Julie Oppermann: Palinopsia
We are excited to introduce Berlin-based artst Julie Opper-
mann. This will be her debut solo show in New York, featuring
abstract paintngs on canvas and paper. Informed by her mas-
ters degree in neuroscience, Oppermanns paintngs challenge
the viewer to queston how they see, creatng an awareness of
a sense that is usually involuntary. Please join us for the open-
ing of Palinopsia on Thursday, February 27 from 6 to 8PM. The
artst will be in atendance.
Krause Gallery
149 Orchard St (LES)
COPE2 x Ben Frost
March 21 April 20, 2014 - Legends of the New World
Opening recepton: Friday, March 21, 7-9pm
COPE2: Fernando Carlo (also known as Cope2) is an artst from
the Kingsbridge secton of the Bronx, New York. He has been
a graft artst since 1978-79, and has gained internatonal
credit for his work. Although he is now known worldwide as
JEFF BARK
PEMA RINZIN
SHOW DATES
being one of the founders of graft, he didnt receive recogni-
ton in the mainstream graft world untl the mid-1990s when
Cope2s cousin Chico 80 infuenced Cope into writng. In
1982 he made his own crew called Kids Destroy and eventually
it changed to Kings Destroy afer he dubbed himself King of
the 4 Line.[1] Cope2 is well known for his throw-up and is
also one of the most known users of wildstyle graft, a style
which originated in the Bronx. Cope2 has achieved consider-
able mainstream success for his artwork and has collaborated
and released many projects alongside such names as Adidas
and Time Magazine, Sheperd Fairey,
Retna, Kenny Scharf and more.
Ben Frost: (born Brisbane, Australia) is a visual artst whose
work seeks to challenge contemporary norms and values of
Western culture and society. Frosts visual work places common
iconic images from advertsing, entertainment, and politcs into
startling juxtapositons that are ofen confrontatonal and
controversial. He currently lives and works in Sydney, Australia,
and exhibits locally and internatonally. The ttle Ben Frost is
Dead comes from his 2000 solo exhibiton of the same name
where he faked his own death. Invitatons were created in the
form of a newspaper funeral notce and distributed natonwide.
Newspapers labelled him sick and his actons perverse,
when, by complete coincidence, the invitatons went out on
the same day a local art patron died.
Frost has been exhibitng throughout Australia and internaton-
ally over the last 10 years, including solo
shows in London, New York, and San Francisco, as well as group
shows in Amsterdam, Berlin, Mongolia, and Singapore. In 2007,
Frost partcipated in Tiger Translate in Beijing, collaboratng
with local Chinese artsts.
His work has appeared in countless magazines and newspapers
including Vogue, Harpers Bazaar, Oyster, WeAr, Monster Chil-
dren, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, Ok!, HQ, Eyeline,
FHM, Australian Art Collector, Broadsheet, and Art Monthly.
JULIE OPPERMANN
BEN FROST
COPE2
Laurence Miller Gallery
20 W 57th St, 3rd Floor, NYC
Thirty Years - Thirty-One Photographers
Exhibiton: Feb. 6 Apr. 26, 2014
Recepton: Thursday, Feb. 6, 6 to 8pm
On February 6th, the Laurence Miller Gallery will celebrate
its 30th anniversary, establishing it as one of the oldest galler-
ies specializing in photography in the United States.
Over the past three decades, the Gallery has hosted approxi-
mately 250 exhibitons, and the list of these shows refects
the evoluton of photography during that tme as well, emerg-
ing from the classic black-and-white medium that dominated
much of the 20th century, to include todays large-format
color contemporary works, as well as video. The gallery takes
great pride in having given many emerging photographers
their frst one-person exhibitons in New York City, as well as
having presented many of photographys greatest masters.
The Anniversary exhibiton will feature the following:
Diane Arbus, Laurence Bach, Thomas Barrow, Peter Bialobrz-
eski, G.B. Biggs, Gary Brotmeyer, Larry Burrows, Luca Campig-
oto, Joan Colom, Petah Coyne, Denis Darzacq, Lee Friedland-
er, Miguel ngel Garca, Emmet Gowin, Robert Heinecken,
Fred Herzog, Fan Ho, Dodo Jin Ming, Peter Keetman, Helen
Levit, Roger Mertn, Ray K. Metzker, Eadweard Muybridge,
Toshio Shibata, Aaron Siskind, Michael Spano, Val Telberg,
Jerry Uelsmann, Burk Uzzle, Minor White, Bruce Wrighton.

COURTESY OF LAURENCE MILLER GALLERY
SHOW DATES
Lehmann Maupin
540 West 26th Street, New York, NY 10001
201 Chryste Street, New York, NY 10002
Klara Kristalova: Big Girl Now
201 Chryste Street, New York
Erwin Wurm: Synthesa
540 West 26th Street, New York
Adriana Varejao: Polvo
April 24 June 21, 2014
540 West 26th Street, New York
Lesley Heller Workspace
54 Orchard St, NYC
Katherine Newbegin: Vacant
For the past nine years, Newbegin has photographed vacant
spaces of leisure, travel and transitonal occupancy. All of the
spaces she photographs are deeply informed by traces of the
human actvites that take place in them, but only remain in
evidence lef behind. The architecture of these hotel rooms and
movie cinemas hold a stfing sense of deadness, as if they were
already a museum, actng as a conduit into a displaced tme.
Newbegin photographs with flm on a Pentax 6 x 7 medium
format camera and uses only natural lightng, which gives her
photographs an ethereal glow.
KLARA KRISTALOVA, YOUNG GIRL GROWING, 2013
KATHERINE NEWBEGIN,HOTEL TOURIST I (BLUE PHONE)
CHISINAU, MOLDOVA, 2007
Luhring Augustne
Bushwick: 25 Knickerbocker Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11237
Chelsea: 531 West 24th Street
NYC
CHELSEA:
Jef Elrod
Rabbit Ears
Opening recepton: Friday March 7, 6-8 pm
This will be the artsts frst solo show with the gallery.
In this exhibiton, Elrod presents a group of large-scale abstract
paintngs which all come from images frst made on a comput-
er screen. In his view, the 21st century is characterized
by our engagement with the screen, which is illusionary space.
Digital images will seem to possess depth, but in reality they
are compressed and read as a fat surface.

Tunga
April 18 May 31, 2014

Larry Clark
June 7 August 1, 2014

BUSHWICK:
Michelangelo Pistoleto
Minus Objects
Dec 18, 2013 - May 11, 2014
The Minus Objects 1965-1966 is an exhibiton of one of the
earliest and most important bodies of work created by the art-
ist Michelangelo Pistoleto. Widely regarded as fundamental
to the birth of the Arte Povera movement in the 1960s, this
seminal series radically upended the prevailing art trends of
the tme.

Tom Friedman
May 21 August 1, 2014
MICHELANGELO PISTOLETTO: THE MINUS OBJECTS
1965-1966, INSTALLATION VIEWS, LUHRING AUGUSTINE,
BUSHWICK, PHOTO: FARZAD OWRANG
JEFF ELROD STUDIO
SHOW DATES
Mike Weiss Gallery
520 W 24 NYC
Thrush Holmes: MORE - March 8 - April 5, 2014,
Opening Recepton March 8, 6-8 PM
Martn Wickstrm: Perfume River April 10 - May 10, 2014,
Opening Recepton, April 10, 6-8 PM
Michael Werner
4 East 77
th
Street
NYC
Sigmar Polke: Early Works on Paper
March 13 June7, 2014
Nancy Margolis Gallery
NYC
Salvatore Federico
February 6 March 29, 2014
The artsts frst exhibiton with the gallery, on February 6,
2014, will be on view through March 29, 2014. The opening
recepton will take place Thursday, February 6, from 68 pm.
In his most recent body of large-scale acrylic-on-canvas paint-
ings, Salvatore Federico contnues to paint exuberant minimal-
ist two-color compositons. The exhibitons palete is typically
punchy, using only the most saturated hues. Bold juxtaposi-
tons of warm with cool, dark with lightcolor combinatons
that are unexpected yet skillfully deployeddemonstrate the
artsts exceptonal color sensibility. In each paintng, hard-
edged, sometmes zigzagging, forms hover over fat felds of
color. These origami-like shapes foat and pirouete across the
paintng plane, while at the same tme efectng a tangible ten-
sion as they twist, fold and confront the edges of the canvas.
At once full of movement and structure, Federicos angular
forms conjure endless associatons with subjects both concrete
and abstract.
Born out of the minimalist aesthetc, Federicos work bears
the infuence of the late Henri Matsse, Ellsworth Kelly and the
sculptor Tony Smith, who was Federicos teacher. Federico was
born in Washington, D.C. Afer receiving his B.F.A. in 1966 from
Richmond Professional Insttute, he was awarded a Graduate
Fellowship from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. He atended
Hunter College in New York City from 19661967, receiving
MARTIN WICKSTRM
SALVATORE FEDERICO
an a M.A. in paintng in 1971. Federico has exhibited widely
throughout the United States and New York, including George
Billis Gallery, Amos Eno Gallery, SAI Gallery and The Drawing
Center. His work has received numerous accolades and has
been featured in The New York Sun, The New York Observer,
Art in America, The New Republic, The Richmond-Times Dis-
patch, The Virginian-Pilot, The Washington Post and Modern
Painters. Federico lives and works in Sullivan County, NY, and
Manhatan. This is his frst exhibiton with Nancy Margolis
Gallery.
NY Studio Gallery
154 Stanton Street at Sufolk Street, NYC
Art Party Saturday March 1, 8pm - 2am
Featuring sculptures and an appearance by Alan Wadzinski
Sculptures by Alan Wadzinski on view untl May 10
PIEROGI
177 N. 9th Street
Brooklyn, NY
BOILER
191 N. 14th Street
Brooklyn, NY
Pierogi:
Reed Anderson
Opening Recepton: Fri, March 21,7-9pm
Kim Jones
April 25 - May 25, 2014
Opening Recepton: Fri, April 25, 7-9pm
The Boiler:
Ward Shelley and Alex Schweder: In Orbit

Opening Recepton: Feb. 28, 7-10pm
Performance Dates: February 28 through March 9, 2014
Hours: Noon to 6pm
Radiator Gallery
www.radiatorarts.com
10-61 Jackson Ave, Long Island City, NY 11106
Ofine
Partcipatng Artsts:
Martha Clippinger, Molly Dilworth, Carolyn Lambert, Beth
Letain, Stacie Johnson, Sarah G. Sharp and Parsley Steinweiss
REED ANDERSON
SHOW DATES
Curated by Sarah G. Sharp
OFFLINE proposes that part of the cultural response to the
overwhelming informaton, access, images and mutable ident-
tes that come with life lived on the internet and mediated
through a screen, includes a re-envisioning and invocaton of
the very thing the digital era suggests we leave behind: the
real. The show presents seven artsts who respond to these
contemporary upheavals by reframing the mundane, con-
crete material of their lived experience in light of contemporary
metaphors like rhizomatc relatonships, the recombinant, the
virtual and the network. Without nostalgically fetshizing the
analog or relying on ant-technology rhetoric, these artsts use
familiar forms like abstract paintng, found materials, perfor-
mance and photography to re-imagine our new every day life
in concrete terms and provoke altered perceptual readings of
our ofine experiences. We are reminded that our concrete
experiences and identtes are both re-framed by and persist
alongside our online lives.
Recess Arts
41 Grand Street
NYC
Recess is hostng Liz Magic Laser, and her project Bystander,
from now untl March 22, with a recepton on March 6th from
6-8pm. The project will culminate with performances pre-
sented in partnership with The Kitchen on March 27-29 at 8pm.
Laser will collaborate with journalists, actors and other artsts
to create and edit a script based on interview responses from
visitors to the space. The culminatng performances at The
Kitchen will stage a dialogue between television news produc-
ton and its viewers. Reversing expected roles, professional
newscasters will deliver subjectve testmonies while actors,
representng the public, ofer factual reports.
Robin Rice Gallery
NYC
Lance W. Clayton
March 19 - April 27, 2014
Sous Les Etoiles Gallery
560 Broadway #603 NYC
Richard Caldicot
STACIE JOHNSON, TEAM HANDSHAKE
LIZ MAGIC LASER, BYSTANDER
Through subtle play of reorganizaton and repetton, Britsh
photographer Richard Caldicot has contnued to explore use
of geometric, structured compositon and line, orientng his
recent work into an almost conceptual performance of refne-
ment, and ultmately creatng a taxonomy of lines that rede-
fne a sense of space, trajectory and movement. Here, lines
are the traces of a vital force: photographic illustratons of the
artsts creatve course. Recent Work 2010-2013 will be on
view at Sous Les Etoiles Gallery February 13-March 29, 2014.
For the frst tme in exhibiton are Caldicots 2013 photogram
and paper negatves. In conjuncton with the exhibiton, a
catalogue published by the gallery is available with new texts
by Derek Horton and Lyle Rexer.
Tibor de Nagy Gallery
724 Fifh Avenue, NYC
Kathy Buterly: Enter
A selecton of new, abstract ceramic sculptures
Jen Mazza: Graf
A selecton of new paintngs depictng reproductons from
books
Gallery Recepton Thursday, February 27, 5 7 pm
Zach Feuer Gallery
548 West 22nd Street
New York, NY 10011
February - March
Gallery 1: Kate Levant: Reverse Leash Efect
Gallery 2: Brad Troemel: Freedom Lights Our World (Flow)
April - May
Gallery 1: Kristen Morgin
Gallery 2: Julian Hoeber & Andr Kertsz

May - June
Gallery 1 & 2: Mark Flood
LANCE W. CLAYTON
RICHARD CALDICOTT, UNTITLED
KATHY BUTTERLY, PIRETTE, 2013
SO SWEET YOU L L GET A CAVI TY.
CREATI VESUGARMAGAZI NE. NET

Creative Sugar Magazine - March 2014

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