The art of Jules De Balincourt

I was introduced to the work of Jules De Balincourt through the Saatchi Gallery website. Being a huge fan of maps I was instantly drawn to his work. De Balincourt uses American maps reinvented for his own comical New World Order. States are represented by bright planes of color but without any real context. His maps have political intention and commentary. Some of the maps act as graphs for imaginary data of financial and political party affiliation. In the end, his visual sense is perfect. His color palette and compositions add to his story.

De Balincourt's art is pop art at its finest. His use of graphic design, maps and a strong point of view all makes for a perfect mix!

You can see his work here and here.


"United We Stood" 16" x 20"


"U.S. World Studies III" 60" x 72"


"U.S. World Studies II" 48" x 68"


"Valley Go Home" 8" x 8"


"Neil Young" 16" x 30"


"Huge Blowout Sale" 24" x 32"


"California Precontact" 47" x 37"

The Artwork of Ellwood T Risk

Ellwood T Risk makes art that combines some of my favorite things. Women and guns. His work has a political and social message but in the end they are powerful images that are there for the viewer to see as they like. I have been fascinated with shooting for the past 7 years. When I travel outside of New York I always find a gun range to go shooting at. This was my initial interest in his work but it goes deeper than that. Ellwood's work uses silhouettes of women and pistol targets, layers of collaged ephemera and resin. They are beautiful and haunting at the same time but most of all, they make me think.

You can see his work here, here, and here.


"The Partisan" 30" x 30"


"Peace, Love, and Happiness" 42" x 96"


"Paper Tiger" 48" x 83"


"Lost" 18" x 24"


"Correctional Facility" 24" x 36"


"Bring Love" 50" x 90"


"Black Sun" 86" x 96"


"Untitled III" 36" x 60"

Jeff Schaller New Work at Hubert Gallery

My buddy, Jeff Schaller, has some new work at Hubert Gallery that you should all go check out! Jeff paints with encaustic and his work is beautiful. His brush strokes are gentle yet decisive. His colors are rich and textural and his compositions add strength to the pop quality of the work. He employs the use of wordplay in his work which has a tongue in cheek quality and adds a whimsical sense to his pieces.

I have had the pleasure of visiting his studio and he has it set up to do everything creative dealing with painting, encaustic and screenprinting. His studio is covered in mid-century icons that all play a role in his work. Vintage Coca Cola tin signs, vintage pin up posters and his trademark pink cow all adorn his space!

You can see Jeff's work here and here.


"Knock, Knock" 36" x 36"


"Thwack" 48" x 48"


"Corn" 12" x 12"


"Money Shot" 24" x 24"


"Old Cola" 24" x 24"


"Polaroid" 36" x 36"


"Jane Doe" 48" x 48"


"54" 24" x 24"

Oklahoma and Route 66 Adventures.

A few months back I planned a roadtrip through Oklahoma to photograph Route 66 icons. One thing that I noticed during my travels was the abundance of great vintage gas stations. Many of them perfectly preserved but abandoned. Of course, the neon signs throughout the state are classic. They have been kept in working condition for the most part.

The following photos were the result of over a thousand miles of driving, a few cameras, a laptop, Damien Jurado's music, the GPS, several trips to the gun range and a few meals at the local Burger King. I hope you enjoy!


Abandoned Gas Station, Oklahoma City, OK


Mid Century Gas Station, OKlahoma City, OK


Abandoned Gas Station, Sayre, OK


Abandoned Used Car Dealer, Tulsa, OK


Abandoned Gas Station, Sayre, OK


Abandoned Gas Station, Oklahoma City, OK


Phillips 66 Station (Restored), Chandler, OK


Holiday Inn Billboard, Route 40, OKlahoma


Bee Line Bowl (Abandoned), Okmulgee, OK


Windows, Route 66, Bethany, OK


Round Up Cleaners, Oklahoma City, OK


Western Motel, Bethany, OK


Shop United, Somewhere in Oklahoma


Western Motel, Sayre, OK


Charcoal Oven, Oklahoma City, OK


Industrial Plumbing, Oklahoma City, OK


Winchester Drive In, Oklahoma City, OK

Urban Perspectives Art Opening, Mark Gallery, Englewood, NJ

Mark Gallery in Englewood, New Jersey is having a three person show that opens this week. The opening reception will be on Thursday, January 29, 2009 from 6-8PM. The show will hang through March 21, 2009.

The three artists showing are Ben Aronson, David Kapp and Denis Peterson. Each of the artists shows their particular take on the urban landscape. Aronson's and Kapp's work is more impressionist while Peterson paints in a realist style. From what I have seen the show has been wonderfully curated and pairs the work together in a cohesive story. All of the artist have a beautiful and unique style and you can see more of their work on their websites listed below.

Mark Gallery
Ben Aronson
David Kapp
Denis Peterson

Mark Gallery
11 Grand Avenue
Englewood, NJ
201.568.6275

Paul Chojnowski Fire Paintings

I was introduced to Paul's work through my New York and Boston galleries. His work is much different than anything I have ever seen as he "paints" on watercolor paper and wood panel with a blowtorch. You can see Paul in action here.

Paul's work has a timeless quality about it. There is a haziness to his cityscapes that creates an air of mystery and seduction.

My favorite piece is the Chrysler Building from his Nocturne series. This one is on panel (Birch, I think) and you can see the woodgrain which adds depth to the piece.

You can see more of Paul's work here.


"Nocturne"


"Autumn Night"


"Dusk Hotel"


"Night Rhythms"


Times Square; 11:20 PM, 2008


"Split Second"


"Last Light"


"Approaching Storm"

Brandon McLean Website and Art.

It's been awhile since I checked up on Brandon's website so I decided to head over and see what he has been up to.

I met Brandon through e mail and we traded art some time ago, which eventually led to us showing together in Portland, OR at the Compound Gallery in 2006. He drove cross country with his girlfriend, Courtney, to meet up and a fun time was had by all!

I love the quality of Brandon's artwork and his subject matter is always interesting and thought provoking. The way that he uses collage and paint together has been inspirational in my work.

Lately Brandon has been busy setting up new shows, watching Dexter and working on his "Toolbox Wood Block Collection" which is an on-going collection of random collage and paint experiments on wooden blocks.The blocks range from 3"x5" to 5"x5". The collection includes themes ranging from found family fishing photos to Kennedy Assasination newspaper clippings.

Here are a few of his new pieces which are available for sale. If you are interested please inquire here.