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Art I’d Buy: Selected Works by Andrew Liang

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Saturday Poems brought to you by Dust Congress

Bouche

Artist: James Bouché
Price: $5-40
Medium: Screen Printed Apparels
Status: Always Online
Baltimore Connection: This guy is local.

My Connection:  James Bouché wears all black.  He shifts swiftly in between his day job and studio. James Bouché greets everyone without moving a strand of his facial muscle.  He can see you but you can’t see him. James Bouché silently hones his blades in the shadows and executes his work with flawless craftsmanship.  He could be a ninja.

Description:  James’s work could be described and compared to the Ave Maris Stella, the praying chant/hymn, the music of the early Medieval church.  Most of his work is black and white, black and black, black and gray, black and gray and white, black and black and gray, black and white and black, black and black and black again, black and white and white three more times back to a little gray and then black.  The simplicity of his work brings out the zen and peaceful quality in all people who have ever set their gaze upon them.  His work emits a smooth conjunct mood, perfect for those who need help with stress relief, anger issues, digestive problems, attention deficit disorder, relationship confusion, oily discharge, and micro management.  James could print designs of his work on apparels for you on a sliding scale of 5-40 dollars.  He has magical prints for sale that will help you with Feng Shui.

Check him out at http://www.jamesbouche.com.  After you check him out, give him a hollar at [email protected]  to schedule to meet this mystical creature and place your orders.

espey3

bwcartoon

Artist: Eamon Espey
Price: $15 – $20
Medium: Book
Status: Ready for Shipping
Baltimore Connection: This guy is local.

My Connection:  In March 2006, Eamon and I met at a More Dogs concert, outside of a club called Tunic in the Lower East Side, New York City.  That summer he moved back to Baltimore and began to document other-worldly events and stories of strange happenings.  The tree of our relationship blossomed and started to bear fruits when we began to draw on a paper together.  He indulges in vodka while I bathe in whisky.  One day, I moved on to a different paper, and Eamon continues on his quest to collect and record visions revealed by creatures in fantastical realms. From time to time I pay him a visit, whether telephonically or physically, and I walk away fat with inspiration.

Description:   Eamon collects his visions and documents them into narrative drawings.  These different stories often share characters.  These characters travel from one event to another.  Just like at 8:00 AM this morning, I am in my bed straddling my cat, but at 10:00AM, I am at work being straddled by my boss.  You know, just saying.  These stories are consolidated into a book.  Just like all the events that happen to us on a daily basis are consolidated into something called, life.  I know, thats right.  There are two volumes of them, Wormdye and Songs of the Abyss.  These books contain stories of moral teachings from alien earth-like planets of other galaxies, like how to become rich and famous without going to school, secrets of continuous eating without going to the bathroom, effective tanning during Christmas, and rock hard corn kernel abs in 30 days.

Folks, lets get motivated!  You can improve the quality of your imagination by owning and reading one of Eamon’s books for less than a tank of gasoline! You have to own it and read it to be effective, though, don’t cheat yourself by borrowing from other people or the library.  Please check him out at his publisher’s website.  Or you can order from him directly, [email protected].  Or you can go to Atomic Books, http://www.atomicbooks.com/.

embroidery

Artist: Joanna Fields
Price: $10-100
Medium: Embroidered Patches & Sticker sheets.
Status: We are Open for Business
Baltimore Connection: Traded to Brooklyn, NY 2 years ago

My Connection:  I heard that Joanna Fields has multiple arms.  At the end of each arm is a hand.  There are five fingers on each hand.  And all the fingernails are painted different colors.  Some of the nails have painted pictures.  I think experts call that Nail Art.  I was recommended to Joanna Fields because she could sew really fast and really well.  At that time, I was going for a sewing project challenge that would end up in an exhibition. She became one of my sewing coaches.  And she never missed a single practice.  Due to her efforts, I was able to accomplish my dream and beyond that, I triumphantly and ferociously celebrated with the team.  I often think of Joanna Fields’ nails.  Without them, there would have been no victory.

Description:  To experience Joanna’s work, one really has to humble themselves to remember the times when your mom or dad picked you up and put you in/on a ride outside of Wal-Mart (any store of this nature applies), and put a quarter in so that the ride began to rock. You feel victorious, you feel invincible, you feel the adrenaline rush into your blood vessels, you chant with the melody of this ride, and you look down at other kids who are not in/on any rides and they look at you teary and your eyes say to them, I Win!  The embroidered patches are an emblem of a winner.  The sheets of stickers are ticket stubs you can show to your friends that you have been to the kingdom of I Win! Folks, start winning today.

Check Joanna Fields out, http://crackersnet.tumblr.com/, and place your order at http://joannafields.bigcartel.com/.

emmanuel

Artist:  Emanuel Nicolaidis
Price:  Contact this 3D artist for a good deal!
Medium:  Wood
Status:  24/7
Baltimore Connection:  Born and raised in Greek Town, Baltimore.

My Connection:  Emanuel introduced himself to me after he heard me sing the Immigrant Song by Led Zeppelin.  He is a musician.  I believed him.  I liked his music before I heard it because he liked my singing.  Emanuel has an obsession with wood.  He made a living as a cabinet maker, and on his off hours he held two wooden drum sticks, passionately unleashing beatings of different patterns creating rhythms in a XL decibel.  This obsession eventually took him to set up his own wood shop.  He tirelessly saws down any living trees he sees that are worth turning into something functional, he bangs on them, beats them, and disciplines them into shape. He reads books to them at night and hums a lullaby while he polishes them into perfection. He breathes wood dust.

Description:  Emanuel’s work could be described as Functional Art.  Unlike an overpriced 3D art set on the floor of contemporary galleries or antiquities on museum lawns that don’t work and just look kind of like something but not really, Emanuel’s work is actually affordable and you know what it is and you can touch it, sleep on it, sleep with it, feel it, lick it, smell it, handle it!  Its such a relief to know that one doesn’t have to spend his entire life savings, or take out a loan to own a piece of original art made by the hands of that art’s creator, and on top of that, be able to experience it, live with it, and use it to better ones quality of life, mentally, emotionally, psychologically, and physically.  It really is a good deal.  Art can be functional, and for everyone to own.  Folks, hesitate no more, anything you can think of that could be made with wood, try Emanuel Nicolaidis.

Check him out a couple of times at, http://emmanuelnicolaidis.com/, or just place your order directly with him at, emmanuel.nicolaidis@gmail.com.

Reis2 Ries

Artist:  Gabriel Ries
Price:  Affordable price for serious buyers, upon request.
Medium:  Oil Paintings and Prints
Status:  Ready to Rock n Roll
Baltimore Connection:  Escaped a while back.  Now lives in Milwaukee, WI.

My Connection:  Gabriel Ries a.k.a. Hellraiser.  Gabe and I met in 1999, when we went to Maryland Institute College of Art together with many other people. Gabe acquired Hellraiser as his handle based on his attitude towards art making.  Among the many Safety-Must-Be-First mentalities, Gabe stayed true to his vision, and perfected his oil painting technique to further help deliver his world to the audience with full fledged honesty.  Raising Hell in this case means by not conforming to “safely making art” to be accepted in the contemporary art scene.  Success to him means perfection in painting skills, and a dynamic delivery of content. Like a warrior monk, he practices zen on self discipline and meditates for enlightenment. Constantly humbling himself, examining and drawing inspiration from the world around him, art making to him is like practicing Kung Fu.

Description:  Gabe’s work could be described as cities.  Cities that have interdependent specializations. These specializations cooperate with one another to create visual harmony. Cities that have various sizes, themes, personalities, and thus offering tourists various experiences upon visiting. Gabe’s work is complex, filled with elements to stimulate one’s eyeballs, and massage one’s brain, and sings isorhythmatic tunes to its viewers. He is a mirror, and his work is the reflection of his environment and he honestly tells it.

Like Pieter Brueghel the Elder told it, Gabe is telling it in a way he knows best how to. These images are painted with oil. Gabe could make them into large greeting cards (A7), 4 x 6 ” postcards, large stickers (4 x 6″) and small stickers for you. Folks, I could look at his paintings forever and get inspired by them, because it is so for reals. They make me want to put a little more effort into everything, and humbles me as a person. I believe this is the type of work, and Gabe is the type of artist worth your time and rooting for.

Check him out at  http://www.annnathangallery.com/artists/44.  You can place orders with him directly at [email protected].

* Author Andrew Liang is an artist and Co-Director of Current Gallery.

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