phoning in the concrete

This blog is now an archive

2008-10-05T20:55:00.001-07:00

I have a new blog over at brenthallard.wordpress.com

Cconcretephone will remain live. Notes: To bus-dori, Persimmon Links, and Persimmon Life Studies are getting transferred. Please check my new blog for those details.

Concretephone was great as a daily studio blog. In a sense I could make something up in the studio and post live within minutes, seconds after getting the thumbs up. Having said that, I think we have seen enough concretephone over the Internet for a while. I'm busy with some larger more time consuming projects but will still keep up the studio practice, once every so often posting an image over at wordpress. It's been fun! For other images please do check brenthallard.com

c.p.

Faint

2008-09-26T00:01:00.000-07:00

Faint acrylic and marker on paper, 2008

Curtain

2008-09-25T00:25:00.000-07:00

Curtain acrylic and marker on paper, 2008

Light Strike

2008-09-25T00:13:00.000-07:00

Light Strike acrylic and marker on paper, 2008

Vein

2008-09-24T00:41:00.000-07:00

Vein acrylic and pencil on paper, 2008

Jot Down

2008-09-23T03:02:00.001-07:00

Paper File with notes, studio paraphernalia, 2008

Corn

2008-09-22T03:04:00.000-07:00

Corn acrylic and marker on paper, 2008

間 ma

2008-09-21T01:29:00.000-07:00

間 ma acrylic and pencil on paper, 2008

The top image shows a side view of a very fragile structure of bent and bowing space. The slight pencil line at the bottom, the perforated corner folded back in, tell us that there is some kind of structural thing going on, along with a surface that tends to conjure a variety of memory presences.
The parts work on each other, the elements each their own, substance and material.
There is no attempt to create an illusionist space, as often accused, though it happens. Space and structure can be read as 'one pitched against the other'. And that is fine! However, it is the material[s] that do most of the work; the color, paper, pencil, light, division, front, back, distance, body, and weight, vision—all the things that operate space.

The image below, taken with the lights on without any attempt to correct the white balance, tends to show the empty coming up structural, good.

間 ma [install view] acrylic and pencil on paper, 2008

Float

2008-09-21T00:55:00.000-07:00

Push

2008-09-20T05:01:00.001-07:00

Letter Red

2008-09-20T01:55:00.000-07:00

Letter pencil and acrylic on cotton paper, 2008

Wall Jam

2008-09-19T03:55:00.000-07:00

Jam acrylic and marker on watercolor paper, 2008

Red Line Tracing

2008-09-19T00:01:00.000-07:00

Untitled red marker on tracing paper, 2008

Clash

2008-09-18T00:03:00.000-07:00

Clash acrylic and pencil on paper, 2008

Recent pieces have a largish cut which can translate into a structural member that pushes part of the face quite a way off the wall, providing a more sculptural reading. Both sides are painted. The backside has orange layers, then pink. There is a clash.

Pit

2008-09-17T04:32:00.001-07:00

Pit pencil and acrylic on paper, 2008

Slag

2008-09-16T04:13:00.000-07:00

Slag gesso, acrylic, pencil on paper, 2008

Column Slide

2008-09-15T04:04:00.000-07:00

Column Slide pencil on plain color paper, 2008

Brick [other side]

2008-09-14T02:36:00.001-07:00

Red Brick acrylic and pencil on card, 2008

Red Brick

2008-09-14T00:38:00.000-07:00

Brick acrylic and pencil on card, 2008

Install Brick and Mush

2008-09-14T00:22:00.000-07:00

Brick and Mush acrylic and pencil on paper, 2008

Ladder

2008-09-14T00:15:00.001-07:00

Ladder acrylic and tape on wall, 2008

Blue Mush

2008-09-13T18:19:00.001-07:00

Mush acrylic and pencil on paper, 2008

∞∞∞

2008-09-12T21:02:00.000-07:00

Working drawing in gold

2008-09-11T03:37:00.001-07:00

working drawing paper with perforated edge, 2008

Pin II

2008-09-11T03:31:00.001-07:00

Pin Number pen on tracing paper held in place with a pin, 2008

Pin Numbers

2008-09-11T00:59:00.000-07:00

When art becomes a medium to illustrate a mathematic probability , the art is already dead.

l[ - Kicked out of the Minimalist Club

2008-09-10T00:11:00.000-07:00

l[ acrylic and marker on prepared paper, 2008

I'm not sure whether it was due to poor performance, or just plain 'bad' misbehaving, but the inevitable has happened. I've been kicked out of the Minimalist Club. The letter arrived yesterday. Luckily I also received a wonderful offer to join the The Irregular & Rigorous. They sound interesting.
There is a little questionnaire that comes with the invitation. A few questions which I don't think Ti&r will mind if I publish:

Explain rigorous in one word?

This came up when I first joined the Minimalist Club. I answered Rigorous back then. This time I'm planning on answering Funny. It is pretty easy to get what they want because all I had to do was go with the hint.
rearrange these letters for the correct answer nuyfn

Next...

Be Funny in 150 words or less?

More to come...

Pink Lady

2008-09-09T04:06:00.000-07:00

Pink Lady acrylic and pencil on paper, 2008

As you can see the recent pieces are combining structure, I hope in a successful way?

Reverse 9 with more time

2008-09-09T02:03:00.000-07:00

Reverse 9 pencil and acrylic on paper. 2008

Lisa Klow

2008-09-08T20:02:00.000-07:00

Over at Thinking About Art a small review of a piece by Lisa Klow.

The h]umble Paper

2008-09-08T17:45:00.001-07:00

Spent much of the day making Color Patches. Here's one. It has a bit too much structure of its own, maybe, but there are worse. And I mean glaring. I think I recovered twenty or so. Destroyed five or six while in process. Another two when fully dried as I test them on the wall, looking for the color breathing, contrived [sometimes good, most times bad], and other stuff.

The sheet can be painted both sides or one, and may well get more paint. Each is stored in a sleeve and then stacked and pressed. Interesting thing is when a sheet get pulled out to be used as a surface of color, when made up and placed in a desired position, the structure pops back. Living breathing color with the possibility of the contrived, sometimes good, other bad, and other stuff. Did I mention that?

Drawer

2008-09-07T00:28:00.000-07:00

Drawer (click image for a detailed side view) pencil and acrylic on paper, 2008

Recently I have found much from studying the Background of Blue through the History of Tea. One gets so pink-a-attuned to the new raw data that simply comes from googling Blue + Tea.
Recent pieces are a testament to such study, the simple key & entry.
The response is not so precious, nor either domestic. Simply a list that when rearranged configures to no real use or value other than register. This thus leads out of the accustomed meander.
True to the spirit of the plain and mostly unspoken I added 'm' to my search and instead of Google sending we aloft to all the tea channels abound, it took me to a chamber, the top floor of an unused tearoom, here in Japan. The entrance, oddly, was to be found in the middle of the street in the the main drag of Shibuya. Don't be mistaken, we are not talking manhole. Not at all. The under-tail of the hatch was wood, reinforced with a kind of resinous glue that I have yet to identify. The top surface, as roads are, was built of road -- the material, the surface, and the fortuitous journey.

"What an odd chamber", I thought.

I was met by an elderly man in a rather old-fashioned suit. Upon asking who he was I received that he was blue.
it wasn't too much of a straddle to figure out that blue was somehow related to tea. And that tea was somewhat related to blue.

Mule Silver Blue

2008-09-06T03:20:00.000-07:00

Mule pencil and acrylic on paper, 2008

Rest & Reverse 9

2008-09-05T04:00:00.000-07:00

install view of two recent pieces, 2008

Rest

2008-09-05T00:41:00.000-07:00

Rest pencil on acrylic on primed paper, 2008

Top and Bottom

2008-09-05T00:33:00.000-07:00

dump shot, lower piece with correction, top with the clean go ahead

The bottom has the new line in. You can see the faint old one. The top is clean and a little more in tune with how I'm working with color. And, as mentioned, this also shows some hit to what the larger flat to the wall work might turn up.

redo

2008-09-05T00:22:00.000-07:00

marker and acrylic on paper

This is a redo, which means I moved the line. I also marked in the missing corner. Stupid, but anyhow, just studio stuff. This particular piece is currently being made up with a flat surface. It was then that I found the the weights were out and remembered I felt that it wasn't quite right, couldn't sense that it was right. When I put the original template back up again it was easy to see where the weak points were. Nothing much to do but to clear the slate and start again. Another floppy sketch will get posted tomorrow with the activate I think I want for the large flat piece. As you probably can guess these are all studio sketches, with the larger pieces simply larger sketches. When I move into a space I use the information I have, experience, and decide on the spot what and how things get made up. All a matter of that, simple, math, less the convoluted -- less the above. That said, if you don't muck the plan odds are you slowly forget the plan. I do notice, too, that recently I only feel the need to write something when I've made a mistake, or not big enough of a one -- words as a simple apology. OK, I'm done!

Shoo

2008-09-04T03:42:00.001-07:00

shoo is a very clear and simple piece, though I have moved on. I'm using paint to fracture the structure much more these days -- as you will, soon, no doubt, find out.

Ruddy 2

2008-09-04T00:02:00.000-07:00

It's hard to see but Ruddy 2 came up quite well. I sense there is a slight shift in how I am perceiving the structure, drawing from disparate ends, how the whole thing sits in space. It happens slowly but definitely, case as is the case, whole as we can not forget that we are the center of it.

Reverse 9

2008-09-03T04:26:00.000-07:00

R9 pencil and acrylic on tinted paper, 2008

Moss

2008-09-02T03:51:00.001-07:00

Moss pencil and acrylic on both sides of drafting paper, 2008

Tower

2008-09-01T04:48:00.000-07:00

Tower marker and pencil plain paper, 2008

The Pond: Frog, Melon, Lemon, and the Princess

2008-08-31T06:02:00.000-07:00

The Pond: Frog, Melon, Lemon, and the Princess pencil and acrylic on hot pressed w/c paper 8.5 x 11.7 in. 2008

August was a good long strong month. One of the highlights has to be 'The Frog'.

Friday night stroll home

2008-08-30T00:16:00.000-07:00

This is Jijugaoka, a few minutes stroll from my home and Bus-dori Project.

John Tallman's Artists on Words

2008-08-29T06:42:00.000-07:00

Painting on Wheels: Korea, 2005

John Tallman is running Artists on Words at his Color Chunks blogspot.
I responded to the The End with Nothing left to do and threw in a banana peel because it's all about slip.
The above image is a piece by John from 2005, I think made while he was living in Korea.
The piece is diminutive in scale while playfully robust -- with an address, whatever the word is.

Steps one and five

2008-08-28T00:22:00.000-07:00

Lantern A lantern is a portable lighting device used to illuminate broad areas.

Lantern side view marker and acrylic on hot pressed cotton paper, 2008

Lantern marker and acrylic on hot pressed cotton paper, 2008

Loose

2008-08-28T00:02:00.000-07:00

Loose tape on wall, 2008

Steps two, three, and four

2008-08-28T00:01:00.000-07:00

Wonky Drawing for Two Rooms

2008-08-27T03:49:00.001-07:00

Drawing for Rooms, marker on mechanical paper, 2008

Tears... Orange of Them

2008-08-27T03:44:00.001-07:00

Tears, marker on mechanical paper, 2008

Red Pen

2008-08-26T15:40:00.000-07:00

A piece pf paper with a fold and a red ink border, 2008

Sketch for Three Modules

2008-08-25T05:12:00.000-07:00

Video Tape

2008-08-25T00:01:00.000-07:00

Tape on wall [side view], 2008

Tape on wall [front view], 2008

With recent tape work I have been preferring to have them smaller and thicker. This was initially done as kind of a joke, but with the squaring and simpler format of the recent work the scale and thickness suggest an interesting conflict between some kind of steady physicality and a disorientation of space and form. This then pulls on a physical balance which can get quite tenuous.

More Red and Blue

2008-08-24T00:05:00.001-07:00

pencil and maker on acrylic on paper, 2008

Meet

2008-08-23T23:48:00.000-07:00

These look ridiculous so close together. But for the sake of a quick snap hopefully you can get the idea that while each come from the same template their personality and garnering of surrounding space makes it clear that at least 20 feet should be the span between each piece. Here we are looking at a congestion one foot and half between.

Raspberry Rides Blue

2008-08-23T18:56:00.000-07:00

Rasp Rides Blue [side] acrylic and marker on both sides of paper, 2008

Rasp Rides Blue acrylic and marker on both sides of paper, 2008

Ceiling Practice on the Floor

2008-08-22T21:11:00.000-07:00

practice drawing, pencil on paper folded, 2008

This actually is a ceiling piece, as mentioned earlier. I'm so rough and ready, but it took a week to get those numbers as simple as they appear.

Leaving the body

2008-08-22T00:01:00.000-07:00

acrylic and marker on paper, 2008

Corner Line

2008-08-21T17:58:00.000-07:00

Likewise this is a very rough drawing taped in the corner with leftovers that kind of hang in a corner of the room. Very hand done. A line of tapes, bits of them.
It's actually a test for a row of ceiling to top of wall pieces i want to make up in painted tape... just bearly visible, just hanging up there mucking with the peripheral shape of our vision.

Corner cut hanging round

2008-08-20T17:57:00.000-07:00

'hanging round' acrylic and marker on paper, 2008 [studio version]

T- L

2008-08-19T03:58:00.001-07:00

T-L, acrylic and marker on paper, 2008

Splash

2008-08-18T02:13:00.000-07:00

Splash, acrylic and pencil on tracing paper, 2008

Shift and Grip

2008-08-17T00:24:00.001-07:00

cloud with a silver line in pencil on tracing paper, 2008

I use a pencil because it can produce very immediate data that can be erased. Means I can move the line around with ease without having to worry about waiting time.
Currently the lines are horizontal and parallel. There is a very simple though strong spatial grip.

Target

2008-08-15T00:01:00.000-07:00

Target, marker and acrylic on paper, 8.5 x 11.75 in,. 2008

I use a marker when there is no pencil handy, or because i want to use a marker.

melon with a lemon?

2008-08-14T03:25:00.001-07:00

Nuenergy, hybrid melon/lemon, pencil and acrylic on paper, 2008

I use pattern.

Artists Review Artists Project @ Thinking About Art

2008-08-13T21:39:00.000-07:00

Michael Paul Oman-Reagan wrote a very interesting review of a small work that I submitted to J.T. Kirkland for his 'Artists on Artists Project' hosted at Thinking About Art.

Lining

2008-08-12T23:07:00.000-07:00

Landing Gear

2008-08-11T01:03:00.001-07:00

pencil on paper on wall

Steps and landing Gear

urge
take a plain piece of paper
fold once
measure fold
measure out to whole numbers
perforate the fold with a cutter
draw around the paper with something
put some tape on the back
use a level
adhere the paper to the wall
watch what happens

In this case the landing gear came out on the corner.
It's now made up as a hard sheet of board that sits very flat to the wall. Then we go for proportion, reading, position, and the terribly problematic more.

White Painting

2008-08-10T01:17:00.000-07:00

Tucked Turquoise

2008-08-09T21:31:00.000-07:00

untucked™

2008-08-08T02:08:00.000-07:00

pen and paper, 2008

hopper

2008-08-06T22:45:00.000-07:00

top: pen on paper, bottom: Pencil on paper, 2008

Tube - close view

2008-08-04T03:43:00.000-07:00

acrylic and pencil on paper on wall, 2008

Tube

2008-08-04T00:37:00.000-07:00

acrylic and pencil on paper, with paper fasteners, 2008

yellow curve

2008-08-02T02:02:00.000-07:00

acrylic and pencil on papaer, 2008

tent envelope

2008-07-31T02:27:00.000-07:00

Tent, acrylic and pencil on paper, leaning against wall, 2008

Misty ll

2008-07-30T00:16:00.000-07:00

MI-st acrylic and pencil on colored paper, 2008

out of the camera into the spa

2008-07-29T02:18:00.000-07:00

acrylic and pencil on paper, 2008

As you can see from the top photo, I have perforated the one cut and folded it back. It can still be attached to the wall, simple enough. But also it makes this great leaning thing, another way in, and a different navigation. Now I can fill the camera with deer, and monkeys, stuff like that.

acrylic and pencil on paper, 2008

Horizontal

2008-07-28T05:44:00.000-07:00

one-cut horizontal, magenta, acrylic and marker on paper, 2008

Last post until end of summer. To the mountains.

Bugs Out!

2008-07-28T05:32:00.000-07:00

Post and Lintel, acrylic and pencil on paper, 2008

There were bugs in this. And today I decided to start again. This evening bugs are out!

Drawing Board

2008-07-27T17:56:00.001-07:00

Pencil on drawing board, attached to the wall, 11.7 x 8.5 in, 2008

post and lintel container hybrid

2008-07-26T01:36:00.000-07:00

I put this away flat and it took some of the bumps out. Taking it out again there was still this very strong curl at the top. This time I fastened it at the two top corners so the rest stuck out from the wall at about 30 degrees as a veil of color, the line giving freight to the volume.

Post and Lintel, gray sculptural version, acrylic and pencil on paper, 2008

Post and Lintel, acrylic and pencil on paper, 2008

yellow install_P & L

2008-07-25T13:16:00.000-07:00

Installation with red tape and yellow paper, acrylic and pencil on tape and paper, July 2008

Yellow_von lintel

2008-07-25T00:31:00.000-07:00

acrylic and pencil on paper and tape, 2008

install view_post and lintel

2008-07-25T00:18:00.000-07:00

Installation, part of Post and Lintel

side view_P & L

2008-07-24T22:54:00.000-07:00

side view: pencil and acrylic on paper, 2008

red tape

2008-07-24T22:44:00.000-07:00

painted tape on wall, 11.5 x8.7 in, 2008

blue post and lintel

2008-07-23T22:50:00.000-07:00

This is a little larger drawing, about 18 in high. It's on Japanese cotton paper 100grams, and is very curly.

one-cut micro slideshow

2008-07-20T00:03:00.000-07:00

Enjoy the mini slideshow. You can view a fullscreen version here [click options].

more with a curl

2008-07-19T08:02:00.001-07:00

I moved the line on this--down. Right back where it started from. You can get the flow. The previous position read tight and very structural. These are all intentionally rough as far as the painting surface goes. I kind of like it like that. On harder surfaces to get the sheer the paint is very uniform, typically a result of layers and layers.

Version 2

2008-07-14T01:36:00.001-07:00

This is a little too curvy in this version, probably due to the heat and the just painted situation. It has a lime green wash on the back, with a brushed on pink concoction front-side. I'll put some weight on this to flatten it a little. Not right now though!
One more week I start on the actual paintings, probably focusing on one-cuts 'envelope' horizontals and vertical 'longs', as I call them.

Redo

2008-07-13T23:30:00.000-07:00

This is a redo. It's actually the first Vertical I did in this series. And now that I am further down the line with them, understanding a little more how they work, the first one really showed signs of not making it.
The paper here was painted both sides gray. then the pink over the top of one side.

Floating 'yellow' paper

2008-07-10T17:52:00.000-07:00

urinal

2008-07-09T07:13:00.000-07:00

This tape piece, which has now been discarded, reminded me of something. I couldn't get what. And then, in a spurt, I had it!

wrong number

2008-07-09T07:11:00.001-07:00

This was mislabeled and came up.

Floating paper

2008-07-08T18:56:00.001-07:00

loose tape

2008-07-07T20:09:00.001-07:00

side view red tape

2008-07-07T03:08:00.001-07:00

close view red tape

2008-07-06T23:13:00.001-07:00

Red Tape -V_1-cut

2008-07-06T20:44:00.001-07:00