It’s the fall art season and that means heading out to openings and events where I run into other artists who ask “What have you been up to?” Generally, I want to say “Nothing! I have zero coming up and don’t really care, because I can barely stand to think about making art.” Of course, I don’t say this because it would be very awkward, and I am still making work, just not for a particular exhibition. For the past several months one of the main things I’ve been working on in fits and starts has been editing a feature length experimental film about my curatorial project Shaoul+Howe that I hope will be finished and debut this year. I’ve had the pleasure of working the film’s director, Guy Richards Smit, and the main editor, Jason Cacioppo to develop the film. It’s been a long time since I’ve edited video, and we’re putting it together from footage shot over 3 months during the run of Shaoul+Howe at 601 Artspace.
This year, I’ve also made a few new drawings for exhibition, and two of the most recent works will be included in a works on paper show at Bert Green Fine Art in Chicago that opens October 14th and runs through December 29th. If you happen to be in Chicago, Bert’s gallery is open on Fridays from 12 - 4pm by appointment Monday through Friday. I’m also currently exhibiting the drawing “Koch Industries (Private Company)” from my 2019 exhibition, Complicities, at Montclair State University Galleries as part of Jesse Firestone’s exhibition The Backend. I’ll be speaking at Montclair on November 9th at 6pm with professor Dr. Ethne Swartz about the business of art.

But back to the other questions artists ask with a mixture of judgment and curiosity “Do you have anything coming up?” I do! I am collaborating again with the wonderful artist Jennifer Dalton to transform my Store-to-Own project into a full-fledged art fair. We’re busy planning and developing the inaugural edition of Zero Art Fair, or 0AF, for next summer’s Upstate Art Weekend. The experimental fair will use my Store-to-Own contract, generously developed by Amy Whitaker and Alfred Steiner, to allow artists to give away previously exhibited works or works they’ve had in inventory for over 5 years, without giving up on its potential market value. Artists who use the contract to give works to collectors retain rights to 50% of any future sale price, and are granted a 10% resale royalty in perpetuity. This is not for newly made works and the fair is not a substitute for selling work. It’s a way to get unsold inventory out of storage and into homes for works that have already had a chance in the market. We understand that the high prices of art are maintained by the careful control of available inventory that perpetuates the myth of scarcity when we know art is one of the least scarce things in the world.

If you’re interested in learning more about Zero Art Fair, get in touch with me. If you interested in supporting the development of the fair, even better.

Images:
Advice to Artists
Graphite and gouache on paper mounted on panel
20 x 16”
2023

Bad Ideas About Art
Graphite, watercolor, gouache, and colored pencil on paper mounted on panel
20 x 16”
2023

Some of My Favorite Arts
Graphite, watercolor, gouache, and colored pencil on paper mounted on panel
20 x 16”
2023