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Art with a hard-on: A figure by Beau Velasco waves a big stick at Brooklyn’s Factory Fresh. (Photos by Autumn Marie & Lindsey Elsaesser.)

Factory Fresh in Brooklyn recently opened up a group show called Un Named Rottens featuring new paintings by NYC artistes Beau Velasco, Daniel St. George and Jeremiah Maddock. The opening night was smooth sailing until Maddock realized that a briefcase containing some of his works-in-progress had been quietly disappeared. The staff at Factory Fresh tore the place apart looking for the briefcase to no avail. A few nights later, however, Maddock got a text message from an unknown number telling him that he could pick up his stuff at a Brooklyn tavern. Maddock did as he was instructed, and arrived to find the suitcase waiting for him behind the bar. The contents of the briefcase hadn’t been touched. The only addition was a crudely-written note that read: “I’ve been dying to meet with you Jeremiah.” Sounds like Maddock has a serious fan, or some prankster friends with a wicked sense of humor.

See the suitcase and more after the jump. Click on images to supersize.

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All it needs is that Mr. Happy Crack ad. (Photo by Luna Park.)

Proving that there’s never any shortage of excitement in the small and entertaining world of New York City street art, some super-meta conceptual type decided to paste a fake New Yorker critique about street art on the side of some building in Brooklyn. The prankster even attributed the “review” to the magazine’s art critic, Peter Schjeldahl.

I’m all for spoofing mainstream media, but, sadly, this piece doesn’t live up to its promise. For one, anybody who is gonna spoof the New Yorker better be able to deliver on the turn-of-phrase. This does not. (Sample sentence: “There is no sacrifice to putting this work on the street. That’s the street game, duh.”) On the content side, things don’t fare too well either. Someone risked arrest to let us know that there’s a visual kinship between the work of Swoon, Gaia and Elbow-Toe.

I was very excited, however, to see that a long-time New Yorker staple—the European beret advert, at bottom right—made it into the piece. I like to believe that everyone who works for the New Yorker wears one of these when they write.

Click here to read the fine print.

Posted by C-Monster.

A sound installation by Os Gemeos. (Photos by Luna Park.)

Brazilian twin artist team of Os Gemeos opened a brand spanking new show at Deitch over the weekend called Too Far Too Close. Thankfully, special correspondent Luna Park was there to grab some pix of the opening night festivities. The installation is up through August 9th.

More after the jump.

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From left to right: Danny Licul, Celso and Infinity, as well as the terror of the streets, Tefsukaz, a.k.a. Dean Radinovsky. (Photos by C-M.)

Tired of all those stuffy white boxes that are only open four days a week? Well, so are the group of artists who opened an outdoor gallery, known as the Gallerie Pulaski (in honor of the nearby bridge), on the construction walls surrounding a soon-to-be condo site in Long Island City, Queens. Organized by Celso, who was abetted by the very mathematical Infinity, of chashama, the two have hung an outdoor show called Post No Bills with pieces by a combination of street and studio artists. The gallery is open 24/7, which means that if you get a hankering to see a charcoal landscape at 3 a.m., well, now you know where to go. There’s even going to be an opening, this Friday, June 27th, from 7-9 p.m. Just look for the two guys with the lawn chairs and the cooler. Bring a flask and your sense of humor.

Gallerie Pulaski Opening Reception:
Friday, June 27, 2008 7-9PM
48-15 11th Street @ Jackson Avenue
Long Island City, Queens

Subway:
7 to Vernon Blvd/ Jackson Ave.

Hours:
24/7

Click images to supersize. More after the jump.

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Trompe l’oeil painting of popcorn on found metal by Michael Fitts at Fraser Gallery, from Bethesda. (Photos by C-M.)

Yesterday I took a quick gander around the Affordable Art Fair in Manhattan, where 75 galleries from a dozen countries were all exhibiting pieces priced under $10,000 (with most going for between $100-$5000). Here are a few pix of some of the work that caught my eye. The fair runs through Sunday, June 15th. General admission is $17.

Click on images to supersize. More after the jump.

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A sculpture made with discarded plastic bottles by Aurora Robson at Lumen House.

I donned my tightest pants and my saucer-sized sunglasses for the Great Hipster Migration this past weekend, a.k.a. Bushwick Open Studios. There were a whopping 94 galleries, studios and alternative art spaces represented. I made it to a whopping three. The weekend was filled with the sight of dazed-looking, map-clutching art folk shuffling around in the mind-melting heat. I swear I coulda fried an egg on my head.

Click on images to supersize. More after the jump.

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