Marc Bluestein: Self Portrait

Armed with hair cutting scissors, pizza, and his digital SLR camera, Marc Bluestein proves that Chelsea is not just a place in New York, but a state of mind. Marc is a very good friend of mine, and I have been watching him grow as an artist over the past two years. His work has been showed in Philly and in New York. Currently Marc lives in Lindenwold NJ, which is right outside of Camden and Cherry Hill. His photography style is reminiscent of Andy Warhol’s short films, bordering the line between art photography and documentary style photography. Marc shows us the way he sees specific individuals, whether it’s in a positive or negative light.

I decided to turn the tables and interview him because normally he interviews his subjects before photographing them.

The phrase “actions speak louder than words” is something both proven and challenged by 23 year old artist and humanoid from Watchung NJ, Danielle Lovallo. Her multi layered paintings offer a variety of color, textures, words, and actions. Her pieces also serve as an index to her process. Every piece created often goes through a period of experimentation, as she experiments with each piece Danielle will write notes on the canvas in regards to her process, how she feels about it, usually capturing emotions and momentary thoughts.

Beautiful (is Overrated and I want to be) Invisible 52″x72″

Normally, her paintings are often dark and chaotic with pessimistic titles such as Beautiful (Is Over Rated and I want to be) Invisible) in which the title of the piece is written over the painting it self but with invisible glow in the dark paint. Danielle’s action style paintings capture her physically aggressive and violent gestures. Wether it’s repeatedly scratching her nails into the canvas or stabbing an entire set of butcher knives into a wall, her actions speak just as loud as her words.

Eric Durkin and Kevin Durkin are two twin brothers from Roxbury, NJ that created the video you see above.

Eric is a digital filmmaker who has shot videos for the likes of Delicate Steve, Sparta Philharmonic, Rocky Votolato, and other artists, as well as documentaries for the McCreesh Skatepark Project and Philly’s underground bike scene.

Kevin is a graphic artist and the brains behind Irrelevant, a clothing line featuring his artwork. He has also designed ads for AIGA Philadelphia, and numerous bands around New Jersey and beyond. And move over Carl Sagan, he’s also working on a children’s book about the universe.

But now these two mega-powers of art and design have put their minds together for the first time since the womb. Currently they are working on a full-length documentary project about their lives. “Also, make sure to mention that Eric is a jerkoff,” Kevin added in a phone interview, “but I’m not so bad most of the time.”

EDIT: In reply to his brother’s allegations, Eric responded, “Kevin is a douche.”

Balance Hair Salon in Jersey City featured the work of 68-year-old Hoboken-based artist, David Huggins. The exhibition consisted of paintings based on his personal accounts of alien abductions. Whether or not you choose to believe his story is up to you, though personally I would like to believe him because of my fascination with UFO/alien phenomena. After speaking to Huggins for a few minutes and examining his artwork, I noticed that the content and stories behind the paintings seem to dominate over his artist techniques, so instead of speaking about the art itself you find yourself getting hung up on the typical alien questions.

Michael Topley, drummer for Alien Father, has recently gone public with a hobby that’s been consuming a lot of his free time throughout the fall and winter.  He’s been using found lamp guts and shades and replacing the crapped-out bases with his own painted sculptures… creepy faces, mostly.

His first set of five (not including the first one he made for his gf Tiff around a year ago) are available for purchase via Etsy & fanhood is available via his new FB page.  Either way, check’m out… here’s how he describes the venture:

407 Mulberry hosted a large gathering of artists, musicians, friends, and good looking strangers for a night of drawing and dancing with DJ Space Jam, sadly no basketballs were involved. A series of tables were combined in a large row, scattered with art supplies and paper for everyone create sketches, doodles, and anything that was a form of self expression.

I am so glad to see a well curated art exhibition with the theme of science fiction, especially in good ol’ New Jersey. After finding a group consisting of 8 unique artists, curator of the Arts Guild New Jersey, Rachael Faillace, put together an exhibition that takes us into another dimension. Close Encounters was a blend of painting, sculpture, video, and photography. Science fiction has always been one of the most imaginative and forward thinking genres in films, writing, and other forms, so it’s no shock that artists like Madeleine Bliss, Liz Brown, Brian Scott Campbell, and Keary Rosen (my personal favorites out of the eight selected artists) are drawn to such a creative genre.

New Jersey based artist Madeleine Bliss, 24, showcased her cosmic space rocks, inspired from her grandfather’s rock collection and natural cosmic and geological phenomena. For Close Encounters Bliss puts together an installation showcasing her pieces in custom-made glass cubes, similar to the glass cases that protect crystals and moon rocks at the Museum of Natural History, giving this an authenticated feel. Most favorite of mine were her ceramic glow-in-the-dark rock specimens that came to life under a black light, replicating cosmic dusting. Along with the rock sculptures was a self-made fictitious Nova-style video all about space minerals and fictional planets, bringing this installation together into a full circle.

Mark Sedita’s from Hacketstown, home of M&M Mars the creators of M&M, Snickers, and other assorted candies. He was born on Friday the 13th, likes the jazz cigarettes, and makes awesome flyers and comics. Like what he does? Drop him a line. He’s also open to hearing lunch suggestions.

Marissa Paternoster’s drawings all come from the same place. They spring up on her blog all crisp with full-fledged alienation; when they appear the audience gives applause and bells begin to peal. There’s a certain indiscreet quality they have that manages to rip out your senses. But you collect yourself and the faculties return, only they come back in an improved arrangement. A dark humor runs rampant, but it’s a monster that’s incredibly human and natural.

I guess she’s in a band, right? She’s irreverent as hell & that makes me smile. It also makes me honk “Mickey Mouse has a huge cock!” Here Marissa answers some questions for us.

Q: How long have you been making art? What’s the inspiration behind what you do?

A: I’ve been drawing for my entire life. I don’t really need to feel inspired to draw, it’s just what I do.

Mark Sedita’s from Hacketstown, home of M&M Mars the creators of M&M, Snickers, and other assorted candies. He was born on Friday the 13th, likes the jazz cigarettes, and makes awesome flyers and comics. Like what he does? Drop him a line. He’s also open to hearing lunch suggestions.

Mark Sedita’s from Hacketstown, home of M&M Mars the creators of M&M, Snickers, and other assorted candies. He was born on Friday the 13th, likes the jazz cigarettes, and makes awesome flyers and comics. Like what he does? Drop him a line. He’s also open to hearing lunch suggestions.

Mark Sedita makes awesome flyers and comics. He wants to do more of that, so if you like what he does, drop him a line.

We liked his stuff so much, we asked him to make the flyer for our free show/launch party at Maxwell’s on January 16th! We’re also going to start publishing his comics regularly, or at least as regularly as we can get ‘em. Check back for the first installment this Wednesday. In the meantime, here’s some other illustrations and a Q&A with Mark: