AARON STORCK BLOG

Okada Sculpture Facility and new video

aaronstorck — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 03:54:50 +0000

The Bemis Center for Contemporary Art has just finished renovation of a property across the street from the main building, the Okada Sculpture Facility, that was originally a freight train depot. It’s a big beautiful space that will be used for the fabrication of large scale projects as well as being for the project-specific use of the artists in residence at the Bemis Center. The residents who are here this fall, including myself, are the the first artists who get to use the newly renovated space–very cool. From the moment I toured the place I had an affinity for this inner room, pictured below, which has yet to be converted into a spray booth room. Its high cinder block walls and small square footage make it feel like it could be some prison room or s&m chamber. I developed a video and installation piece that grew out of those feelings.

work in progress view

Just arrived for Residency at Bemis Center

aaronstorck — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 07:40:52 +0000

This place is SOO awesome.
I’ll follow up in more detail after I get some new work don in studio. I did however just finish putting this video together that I shot over the summer. “MUSIC AND POETRY IN KANSAS BUSH”. It will be featured in “here” at PAFA opening Oct 22.
If you click the HD icon you can watch the video in standard def if it’s loading slowly.

WIZARD PORCH installation at Lawrence Arts Center

aaronstorck — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 17:11:16 +0000

In the project space at LAC, I’m going to install a deck-like structure that I’ve been building in my studio, complete with treated lumber, chip board and steps. It will feature a video projection screen built into it, that will be visible at night through the front windows. I think I’ll call it “Wizard Porch and garden.” I’ll hang big black and white xeroxes of photos taken in the studio–of wizard people on the wizard porch. There will be plants, cinderblocks, and probably a bubbling fountain. The walls will be decorated with a new painting and some framed works on paper. “Zing–Zing”

Lawrence Kansas Art Scene Final Friday Coolness

aaronstorck — Tue, 03 May 2011 08:23:22 +0000

I’m Proud of this Lil’ groovy town on the Prairie. For about a year now there have been synchronized art events on the final friday of every month. Most of the action happens in the downtown area along Massachusetts street. Venues include The Lawrence Arts Center, Wonderfair Gallery, The Invisible Hand Gallery, and various “flash spaces” in which art shows are installed in vacant commercial spaces. Several blocks to the west of the historic downtown area along Mass. street, is the Spencer Museum of Art on the campus of KU. They have some great programming these days and usually do something special for the final friday event as well.

Alicia Kelly, above, curated a flash space for the final friday fun the night of April 29. The show was called Blame it on the Moon, and featured 10 exciting young artists and one older artist doing a variety of things. The work all meshed together well.. unfortunately I didn’t take a lot of photos. In the picture above she’s standing in front of the piece that I did for the show, a sort of “Wizard Entertainment Center” featuring 2 videos, an HSS speaker, a fog machine, incenses, and a fan blowing on the Kansas flag.

Detail of Lawrence artist Christa Dalien's window installation for "Blame it on the Moon", curated by Alicia Kelly.

Artist Ray Sohn (middle), and Kelly Clark (left) and Eric Dobbins (right) of Wonderfair Gallery.

Brooklyn/Kansas City artist Ray Sohn (above) came to Lawrence and created an ambitious solo show at Wonderfair gallery he called “Pyramid Lake”, which will run through June 19th. Gallerists (as well as being artist themselves) Kelly Clark and Eric Dobbins served as artist assistants to get help Sohn get the show in order. It was a nice achievement, the show looked really great.

wizard artist on vimeo now so you can mess w/ my videos

aaronstorck — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 18:19:48 +0000

rich kraft

aaronstorck — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 04:38:18 +0000

Vera Mercer Still Life dinner at Bemis Center

aaronstorck — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 06:34:41 +0000

We were there, my girlfriend and I, the night of March 16 at Bemis Center For Contemporary Art in Omaha, NE. At 100 bucks a head, I was pumped to check this one out: A 7 course meal, drinks included. Several large tables formed a cross in the middle of the room. Mz. Mercer’s large format still life photos hung ominously on midnight blue painted walls. I enjoy the photographic work itself, and it was weird/cool to be amidst 3d still lifes that occupied portions of the tables.. and to dine among them. These featured all sorts of dead animals and fish, flowers, candles, etc. It was a bit twisted. Lots of beautiful dead birds and fish.. not to be eaten, only there for our aesthetic pleasure for 100 bucks. Lots of wealthy people at the dining table that night. The creatures had not been disemboweled and had been sitting around all day in the room. I was hoping someone (the artist) would address the crowd and speak to the presence of these pitiful slain animals among us and pointedly say that — YES — their recent deaths serve us as art only. I didn’t mind the difficult morality of an artist doing a project like this. But I wished someone would get up and scream out some poem or words of some kind to address the death. That the lives of those animals were left unsung seemed wrongheaded to me. The food was bloody and strange, it was prepared by some top chefs.. Overall we had a pretty good time.

Jolie Laide Gallery, James Hyde Sculptures

aaronstorck — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 16:27:16 +0000

I walked into this young Philadelphia gallery, Jolie Laide, right as they were about to close, they were very friendly and showed me around anyway. This work by James Hyde was pretty killer. His paintings were hanging in the main space and these sculptures were in the project room. The paintings bore digital prints taken from images of Stuart Davis word paintings. Hyde then applied thick white letters over them. I thought that was cool but these sculptures were really messing with me. Letters? I love the material use. Wicked.

Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art

aaronstorck — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 06:11:16 +0000

PAFA curator Julien Robson is putting together a group show for Oct ’11 entitled “We’re Still Here”, featuring the work of 24 artists from around the country. The show will advocate a kind of alter-regionalism– the perspectives of artists working apart from the Chelsea/Brooklyn/Miami circuit. I’ll be part of it. I’m pretty excited about it. I’ll post more info when I get it.

I visited Philly in early March to meet with Julien and see the space. I spent the rest of the day walking around the city, visiting art galleries and checking out architecture. Chinatown bus to and from NYC was 2 hours each way and cost 20 bucks total.

The older building on the left is the original PAFA school/museum and the building to its right also belongs to PAFA. The group show will take place on the ground floor galleries of the newer building.

Masonic Hall, Philadelphia

aaronstorck — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 20:39:02 +0000

It was for my first initiation that I was there, NO, It was because I snuck in, NO, It was because I took a tour/? It was kind of awesome. Some stuff went down when I was in there. I got scared and I wanted to run out, but NO, I liked the architecture and all the spooky symbols, NO, I mean..

George Washington was a fine figure of a man– and that’s a fact. It was his determination and military leadership that won this country. period. The Man stepped down from power. BIG DEAL. Here is a picture of his bust at the Mason hall.. Looking a little more severe than he’s usually depicted.

Washington’s ACTUAL masonic ritual apron in a glass case.

GOOD N’ EVIL BLACK AND WHITE TILES: THEY WERE EVERYWHERE IN THERE.

I COULD FEEL THE POWER AND THE MYSTERY.
THE GEOMETRY STARTED F*KING W/ ME. I WAS THERE.