This Is The End

I'll be starting a painting this week which will be the last one for this project. Five Miles From Times Square was a minor artistic odyssey lasting over 5 years, conceived sometime in the Fall of 2008, officially begun in January 2009 with my first field trip to Snake Hill and the surrounding areas. It involved an unsuccessful campaign for grant money, was caught up in the UPS incident, and produced 18, soon to be 19 paintings in the series.

This blog will take on a new direction, aimlessly wandering across the murky depths of my next artistic journey. If asked whether or not FMFTS was successful, I would have to say yes. My initial goal was 10-12 canvases, and I not only surpassed that, I created a body of work that I can hang my hat on, most of which have been sold.

The next and final image has been selected for the new painting, and work will begin tomorrow evening. I'm not ready to share the subject (it won't be the photo posted below). Maybe I'll do another photo series like Xanadu. My next project is chosen but not planned, but again, I'm not sharing that yet.

Thanks to anyone who has ever read this blog, and especially to anyone who followed the project from start to finish. It hurts to set you free, but you'll never follow me...

Updated Portfolio

My updated 2012 portfolio now includes my latest completed work, After The Occupation, as well as the NJ.com article from the NJ Artists show at Lana Santorelli Gallery in Hoboken, NJ. The article has an ENTIRE PARAGRAPH on Yours Truly (woo-hoo!), although I'm not entirely satisfied with the portrayal of me (shut up, Matt, no press is bad press). But enjoy the portfolio. What's missing are the "UPS 4" paintings lost after the Great Chicago Situation of 2009. The whereabouts of these paintings remain a mystery to this day. Many UPS Customer Service managers are still traumatized as a result my verbal abuse. Moral of the story: don't answer the phone when I call. And don't lose my life's work. You'll be assaulted by a barrage of words and phrases that will leave you quivering and sobbing, and the nightmares will plague you for years.

Nevermind all of that. Enjoy the portfolio. Peace.

Bad Water 3

I'm too tired to write. Its 12:30 and its been a long day. I've sat in front of this canvas now for a total of 4 hours in 3 sittings spanning about a month. Long way to go. The water is getting active in the picture and space and depth is beginning to emerge. I like it. I need more paint. Stores are closed now. Remind me why I still do this.

The American Dream pt 12

Water = resolved. I thought I'd be painting it forever. I'm so tired my elbows hurt.

The American Dream pt 11

I'm drowning in this water. I feel like I need to get past it.

The American Dream pt 10

For some reason I can't resolve the water in this picture. And that's interesting, because as the man said, the Meadowlands is all about the water, stupid.

The American Dream pt 9

Not 100% satisfied, I went down there not intending to pick up a brush at all. I do think the water is starting to look like it belongs in the picture (finally)

The American Dream pt 8

My version of Xanadu is starting to lean towards the realm of King Crimson

Kubla Christie Gets His Glass Slippers

I've been struggling with the urge to blog again about Xanadu, my favorite hot topic. I'm finding it harder to start any post about this subject because it requires such a long explanation for anyone not familiar with it. If you need some background to get caught up to speed start here and here.

I've been struggling with the urge to write something but once again I've found myself without any meaningful content to share because I haven't done any work on my new painting since last week. I've been following the Xanadu story in the news, but lately there's not been anything worth sharing. Last night I realized that there's a deeper meaning in this quagmire.

I'm going to do something terribly irresponsible here. I'm going to offer some wild speculation about Xanadu and New Jersey Governor Chris "Kubla" Christie, but since I'm not a real journalist, I can get away with such foolishness. Actually, since I'm an artist I can just claim to be using artistic license and say pretty much whatever I like.

Here it is: Chris Christie is going to run for president in 2012, and he added Triple Five to the list of New Jersey's corporate welfare recipients because they're going to give him a hefty sum of cash to help him achieve that goal. Triple Five, in case you don't know, is the owner of such shoppatainment orgy-plexes as the Mall of America. They now own the mess once known as Xanadu in the New Jersey Meadowlands, which they have re-named American Dream. Didn't they get the memo that the Meadowlands are where dreams go to die? Just ask Matt Dodge.

It never occurred to me before because until I read this article by Leslie Savon from The Nation I didn't know the Republicans were even remotely interested in Christie running in 2012. And now I get it. There's not a whole lot for Red State Republican voters to dislike about Christie. His recent missteps and slipping job approval are not widely known outside of New Jersey and the surrounding region. In fact, he's relatively unknown across the country aside from some anecdotes about what a great reformer he is. It has the makings of a good Cindarella story.

But locals know better. Here's an example of love for Kubla Christie, from a happy New Jerseyan who commented on a recent article on NorthJersey.com:

Sunday May 15, 2011, 6:05 AM - Resident8 says:
Is there any grants from the government that can help Christie make the blasted pension payments? Oh I forgot, public workers are middle class and that's not in Christie's best interest. Fat pile of garbage, I hope he chokes to death on his triple chin...

I think Resident8 cuts right to the heart of the matter and articulates his point rather eloquently. I know I've been unfair to Christie about this whole Xanadu thing. The state got into this mess under Jim McGreevey. But his decision to give handouts to Triple Five fits in nicely with his overall agenda of slashing and burning public education (he's a school voucher advocate) and jobs and services that are desperately needed while greasing the palms of millionaires to help facilitate his political ambitions.

Christie's blunders and transgressions won't be heard of beyond the Mid-Atlantic states for several years. It doesn't matter that he's not well-like here because he won't win New Jersey or any nearby state, so who cares what he does at home. Plus he's betting the house on Xanadu. If it succeeds, he wins. If it doesn't, the people that hate him the most will vote for a Democrat, which they would have anyway.

The rumors surrounding the maligned exterior of the complex seem to be pointing to the idea of improving the look by changing the multicolored metal skin with glass. They should keep some glass aside so Christie can make himself a pair of shoes to wear to the Ball.

THE American Dream (the painting formerly known as Xanadu) Pt 7

"You have to be asleep to believe it."
– George Carlin

Just like the new owners did to the extravaganza that is the inspiration for this painting, I am forsaking the name Xanadu for a new name that should warm the hearts and empty the pockets of New Jerseyans and travelers from near and far. Care to guess what that new name is going to be?

Can World's Largest Garbage Dump Attract 55 Million People Every Year?

The ante has been upped. Triple Five has now outdone themselves. Well, not yet, but they seem to think they will. A mere five miles from the commercial and entertainment capital of the world there will be a new beacon on the hill of material excess: American Dream.

Do you want to be indoors while pretending you're not? Go there. But not for another 3 years. That's when American Dream in the New Jersey swamp and infamous former dumping grounds known as The Meadowlands is slated to become reality.

You would have to be indoors to enjoy all of this because if you weren't, you would notice a rather odd potpourri of odors and you'd be getting eaten alive by gnats and mosquitos. Just take heart knowing that you were in The LARGEST RETAIL AND ENTERTAINMENT COMPLEX IN THE WORLD.

This thing just keeps getting bigger. T5 is really rolling the dice now. They now have New Jersey Taxpayers' money but if it fails, it won't matter because most of the public is asleep at the wheel. Never mind that a state that is deeply in debt has forsaken teachers and cops in favor of indoor skiing and skydiving.

This entertainment-super-orgy-plex formerly known as Xanadu has been making regular appearances in the news for about the last 6 weeks. Each time it seems that the project and T5's ambitions seem to be growing beyond expectation. We expect to see this kind of thing in Dubai, not New Jersey where malls are everywhere, and the forms of entertainment offered at American Dreams are within easy striking distance (its not the middle of the desert, or the American midwest, where locals are starved for extravagance). They factor tourism into their figures, but no one besides T5 expects tourists to visit the region just for this place. It doesn't add up.

Xanadu Painting In Progress pt 6

This Cabernet Sauvignon has finally opened up. I was worried because it was a little pricey for as mediocre as it seemed after first opening the bottle. Either that or my taste buds are dulled from the Oreo's and pretzel rods.

As promised on Twitter, I refrained from listening to baseball (no Mets game tonight, they played this afternoon). I had Dead Weather and Stephen Malkmus on the iPod. The brushwork for painting skies can sometimes be like aerobics. I'm ready to crash.

Swinging For The Fences

As long as Xanadu keeps popping up in the news I'm gonna milk it. Its what I call a grab iron issue. Grab irons are the metal bars on trains that workers and hobos use to climb on board. Like a hobo grabbing the iron to hop a passing train, I am using the Xanadu issue to hop that train and use it to propel my Five Miles From Times Square project forward. I'm also not going to stop using the name Xanadu, and I'm discovering that neither is anyone in the press refraining from using it instead of the sparkling new name, American Dream. Xanadu is becoming part of the New Jersey culture and part of the Meadowlands folklore.

Each day lately there is a new story in the news with new commentary and details, like this one from today in RetailTrafficMag.com. It's becoming clear that Triple Five is going for broke with their American Dream. In the face of insurmountable odds, they're pulling out all of the stops and hoping that an over-the-top entertainment complex is going to be a huge success. It has to be, because anything less than perfection would be a catastrophe and would be a huge kick in the nuts of every resident of New Jersey who are going to be responsible for $400 million in state funds.

Practically everyone who knows about this is predicting that it will be an abject failure. Everyone, that is, except Triple Five and the Chris Christie administration. Many are hoping that it will at least succeed enough so that it won't close and leave New Jersey a legacy of corporate failure.

But mostly, the thing is so reviled that in spite of the damage already done to the environment, the state economy and the state's reputation, people want to see the huge fat cats involved fall on their faces because of what Xanadu represents: corporate greed, political short-sightedness and utter disregard for the real well-being of the public. We want to wag our fingers in the faces of those who thought a mega-mall-greed-plex was a good idea for a state overrun with such excesses. We want to say "we told you so."

Unfortunately for Triple Five, this is an all-or-nothing situation. There will be no middle ground.

Stately, Indeed

In a state where almost every kid lives close enough to a mall to ride a bike to one, the answer to the question, do we need American Dream @ Meadowlands is obviously no, but mostly for us no-funzniks who think malls are the incarnation of Hell.

In a state that is $43 billion in debt, where the governor has waged a war against everything the public needs such as social services, public services, police, fire department and education, the answer to the question, do we need to help pay for American Dream @ Meadowlands is "are you fucking kidding me?" This article from northjersey.com discusses the press conference and some of the latest details.

At a press conference today, New Jersey Kubla-In-Chief Chris Christie officially announced the deal to line the pockets of the new developers of New Jersey's favorite commercial orgy-plex-to-be with taxpayer financed, borrowed money. It was also an opportunity to announce that the original site that was called Xanadu will now occupy more square footage and feature even more ludicrous attractions than the original design, such as an aquarium and a glass-domed indoor amusement park with roller coasters.

The infamous exterior, which prompted Christie to dub the complex the "ugliest damn building in the state" will get a new look that will hopefully be suitable to Kubla Christie's taste. The world's largest Pepsi logo, a.k.a. the massive Ferris wheel, is still apparently going to be part of the center's final design.

Triple Five, the new owners and linguistic innovators who presented us with the site's patriotic new moniker claim that American Dream @ Meadowlands is projected to attract 50 million visitors each year. That's a tall order, and a generous prediction, and I won't be surprised if we see the building occupied by rats before long. But it seems to me that the vision of everyone involved is to take money from the taxpayers in an effort to convert them into creatures who live and play exclusively indoors.

The latest news on this hideous project has inspired the New York Times to sponsor a poetry contest, asking readers to submit their own re-writes of the Samuel Taylor Coleridge poem that inspired the original idea for the project. Congratulations to Steve Schoenwiesner of Montclair, NJ. Late tonight I'll post the latest progress on my personal inspiration regarding the human zoo formerly known as Xanadu.

Like Dreamers Do

I love Brian Donohue from Ledger Live because he hates this thing as much as I do. And he makes references to Samuel Tayor Coleridge which makes him cool. And he does his research, which makes him a respectable journalist. I have to admit, though, while I am not impressed by an indoor ski slope or sky diving simulator, I can't help but be a little excited about the worlds largest candy store. I like candy.

Xanadu Painting In Progress pt 4

I've decided that after each sitting, I'll post updates here for this painting. At some point, I may decide that each individual session isn't showing noticeable changes (fine detail work shows progress over a longer period of time) so I'll probably skip some steps there. But for now, expect to see updates each Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday night, around 10:30 pm - 11:30 pm from now until the end of the summer.

All We Have To Do Is Dream

"I can make you mine, taste your lips of wine
Anytime night or day
Only trouble is, gee whiz
I'm dreamin' my life away"

I've been waiting for news on this and there's finally something, but its still not the "Big Announcement" that I keep hearing about.

Have you ever wondered why we have the phrase "American Dream?" Mainly because its anything but reality for most people. It's about as vapid and far-fetched and artificial an experience as a gigantic mega orgy-plex in the swamps of New Jersey.

THEY will call it American Dream | Meadowlands, but residents of the Garden State will forever know it as Xanadu. But Americans dream big, and corporations dream even bigger, especially those who get whatever they want. And now instead of being a cash cow, the stately displeasure dome is going to be a nice big fat piece of corporate welfare.

THEY are Triple Five, and they're the owners of the Mall of America. THEY have gotten a big fat wet kiss from Kubla Christie who will now inherit the legend and legacy of Xanadu.

And its also getting bigger. It's growing out of control. Its all part of an illuminati plot to turn New Jersey into a state of mall-cities.

Your Neon Lights Will Shine For You

Here's yet another story about the public sentiment regarding the exterior decor of New Jersey's favorite unfinished funplex. The videos show submissions of Ledger LIve viewers' ideas for what the re-design should look like. My favorite of all of the submissions is Xana-Doobie. This is how we deal with situations like this in the Garden State.

I'm noticing so far that absolutely no one is referring to the place as Meadowlands. The Xanadu name is sticking, so they'd better get used to it.

Xanadu: Our Polls Are Rising

I knew this thing couldn't stay out of the news too much longer. Quinnipiac University recently polled 1,532 registered voters and the overwhelming majority polled believe that a giant over-inflated super duper consumer orgyplex painted to resemble stacks of freight containers is ugly. Wow. Maybe they should have taken that poll before they built it? At any rate, Kudos to Quinnipiac for affirming what we already know.

The next poll on the Funplex Formerly Known As Xanadu should be:

"Would it be a good idea for not-quite-accomplished urban landscape painter Matthew Green to use Xanadu as the subject of his latest painting for his project Five Miles From Times Square?"

Just be forewarned that I most often do the exact opposite of whatever advice I'm given, regardless of what the overwhelming majority of interested parties thinks I should do. It's interesting to note that for the first time I am in complete agreement with Kubla Christie on something.

Do you think they'll refer to any poll data before they commit to adding to New Jersey's defect by contributing state financing to finish this nightmare? My money says no.

Nieux Xanadu Part Deux

Not bad for second sitting, eh? I agree. This is all I can do this week.