Somebody's Reading This Blog

Three years ago I wrote an entry titled Nobody Reads This Blog, in which I discussed another blog post by cartoonist Hugh MacLeod called Why Most Artists' Blogs Fail. He was basically making the point that no one visits an artists' blog to see their paintings. They want more, something that means something, something inspiring.

I think in the three years since I followed his advice some of the time. I'm not going to follow it tonight, mainly because I'm tired and I don't feel like writing more than a few short paragraphs. I'm also going to forsake his advice for the duration of this next painting, because the vast majority of my blogging will be in regards to the new piece, working title blue. There's a lot of blue sky in it, and I don't often use blue, even in the sky. I just liked the idea this time and thought how fabulous it would be to have a large blue painting. Here's a sample of that...

(see? a lot of blue on the palette...)

Something noteworthy that I will mention, and this is entirely unrelated to the new painting, is that the American Dream project in the Meadowlands, formerly called Xanadu is back in the headlines. Some readers might remember the chronicles of a painting I did of this building called Xanadu, in which I followed the news stories and wrote about them in conjunction with the Xanadu painting.

I guess I'll start following this story in the news again, and I may make that my next destination for new photos. In the mean time, you get this...

Birth Of Xanadu

This video would go viral if it featured dancing babies or singing cats or some kid falling off his bike and smashing his nuts…



…but it doesn't. Its the story of my latest painting from start to finish, and I'm extremely happy with it. It's also making its public debut in 3 days, with celebration to follow.

Xanadu Lives

Xanadu, 30" x 48", oil on canvas, 2011.

This painting will be on exhibit at the Tenth St Laundromat beginning Saturday 10/1 until Monday 10/31. Be there on the 15th and you can see what I look like drunk.



Take a stroll through my posts over the past 6 months and you'll see each and every step of the process. There's a short film coming soon as well.

Xanadu pt 43: Fini

43 individual sittings. Average about 1-1/2 hrs per sitting, putting me somewhere in the neighborhood of 60-65 hours. It all took place between April 19th of this year until tonight. It's been through renovation projects, hurricanes, child invasions and has occupied the 10 PM till midnight slot of most weekdays and has cost me a good bit of sleep.

I've taken a photo after each sitting, from start to finish, and posted it here. The news stories about the building featured in the painting, Xanadu, or The American Dream, or whatever you wish to call it have strung themselves together into an interesting drama which is far from over.

All of the photos so far have been taken on my phone in my studio under less that ideal lighting, but the real photo will be posted soon. I'm not sure what to blog now.

Here it is, the final installment, Xanadu pt 43

Xanadu pt 42: Misinformation Superhighway

One of the ways in which the media can mislead the public is to give the illusion of presenting something substantial while not actually doing so. This may be by intentional or not, but when your news story has the headline, "Triple Five executives discuss project, answer questions" and you only publish a few meatballs from the public, it leaves one to wonder how involved the public is allowed to be in a particular issue of importance.

Generally, when people skim through news articles they read the headline and the first paragraph or two. Anyone who read the entire article should notice that it includes a grand total of two softball questions from residents, preceded by talking points from T5 suits, proceeded by comments from local public officials (who's job it is to sell it to their constituents whatever the cost), and boiler plate about the Meadowlands Commission's transportation plans. It all leaves me to wonder what public input from the meeting wasn't published. Did they really only have time to ask questions of two people, or were they making sure that no one beyond the walls of the room where the meeting was held gets the impression that people are tired of having their world turned upside down by greedy developers.

The purpose of this event, it would seem, was to give the impression that they were inviting input from the public, but what the public thinks really doesn't matter. The purpose of this article seems to have been nothing more than an handy bit of PR for a developer who intend to press on with a project that's tanking in opinion polls, and they'll carry on regardless of what impact it may have on the local and state residents whose lives will be affected whether they like it or not.

I also love how they breached the issue of charging for parking. They wanted to assure the public that it will be "no more than $5." I guess that settles it. No followup necessary, even though it hints at one of two things: that they're trying to squeeze every last dime from people who simply want to go to a mall, or that they're anticipating cash flow problems when it comes to repaying the taxpayers who are going into debt on their behalf.

This project is underway, and will continue until it opens its doors or until, god willing, T5 goes broke. The only thing I can do about it is complain. And make a painting.

Part 42 (its almost done):

Xanadu pt 41: Party Time at Tenth St. Laundromat

Before I tell you about what's going down at the mat, soak in Xanadu pt 41, which I have exactly 16 more days to complete:



And now some of the skinny on where this paining (once completed) and other paintings for this project will be shown and how you can get in on the action of the most unique, notorious and fabulous exhibition and dance party of the year:

October 1-31, 2011

Reception and Music
October 15, 2011
8-11 PM? I'll have confirmation of that soon

Artists:
Matthew Green (me)
Don McPartland
Carla Hopkins & Nick Gleckman

Featuring:
Live music by Hott Tubb
and DJ Jeffery (the magic message)


Tenth St. Laundromat
1141-43 S 10th Street
(one block south of Washington Ave on the corner of Ellsworth St)
Philadelphia, PA USA

Beer, wine and hors d'oeuvres by Sugarplum Stacy will be served. A small donation is appreciated but not required. You don't really need to bring your dirty laundry but it would kill 2 birds with one stone. Nudity is preferred by me but frowned upon by the management. Dancing on the machines is a little dangerous but oh, so cool.

If you live an airplane's flight away I would suggest getting on Expedia right freakin' now. Here's a little snippet of what you missed the last time DJ Jeffery made an appearance at the Mat.

Now, doesn't that sound like fun? An official flyer is in the works, and that will be posted when it's available.

Xanadu pt 40

Big 4-0. I can barely type again, my goddamn hand is killing me. Read what I wrote yesterday. Chris Christie is probably gonna send someone to my house to kick my ass.

Xanadu pt 39: Wham, Bam, Muni Scam

Why didn't I see this before?

After begging the state of New Jersey for tax exemptions, which really mean corporate handouts, Triple Five, the new owners of the shit sandwich formerly known as Xanadu are reportedly seeking up to $1bn in public money to complete the infamous unfinished megamall project. This has quietly crept into the news after the fanfare surrounding their supposed rescue of the project like white knights saving the damsel in distress. It appears that they really don't have enough cash to finish the job. They really just want to scam taxpayers into handing over parts of their personal income, promising jobs, in order to give Kubla Christie a big wet blow job.

A recent story by Michael Gartland of The Record discusses how they're now asking Bergen County to sell municipal bonds in order to raise $400m. Why? Can't they find private investors themselves? One might argue that T5 hopes munis would be more attractive to investors because of their tax-exempt status. The deal that's on the table right now between them and the county is that taxpayers would not be liable for any debt. If that's the case, why offer public debt in the first place?

I highly doubt that the deal is gonna fly if T5 has to be liable for the debt. Anyone who thinks that they're that altruistic is a fucking fool. They obviously don't have the cash they need, so how could they possibly guarantee the debt themselves? That's why you ask for munis in the first place: they're government guaranteed by tax revenue. They can't get investors on their own to raise the $1bn because no one in their right mind wants to have anything to do with the Xanadu shitpile. The taxpayers are going to be in hock for this thing. Getting tax breaks from the state was just a foot in the door.

Triple Five never had any intentions of committing their own funds for this nightmare. They're nothing but a company of hucksters and thieves surviving on empty promises and other people's money. This project stinks, and its now going to be a huge liability to taxpayers while the developers profit, have orgies, take expensive vacations and buy yachts and fancy cars. Enjoy your indoor fucking skiing, New Jersey. You're paying for it, whether you ever go there or not.

Here's fucking part 39:

Xanadu pt 38

July 6th I started painting the foxtails. Now mid september I can move past the tedium and get back to some real painting. Beck, The Doors, Kristen Hersh got me home tonight. I don't feel like writhing anything interesting. I keep making spelling mistakes and its annoying me. Crap it's 12:30. Sometime this week I'll have details about the Laundromat. Bring yer knickers.

Pt 38 for those of you keeping score at home:

Xanadu pt 37

My freakin hand is killing me from retouching images of pregnant ladies all week. Actually they're not pregnant, but they're made to look pregnant and I had 26 photos to retouch by tomorrow (today) and I finally got it all finished around 10:00 this evening, but after all that shit I still managed to bang out 2-1/2 hours in the studio. My hand and forearm are so dead right now its numb and shaking, but I gutted it out like a champ. Sept 30 is breathing down my neck and now this catalog thing at work is heating up and things on the home front are going to be insane for the next 2 weeks. This will be a true test of my will and fortitude and I'll really earn my stripes if I finish this thing in time for the Laundromat in October. Next week I'll have details about that. Just get your asses on a plane or a bus or whatever and come dance your pants off and see this stuff in person on 10/15.

Part 37:

Xanadu pt 35 And A Little Bit Of Austerity

So If you've been following the progress of this painting you'll remember that one of my complaints about the subject of the piece was the nice and cozy relationship between Chris "Kubla" Christie and Triple Five, the big Canadian developers of Mall Of America. They're the most recent entities to make a go of trying to finish the Xanadu project, or The American Dream as its now known. Christie has managed to fast-track tax breaks for Triple Five in exchange for replacing cops, teachers, social workers and firemen with janitors and retail clerks. In other words, at the same time he's been pushing through his agenda of spending cuts on police, education and job training, he's giving handouts to corporations.

This is by far my not my chief complaint, which has more to do with environmental issues, but it's pretty high on my shit list. It also fits in nicely with a story that was published today in Huffpost Business. In the article, Peter S. Goodman interviews my friend Joe Sangataldo, a former social worker who specialized in job training of welfare and unemployment recipients. Joe was laid off two years ago when Christie began his mission of cutting spending on things that invest in the future of our state, and instead decided to focus on pleasing his corporate friends, who I still contend will be contributing to his Presidential bid if and when he decides to run.

Joe's story is typical of many who have been victimized by rising unemployment with one exception: his job was to help people who are receiving government handouts get out of the system and get back to work. It seems illogical that Christie would want to cut funding to areas where it can actually go towards helping people build a better future. Instead it gets funneled to centers of corporate and commercial greed like Xanadu.

I'm not sure how people like Chris Christie sleep at night. I guess when you have powerful friends it doesn't matter that you're putting people on the street who were trying to help others get off the street and build a better life. This is congruent with the austerity measures that have sparked riots in Europe, and congruent with the indifference their leaders have with the plight of their citizens.

I can't wait for this painting to be done. Here's part 35:

Xanadu pt 34: Irene 1, Studio 0

Hurricane Irene got the best of my studio over the weekend, with the tiniest trickle of water that found its way through what I thought was my rock solid defense shield. There wasn't enough to damage anything, but enough to wash the floor and to force me to move the rug and other stuff to higher ground (on top of the dirty sofa where my dog sleeps). By last night the floor had dried and everything was put back where it belonged. So all is well. But there is another...

What I was secretly hoping for and didn't get was for the storm to damage my favorite mega-mall to be, which would have helped further my cause and support my hypothesis for this project. Xanadu still stands, and the painting continues.

With the arrival of September, its time to start thinking about really pushing the envelope so I can get this thing completed for October 1, when its scheduled to hang at 10th St Laundromat in Philadelphia, along with other selections from the series. As it stands, the exhibit will hang from October 1st to the 31st, with a reception on Saturday the 15th. I'll put up more details on that soon.

Meanwhile, here's Part 34:

Xanadu pt 33: Have A Rolling Rock

Since we've arrived at part 33 I thought I would pay tribute to another 33, Rolling Rock Beer. I don't have any, so a Yuengling Lager will have to do. You may be wondering what the significance is between the number 33 and a relatively inconsequential beer. So have many others. The inscription printed on the bottle may offer the only clue:

Rolling Rock. From the glass lined tanks of Old Latrobe we tender this premium beer for your enjoyment, as a tribute to your good taste. It comes from the mountain springs to you. "33"

Still confused? Try this analysis from Snopes.

I may be on a small hiatus in the next week or so dealing with potential aftermath of hurricane Irene. Hopefully my basement won't flood and I'll be back in business on schedule for my usual Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday night sessions.

Until then, here's Xanadu pt 33:

Xanadu pt 32: As Gravity Pulls, The Plot Thickens

Its another sounds-too-good-to-be-true story. The ugliest goddamn building in the state and the most notorious promise never kept seemed just a few years and a paltry piece of legislation away from being completed and becoming the "center of the world." But now, as Paul Harvey used to say, the rest of the story.

A headline in NorthJersey.com from yesterday reads: Builder seeks $1B in public financing and tax breaks to complete 'Dream'. The last we heard, they were only getting $250 million from the State of New Jersey. This would assure them of having American Dream opened by 2013, in plenty of time for the 2014 Superbowl at neighboring MetLife Stadium. 55 million visitors every year would come, the money would be repaid, and a brand new attraction and economic engine would be purring like a kitten.

So what happened?

I used to work as a house painter and did many restoration projects in old homes. I've been burned more than once by relying on the best-case scenario in a job's planning stages. I own a house. I understand the principle of the can of worms. You never know what's behind a wall until you start tearing it down. You never know how rotten something is until you sink your teeth into it. New Jersey residents should feel like fools for allowing this to unfold this way. We voted for these fucknuts and they took us for a ride, all the while telling us that this kind of thing is good for us, that its something we need. By the time this demented and depraved project is finished, we'll be in hock for billions and sitting on a shuttered and boarded-up monument to over-indulgence and wish-thinking.

Xanadu was the original name for the place. The poem from which it gets its name came to Samuel Taylor Coleredge in a dream, and too often people have trouble differentiating dreams from reality. The real narrative is playing out exactly as it should. It started out as a brilliant idea, was overly ambitious, had financial problems, was planned poorly, and is now becoming a public quandary. In short time it will become a nightmare, a blight and a laughing stock, as if New Jersey needs any more of that. The evil presence in The Meadowlands is beginning to rear its ugly head.

The image of the unfinished painting at the end of this article will be the only true representative of what happenes when a society stands by and let its leaders dream off more than they can chew. Soon this painting will be done and it will truly express the errors of a civilization that places corporate profit above the needs of the living. We do not need another commercial orgy of excess, and we will not have one in East Rutherford for long. We will have an empty, functionless, dilapidating, Kafkaesque complex of structures on the horizon, rising out of the foxtails and fighting an un-winnable fight against forces of Nature and culture that are to be reckoned with.

The weeds slowly grow. The cracks begin to form. The swamp gently rises. The earth opens ever so gradually. Meanwhile, there's no sign of shoppers, skiers, diners, swimmers, performers, eyeballs, asses or any of the other fruits of anyone's labor or wonders of it all. There's just a lot of gravity methodically pulling down an empty mall.

Tonight, dear readers, I give you Xandu pt 32…

Swamp Thing At The Center Of The World

Imagine you're offered an opportunity to travel to the center of the world. You can barely imagine what that might be like, full of wonder and discovery. It could be a spectacular, amazing experience and adventure like no other you've ever had. The only problem is your journey of a lifetime will be delayed a while because of traffic on Route 3.

There's a handful of people who think that The American Dream nee Xanadu will be a huge success and a financial windfall. Everyone else agrees that its doomed to failure before it even opens its doors. The Meadowlands has a reputation that is hard to ignore, and anyone who thinks that it can be developed into submission is in for a rude awakening.

Xanadu pt 31

Its one of those nights when I don't feel like writing anything. If you want to be entertained by me go see some of my older posts.

Here's part 31 for those of you keeping track:

Xanadu pt 30 feat. The King, a Presidential Hopeful and Jersey Skeeters

What do Elvis Presley, Michelle Bachmann, The Megamall formerly known as Xanadu and a swarm of mosquitos have in common? Practically nothing. Or everything. It's barely relevant, but it adds up.

I started writing this post before painting tonight, because I find that generally I'm too frigging tired to write anything meaningful once midnight rolls around. By that point I've been awake since 5:45AM so it should come as no surprise that after a full day, then painting for 1-1/2 hours I really have no interest in communicating my thoughts. Time now is 9:24 PM EDST on Tuesday August 16.

I'll be listening to some Elvis (The Memphis Record) to commemorate the passing of the King on this date in 1977 (even though by the time I post this it will most likely be tomorrow – blows your mind, right?). Maybe follow that up with some MGMT, then concluding with a shuffle of my "Maestro Playlist."

I included an update from NorthJersey.com on the progress that the new owners have made on their resurrection attempt of the Lazarus of dead mega-malls. A paragraph toward the end caught my attention, the one referring to architects and tenants. I'm waiting to see how that goes, since one of the main stumbling blocks so far for Triple Five has been attracting tenants, most importantly big name anchor retailers.

Also, I didn't realize they were planning an outdoor movie theater. I wonder how they're gonna do on warm summer nights when the infamous Meadowlands mosquitos come looking for blood to drink from unsuspecting movie goers. Just a thought. As far as the smell goes, I guess they assume that most of the visitors are pretty much used to that.

It is now 12:11AM Wed Aug 17. On to Xanadu pt 30:

Xanadu pt 29

I don't feel like writing anything. In case you missed it, two of my older paintings are in a show that opens this Thursday.

Here's part 29 for those of you keeping track of such things. I need this done by September 30. I'm tired. Good night.

Xanadu pt 28: Do I Think This Night Will Flame With Fire?

"if you’re going to try,

go all the way.

there is no other feeling like

that.

you will be alone with the
gods

and the nights will flame with

fire."
– Charles Bukowski

In case you may have missed it, or if you're checking this blog out for the first time, I "re-introduced" myself last night, and you can read all about that by clicking here.

I plan on pushing this night as far as I can, basically as long as I can stay on my feet. I get tired around 12:00, generally because of the rigors of working and family life, and my day starts generally around 5:45AM. There's almost always an 8-hour work day squeezed in there and on either side of that there's chores, children, meals, etc.

Nothing I do and no one I work for, family or employer alike, seem all that concerned with the fact that I plan on working at least 3 out of 7 days a week in my studio. By the time I get all of that out of the way it's usually 10:00 or 10:30 PM and I'm just drained, physically and mentally. I pride myself on the fact that I'm able to push that last hour or hour and a half and actually be focused enough to paint with skill and passion.

I grabbed some records and have them at the ready for listening, so it remains to be seen how far past midnight this session can last.

Here's what I have so far on Xanadu pt 28. Do what I do: cover the bottom area that is dark and unfinished with your hand and close one eye. You can imagine what its going to look like when done.

Xanadu pt 27 and A Little Re-introduction

For those of you newcomers to this blog, I've been posting updates 2 or 3 times a week of a painting I'm working on that features an unfinished mega-mall in the New Jersey Meadowlands.

Progress has been a little slow lately, or so it might seem. I say that because if you were the size of an ant, it would look like I paint the Sistine Chapel every goddamn night. I went out today and bought 2 more #0 brushes because the stage this painting is in right now is rendering every foxtail in a scene which features about 70% meadow. Its tedious and painstaking but its a labor of love. OK, maybe somewhere between love and hate, depending on my mood, but either way its a fucking obsession.

The painting is part of a larger project in which I'm attempting to demonstrate the relentless of Nature by studying human activity and its obstacles in a vast, polluted wetland a few miles to the west of New York City. The project's title, Five Miles From Times Square was taken from the website of the city of Secaucus, NJ, on which it boasts a small town atmosphere only five miles from Times Square.

Secaucus is located in the middle of The Meadowlands, which is still considered a wilderness. I found it ironic that a wilderness can still exist so close to what is pretty much the high holy ground of artificial, commercial culture: Times Square. This is so, I believe, because Mankind has met a formidable challenge in trying to develop the region.

The Meadowlands have been the target of several attempts to drain it, fill it and reclaim the swamps for usable land, and yet it still remains. In an area where real estate is in extremely high demand, it seems like it should have been a forgone conclusion that it be filled in and developed. Yet there it is, in all its polluted, swampy glory. And I've been taking trips up there over the last 2 or 3 years to take photos, do research, and make paintings of what I've found.

Now you are here, and I mean you who are reading these words, however you may have stumbled upon this post. I invite you to visit older posts, or perhaps go back in time in the Xanadu painting to see where I have been up to this point, this 4th day of August, 2011, just past the stroke of midnight. I was worried that people who happened upon this blog may not fully understand its purpose, and what I'm trying to accomplish.

So, please allow me to re-introduce myself. I'm not a man of wealth and taste, I'm an artist trying to find his place in the world, and one who has an unhealthy obsession with a swamp in New Jersey.

And lest I forget, here's Xanadu pt 27. Stick around and see how it ends.