The view outside Jeremy Penn’s Brooklyn art studio

“If you can make it hear, you can make it anywhere” –  Frank Sinatra

High rents, freezing winters, sweltering hot summers, $6 boxes of cheerios, all truths about New York City.  Given these facts, how come New York City is home to largest concentration of artists, a career that consistantly ranks at the bottom of worst paying jobs? I have reached out to a few of my good friends who happen to be fellow artists living in NYC to get there take on this topic.

Borbay

Location is a strange concept in contemporary society. You can paint from anywhere and share your work globally in an instant — mid-stroke, I can snap a photo and post it to Twitter… the time and distance between canvas and eyeball has evaporated. So why live in NYC? Why pay triple the rent of another city? It’s a great question… for me, NYC is more about the energy… a feeling in my core. I discussed this phenomenon with a famous author who, in a moment of great duress, went to Central Park in the middle of the night and just placed his hand on a big rock, feeling the Islands energy. I believe there is something to this… living in NYC as an artist was about being close to galleries, collectors, dealers and those who write for Page Six. Today, proximity is a choice thanks to social media and the proliferation of technology. Living in Manhattan, for me, is more Lost than Wall Street.

Julian Rapp

For me personally I grew up in the suburbs of the city, so have always felt at home here.  The most important for me is to feel comfortable where I am when I’m painting.  In NY I like to be locked away all day – and then no matter what time you decide to stop working – you can go outside and there’s tons going on. Painting is such a lonely thing in certain ways that it’s nice to have all of the hustle around you.  You know everyone is working as hard or harder than you and it makes you keep your game up. Plus, there are tons of opportunity to put your art up in varying degrees.  Be it a coffee shop, a gallery, people’s apartments.  There are so many people in such a small space that by default more people will see what you’re doing.  I think I would go stir crazy in a smaller city, and LA doesn’t do it for me. That’s my take anyways.

Paul Zepeda

As an artist, I’ve hustled, begged, borrowed and stolen my way across this this great nation from the Southwest to the Big Apple because it is a Mecca. All of the beautiful, powerful and talented people of the world attempt to at least pass through the City – therefore it is a limitless source of inspiration for me, as my work is about the connections between people, places and time.  It is a metropolis of Dreams and Money – if you are willing to pay the price, you can make anything happen… For me that is the epitome of what being a true artist, in any genre, is all about.  How far are you willing to go to create magic amidst the mundane? New York City is a monument to that struggle, and the museums, galleries and skyscrapers are filled with objects that are the embodiment of that magical connection we can all share as human beings, no matter who or where we are.

Joseph Meloy

NYC is always changing and there’s just a constant flow of stimuli, which I think charges my creative batteries.  And because it’s a place that people flock to from around the world, the diversity you get to experience here is pretty tremendous.  So many museums and galleries and pop-up shows and people making art and selling art in the street… There is a lot of opportunity, inside and outdoors, and odds are you’re going to meet some interesting and inspiring people along the way.

Ari Lankin

The reason I came to New York and the reason why I have stayed are nearly identical. What brought me here was romantic love, and what has kept me here is my love for this city. For me as an artist, New York is the perfect playground.  I am constantly inspired and challenged by everything it has to offer, and the amazing people it attracts. The realms of exploration are endless, much like what attracts me to painting. The world is my stage, and New York is the worlds stage.

Jeremy Penn 

Since these artists were kind enough to take time away from their canvases to answer this question for me, I figured it is only fair to give my take on this topic. If you mix a bunch of colors together, you get the color mud. However, if you mix all those colors together in New York City, each color illuminates individually and collectively. The colors being an obvious metaphor for the eclectic group of people that call NYC home.  The result of living in such a multi-cultural environment offers those who seek inspiration, an infinite treasure of sources. As I mention in previous blog posts, artists experience the world differently. We journey through this world with heightened sensitivity to our environment. It is both a gift and a curse. We struggle & thrive with a sense of uniqueness. In New York City, the environmental stimuli is a catalyst in cultivating the artist’s creative spirit. I happen to be writing this blog entry on my way back home after a relaxing vacation in North Carolina. As the pilot announces our initial decent into Laguardia Airport, I raise my shade and look out at the city I call home. The view should just be reason enough.

New York City from 20,000 feet.

Living in New York City is a challenge with tremendous upside. However, it is that challenge, also known as “the hustle,” that nurtures the toughness that is woven into the fiber of every New Yorker. Will New York always be a mecca for artists? I certainly hope so.

I am now on my 6th day thinking about this blog entry and as I walk down Kent Avenue in Williamsburg Brooklyn, I look at how things are changing. The artistic “temples” of Williamsburg are being torn down and replaced with luxury high rise buildings. In full closure, I live in one of these high rise buildings so I will accept the deserving label of a hypocrite.

All that remains of Monster Island in Williamsburg, Brooklyn

How does this gentrification effect us artists? Cheap rents, large loft spaces, and the polarizing experience of going from the glamour of the upscale areas to the indomitable essence of the Lower East Side, is what inspires many of us artists. When building full of art studios is knocked down to make room for a luxury high rise, you are leveling the playing field and a level playing field is not a comfortable and inviting place for artists. Artists have already started moving to areas like Bushwick and Bed Stuy. Proof that no matter what, artists will always search for and find new places to migrate to. Please, don’t let it be Long Island.

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Sanpaku has been bombing the streets of NYC with his striking imagery that is intended to be an education into the mysterious curse of Sanpaku. The highest concentration of street art can be found around Williamsburg & Greenpoint, Brooklyn.  Each posting is hand-finished by artist Jeremy Penn himself. During this years Red Bull Curates event, Penn revealed himself as the artist behind the art as he painted his canvas cooler with all the celebrities who are cursed by the fate of sanpaku.

“A Collective Fate”

What is Sanpaku?

Approaching the end of my first year of working on the William Murphy series, I noticed something very strange about his eyes. Murphy had a condition that the Japanese called Sanpaku eyes. Sanpaku means the three whites in Japanese (san=3 paku=white) and refers to the iris being rather small, so that it can only cover about two-thirds or less of the vertical of the eye; imagining an eye as divided into four portions, the iris only ‘colours’ one portion, thus leaving the other three in white, hence “three whites”.

The Japanese believed that someone with sanpaku eyes was imbalanced and destined to have a tragic end to their life. When you die, your eyes roll upward revealing the white underneath the iris. People who these eyes look sluggish or “stoned”.

Things began getting very stranged when Penn began studying the tragic deaths of people in the public eye. He learned that some of the most important people who died young were all Sanpaku.

John Lennon, a sanpaku, actually wrote a song called “Aisumasen (I’m Sorry)” where he actually referred to himself as being sanpaku.

Is fate real?

Celebrities who were Sanpaku

Other notable people who were sanpaku: Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, Natalie Wood, Brittany Murphy, John Lennon, Marilyn Monroe, Princess Diana, Elvis Presley, Sharon Tate, Heath Ledger, Syd Barrett, Steve Jobs and more.

Celebrities who were Sanpaku

This discovery was one of many twists and turns that occurred in the two years of working on the William Murphy series. Did William Murphy die young? If so, how?

The painting above, “A Collective Fate,” explores the possibility of fate by linking these people together by one physical characteristic. A characteristic that is believed by some to be a sign of impending danger.

Look at yourself in the mirror. Are you Sanpaku?

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Galliano dressed as a Hasid in NYC. Source: New York Post

Jew-bash designer Galliano’s costume mocks faithful

By DOREE LEWAK, DAVID SEIFMAN and JEANE MACINTOSH

Disgraced designer and convicted anti-Semitic ranter John Galliano ignited a new round of outrage yesterday — dressing like a Hasid to attend pal Oscar de la Renta’s Fashion Week show in New York.

The provocative fashion pariah sported the ill-advised outfit — replete with long jacket, hat and curly “peyos,” or sidelocks — as he exited a friend’s Manhattan apartment en route to de la Renta’s West 42nd Street design studio.

The garb stunned New York’s Jewish leaders.

“He’s trying to embarrass people in the Jewish community and make money on clothes [while] dressed like people he has insulted,” fumed Williamsburg community leader Isaac Abraham. It looks like the hairstyle he added was done purposely to insult.”

“Who is he mocking?” added Brooklyn Assemblyman Dov Hikind. “The way the socks look, the jacket, the peyos . . . My question is, who’s he laughing at?

“If it was just anyone else, I wouldn’t know what to say. But considering who this guy is, considering his background and what he’s said in the past, let him explain it to all of us: Are you mocking us?”

Galliano was fired from Christian Dior in 2011 after a video went viral showing him professing, “I love Hitler!” in a Paris café. He was convicted in France of making racist public insults and was shunned by the fashion industry.

Last month, de la Renta offered Galliano a chance to make amends, inviting him to work in his Midtown studio.

He’s clearly not working hard enough at making things right, critics said yesterday.

“I would invite Mr. de la Renta and Galliano to come to Williamsburg, Brooklyn, so I can show them some Holocaust survivors and the clothes they [wear],” Abraham said.

Rabbi and fashion designer Tobi Rubinstein Schneier said, “This was not very smart, unless he really wants attention. I’m hoping that this is not in any way a mockery through this attire.”

Asked for comment about Galliano’s get-up, spokeswoman Liz Rosenberg said, “Your accusations are not at all correct.”

Regardless of what Galliano might ave been thinking, he’s not likely to find a warm welcome in New York City.

“He just better not step in our streets or come to our synagogue,” sad one furious Williamsburg resident after seeing a picture of Galliano’s garb.

Additional reporting by Joe Tacopino and Kenneth Garger

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Jeremy Penn: pop artist

By Ada Lorena Guevara

The artist is also known for painting Sex Kittens.

Known for painting icons of pop culture, the New Yorker Jeremy Penn takes us deep and seductive glances, like Maria Felix Mexican diva and actress Brigitte Bardot. His work has been exhibited in the best galleries in the world.

What do you find in a face?

The face is always exposed and vulnerable to emotional expressions when really. Our lips can lie, but never a face, is the ultimate communicator.

What inspires you?

I am inspired by the power of women and the primordial nature of domination and submission. A woman can block any man with a seductive look and capture a piece of your soul. If you look closely at my work, you can tell that some of my work I look ahead and some are looking away. Topics on looks are a symbol of dominance and looking away are symbols of submission. This is eye contact and the game of seduction.

Do you consider yourself in any artistic movement?

I do not believe in any movement, I think there is a big move around the world with technology and applications like Instagram, whosoever will have the opportunity to express themselves artistically. People are interested in art, because now it is everywhere.

What is your favorite collection?

My favorite collection is the actress Brigitte Bardot who shattered conservative ideologies film of that era. I have other works of “Sex Kittens”, as Anna Karina, Catherine Deneuve and Jane Birkin.

Currently involved in Mayan Parade, a project of fiberglass sculptures depicting the face of Pakal Mayan emperor. In plasma sculpture’s face Mexican icon, Maria Felix. The works will be displayed in airports and galleries around the world. Among some of its participants are Jose Fors, Master Juan Carlos Manjarrez and Paul Zepeda. 

See more of his art through his Web site: 

www.jeremypenn.com

Jeremy Penn Facebook Page

Cooltour Facebook Page

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“We are pleased to invite you to the pop-up exhibition of New York artist Jeremy Penn at The Aksel Project in Soho. Penn’s art is heavily influenced by French legends such as Brigitte Bardot or Serge Gainsbourg and as a French brand, Aksel Paris fell in love with his work.” – Aksel Paris

“French Royalty” Artist Jeremy Penn

Jeremy Penn plans on exhibiting a collection of paintings that are so recent, they haven’t even been stretched yet. Penn will hang the loose canvases from high on top of the walls of Aksel’s brand new Soho location.

“When I arrived at Aksel’s Soho store and saw their signature shirts adorning the walls like artwork, I knew I had to find a way for my artwork to pop off the walls in a unique way. I tend to be meticulous in the final presentation of my artwork and this will be the first time I exhibited my paintings like this. Showcasing the paintings un-stretched will not only compliment the the architecture of the store but will be a freeing experience for me as the artist.” -Jeremy Penn, Artist

While Penn is still working on paintings for the show, we can count on French icons like Serge Gainsbourg and Brigitte Bardot to make an appearance at Aksel on January 24th, 2012.

About Aksel and The Aksel Project:

Aksel’s raison d’etre is to promote freedom while building one of the best fashion companies in the world. We design elegant, European-inspired shirts for the sophisticated modern man, and thanks to our partnership with CommonThreadz, for every shirt we sell, we provide a school uniform to a child in need.

More than a store, The Aksel Project is an intersection of Fashion and Art. This is a space for showcasing creativity, and you’ll hear it in the music, see it on the walls, and wear it out the door.

About CÎROC:

One of the world’s only vodkas created entirely from grapes, CÎROC^®

Ultra-Premium is simply unique. The name is derived from the combination of two French words, “Cime” meaning peak or summit-top and “roche” meaning rock. True to its roots, CÎROC^® Mauzac Blanc grapes stem from the high-altitude vineyards in Gaillac, France overlooked by the stony village walls of Cordes-sur-Ciel.

Historically, vodka has been made from natural and local sources of fermentable sugars and starches. CÎROC^® is innovative in its use of cold maceration, fermentation and storage processes. Until now, only the top fine wine producers implemented these practices.

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Jeremy Penn just releases his latest painting “Pablo,” a portrait of Spanish artist Pablo Picasso. While Penn and Picasso’s painting styles are very different, it is Picasso’s approach to life and his art that Penn finds a relatable comfort in. When Jeremy Penn began building his painting portfolio, critics felt that what was lacking was a distinct style of art. His portfolio consisted of things like abstract encaustic paintings, realistic portraits, and conceptual pieces inspired by mugshots of the late 1800′s. It was Jessica Levy of JL Art Advisory who used Picasso’s evolution of work to comfort Penn into rejecting that critique and continue to let inspiration take his art wherever it needed to go. JL Art Advisory now represents the work of Jeremy Penn.

Picasso’s Blue Period (Periodo Azul)

Between the 1901-1904, Picasso painted monochromatic paintings in of Blue & Green. While Picasso’s blue period is some of his most important work, he had a lot of difficulty selling them due to the somber nature of the work. Picasso was battling depression during his blue period and this is something very evident in the work. See Picasso’s painting “The Old Guitarist” which was created between 1903-1904.

“The Old Guitarist” shows Picasso’s true genius as an artist. Every single element in this painting was carefully chosen to render a stronger reaction in the audience. For example, the monochromatic color scheme eliminates the joy of changing colors and light and creates flat, two-dimensional forms that dissociate the guitarist from time and place. In addition, the overall muted blue palette creates a general tone of melancholy and accentuates a tragic and sorrowful theme. Also, the sole use of oil on panel causes a darker and more theatrical mood. Oil tends to blend the colors together without losing the colors’ brightness, creating an even more cohesive dramatic composition.

Furthermore, the guitarist shows no sign of life and appears to be close to death, implying little comfort in the world and accentuating the misery of his situation. Details are eliminated and scale is manipulated to create elongated, scrawny, and elegant proportions and to intensify the silent contemplation of the guitarist and a sense of spirituality. Despite the guitarist’s blindness, viewers feel the guitarist holds an inner vision and psyche. Moreover, the large, brown guitar is the only shift in color found in the painting. The guitar fills up the space around the guitarist physically and symbolically. In its dull brown, the guitar becomes so prominent against the blue background that it is the center and focus of the guitarist and the viewer. The guitar comes to represent the guitarist’s world and only hope for survival.

This blind and poor artist depends on his guitar and the small fare he can create from his music for survival. Plus, a guitar, as a musical instrument, is a natural mean for expressing emotions. This allows the guitarist to share and increase his loneliness. Some art historians believe this painting expresses the solitary life of an artist and the natural struggles that come with the career. Therefore, music, or art, becomes a burden and a separating force, isolating artists from the rest of the world. Art in general becomes a symbol of rejection and isolation. And yet, despite the isolation, the guitarist (artist) depends on the rest of society for survival. All of these latter feelings and emotions reflect Picasso’s predicament at the time, which could easily lead to the conclusion that Picasso was criticizing the state of society. The Old Guitarist becomes an allegory of human existence. Source: Wikipedia

The Blue Period and Artist Jeremy Penn

People have said that Jeremy Penn is going through his own blue period since most his work is monochromatic in blues. Penn uses a wide scale of blue shades to create darkness and lightness in his painting. When asked about being in a blue period, Penn replied, “I am cognizant of the effect that the color blue has on the viewer. I mix my own pigments and add colors like cerulean blue to darker blues to give it more pop and excitement. Blue is a color that envelops you and doesn’t let you out of it’s comforting grasp. It is the stillness between life and death. My addition of more vibrant blue tones is my way of fighting the depressive lure of washed out blues. That lure is truth.”

Psychological Properties of the Color Blue

Blue is a color that has a major impact of one’s psychology. The color blue also creates physiological response in the body by actually lowering pulse rate and temperature. While blue brings a feeling of calmness and serenity, it can also create feelings of sadness & lonliness.

What Picasso Means to Artists

“Picasso was a true artist. He surrendered himself to the influences of life. He was connected to his feelings and put it into his work. Picasso’s style changed so many times because he allowed himself to be vulnerable and inspired. As an artist, you are born with a heightened sensitivity to everything around you. You can either let life run you over or let it run through you. You must surrender” – Jeremy Penn

If you like the work of Pablo Picasso, check out the work of artist Paul Zepeda.

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NEW YORK – November 28, 2012 – Trump SoHo New York and Indiewalls, an art solutions company, announce a partnership to enhance the hotel’s luxurious two-story Duplex Penthouse. Vibrant pieces from up-and-coming local New York City-based artists have been unveiled to outfit the walls of the hotel’s largest penthouse. From celebrity-inspired paintings to post-modern montages, the curated artwork will operate as a rotating gallery. The premiere exhibition, which includes works by Max Gleason, Jeremy Penn, Lee Everett, and Robert Herman, will be on display for Duplex Penthouse guests from November 2012 through February 2013.

The partnership between Indiewalls and Trump SoHo underscores the hotel’s commitment to remain a cultural ambassador for its guests, while sharing the dynamic energy of the New York art scene and supporting its local community. Integrating elements of fashion, art and design, the gallery will elevate guests’ luxury travel experience.

About the Installation:

This Indiewalls installation highlights artists that engage the evolving vision of New York City and its character. Artists Jeremy Penn and Robert Herman approach the subject directly, projecting two visions of New York. While Penn features the faces of New York City legends like Kate Moss, Jimi Hendrix, and Twiggy, recalling NYC nightlife in his mixed-media works, Herman’s contemporary street scenes gleam with a nostalgia for the New York of the 1950s. Works by Max Gleason and Lee Everett isolate critical elements of the city, portraying the vitality and intrigue of the city that never sleeps.

About the Artists:

• Aaron Maximilian Gleason was born in California in 1979. At the age of 8 his family moved to Atlanta, where he spent his formative years and studied under painter Raul Miyar. Max received a BFA in sculpture from the Rhode Island School of Design, also pursuing painting and film/video practices. In 2002, Max moved to New York City where he would spend the next 8 years painting and completing a film trilogy. He has been included in a number of group shows around the US, as well as a solo show at Petra Projects in NYC in 2007. Today, Max lives and works in Brooklyn.
• Jeremy Penn was born in 1979 in New York and studied Fine Art at both the University of Maryland and Pratt Institute. His works have been exhibited internationally and received honors from curators at museums such as The Museum of Modern Art, New York and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. In 2009, Penn was honored as the “Featured Artist” for New York City’s Freedom Week. In 2010, Penn’s art was awarded ASFD’s Pinnacle Award, ADEX Gold Medal in Design, and the Peace Maker Award for his painting “War Child.” In 2011, Penn was the artist selected to represent the United States during Rosafest, a global art exhibition celebrating the Pan-American Games.

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New York artist Jeremy Penn releases his latest work of art inspired by musician Lana Del Rey. Penn’s painting titled “Princess Elizabeth” is painted in his signature blues contrasted with a vibrant maroon to draw attention to Lana’s iconic red hair.

Jeremy Penn, who has lately been known for this portraits of French icons like Brigitte Bardot, Anna Karina, and Serge Gainsbourg, felt inspired to paint Lana Del Rey because “she posseses a spirit that I am only able to find when I study foreign cinema from the 1960′s,” says Penn.

The title of Penn’s painting cuts through all of Lana’s other nicknames like Lizzy Grant, Lana Rey Del Mar, May Jailer, Sparkle Jump Rope Queen, and Lana Del Rey. Penn’s paintings capture the truth and essence of a person and he wanted the title to be an homage to her real name, Elizabeth Grant.

Elizabeth Grant grew up surrounded by wealth. The daughter of Domain Investor Bob Grant, Elizabeth was raised in Lake Placid, New York and attended boarding schools in Connecticut to deal with an alcohol dependence in her teens. She made her way back to New York City and graduated from Fordham with a degree in Metaphysics.

Lana has been quoted as saying “I was a big drinker at the time. I would drink every day. I would drink alone. I thought the whole concept was so fucking cool. A great deal of what I wrote on Born To Die is about these wilderness years. When I write about the thing that I’ve lost I feel like I’m writing about alcohol because that was the first love of my life. My parents were worried, I was worried. I knew it was a problem when I liked it more than I liked doing anything else. I was like, ‘I’m fucked. I am totally fucked’. Like, at first it’s fine and you think you have a dark side – it’s exciting – and then you realise the dark side wins every time if you decide to indulge in it. It’s also a completely different way of living when you know that…a different species of person. It was the worst thing that ever happened to me.”

Penn’s release of his painting “Princess Elizabeth” coincides with the release of Lana’s new album, Born to Die – The Paradise Edition.

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