Bloggers Love Fade

Really, they do! Especially Siong Chin, who has combined his thoughts with Eric's pieces to make an excellent overview of what the show meant to him. Here's a little taste:

Conflict involves opposing parties. When there is a war between two countries, the two are involved in a conflict. They will perhaps lure their allies into the conflict, and all sides will suffer casualties. We cry for the casualties and decry the war. Do we ever cry for the battlefield? Have we ever? This sullen party hurts too…

For the full effect, with Siong's words scattered among Eric's images and a brief statement by the artist, head over to siongchin.com and enjoy. And then head over here and enjoy them in person! Remember, Fade runs until October 4th.

FEED : A dinner with Eric LoPresti

Last night's dinner was intimate. Guests fresh from the cool autumn evening arrived to a table set for ten, catered by our fellow Williamsburger, Nita Nita, a bar and tapas restaurant.

While interns Ross and Spenser plated and served the steamed shrimp, apricot-glazed chicken, and hearty gouda Mac & cheese, Eric LoPresti was kind enough to take guests through the gallery, explaining both the science and the inspiration behind each work of art in FADE.

The remote landscapes in his works are, in a natural sense, marred by man-made sprawling developments. However, Eric revealed that in these industrial remnants of the cold war, he finds an inherent symbolism and aesthetic that elevates them from blights on the landscape to structures of beauty bordering on the sublime. He spoke about how vague recollections from childhood of these seemingly barren landscapes shaped his fascination and ultimately his depiction of the deserts and plains in his work.



Eric and Lisa are sort of the ultimate art couple - he's a painter (obviously) and she's a sculptor. They gave us all a peek into their lives; their concerns as artists, their reactions to each other's work, and their take on the direction that they've seen contemporary art taking during their travels to London, Denmark, and (soon) India. When asked "why do you make art?" by another guest, Lisa thought before saying "It's a compulsion. I'm compelled to create." Eric agreed, saying that there was something positive about the fact that it is so difficult to be a professional artist - only those with that same compulsion and the drive to put it to use are able to persevere.



We also talked about weddings, wallpaper, Pac Man, and Otzi the Ice Mummy, but we'll leave those elements of the conversation to your imagination.

We Wanna Be Adored

After our last post, what more could we say? Nothing? Then it's a good thing that Fade is getting so much positive attention!

First up is the terribly awesome Artmostfierce, who rated us one of the Most Happenning Art Shows In NYC! We always knew we were happenning but we're glad someone else noticed. Especially someone so fierce. And we're very very thankful for the praise, so head over there and enjoy the blog!

We were also happy that Eric earned us a very special treat! Portuguese blog Minas de Ouro decided to give the world a very nice look at Eric's work... written in Portuguese! If you're not fluent, Google's pre-translated version will help you read some lovely words of praise, but if you are, you'll likely enjoy it more in the original. It's a nice thing when art goes global, so we're very happy to be noticed. Thanks, Gisela!

One thing should be very clear by now, if you haven't yet seen Fade, you need to start making plans. Maybe even dinner plans, perhaps for September 18th? Because, coincidentally, that's when we'll be having the next installment of our Monthly Dinner Series, Feed, a very special night with artist Eric LoPresti. An RSVP is required, so RSVP right here, right now. It's going to be a blast!



THIS JUST IN!!

After we'd already published, we found this wonderful interview courtesy of Revel in New York. Covering details like Eric's hard science background and his feelings about the Brooklyn Art Scene, Revel in New York's interview is a must read for LoPresti fans. Thanks for the attention, Revel! We love you so!

Post-Opening Recap (please don't talk too loud kthx)

The wonderful thing about being a gallery is learning the secrets of how this:



becomes this:



Sure, it took us a day to sleep off all that fun, but now we're back, we've found our pants, and we're ready to tell you all about the fantastic opening night of Eric LoPresti's Fade. You can even catch a special sneak preview right here if you're so inclined. And we're telling you now, you want to be so inclined.



That's artist Nora Herting on the right. Eric's well loved and well respected by the Like the Spice artist crowd, so it was no trouble at all to get them to stop by. One look at the work and you'll understand why he gets attention from his peers.





The crowd was clever and friendly and fun and we're pretty sure everyone had a great time. If you weren't there... why not? Look at what you missed!



Fade runs until October 4th, 2009. It's been getting some great press, and we'll even have a very special RSVP only dinner on September 18th... but you'll find out about all that in our very next blog post. Stay tuned...

He's A Man Of Many Interests

Our good friend Eric LoPresti isn't just the mastermind behind the impending beauty that is Fade (opening reception September 11th, 2009, 6:30pm - 10pm if you didn't already know). He's also a blogger! At least, he is now that Nathan Abels of the blog minutiae has offered him a chance to guest blog for a day.

Now that I’m back in NYC, I’m in crunch-mode, starting the final few paintings for my upcoming show... This work is about the desert, and my feelings about growing up in the waning aftermath of the Cold War. I’m using aerial imagery of desert weapons sites, e.g. Nevada Proving Grounds and the Hanford Site in Eastern Washington... Following are my thoughts, in no particular order.

Eric's guest post covers a whole slew of his current influences, from William Turner to Richard Rhodes to Tillman Kaiser to the recording artists Department of Eagles. What comes out is an interesting look at the mind of an artist, and a dissection of the inspirations that have combined to create Fade. We think you should head over and check it out.

Meanwhile, in a studio in DUMBO...

We paid a visit to Eric LoPresti this week in his studio, where he's prepping for his solo exhibition Eric LoPresti : Fade next Friday, September 11th, at 6:30pm! Here's a little video of him talking about the new works!

FEED at FADE! Special Thanks to Nita Nita...

Ready for another installment of Food and Art here at Like the Spice? Here's a sneak peek at FEED, Eric LoPresti's artist dinner. This month, wine and tapas restaurant Nita Nita will be treating us to a spanish feast, featuring Apricot glazed chicken, Mojo Potatoes and Garlic Shrimp with a scrumptious selection of fine cheeses and serrano ham.

James Duffy of the L magazine says "Mercifully low-key, Nita Nita aims for quality and familiarity, featuring everything a good bar should: a sensibly pared down selection of very good beers on tap (including Abita Turbo Dog Ale, Brooklyn Pennant Ale, Blue Point Toasted Lager, Stella Artois, Blue Moon, and the aforementioned Spaten); a modest, vegetarian-friendly tapas menu from a kitchen that clearly knows what it’s doing; a cocktail list of specialized favorites, each one lovingly made with fresh ingredients (the margaritas are wonderful); and, of course, an impressive, Spanish-heavy wine list, from which a select bottle is matched with a different cheese plate each week. All of which can be enjoyed in the spacious back garden, a tranquil space that feels more like the mellower parts of Portland than New York City."

We're psyched to be working with this fabulous restaurant. If you haven't had a chance to visit yet, be sure to stop by for a drink in their outdoor garden before the weather gets too cold! Of course, it's always hot (metaphorically, not physically cause that would be uncomfortable) at Like the Spice. RSVP's are required, and space is limited, so head here to be a part of this monumental collaboration between art and cuisine on Friday, September 18th. Dinner's served at 8pm!

Watch This Space

So most of you know that, very soon, we'll be hosting our pal Eric LoPresti's solo show Fade. But did you know that the opening night reception is September 11th, from 6:30pm to 10:30pm? And did you know that our latest and greatest Monthly Dinner Series, Feed, will be happening on September 25th and we're waiting for you to RSVP? And most of all, did you know that you can see see a special advanced online preview of Fade before it even opens to the public? That's the sort of thing you'll be learning this week and next, as our quiet little blog features all sorts of wonderful Eric LoPresti events.

You'll see interviews, you'll see video, you'll see fresh new links and exciting pre-review blog posts! Maybe you'll even get to see his kitchen sink! So keep an eye on us, we're counting down the days until Fade's opening night... and we want you to be there! And also here. We're so needy.