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!

Extra, Extra! Read all about it! Ross Racine is Totally Famous

So, we don't really know what happened, but somewhere between the beginning of Summer and Like the Spice's Costa Rican vacation, the digital drawings of LTS artist Ross Racine went Viral.

I mean we know that his strangely haunting, unbelievably intricate drawings are always a favorite at LTS art fairs and group shows, and now the blogosphere is actually exploding with over twenty mentions in the past four months.

What's really interesting is to see how the different people who write about Ross's work come at it from such different angles. There's the architectural viewpoint, for one. Architecture for geurillas observes " Row after row after spiral after spiral of organized, seemingly generic homes is supposed to be a system of order. But Elm Court, Sycamore Lane, and Poplar Street all share such similarities that it's often impossible to identify where one is." There's the voyeuristic. GPCB says "his images immediately fulfill my love for traveling via Google Earth and obsession with maps and aerial images." There's the vaguely befuddled Eins, Zwei, Drei. "i’m not bougie enough i don’t have enough art savvy to get how it’s a comment on the dreams of suburban culture." And a comment on Swiss Miss hits the nail on the head, saying "Love his stuff. Somewhere, someone mentioned that these works remind them of The Twilight Zone. I can see that… Everything looks perfect and clean, riding your bike down the street… until you pan out and see the layout of the suburb and realize something just isn’t quite right."

Yes, Ross is pretty much a weblebrity at this point. And we're glad to be just one of the many blogs to join his fanclub! After all, in the words of Urbanophil.net "Wer schon einmal durch Suburbia gefahren - und im schlimmsten Fall gelaufen ist - kennt die Problematik: Gleichförmigkeit und fehlende Orientierungspunkte. Mit diesem Dilemma einer städtischen Siedlungsform, die leider in großem Maße unsere Städte mitbestimmt (erinnert sei hier an den Vortrag von J. H. Kunstler) setzt sich der Künstler Ross Racine auseinander. Er zeichnet in einer Mischung aus Handzeichnen und Computerarbeit suburbane Landschaften."

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.

Let Me Take You To The Beach

Even in the middle of all this rain, we know a Beach that never stops being hot. Of course, we mean Rachel Beach! Hey, shut up, it was too funny. At least you could be laughing politely.

Anyway, our gal Rachel got herself mentioned at DailyServing.com, a nifty little art blog that clearly knows what's what. With quotes like:

These painting/sculpture hybrids reference the language of ornamental detailing, modern abstraction, and contemporary design, both in technique and appearance.

and

The painted areas are an illusion of volume rendered on the flat surface of the object.

it seems pretty clear they're fans. Head on over to DailyServing.com and check out the full article. Consider it a Beach trip!

...seriously? Not even a smile? You guys sure are an awfully tough crowd.

Next Time She Can Only Drink Maple Syrup

Now, we want to be clear, we absolutely adore Lovely Assistant Leia. She does good work and her blog posts are generally top notch. But obviously she had a little too much sangria during our Friday night artist's dinner. because she seemed to have forgotten all the fun stuff that happened, and just mostly talked about drinking. We admit, we had a bit too much ourselves (after all, talking in third person always makes one thirsty) but let's go over a few of the highlights anyway.



Practically the whole end of the table was full of our artists. Jenny Morgan (in black), David Mramor (at the head), Charlie Leadbetter (in blue), Allison Edge (in white), and Jason Bryant (hiding just out of frame) were on hand to talk about the joy and pain of assisting.



Can't you see that pain in Jenny's eyes? That's a thousand yard art stare! Actually, we're just joking, Jenny Morgan and David Mramor had nothing but good things to say about artist Marilyn Minter, for whom they both work. It was clear that their little family is a close one and that they enjoy their jobs very much.



Another person with nothing but happy stories was Jason Bryant. Jason simply could not give Kehinde Wiley enough respect. It was clear that Jason felt fortunate to have worked with Kehinde and thought of him very highly. Kehinde, do you need a blogger on staff? Because he literally made you sound like the best boss ever!

Around this point, however, the sangria began to kick in. Lovely Assistant Leia wasn't kidding, it was good stuff. So good, in fact, that we forgot to take a photo while Charlie Ledbetter and Allison Edge were talking. To make it up to them, we'll show you some photos of their work instead.




Charlie and Allison both assisted Jeff Koons, who has around a hundred different assistants. These stories were a little darker and not quite as loving, although they made it clear they had a great respect for Jeff as a creator. Allison also talked happily about her time with McDermott & McGough and what she felt she learned there.

Poor tipsy Lovely Assistant Leia was right about the conversation. This exciting discussion about the nature of the assistant in art really made for a fantastic night. There were plenty of disagreements and even some awkward moments we weren't expecting... but that's what art is all about, right? And everyone left happy.



If you weren't there, you missed out! Our next dinner will be Feed on September 25th. It'll feature our buddy Eric LoPresti, as part of his upcoming solo show, Fade, opening September 11th. Plan now to join us then! If you're lucky, we'll remember to charge the camera first. Please excuse these iPhone quality photos. We're so iMbarrassed.

Greatness Passed

In this busy busy world, it's easy to be a few steps behind. But better late than never! So we're very pleased about subscription blog TheGreatNude.tv taking a few moments to give a complementary review to our last show, Reuben Negron: Dirty Dirty Love. The site is for subscribers only, but we're sure they won't mind if we share a paragraph...

It is hard to decide if I preferred the intimacy of the small works or more ambitious large scale pieces. There exists more a focus on diffusion of color and multiple light sources in the larger works, with lush colors bleeding into one another in a sensual handling of the medium. I particularly like the quiet interplay in the work titled Becky and Naomi. His use of color in particular injects this work with a dynamic sense of realism.

Keep in mind that we've still got an online preview of Dirty Dirty Love that you can enjoy in the privacy of your own home. Also keep in mind that Reuben's latest piece is on display as part of Off The Clock, our current group show that celebrates the artist's assistant. Plan a visit! And thanks to TheGreatNude.tv for the belated attention.