Sunday, February 22, 2009

February 23, 2009, Monday, Gold Bar, East Village, NY

A one man show at the Gold Bar,
in the East Village before the usual gentrified influx
that pushed them out and hipster boutiques in.
An ideal show for me at the time. 

This small bar had cement walls and ceiling.
(picture 3 below shows over 1/4th of entire space)

Floor consisted of large metal plates with fluorescent lights in the gaps, and a bar (made at an obtuse angle along the full length) with a 10" plus gap looking down into the basement where people dropped drinks, tips, and other things off and on.

The Syringe work consisting of over 400 needles
suspended outwards from a poured-resin dome was
installed on the wall/bar below with velcro.



Plexiglass with surveillance dome, chrome drawer pulls & hooks, and magnifying lenses.



Destroyed and salvaged out of my trash
when visiting my Greenpoint studio,
(without my knowledge by Steve and Enju !)
Thank you guys !!




Under the bar drop off,

As seen at
Art Resources Transfer,
(@ 1st Chelsea gallery)

Industrial foam Roarschocks,  
seats were called butt plugs because of the awkwardness.
One always knocked over during each excursion there,
incredibly loud hitting the metal floor.
So small, usually a segway bar for most bar-hoppings during the era
specializing in Hefeweizen.
Usually much darker than these pics.

Because of its unique structure, The Gold Bar
was featured/considered one of the first examples
of Post-Modernism architecture.
Another historical landmark,
over-run by hyperactive gentrification.

Much thanks for the owner who let me have that show there.
(—not to be associated with some 'new' gold bar,
now found with a search for it in NY.)

4 comments:

  1. good stuff. i remember this show/ installation. didn't you have another piece that was hanging in the basement but can be viewed from the bar above?

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  2. It is the syringe work, looking 4 pics for a post of one days soon. Nasty to hang, me and whoever helps always get cut. may be getitng backinto razors again too!, so much fun, bad for children though.

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  3. Yes, we do have that piece. If you want, you'll have to come and get it, and alittle bit of fighting, but then we'll wrap it up nicely for you.

    The syringe piece was insane. It really made you think differently about the beer you were drinking. Like, maybe even half a beer was too much while hanging out next to it. I'm surprised I still have my eyes and they didn't become part of the art.

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  4. hung that with a freinds 16 year old (son) at around 2 am last year,
    it almost fell since it was on a massive piece of plexi (we were both on ladders).
    –So relieved he did not have "the worst case scenario" accident that would be unexplainable at the hospital. i was just checking on if you guys had the crazy mess i made of that thing, imagine myself maybe remaking/reparing it one day for you. like either of us have that kind of money... send a pic one day if you can, am interested in how you repaired it.

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