One of the fanciest art openings I have attended, one that Amy Crehore suggested I attend (and who I dragged my son to), Joe Coleman’s opening at the Tilton Gallery - was more of a “Star” event than an art opening.  In fact, the Tilton Gallery seems to be more of a Joe Coleman Museum – shown in darkened rooms with each painting highlighted so it seemed to pop out of the wall.  Nothing was left to chance for this opening – and it was well attended!

In the Realms of the Unreal (Henry Darger), 1998  Acrylic and Mixed Media on panel, 24 5/16″ x 30 5/15″

I took pictures, or had Adam take pictures for me, but the room was so dark, nothing much came out.  It was clear that Joe Coleman has “arrived” – and no doubt will be collected by every major museum – if he hasn’t already been.   Before I talk about Joe

Coleman’s work (I also wrote about Joe Coleman a couple of days ago in Joe Coleman Gets a Retrospective at the Tilton Gallery in Manhattan), here’s a couple more pictures.

   

I had my son take a picture of me against a couple of Coleman’s paintings that were suggestive of themes I can relate to like The Dream of Sigmund Freud (1993) and the Victory of Hell (1995) (above right photo); I believe that’s also the painting I am standing in next to, but it’s not that clear in the photo.

I also spotted Rebecca Lieb of ClickZ at Joe Coleman’s opening but did not get to speak to her – writing for ClickZ is by invitation only ….and I did not get my invite (yet).  I run into Rebecca at various Search Engine Strategies and also at the first Online Video Conference last June (where I also recorded a Podcast – for anyone who cares to listen – it’s here - you need iTunes to listen to it though). Maybe everyone can send Rebecca Lieb a note and tell her they’d read ClickZ if I wrote a column on Web Metrics for them…oh well, it’s ok to imagine.

Getting back to Joe Coleman’s opening – there were a lot of interesting people – the type of people that you might not see at an upper east side exclusive art gala opening…biker types, people with a lot of tattoos, a lot of attractive woman (that’s normal) in low cut dresses (maybe that’s normal too)!

The paintings were ……. like a cross between comic books and Van Eyck paintings – every bit of every painting had detail, upon detail, upon detail …almost like a fractal – that expanded onto itself.  

Composition ….that takes care of itself – Coleman is painting a Mandala – it’s the same Mandala but the subjects change.  I found the Dream of Sigmund Freud, for example, very successful in doing something I’m trying to do – segmenting life into the various syndromes that Freud wrote about and, to some extent, invented the vocabulary for.

Then there’s paintings where the artist is painting himself, or himself and his wife, such as “Love Song, (1999). I understand that Joe Coleman got married in 2000, maybe the Love Song is part of the courtship…just guessing here.  Almost every painting has a lot of sex – let’s face it – we all think that way ….. Coleman paints it – in grueling detail a morphs it into a morbid dance – but one you can’t stop looking at….and that’s the Art of it…you can’t stop looking at them.   In fact, if you were to stop and really look at a Joe Coleman painting – it would take you hours to read ever little bit of text and image on any one painting – and since he spends a year working on one (he does several at one time – but it takes about a year to complete each one from start to finish) a couple of hours is not too much to ask.

In another painting, “I am Joe’s Fear of Disease”, painted in 2001, Coleman sticks his hospital admission pass to Brooklyn Medical Center and the IV he was given fluids with onto the frame of the painting.

The basis – the need to illustrate every significant thought, idea, event, feeling that’s connected with the subject – and stick them all onto one painting – is not a new idea.  When you get close to Joe Coleman’s work – it seems a combination of illustration and painting – the color pops out (the more so against darkened walls in a darkened room) and every part of the painting is executed in exacting detail.

There’s no question that Joe Coleman is a great artist; who will be well collected.  I think, if I were ever to interview Joe Coleman, I’d try to find out what makes him tick…..what is he trying to say….

Another amusing detail …in Public Enemy Number One (John Dillinger), painted in 1999, Dillinger’s dick is painted, cut off, at the bottom of the painting – Coleman writes that Dilllinger’s dick was collected, as was the rest of his disected body….by collectors.   I enjoyed seeing Joe Coleman’s sense of humor – perverted, not doubt, but what’s not perverted?  Maybe that’s the whole of point of this.  Some people were looking at the images and writings on the paintings and taking them literally – and those people might be offended.

But I was not offended, I had fun looking and reading what was on each painting – and if were not for the crowd and my son Adam, tugging at me, I’d have spent a bit more time at Tilton Gallery looking at Joe Coleman’s paintings.