Diamonds Are Forever

Happy New Year.

Stardust Memories, 2016

So far so good. Last night I checked out the Savoy Soul Club--the premier soul night (a la Northern Soul) in the Capital Region. The other day we caught the movie La La Land-- one of the best films I have seen in some time... bring back the musical!

Speaking of music, WEXT will be re-airing my David Bowie tribute this Monday, January 9, at 11 p.m. ET. It's slotted one day after his birthdate and one day before the anniversary of his passing. I remember my dismay at hearing the news a year ago, and I have been thinking a lot about his musical influence ever since.

With this My Exit special, I tried to pick songs by the artist that had an immediate and lasting impact on me. I only had an hour, so I had to give it a good deal of thought (hard to narrow down). 

As I mention on the show, the first I remember being truly aware of him was during the Live Aid concert in 1985, performing with Mick Jagger in that silly "Dancing In The Street" video. That song was catchy enough, but the tune that really caught my ear was a year later-- his theme song for the British film Absolute Beginners, which he also starred in. 

At the time I actually wondered if he was a retro artist, since that lead me into the 1950s-styled Let's Dance album. 

Digger deeper, I found myself captivated by such moody tracks as "China Girl," "Cat People," and "Ashes To Ashes"-- I was beginning to discover the weird, artsy Bowie, and there was no turning back.

My wife's museum, The Albany Institute of History and Art is currently showing a really nice exhibition of rock and roll photography (Bowie included!) by local artist Patrick Harbron. In conjunction with the show, they held an open mic night tonight. We weren't sure what the turn out would be, so I brought my electric guitar just in case. I have been taking guitar lessons for a couple years now, still struggling to find time and motivation to practice, but I decided to give it a shot. Now I have no problem getting up and singing/performing in front of an audience, but playing the guitar and singing adds another level of complexity. Oof... I probably should have sat it out, but I gave Bowie's "Starman" a try. Coincidentally, the line "that weren't no DJ that was hazy cosmic jive" has some relevance with the current news about the discovery of mysterious radio waves from outer space. David, is that you? "Ground control to major Tom..."

Best In Show: "Diamond Dogs" 2016 Memorial Edition.
©Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

More successful for me at Albany Institute was my taking part in a recent album cover design contest (also tied in with the rock photography exhibit). Again I chose Bowie as the subject, and reinterpreted his 1974 album Diamond Dogs. 

I had the perfect model: our dog Trixie. My illustration took things quite literally-- I sprinkled diamond shapes across the vinyl sized design, and Trix was decked out in full Bowie "Ziggy Stardust"-era glam (even the shoulder pads from the "Ashes To Ashes" video). The assemblage was mixed media, with elements of collage, colored pencil, paint, and glitter, as well as type created on the museum's old printing press. You can view some photos of my creative process in this Facebook album.

In addition to David Bowie, the through line for these projects is that they were about me focusing on artistic projects. I wish I could master the fearless creativity that Bowie had--I guess that's a big reason I admired him so. The other attractive part of his legacy is that his work transcended--as if he was the conduit for its creation. Although he is gone, his songs remain... and I think he understood, whatever his obvious fears and demons, that he should get out of the way of being creative. 

My Diamond Dogs reissue ended up winning the cover design contest! I know... it may seem a little fishy with my wife working at the museum, but this was entirely voted on by the public. I even saw a couple of people admiring the work when it was on display (even taking photos). So "bully for you, chilly for me..." I'll try and keep David Bowie in mind, and keep out of my own artist's way in the new year.

Listen Live: exit977.org

Capturing the Spirit of the Capital Region

Egyptian art... by way of the Albany Institute collection.
Photo: Jeremy Clowe. ©Albany Institute of History & Art.

As if there wasn't enough to do around the Capital Region this weekend (LarkFest, Lake George Jazz Festival, apple picking!), this afternoon the Albany Institute of History & Art will be presenting a family day with an area theme (their new exhibit, "Capital Region in 50 Objects" opens today). Check out the program listing on their website (with photo taken by yours truly)... sounds like a fun afternoon! They'll be presenting scavenger hunts in the galleries, art in the studio (inspired by Iroquois History and Culture), face painting, traditional Native American storytelling, and a Nipper Look-Alike Contest (I'm trying to get our pup to master that cocked head pose). The event is free with regular museum admission.

AIHA is a great museum—be sure check out their sculpture galleries, and current 3D photography exhibition. Here are some promo photos I took recently of their equally impressive education program (what fine instructors!):

Learn more: www.albanyinstitute.org

Celebrating The Art of Filmmaking

The Oscars are on the horizon! Just when I began to lose faith in the overall quality of feature films, the nominees are actually pretty interesting this year. My money is on Birdman, one of the best movies I have seen...ever. Also good: Boyhood and Grand Budapest Hotel... I still need to see many of the others, which I have heard good things about.

If you can't wait until Sunday to celebrate an evening of film, join me tonight at The Albany Institute of History & Art where I will be showing and talking about some of my own work, as part of a screening of motion pictures created by Capital Region filmmakers. The event starts at 6 p.m., and is free to the public (along with general admission).

The Albany Institute is a great museum (of course I'm a little biased, since my wife works there). They just opened an interesting baseball exhibition, and over the weekend held a LEGO building competition (I served as one of the judges, which was fun). AIHA's permanent collection includes everything from Hudson River School paintings to contemporary works to local artifacts (even the old bottling company owned by Sarah's family is represented!). Also, I absolutely love their sculpture gallery—Erastus Dow Palmer (1817-1904) is long overdue for a documentary of his own.

Learn more: www.albanyinstitute.org

Museum Studies

We are now truly an art museum family.

This past week Sarah started her job in the education department at Albany Institute of History & Art (AIHA)—we are thrilled, since it brings her back to her original course of study. A talented artist, she is also great with kids—so hopefully this is the beginning of a positive experience for her.

Erastus Dow Palmer sculpture exhibition
at Albany Institute of History & Art. Photo by Jeremy Clowe.

Founded in 1791, AIHA is one of the oldest museums in the nation. Its holdings are said to form the best collection in the United States documenting the life and culture of the Upper Hudson Valley region from the late seventeenth century to the present day. It's a beautiful building and intriguing collection—my favorite are the works by Nineteenth-Century American sculptor, Erastus Dow Palmer (1817-1904); a grand, cascading stairwell in the museum frames an elegant grouping figures created by the artist, who lived for many years in the Albany area. In addition, there are a considerable number of works by contemporary artists. Last week we attended an evening lecture, where many of the exhibited artists spoke about their work—it was an interesting talk, which struck me as slightly different in tone from those offered at my museum, which focuses on art of a more narrative nature.

Things have been busy at Norman Rockwell Museum as well. We recently announced a major gift from the Famous Artists School, one of the largest art correspondence courses of the twentieth century. Norman Rockwell was one of the featured instructors for the program, which was in business from the late 1940s through my childhood (I remember their "We're Looking For People Who Like To Draw" ads on the back of my comic books). The donation nearly doubles our collection, with more than 5,000 un-catalogued artworks, including several original works created by Rockwell, plus an archive of hundreds of thousands of items. This past week I coordinated a visit for a major press contact, which hopefully will result in great exposure for the Museum and our mission.

From The Dean & DeLuca Sketchbook, Lynn Pauley, 2001.
All rights reserved.

My other big accomplishment this past week was finally picking up a new HD video camera and accessories for the Museum. We are now the proud owners of a beautiful Sony PMW-100 XDCAM, made possible through the generosity of one of our National Council members (who has a background in broadcast television production himself). This upgrade should enable me to produce more quality promotional and exhibition videos for the Museum—I'll cross my fingers. 

Actually, the day after my pilgrimage to B&H Photo in New York City (where I picked up our new items), I was already putting the video equipment to good use. I set up and captured an interview with Lynn Pauley, an illustrator known particularly for her reportage-style work. The camera picture looked wonderful, and Pauley proved to be a interesting subject—I enjoyed her sense of humor and learning more about her work, which held an constant, energetic line quality.

Some promising new opportunities ahead for me and Sarah. I'm looking forward to taking it to the next level. 

Related Links:

Albany Institute of History & Art

Albany (NY) History: Erastus Dow Palmer

"Famous Artists School archives donated to museum," Westport News, March 2, 2014