SoHo Artist




In the early 1980s I was living in a loft in New York's SoHo. The building I was in was zoned AIR, Artist in Residence. In order to occupy the space I had to qualify, in the eyes of the NYC Office of Cultural Affairs (or some such name), as an artist. I laid the Map out on the floor, climbed a step ladder, and took pictures. I submitted the slides to the certification folks, and they balked a little since I said that I had never exhibited. But they came down for a site visit and decided that, yes, I was an artist. It was shortly after these photos were taken that the Map was put away for a twenty-year rest.



Bored?


People often ask me if I get bored working on my Map since I work on it every day that I am at the farm. The simple answer is, "No." And the image above is a principal reason. I never know what is going to develop on the page in front of me. Today N14/E26 came up in the draw, and the card that lead me to it also read "wave paint." That meant that around the already existing beige "banana" I was going to add a band of darker beige (the next color on my palette) in a wave pattern. I then dated the new paint (1169 in Map years) and added the orange dotted lozenge. I had to tape this panel to the one below it in order to accomplish that. While I was at it and contrary to all my own rules I added the faint blue rectangle in colored pencil. That was a whim, but I liked it enough to consider doing that sort of thing to future panels. 

 When I was done I had a composition which pleased me a lot. I know that most of you who follow my work are most intrigued with the "mappiest" panels, the ones which most resemble maps that we all know, but I hope that you will also come to appreciate some of the compositions that the deck of cards dictates in its own random way.

 Not boring at all!  

Map Factory Update



Here are some shots taken today of the current state of the 'Map Factory', with Tyler and me working on preparations for the upcoming shows. We are hunkered down indoors as some of the first snowfall of the season hits Northern Michigan.


About custom prints....


For those of you who would like to assemble a group of Map panels I offer to make custom prints of individual sheets at $30 apiece. Actually these are not prints but rather are direct inkjet photocopies of the working set which we keep in the studio. Each time a Map panel is randomly chosen for reworking it is photocopied. I archive the original and apply the new work to the copy. This means that adjacent panels may not be of the same "generation" and may not, therefore, match each other in tone or quality. As a matter of fact, anomalies in the printing process (see the images above) are incorporated into the overall Map execution as acts (or accidents) of nature and are welcomed in my creative process.

Paris! Frankfort! Catskill!


Last week was a banner one for Jerry's Map. On Wednesday I received an invitation from the Palais de Tokyo to exhibit  there in early 2015. Their intention is to show the entire Map opening February 12 for a two-month run. See you there!

Then on Friday the Map was featured on artistaday.com. Take a look!

The opening of the show in the Frankfort, Michigan Oliver Art Center is on February 27. I will be rushing back from Paris to help paper the two-story West wall there with the Map. If you can't make Paris this is your chance!

The show in the Hudson Valley is taking shape, too, and is scheduled to open May 1. I'll give you more details as they become available.

See you all soon!

Why collect Jerry's Map?


When I originally posted Map prints on Ebay about ten years ago I imagined that people would buy contiguous prints to mount on a wall, gradually adding to their assemblages. The concept was that they would buy modular art, creating their own sections of the Map.

To date over a thousand of these prints have been sold but mostly as individual, random panels rather than coherent groups. Several people have, on the other hand, made installations of Map sections ranging from 20 to 40 panels. The prints and originals are easily wall-mounted using poster mount tabs and can be protected, if necessary, by covering them with clear plastic.

In order to encourage collecting we have made the prints very affordable. Here are some of the items you can find in my Ebay store

Original panels $142- $220
Signed prints $10-$20
Custom prints by request $30
Second edition Map poster $36

But why collect them? Because you just like them? Because you believe in and want to support the project? Because you think that one day they will be valuable? Any of those reasons is valid. Only time will tell if the "Antiques Roadshow" people are making your grandchildren gasp in disbelief!

Use the link at right to check out the Ebay listings right now! Thanks!




Where to show?


Where shall I show the Map? Next year, 2015, is more or less booked with four sure shows and a couple of tentative ones. But 2016 is completely open. One novel idea would be for me to show the entire opus on a basketball court! That might be cool if there are bleachers or a balcony. Who's got one? Your high school?

Anyway let me know if you know of a space or know of a gallery or museum near you that might want to exhibit my work.

Thanks!

Jerry's 99 cent Sale!


Thanks for all your interest in the videos that Tyler has been doing! The "Mixing Paint" one alone has had almost 1300 page views. Very gratifying!

The Ebay store, on the other hand, has been left in the shadows. We don't need Ebay to pay the rent, but we do rely on it to help pay for the endless printer cartridges and some of Tyler's meager salary.

So, to try to stir up a little monetary feedback we are launching a 99 cent sale. Map prints that are being relisted are up for auction starting at under a buck. Time to start collecting! Click on that link at the right and have a look!

Thanks!

They're here!


The Second Edition of the Master Map has just come back from the printers, and Vada Color has done an even more magnificent job than the first time. My sister-in-law, Lynn Staley, tweaked the typeface and added a red dingbat (new word for me) to complete the fresh look. Each of the 30 prints has been signed by me.

They're 20 by 24 on slightly heavier stock than the First Edition and  available now on Ebay at $36 each plus $8 for the shipping tube and Priority Mail postage.

Upcoming shows


The next Map shows on the schedule for 2015 are Frankfort, Michigan opening in February, Catskill, NY over the Summer, and Grand Rapids in the Fall. We'll keep you posted on the specifics.

Also in the works: a Second Edition of the Master Map. That should be available on Ebay by early September.