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“Bob Witz: An Orbit All By Himself” Exhibition Extended to February 28 Closing Reception February 28 6-8 December 12, 2018 to February 28, 2019 “Bob Witz: An Orbit All By Himself” Plato’s Cave @ EIDIA House 14 Dunham Place, Brooklyn 11249 NEW OPENING Hours !!! Hours 1- 6pm, Tuesday - Saturday (or by appointment) |
Untitled from Milk Carton Series, Bob Witz 1985—present 13 x 4.5 x 4.5inch mixed media
EIDIA House announces the 29th initiative of its ongoing PLATO’S CAVE exhibition, started in 2009. This special holiday salon will feature works from Bob Witz’s wry and witty “Milk Carton” series as well as painting portraits of characters conjured from the artist’s deeply esoteric imagination.
The result of a meditation inspired originally by the lunches Wit’z mother prepared for him as a child in Tomah, Wisconsin, “Milk Cartons” - we dare to propose - is a more subversive twin to Warhol’s Soup Cans.
It is an honor for EIDIA House to curate and install Bob Witz's work in the Plato's Cave vault space. While many of the sculptures exist in private and public collections, it will be the first ever exhibit of the near total compilation of Witz's "Milk Carton" series, dating back to the 1980’s and including a number of works created in 2018.
Bob recounts the origin story in his characteristic wry terms: "One day, I had this milk carton and an orange juice container and I thought I’d make some art of it."
To further commemorate this often overlooked artist, EIDIA is also in the process of making a documentary film on Witz, a mainstay of New York’s downtown scene in the 1970’s and 80’s. The film (Bob Witz Untitled) will feature Witz’s paintings and sculptures, and the literary arts publication “APPEARANCES” to capture the artist’s – still at work in his modest one room studio loft - compelling and ever-unfolding story. Including interviews with fellow artists, colleagues, scholars and friends, the film is also a portrait of the artistic circle that spanned the 60 years of Witz’s enduring art practice.
Like us at EIDIA House, they have plenty of good things to say:
"I immediately fell in love and was enamored with his works the "Milk Cartons.” The work is very much of its time using non- traditional art materials and the process. In the Art World Bob is an orbit all by himself...somebody identified Bob as an outsider artist—no way...he was very much an insider but, as an insider he was an outsider." - Jean-Noël Herlin, an artist, curator, archivist and bookseller
"I love it [Bob's work] - so quirky and eccentric. He really gets involved with strange materials. He has a really good ‘I don't care attitude.’” - Betty Tompkins, painter"I really don't like categories, but Bob is an outsider / insider because he's lived in New York all these years." - Bill Jensen, painter
"Bob is kind of like the last bohemian." - Phong Bui, Co-Founder and Artistic Director of The Brooklyn Rail
"Bob's a trip!" - Joe Lewis, visual artist, photographer, musician, art critic, former co-director of FASHION MODA, 1978-1993
Bob Witz was born in Tomah, Wisconsin in 1934. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 1959. His correspondence with Artforum magazine in 1973 was published by the editor Robert Pincus-Witten as "Robert Witz: Selections from the Tomah Letters". He is founder and editor of the literary arts magazine, APPEARANCES 1976 - 2000. Witz had a retrospective at the New York Studio School, curated by Phong Bui in 2012 and numerous one person and group shows over the years. His works are in many private and public collections.
For PLATO’S CAVE, EIDIA House Inc. co-directors Melissa P. Wolf and Paul Lamarre (aka EIDIA) curate invited fellow artists to create an installation with (in some cases) an accompanying limited edition. EIDIA House functions as an art gallery and meeting place, collaborating with artists to create "socially radical" art forms framed within the discipline of aesthetic research.
Plato’s Cave at EIDIA House 14 Dunham Place Brooklyn, NY 11249 Contact Paul Lamarre or Melissa P. Wolf 646 945 3830 eidiahouse@earthlink.net https://www.eidia.com/ Trains: J, M, & L Hours 12-6pm, Tuesday - Sunday (or by appointment)
All milk cartons, average dimensions, 13 to 16inch x 5 x 5inch, are for the most part unsigned, untitled, unmarked—of found materials: milk cartons, frozen orange juice cans, wood, acrylics and oil pigments with some duplicated in cast bronze.
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EIDIA House announces the 29th initiative of its ongoing PLATO’S CAVE exhibition, started in 2009. This special holiday salon will feature works from Bob Witz’s wry and witty “Milk Carton” series as well as painting portraits of characters conjured from the artist’s deeply esoteric imagination.
The result of a meditation inspired originally by the lunches Wit’z mother prepared for him as a child in Tomah, Wisconsin, “Milk Cartons” - we dare to propose - is a more subversive twin to Warhol’s Soup Cans.
It is an honor for EIDIA House to curate and install Bob Witz's work in the Plato's Cave vault space. While many of the sculptures exist in private and public collections, it will be the first ever exhibit of the near total compilation of Witz's "Milk Carton" series, dating back to the 1980’s and including a number of works created in 2018.
Bob recounts the origin story in his characteristic wry terms: "One day, I had this milk carton and an orange juice container and I thought I’d make some art of it."
To further commemorate this often overlooked artist, EIDIA is also in the process of making a documentary film on Witz, a mainstay of New York’s downtown scene in the 1970’s and 80’s. The film (Bob Witz Untitled) will feature Witz’s paintings and sculptures, and the literary arts publication “APPEARANCES” to capture the artist’s – still at work in his modest one room studio loft - compelling and ever-unfolding story. Including interviews with fellow artists, colleagues, scholars and friends, the film is also a portrait of the artistic circle that spanned the 60 years of Witz’s enduring art practice.
Like us at EIDIA House, they have plenty of good things to say:
"I immediately fell in love and was enamored with his works the "Milk Cartons.” The work is very much of its time using non- traditional art materials and the process. In the Art World Bob is an orbit all by himself...somebody identified Bob as an outsider artist—no way...he was very much an insider but, as an insider he was an outsider." - Jean-Noël Herlin, an artist, curator, archivist and bookseller
"I love it [Bob's work] - so quirky and eccentric. He really gets involved with strange materials. He has a really good ‘I don't care attitude.’” - Betty Tompkins, painter"I really don't like categories, but Bob is an outsider / insider because he's lived in New York all these years." - Bill Jensen, painter
"Bob is kind of like the last bohemian." - Phong Bui, Co-Founder and Artistic Director of The Brooklyn Rail
"Bob's a trip!" - Joe Lewis, visual artist, photographer, musician, art critic, former co-director of FASHION MODA, 1978-1993
Bob Witz was born in Tomah, Wisconsin in 1934. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 1959. His correspondence with Artforum magazine in 1973 was published by the editor Robert Pincus-Witten as "Robert Witz: Selections from the Tomah Letters". He is founder and editor of the literary arts magazine, APPEARANCES 1976 - 2000. Witz had a retrospective at the New York Studio School, curated by Phong Bui in 2012 and numerous one person and group shows over the years. His works are in many private and public collections.
For PLATO’S CAVE, EIDIA House Inc. co-directors Melissa P. Wolf and Paul Lamarre (aka EIDIA) curate invited fellow artists to create an installation with (in some cases) an accompanying limited edition. EIDIA House functions as an art gallery and meeting place, collaborating with artists to create "socially radical" art forms framed within the discipline of aesthetic research.
Plato’s Cave at EIDIA House 14 Dunham Place Brooklyn, NY 11249 Contact Paul Lamarre or Melissa P. Wolf 646 945 3830 eidiahouse@earthlink.net https://www.eidia.com/ Trains: J, M, & L Hours 12-6pm, Tuesday - Sunday (or by appointment)
All milk cartons, average dimensions, 13 to 16inch x 5 x 5inch, are for the most part unsigned, untitled, unmarked—of found materials: milk cartons, frozen orange juice cans, wood, acrylics and oil pigments with some duplicated in cast bronze.
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Previous PLATO'S CAVE Exhibitions
2009-2018
“L’Origine du Monde” 2016, Alexander Melamid, retitled “Diptych” 2018.
ASSHOLES
Plato’s Cave at EIDIA House
Opening reception April 5 6-8pm
April 5 – April 28, 2018
Hours 1-6pm, Wednesday – Saturday (or by appointment)
“When shit becomes valuable, the poor will be born without assholes.” Henry Miller
“I'm like a ripe stool and the world's like a gigantic anus, and we're about to let go of each other.”
Martin Luther
“WHAT'S WRONG WITH ASSHOLES, BABY? YOU'VE GOT AN ASSHOLE, I'VE GOT AN ASSHOLE! YOU GO TO THE STORE AND BUY A PORTERHOUSE STEAK, THAT HAD AN ASSHOLE! ASSHOLES COVER THE EARTH! IN A WAY TREES HAVE ASSHOLES BUT YOU CAN'T FIND THEM, THEY JUST DROP THEIR LEAVES. YOUR ASSHOLE, MY ASSHOLE, THE WORLD IS FULL OF BILLIONS OF ASSHOLES. THE PRESIDENT HAS AN ASSHOLE, THE CARWASH BOY HAS AN ASSHOLE, THE JUDGE AND THE MURDERER HAVE ASSHOLES . . . EVEN THE PURPLE STICKINPIN HAS AN ASSHOLE!”
Charles Bukowski Post Office
EIDIA House announces its continuing exhibition initiative 2018, Plato’s Cave #28.
Artists: Todd Ayoung, Bruce Barber, Jay Batlle, Fredie Beckmans, BOLDFACE, Brad Buckley, Deric Carner, Alberto Casais, Jim Costanzo, Michelle B. Duchamp, Jeff Goldberg, Heike Hamann, Irene Hug, Helen Hyatt-Johnston, Thatcher Keats, Nina Kuo, Cecilie Beck, Sean Lowry, Valerian Maly, Alexander Melamid, Lorin Roser, Mark Shorter, Clark Stoeckley, Ripley Whiteside, Hans Winkler and Bob Witz.
Due to the deep philosophical and psychological ‘aspects’ that are the subject of this exhibition we restrict the viewing of ASSHOLES to individuals who are older than 18 year of age. We apologize.
Alexander Melamid presented his oil on canvas diptych to EIDIA House just after it was completed in 2016—a homage in the 150th anniversary of the creation of “L’Origine du Monde”, 1866, the masterpiece by Gustave Courbet. As the diptych hung in the EIDIA House it consistently “struck a cord” garnering considerable ‘notice’ and comment from our many colleagues and friends who drop by. With assholes a-buzz, Melamid suggested a Plato’s Cave exhibition of many offerings on the topic. Considering the abundance of contemporary models to take inspiration from, why just two assholes? An esteemed roster of artists quickly emerged advancing their own personal renderings on the topic.
As with the assholes that predominated in Courbet’s time, and now in ours, the social media landscape of intentional divisiveness has opened the ‘fowl-mouth’ floodgates and a vogue for, if you will ‘assholeism’. And from where artists sit proverbially on our asses stunned and enraged—inspiration runs like diarrhea—unceremoniously depositing a theoretical groundwork for the examination of who and what ‘make the world go- round’. The contributions we have receive suggest that these curator’s fingers pressed the right mental “sphincter” muscle that reveals there are too many ASSHOLES.
“‘There ought to be an absolute dictatorship... a dictatorship of painters... a dictatorship of one painter... to suppress all those who have betrayed us...’said Picasso. We’re getting close to the realization of a dream of the great artist. Another of our era’s artistic god Andy Warhol said: ‘Good business is best art’ and something else about publicity as an artistic tool. Our present Commander-in Chief is a legitimate follower of the artistic geniuses of our time and a genius himself. A true ‘Warhole.’” Alexander Melamid
Given the times we live in, with man and his history constantly repeating itself, the current situation calls for more critique on Assholes—not less.
Plato’s Cave at EIDIA House
Opening reception April 5 6-8pm
April 5 – April 28, 2018
Hours 1-6pm, Wednesday – Saturday (or by appointment)
“When shit becomes valuable, the poor will be born without assholes.” Henry Miller
“I'm like a ripe stool and the world's like a gigantic anus, and we're about to let go of each other.”
Martin Luther
“WHAT'S WRONG WITH ASSHOLES, BABY? YOU'VE GOT AN ASSHOLE, I'VE GOT AN ASSHOLE! YOU GO TO THE STORE AND BUY A PORTERHOUSE STEAK, THAT HAD AN ASSHOLE! ASSHOLES COVER THE EARTH! IN A WAY TREES HAVE ASSHOLES BUT YOU CAN'T FIND THEM, THEY JUST DROP THEIR LEAVES. YOUR ASSHOLE, MY ASSHOLE, THE WORLD IS FULL OF BILLIONS OF ASSHOLES. THE PRESIDENT HAS AN ASSHOLE, THE CARWASH BOY HAS AN ASSHOLE, THE JUDGE AND THE MURDERER HAVE ASSHOLES . . . EVEN THE PURPLE STICKINPIN HAS AN ASSHOLE!”
Charles Bukowski Post Office
EIDIA House announces its continuing exhibition initiative 2018, Plato’s Cave #28.
Artists: Todd Ayoung, Bruce Barber, Jay Batlle, Fredie Beckmans, BOLDFACE, Brad Buckley, Deric Carner, Alberto Casais, Jim Costanzo, Michelle B. Duchamp, Jeff Goldberg, Heike Hamann, Irene Hug, Helen Hyatt-Johnston, Thatcher Keats, Nina Kuo, Cecilie Beck, Sean Lowry, Valerian Maly, Alexander Melamid, Lorin Roser, Mark Shorter, Clark Stoeckley, Ripley Whiteside, Hans Winkler and Bob Witz.
Due to the deep philosophical and psychological ‘aspects’ that are the subject of this exhibition we restrict the viewing of ASSHOLES to individuals who are older than 18 year of age. We apologize.
Alexander Melamid presented his oil on canvas diptych to EIDIA House just after it was completed in 2016—a homage in the 150th anniversary of the creation of “L’Origine du Monde”, 1866, the masterpiece by Gustave Courbet. As the diptych hung in the EIDIA House it consistently “struck a cord” garnering considerable ‘notice’ and comment from our many colleagues and friends who drop by. With assholes a-buzz, Melamid suggested a Plato’s Cave exhibition of many offerings on the topic. Considering the abundance of contemporary models to take inspiration from, why just two assholes? An esteemed roster of artists quickly emerged advancing their own personal renderings on the topic.
As with the assholes that predominated in Courbet’s time, and now in ours, the social media landscape of intentional divisiveness has opened the ‘fowl-mouth’ floodgates and a vogue for, if you will ‘assholeism’. And from where artists sit proverbially on our asses stunned and enraged—inspiration runs like diarrhea—unceremoniously depositing a theoretical groundwork for the examination of who and what ‘make the world go- round’. The contributions we have receive suggest that these curator’s fingers pressed the right mental “sphincter” muscle that reveals there are too many ASSHOLES.
“‘There ought to be an absolute dictatorship... a dictatorship of painters... a dictatorship of one painter... to suppress all those who have betrayed us...’said Picasso. We’re getting close to the realization of a dream of the great artist. Another of our era’s artistic god Andy Warhol said: ‘Good business is best art’ and something else about publicity as an artistic tool. Our present Commander-in Chief is a legitimate follower of the artistic geniuses of our time and a genius himself. A true ‘Warhole.’” Alexander Melamid
Given the times we live in, with man and his history constantly repeating itself, the current situation calls for more critique on Assholes—not less.
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© 2019 EIDIA