Andrew Liang

The last time I attempted screen printing was about 12 years ago.  I thought its time to draw this sword out of its sheath.  But I found it to be rusty.  During the process of printing, I learned to respect all the people who practice this technique.  There are hidden rules, tips, tricks from 86′, unknown muscles getting excercised, and pressure points getting ‘Chi-Gong’ed.  One could only understand by experience and not the words of mouth nor ink.  The concept of this project, is to make a board game utilizing the technique of screen printing and furthermore an encouragement for the audience to touch the pieces, interact with other players and the game board, play with the characters, cards and money that were all hand printed.  The concept was developed by myself and Dre Britton.  The game board was printed at the Dolphin Press by myself and Nicole Rodriques.  The stencils were on true-grain provided by James Bouche, drawn by myself. The screens were borrowed from Jordan Bernier, John Bohl and Monique Crabb. The screens were burned by myself, John Bohl and Lou Joseph.  The transportation was made possible from the generosity of John Bohl who lent me his car for an entire day.  The rest of the project was printed at Current Space.

I did these sardines for a competition in Lisbon, Portugal.  They wanted people to make some sardines.  I gave them a starbucks mermaid sardine, and a sardine fossil.

This one is going to Jason Kachadorian for his

“Awkhold” zine release.  

 

I could still smell and taste all them green chillies from the New Mexico trip.  Not a day goes by without at least the thought of it.  When I was asked to close my eyes and think of heaven, New Mexico trip is where I want to go.

In mid December, 2011, Alex Castro and Cara Ober visited and proposed a show called artNOW, featuring 5 artists from Baltimore, the show will take place at Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland.  I was really honored to be included in this show.  Two ideas right off the bat, that I would like to take advantage of this opportunity to see it happen.  One of them is the expansion of an existing idea.  That is, bunch of mice driving race cars zooming out of a race track which is a cat’s tongue.  This idea was inspired by a classic Chinese literature, “The Journey To The West”.  In the story, Wu-Kong, the monkey king, arrogantly challenged Buddha, a race out of Buddha’s palm (Buddha’s own hand).  At the end of universe, Wu-Kong rests at the five columns that resembled the pillars supporting the structure integrity of the world.   Without Buddha in sight, Wu-Kong burst into laughter, and declared himself “the shit”.  Wu-Kong decided to graffiti his title on one of the columns.  He went back to Buddha, and bragged.  Buddha laughed and said, “someone wrote on my finger, “the shit”, you have any idea who this might be?”  Afterall, Wu-Kong did not escape the palm of Buddha!  I expanded the idea from single cat tongue race track, to two cat tongue race tracks.  Then, making them into the eyes of one giant cat.  Meanwhile, keeping the mice race car still running around everywhere.  Just like the story, and like that of the Russian-Dolls, one inside another, inside another.  The second idea is to make all the things that are relative to one another while the thoughts of New Mexico and southwest is running through my brain.  For example, while traveling, we listened to Miss Tony and some classic tracks of the Baltimore club music, this spurred the basketball announcer’s voice of that NBA championship game between Larry Bird’s Boston Celtics and Magic Johnson’s L.A. Lakers in 1987.  And the way Magic handles the basketball, always reminds me of the magic golden lamp from Aladdin.  Rub three times and you will get it!  The Petroglyphs in the desert, have visions documented from ancient human beings and perhaps intelligence of higher beings?  They are there, yet no one is paying them any attention, except retired folks on walkers and weirdos like us.  Maybe, we rub them, and Red Cloud will pop out and give you directions more precise than an Iphone.  The complicated relationship between a cactus and balloons.  There are humanoid cactus in the desert, and they might like a balloon or two.   Train tracks carved through a vast land, over the mountains, through towns, transporting unknown materials.  Cowboys herding cattle down from the plains into towns.  At train stations, load them up.  Off to the East coast.  A once major economy of this country, now exist in fantasy.  When the animals arrive in the big cities, will they see Godzilla?  and running buildings?

There are a few thank yous I would like to mention.  James, Dan, and Annie Gray of Arts and Crafts for helping me out with paint.  Devin and Margret for helping me call around town on their Iphone 4G to hunt down one last can of glaze.  Plaza on Cathedral street, the man took his time and checked the back for one last can of glaze.  Maude Kasperzak and Miranda Pfeiffer for hung out and helping me paint.  Michael Benevento for buying panels from Lowes for me.  Eamon Espey, stev santallian and Emmanuel Nickolaidis for having tremendous amount of patience with me, helped me load, unload and install the show.  Cara Ober for being an awesome person.  And Alex Castro for a really pleasant, stress free experience from the beginning to the end, patient, and I am speechless because I was never treated this well for going anywhere putting up art.  This has been the best experience in making the work and setting up the show.

Here are some studio shots.

The photos below are of the place where Alex arranged for Eamon, Emmanuel, stev and I to stay over the installation weekend.

And these photos below are the installation shots.

I am scared of sewing.  In 2008, I visited Berlin.  I ate too much sausage, the button on my pants pop off and flew away like an UFO.  In Turkish market, my friend Elke, suggested in acquiring some new buttons to replace the ones that have fled back to mothership.  Trying sewing these back on was a nightmare.  Elke, sew it back on for me.  For the longest time, I sit back and admire people who makes soft sculptures.  One of my all time heroes is Jenny Strunge of Baltimore.  In 2005, I made my living as a security guard at the Maryland Institute College of Art, and I saw her senior thesis project at the Mount Royal Station building, that moment, I made a determination, one day, I would like to have my work come alive as 3d, soft and friendly, approachable for all bodies.  This daring attempt stayed in the back of my head, poking its sharp needle when I am asleep, pinch my butt cheeks when I am on the toilet, interrupted my bites when I am chumping down that burrito, stuttered my speech when I am telling her that she is the most beautiful person in the world.  As soon as I got back from Berlin, I went to my friend Risa Ono.  Risa educated me from ground zero the mechanics of a sewing machine.  Risa taught me to wind the bobbing, Risa taught me to back that thang up to lock the stitch, Risa lend me her machine further familiarize the structure of this complicated monster.  Gradually, I learned to familiarize the machine, its shape, its texture, and I talk to it every day and night until I returned it back to her.  When John Bohl asked to do a show last year at Nudashank, my ambition was boiling to a point where I thought it was time to unleash this daring attempt.  Two months away from the opening, running out of time, and unwilling to gave in, I turned to some people who was introduced to me by reliable intelligence sources.  Annie Gray, a wizard of faux finish who is closely linked with the Legion of Arts and Crafts, told me about a Cat Charmer by the name of Joanna Fields.  Chloe Maratta, fifth vertebrae of the Current Space, told me about a Zhuge Liang of all information by the name of Ellen Paul.  I went to them without fear.  Ellen Paul suggested another talent, a woman who has 8 arms, on each hand, 10 fingers, each fingers grows sub-fingers who weaves faster than a shooting star, by the name of Anna Crooks.  And, before the process began, I took my ideas to my hero, Jenny Strunge.  She welcomed my idea with two wide open arms, full of grace and hope, released a ray of informational advises from her eyeballs and mouth that over exposed the dark side of every shadow of my doubtful heart.  Brought everything to the foreground, Butt Naked!  All together, we tight the knot!

Two installations.  Mesmerized by the drawings of Albrect Durer, I decided to make a Constellation installation of my own, of my own likings.  Captivated by the love and loyalty of my pet, Bling Bling (a feline), I decided to make a life-size sculpture of him of his doings to my model like leg from day to day bases.

The making of these two project is an experience that I will never forget.  The fact is that, the fire Will flame, as long as one blows hard on those hot amber!

Details of the show could be viewed here.  Follow the link.  Thank you Alex and Seth of Nudashank, Baltimore,  for making it happen!

http://nudashank.blogspot.com/2011/10/installation-photos-from-strange-grip.html

Yoga is the new Aerobic, Tae Bo.  Animals could do it too.  They do it in the Zoo.  This painting is on view at the Baltimore Museum of Art from September 7- October 1, 2011.  as part of the Baker Artist Awards 2011.

Record cover art for “Remote Unelectrified Villages” by Yeveto.  

This is a photo I took a year ago, in the Natural History Museum in New York City.  I will use this as a reference to create Yvetto’s album cover, Unelectrified Remote Village.

Mike Benevento and I completed Human Pinball for the Sondheim Semi-finalist show 2011 at MICA’s Meyerhoff Gallery during the Artscape festival.  So many people Mike and I owe hugs, kisses, beers, and slaps on the butt cheeks for.  John Bohl.  Martin Kasey.  Julianne Hamilton.  Jamal Johnson.  James Bouche.  Kim.  Cyle.  Skye Gilgerson.  Lou Joseph.  And Gerald Ross.

The piece is an interactive sculpture project.  Concept is to have people being inside a store front display window, and bounce the balloons with the flippers (like the flippers of a pin-ball machine) into the basket/ net.  Mean-while, there are air currents circulating the window box, causing the balloons to go berserk.  At a certain point of the game.  Children decided not to utilize the flippers, and went with their hands.  As Jeff Mcgrath said it, “The rule is, that there are no rules at all”.  We make the piece, you interact with it however you want.  Have Fun.  And Mike and I are satisfied.

Here is a write up by Doreen Bolger.

http://charmcitycurrent.com/bolger/2011/07/29/real-virtual-installation-at-the-sondheim-semifinalist-show/

The paintings are done and Helmsmaned (clear cloated).  I would like to add a couple more people who helped me on the paintings.  Monique Crabb and Jeffery Mcgrath.