Contemporary Art

HAPPY NEW YEEEEAAARRR!!!!

Thursday, December 31st, 2009 | Contemporary Art | 1 Comment

prospect-park-brooklyn-snowman

Perfect packing snow in Prospect Park BKLYN today. We made a 7′ tall snow rabbit to bid adieu to 2009. See you in the future.

-Tonky

The American Diorama – Original Panel

Wednesday, October 14th, 2009 | Contemporary Art, The American Diorama, Tonky Limited Editions | No Comments

america-diorama

This is one of the more labor intensive works I’ve made recently.

The title: The American Diorama refers to my ongoing thought experiment imagining this country a million years in the future.

Whether or not we are around still, I like to imagine what the dioramas depicting the USA will look like in the museums of a colonizing civilization of extraterrestrials.

This panel is made of birch and the medium is primarily acrylic paint layered and resisted. With some added collage elements.

-Tonky

If interested, For sale on Etsy HERE

america-diorama-detail1

WTC Fence – Design Competition Submission

Wednesday, September 30th, 2009 | Contemporary Art, Pop Culture Notions, Power & Politics, Tonky Graphic Design | No Comments

wtc-fence-design-competition

This is a rendering from my submission to the design competition being hosted by The NYC Department of Transportation in collaboration with the Port Authority of NY & NJ to transform the currently drab construction fence that lines the WTC perimeter to something a little more amicable to tourists and local gentry.

Gound Zero is the more colloquial name for the World Trade Center construction site, no doubt the most politically charged patch of land in the country.

Project Statement:
The organic super graphic meanders through an underlying colorful grid along usable sections of fence. The viewer identifies with the flourish and in it sees their own navigation of the city. In this way, the composition reflects the vitality of the bourgeoning downtown commercial and residential neighborhood.

The rebuilding has proven slow due to infighting between powers that be: Larry Silverstein (leaser of the site) NY & NJ Port Authority (owner of the site), and victim’s families, to name a few.

The challenge it seems is to find a development solution that properly honors the lives of the victims and that also utilizes that highly valuable downtown real estate in a way that is best for the city’s future. Is the 1,776-foot Freedom Tower really the best we can come up with? ( USA founded in 1776, get it? )

Proposals due Oct. 5 – Get yours done now! $7500 design fee.
Submit Here

Tonky’s New Residential Mural (NYC, NY)

Monday, September 14th, 2009 | Contemporary Art, Tonky Limited Editions | No Comments

Welcome,

Feast thine eyes upon some installation pics of a new work I recently completed at a private residence in Manhattan this week. These kind patrons commissioned a one-of-a-kind variation on my unraveling composition in chrome theme.

I’d say it is located in Soho, but it is above Houston St. and so I am not sure if you neighborhood purists would scold me for that. Let’s call it Snoho-Bowery-Village until further notice.

Anyone know a good searchable map to accurately distinguish NYC neighborhoods? I’m talking block by block precision.

-Tonky

Tonky Exhibition: The American Diorama

Tuesday, July 7th, 2009 | Contemporary Art, The American Diorama, Tonky Graphic Design | No Comments

Tea-Lounge-its-like-wall

Please pay a visit to the Tea Lounge in Brooklyn, NY to see my recent show The American Diorama. An alternate title could be Advetures in Laptopville. Dang do people love that free internet. Have a gander, drink a well-crafted beverage, and buy some art!

July 3 – August 3

837 Union St
Brooklyn, NY 11215-1308
(718) 789-2762

VIEW GOOGLE MAP

-Tonky

Historiska Museet: Mary the Dream of the Woman

Tuesday, June 16th, 2009 | Contemporary Art, Power & Politics | No Comments

Ok I realized I was wrong to claim Sweden is totally godless after yesterday’s trip to Historiska Museet in Stockholm to see “Mary, the Dream of the Woman.”

Essentially they take a look at modern femininity through the lens of ancient religious icons and the work of contemporary artists, musicians, and dancers like Anne Hamilton, Eva Dahlgren, and Virpi Pahkinen respectively.

The sound environment is sublime and their thoughtful combination of old art with new art engages the effect the historical/mythology Mary has on our world and our notion of the female ideal. This show is important to see whether or not you believe in God.

Check out their website and translated press release HERE

Tonky Ink Splatter Mural & Studio Tour [ May 30 & 31 ]

Tuesday, May 26th, 2009 | Contemporary Art, Tonky Limited Editions | No Comments

I am working on a large wall piece using these ink splatter drawings as building blocks. You can be among the first to see it this weekend at the Red Hook/Carroll Gardens studio tour this coming weekend. There are over 100 artist studio on the 3rd floor with me. Come on by!