OK, SO NOW WHAT?

The Bakery Gallery (and Eastside Bakery) on an early March morn.

So I finally managed to get the pictures up from the Matthew Hoffman Show at the Bakery Gallery. I appreciate the intense patience that you all have as I am fairly certain that you have been chomping at the bit to see these.

ahem...

Anyway, let's get started. So it all begins with

As you may recall the idea behind the gallery is to provide a space in the Quad Cities that showcases Artists who specialize in printmaking, works on paper, textual art and book arts.

Well Matthew has partaken in all of the above. While he doesn't do what one would traditionally call "print works" he does provide art as multiple (one of the leading purposes of printmaking) through his "It's OK" limited edition of one million.

The Bling Variation of the "Its Ok" Series

While the link below is a couple of years old, I thought it would be good to show you the level of determination (insanity) Matthew has regarding this endeavor.

http://itsok24hrs.blogspot.com/

This is also the site where you can purchase them for your own positive self-confirmation.

http://store.multipolarprojects.com/

Another piece that is currently at the Gallery is his edition of 2000 "Over and Over" sheets.

It's sitting there in the middle. The white pillar thing... yep you got it.

There was much hootin' and hollerin' about this piece as a) it was free to take and b) it seemed to spark the idea of stencil work throughout the city. I haven't seen any yet, so as of now it is just chatter, but who knows... one day soon you may see an Over and Over on your brisk walk along the Muddy Miss.

Despite what Anna believes this is NOT a shorter, more muscular clone of myself.

The evening was beautiful and all of the trees were in bloom. Unfortunately, as you may attest, it can be difficult to make it to a place inside when the outside is so beautiful.

The Opening was lighter than we had in the past, but it was great to see many repeat viewers and just as exciting to see at least a dozen or so new faces. (and even some from across that ol' River)

Notice how he's on one side and EVERYONE else is on the other? It was in his contract.

By far the most talked about piece of the evening was large installation of cut text placed onto gravestones hanging on the west wall. These phrases provided many a laugh, a few guffaws and some introspection from nearly every person who took the time to decipher the font.

The show "Ok, So Now What" stays open until the end of the month. I highly encourage you (although I suppose that is my calling) to make it over and see this exhibit. It looks good in the space and is a type of show I don't think we see here, in the Quad Cities, all that often.

and to end it,

Ahhhhh! Look at all of those folded arms.