Photos of Recommendation: Thumbs-Up Mandala: Kai Vierstra, originally uploaded by Bromirski.
This is Kai Vierstra.
Kai is included in Fresh Meat at Kim Foster Gallery until July 2nd along with a number of other recent graduates of VCU's MFA sculpture program. Some of the others showing are Diana Al-Hadid, Sarah Bednarek, Gabriel Bennet, Tim Devoe, and Fernando Mastrangelo. The VCU Sculpture program is ranked #1 in the country so those curious what all the fuss is about should try to see the show. I heard Jerry Saltz came by and took a bunch of notes.
Kim Foster Gallery doesn't seem to have it's own website, just an Artnet page which hasn't been updated, but fortunately Kai has a good website with all of his work including in-progress shots of Earthquake, his Kim Foster piece.
Kai is currently in residence at Skowhegan. Sarah McEneaney is up there as visiting faculty - I bet she's making some good paintings.
That smile is skeevy. I am scared.
ReplyDeleteSkeevy? Skeevy would do all sorts of horrible things, with the uplifting of thier fellows being very low on the list. After skeevishly ruining my first opportunity to pose for the thumbs up mandala, I had to beg to get in front of that camera a second time. While I can't say that I lack any and all deficiencies in my character, I will say that you've nothing to fear from me.*
ReplyDeleteMartin- thanks for the mention. Skeevy you are not. I'll see if I can get Sarah to do a thumbs up pose with your social sculpture. She arrives today (having worked out a tag team with Ellen Gallagher).
Love,
Kai
*unless I find you
ReplyDeleteKai - Please get her to do that!!!
ReplyDeleteI am even more scared. The eagerness is what gets me. I do not trust it.
ReplyDeleteKai, why did you refuse the first time?
ReplyDeleteThere was no refusal. It's just that, when approached for the photo, my first instinct was to hop into an butt-first / thumb poised for the deed type shot. This was unfortunate as it upset our friend Martin. He wouldn't acknowledge me for a solid month. So I, as the repentant asshole, came crawling back to try to reconcile with some positive words on the "Sad Sack" painting. So please understand my eagerness as the joy of reconnectedness, not a crossed wire in my head (not to say that the crossed wires don't exist. They do explain these absurd gestures in front of the camera and in the end they only hurt me).
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your very great web pages.
ReplyDeleteGrandy
Kai rules.
ReplyDelete