ARTOMATIC 2008 OPENS DOORS

Artomatic 2008: May 9 - June 15, 2008.

WHERE DO YOU WANT THIS KILLING DONE?
We speak with the language of war. We laugh with the language of peace. Knowing that all life is born of crisis, punctuated by brief periods of solace, we also know that after all is said and done, we shall never cheat infinity, nor shall we extinguish the mark of a single thought.
—Gabriel Thy

I MUST ADMIT THAT I WAS LESS than enthusiastic about this year's spectacle of art. In addition to suffering from a bum knee for about a month now, I was disappointed that I didn't even receive a single phone call expressing interest after last year's event at the old Patent Office in Crystal City, and just wanted to stay in the studio and practice the art for which I stand, while the rest of my fellow artists brave the elements of mass hypnosis without me. But this year's event is just five walking blocks from my studio. The logistics of cross-pollination proved inevitable. Even though my knee was ailing, and I await probable surgery, I signed up, paid my entry fee, and plotted for the best of times.

Even though my horizontal allotment last year was more spacious and allowed for a more sophisticated prep job and display, I had already decided to scale down, keeping it simple, and present some of the older work, maintaining the theme portrayed above. I purchased a string of multi-directional lights that were made available by an on-site contractor, but they required a certain level of proficient assembly I avoided by opting for a three-bulb standing lamp I pulled from the studio. Like last year, the scheduling proximity to the 52 O Street Open Studios did nothing to ease an already tense situation.

But I'm hung, and prepared to greet the silence of competition and the noise of public curiosity. My work at this year's Artomatic...

1. Killer Corpse - $375
20”x16”, acrylic on canvas (2005)

2. Risk Management - $350
20”x16”, acrylic on canvas (2005)

3. Future Shock - $1050
36”x36” diptych, acrylic on canvas (2006)

4. Moirae (Klotho, Lakhesis, Antropos) - $350
20”x16”, acrylic on canvas (2006)

5. Manowar Destiny - $350
20”x16”, acrylic on canvas (2007)

According to event historians, Artomatic 2008 will be the largest Artomatic to date with over 1000 visual (2D & 3D), video, musical, and theatrical artists represented. Hosted by the NoMa (north of Massachusetts Avenue) Business Improvement District (BID), Artomatic 2008 will be held on nine floors (more than 200,000 square feet) of the Capitol Plaza I building. The building is located at 1200 First Street, N.E., just one block west of the New York Avenue Metro station, in Washington, DC.

Artomatic opens Friday, May 9, 12PM
Wednesdays and Thursdays: 5PM—10PM
Fridays and Saturdays: NOON—2AM
Sundays: NOON—10PM
Mondays and Tuesdays: Closed

Artomatic closes on Sunday, June 15.