For Year Seventeen in my 20-Year-Guggenheim series, I returned to 89th Street and 5th Avenue to paint on-location. Once again, the vibes, energy, conversations and weather dictated the canvas… my reason for creating on-site.
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Brilliant retailers created Black Friday in the early 2000’s — the idea? Offer ridiculous sales to generate a frenzy of opportunistic buyers. On Thursday you give thanks. On Friday, you beat up your neighbor for cheap Spanx… and a flatscreen. Not to be outdone by it’s food court counterparts, in 2005 the online retailers said, “Have your Black Friday, we’ll offer Cyber Monday with better deals and free delivery.”
Back in 2009, my first professional painting was of The Guggenheim. This became an important landmark for my career, so I decided to try it again in 2010. Finally, I decided to make one each year for 20 years. This black-and-white canvas marks year #4 of 20.
The lure of The Guggenheim is simply too great. No, this isn’t Guggenheim #4… my 20 years of Guggenheim’s are painted in the same location on 89th and 5th Avenue, of the opposite view, on 30″X30″ canvases… This black and white painting was made to support Frank’s Doors — treat it like Chicago politics, vote early and often.
It began in 2009… my first Guggenheim painting. Then in 2010, I decided to do it again… same location and canvas size… after #2, I decided to paint The Guggenheim every June for 20 years. Beyond being one of my favorite places in the city, this will allow me to see my style progression in a consistent way. After the jump, process shots of The Guggenheim #3.
At this point, I am just going to say it – I like the Guggenheim. Following my recent paintings of the Apple Store, Museum of Art and Design and First Avenue – Minneapolis, I decided to take my New York Post collage work to Frank Lloyd Wright‘s masterpiece.
After three intensive outings, and numerous stages – the Guggenheim painting is now complete. After the jump, you will see the entire process from first to last stroke. A special thank you goes out to the Guggenheim and the Gothamist for promoting this piece.
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Another newsletter? You got that right. I'll honor and respect your inbox, as if it were my own. I endeavor to share everything happening at Borbay Studios & Gallery. No daily updates. No weekly updates. Simply a message, every month or two... updates on life, creativity, and the journey that began on July 2, 2009. Let's be in touch, as the first leg of my quest reaches completion in 2026. From a studio in my 600-foot Upper East Side apartment living room, to a museum collection. Oh, but friend, that is just the beginning. The road is long, and I am looking for cool, sophisticated company to navigate each challenging turn.
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