Painted Waves

2011-12-01T15:57:00.001-05:00

Swimmer #3

Swimmer #2

swimmer #1

occupied wave

2011-11-22T08:57:00.000-05:00

Occupied waves

2011-11-22T08:50:00.003-05:00

2011-11-12T11:30:00.002-05:00

4 Recent works

Zebra Waves

Assemblage Waves

Sea Bird on the Waves

Oil Crayon Waves

Digital Marquetry

2011-09-12T08:18:00.001-04:00

Aluminium Waves

Digital Marquetry

2011-09-12T07:25:00.007-04:00

wooden waves

Walking Star

Night Ocean Waves

2011-04-19T22:18:00.003-04:00

2007

36" X 36"

3 works in different media

2011-04-19T11:58:00.001-04:00

Chalk on tarmac

Water color 2008

Burnt copper on tortured plywood

Metalic Waves

2011-04-19T07:46:00.001-04:00

2 water color glyphs

2010-10-21T11:12:00.002-04:00

Wavy Variations

2010-10-14T12:39:00.004-04:00

Three Variations

2010-09-12T16:44:00.003-04:00

Variation #1

Variation #2

Variation #3

3 Variations in wood and zinc. 1 ft. X 1 ft.

Wooden Waves

2010-08-08T11:31:00.004-04:00

Wooden Waves 3

Wooden Waves 1

Wooden Waves 2

2 new Rough Marquetry works 12" X 24"

Google Earth Humbaba

2010-08-08T09:37:00.004-04:00

2 Google Earth images of my Humbaba parking lot chalk work from this past June.

New York City's Governors Island, parking lot next to Castle Williams

Glyphs

2010-07-22T08:54:00.002-04:00

Humbaba at Governors Island

2010-07-22T08:43:00.002-04:00

Chalk on tarmac - about 130 ft X 300 ft

2010-06-07T20:17:00.003-04:00

I'm getting ready for this years Figment Festival. http://figmentnyc.org/2009/2010/02/figment-2010-dates-announced-new-site-launched/

FIGMENT 2010 will be held on Governors Island on June 11-13, 2010. We will be also be adding our first ever event outside of New York, with an event in Boston on June 5, 2010. For more information on these events, 2010 calls for art, etc., please visit our new 2010 FIGMENT site here: http://figmentproject.org. (the site you are looking at is from 2009! We keep it live so that we don’t lose the info on all the great art that came to FIGMENT and Governors Island in 2009.)

I am going to perform a dry line marker chalk work.

OSB Wave

2009-12-07T23:25:00.001-05:00

Well I found some funky wood. This one is real. 16" X 30"

Woody waves

2009-11-28T12:45:00.002-05:00

Digital sketch for a possible future work. I just gotta find me some funky wood.

Hot Wax works

2009-11-13T22:38:00.004-05:00

The student council Water color 17" X 24"

The wrestlers I 24" X 36"

The Chemical Engineers 17" X 24"

The Basket Ball team 24" X 36"

The wrestlers III 24" X 36"

Conjuring Cooper Union Groups

2009-10-06T21:43:00.003-04:00

The Science Student Council Cooper Union 1931

The chemical engineers, Cooper union 1931

teams

2009-09-23T20:59:00.003-04:00

The Chemical Engineers, Cooper Union 1931

Cooper Union Basketball 1931 (WIP)

Cooper Union Wrestling 1931

Robert Keyser 1973

2009-09-06T08:39:00.003-04:00

Here's a drawing that Robert Keyser gave me in 1973.
I think it is a very strong work. 2 spots of glue have defaced the top corners but otherwise it is still in good shape.

Here's a link to more of his work
http://www.art-spirit.net/frames/Hbob.html

Cooper Union Class of 1931, Architecture

2009-09-05T08:42:00.002-04:00

Water color 18" X 24"

Cooper Union 1931 Wrestling Team (computer drawing)

2009-08-24T07:56:00.003-04:00

I just brought a copy of Cooper Unions 1931 year book. I think that I may use it a as source for a year book series. There is something in the the rhythms and formal arrangements in these photos that I find very interesting. This is a return to an idea that I have been working with since the 1970s.

An early Todd Marks and my 2 most recent encaustics

2009-07-22T08:46:00.005-04:00

Here's a painting by my friend Todd Marks. Maybe 1976 or 1977. Oil on plywood. 19"X36"
His current works are photorealistic and intensely detailed. It is interesting to see this loose expressionist work which displays so much lively personality.

Shamat and Enkidu at the water. Encaustic on plywood. 16"X 36"

Joyous Waves Encaustic on plywood. 16"X36"

The Ted Knerr opening

2009-07-06T21:20:00.005-04:00

This is a highly recommended show. Wonderful paintings, beautifully displayed.

Here's Ted with one of his works.

Photos from the opening of Ted Knerr's In a Spiritual Space at The Interchurch Center, Treasure Room Gallery. 475 Riverside Drive at West 120th St., NYC

Governors Island Chalk Work

2009-06-28T12:50:00.002-04:00

Figment Arts Festival

2009-06-05T08:30:00.003-04:00

The Figment, Governors Island Festival is coming up soon. June 12, 13 and 14. I’m going to participate again this year

I’ll be making some big art works for airplanes and helicopters on the Chapel Bazaar parking lot and I’ll be showing some paintings and metallic reliefs in building 114. I am also showing my light box sand drawing screen and I hope that all my friends who come out will try drawing in sand and light.

There is a free ferry to Governors Island .

It supposed to be a fun event. Fresh air, old forts, canons, pre-civil war barracks, big old trees. There will be lots of Art, performances, a miniature golf course and much, much more.

Here’s a link to Figment’s web site.

Here’s a map showing the part of Governors Island where the event will be taking place.

I’ve marked building 114 where I will be showing some of my wave inspired works and the Chapel Bazaar parking lot where I will be performing my field marker chalk works.

Here is my June 2008 blog page showing my plans for last years event

and here is the July page showing the field marker works that I performed at last year’s event.

This is not only going to be a great event but it is a great chance to see Governors Island .

I look forward to seeing some of you there.

2009-05-22T20:00:00.005-04:00

The Figment Governors Island Festival is coming up soon. June 12, 13 and 14. I’m going to participate again this year. Audience participation is very important to the Figment raison d’etre. So I built a sand light box which I will install with some of my metallic reliefs. The people who view my works will be encouraged to create their own works in the sand. The box is 48” X 32”. It has 4 florescent tubes inside and a sheet of frosted plexi glass on top. When you draw in the ¼” of sand the light shines through the lines.

Here is the light box

2009-04-26T11:15:00.001-04:00

Zinc on tortured plywood. 48” X 36”
In the winter when the wind and water are cold and the sky is overcast sometimes the water seems to be on the edge of liquidacy.Maybe it has been touched by Kurt Vonnegut's Ice 9.

Seal Watching

2009-04-10T18:27:00.000-04:00

When I went to visit the seals of Swinburne Island it was hard to figure out who was watching who.

Water color 18" X 24"

Mock ups for Field Marker Drawings

2009-04-09T13:34:00.003-04:00

This June I plan to do some more field marker works. Here are some ideas for some of the 100 ft long drawings that I might work from.

Melted waves

2009-04-03T19:23:00.001-04:00

12" X 12'" encaustic on luan plywood.

I'm beginning to like this hot wax stuff.

Waves lit by moon light

2009-02-01T11:13:00.001-05:00

Digital collage

Studies after some of the old dead guys

2009-02-01T10:47:00.006-05:00

The Mona Lisa

The death of the Virgin after Fra Angelico

The last judgement after Heironymus Bosch

Madona Surrounded by Angels after Fra Angelico

Adoration of the Magi after Fra Angelico

These studies are worked digitally directly on images of the original works. It is like being an audacious imp privileged to schmere in the old master's wet paint.

wooden waves

2008-11-12T14:47:00.005-05:00

rambunctious waves

Digital wooden version of one of my sheet metal works

Walking Star at Floyd Bennett Field

2008-10-27T23:28:00.004-04:00

100 pounds of chalk on tarmac. 135 ft X 30 ft.
Here are images of the Field Marker drawing that I committed at Floyd Bennett Field this past Saturday at The Decom event.

Here are details taken at night after a heavy rain.

New York City Decompression 2008

2008-10-13T09:13:00.001-04:00

I wil exhibit 3 metalic wave works and a large field marker work in the New York City Decompression 2008: The Flying LaboratoryOctober 25, 2008, 4 pm - 4 amAviator Sports, Floyd Bennett Field, Brooklyn

Wavy Boogie Woogie

2008-10-10T23:07:00.001-04:00

Encaustic on plywood 16" X 48"

I'm thinking about Mondrian in the title but Karl Schmidt-Rottluff in the handling of the paint.

2008-09-26T11:23:00.003-04:00

Ragged Waves

Stacked Waves ( This is a continuation of Waxy Waves, below)

I still have some zinc left and I will buy some more copper and brass soon but for now I will be taking a rest from the metal works. Here are my 2 latest encaustics. I think I'm getting the hang of this medium. I was thinking about Rider, Rouault and Soutine while I was working on these.
I’m enjoying the immediacy of this fast cooling medium.

These are both 16" X 24".

Ezair Gallery opening

2008-09-22T07:46:00.004-04:00

Here are some photos from my opening at The Ezair Gallery at 905 Madison Ave (between 72nd and 73rd St.), September 10th. The show will continue for the rest of this month. The gallery is open Tuesday through Friday 12-6pm. It might be a good idea to call before going to the Gallery. Phone # 212-628-2224This is a 3 person show; the other 2 Artists are Marion Di Quinzio and Margie St. John.I took some pictures at the opening but they were not very good. Here are some pictures that my friend Ted Knerr took. Check out his web site http://www.art-spirit.net/ .

Left to right foreground Marc Salz (a wonderful Philadelphia painter), me myself, Andrew Lukban (kayaker/physicist), Andrew’s son Orfu (kayaker/thumb sucker), and Richard Nonas (kayaker/sculptor). In the back from the left is Marcella Baum(kayaker) and Michael Samuel (kayaker, designer and illustrator(we are all familiar with his work)). The painting in the background is by Marion Di Quinzio.

Here's the obligatory Artist in front of his work shot.
Here I am with Marcella Baum and my Father ( Louis Spitz)

I am speaking with Richard Nonas in the above photo. He is a fellow kayaker, and a sculptor whose work I greatly admire. The painting in the background is by Margie St. John

waxy waves

2008-09-06T22:17:00.003-04:00

This is my first encaustic wave painting. 24" X 16" It may need more work. I'll let it sit and figure it out later.

Morning Waves

2008-08-08T07:02:00.003-04:00

The 1st photo was taken in sunlight.

This photo is of the same work taken in the shade.

From the left

From the right

Twilight Waves

2008-07-30T10:36:00.002-04:00

Brass and zinc on tortured plywood.

36" X 32"

1st of a series of 3.

Ezair Gallery Show

2008-07-24T11:12:00.005-04:00

I will be showing my work at the Ezair Gallery, 905 Madison Ave. between 72nd and 73rd Streets, in NYC starting September 1st till September 30th of 2008.

There will be an openning September 10th from 6pm till 8pm.

I'll show the textured and tarnished metal on tortured plywood works and some related water colors.

Metallic Waves at the Ezair Gallery by Harry SpitzExhibition: September 4 to September 30, 2008*Reception: Wednesday, July 16th, 7 to 9 pm
Harry Spitz received a BFA from the Philadelphia College of Art. He received a National Endowment for the Arts award in 1978. He most recently performed at the Governors Island Figment Arts Event by making 100 ft by 50 ft field marker chalk parking lot drawings. http://gravenimages.blogspot.com/ The Metallic reliefs in the Ezair show comes from direct experience with waves from years of kayaking, the assemblages of Kurt Schwitters and a love of the work of the great Greenlandic Artist Aron fra Kangeq http://www.arktiskebilleder.dk/siulleq/album/sted_5001538_1.html
The evolution of my recent relief worksIn 2006 I started working on a series of painted plywood reliefs. To jazz things up a bit I started adding metal leaf. The metal leaf seemed a little too bright and shiny to me so I brushed on chemicals to tarnish the metal. The resulting effects were breathtaking but flaky and unstable. Attempts to preserve these effects with lacquer ruined some of the pieces. The other problem with the metal leaf was that the tarnishing chemicals often ate right through the metal leaf. It became apparent that the ephemeral metal leaves were just a little too delicate for my purpose so I realized that I was going to have to make the switch to sheet metal.With the first few pieces I continued the idea of tarnishing the metal but then I decided to texture the metal in order to give the tarnish a better grip on the surface. I then realized that the texture was a fine effect on its own so I decided to put the toxic chemicals aside.These pieces will tarnish slowly over time on their own and I embrace this idea of change.When I first started with the reliefs I decided to keep my decisions simple and use older works as references for forms and visual vocabulary so that I could concentrate on the idea of developing the tortured plywood relief. I then decided to use my stored kayaking experiences as the foundation for these works. At first the subject matter was about kayakers bouncing through the waves, the feeling of paddling in a group with various paddlers in different boats rising and falling, the waves light and lively, fierce and threatening, rolling and crashing. Soon it became clear that all that I needed as subject matter was the waves themselves.The push and pull of the relief shapes is one of the most important aspects of these works. I like to use the relief to play with perspective. I want the forward waves to recede and the background waves to push forward.There is an intimacy with the waves that kayakers experience. Waves sneak up behind us or slam us from the side. When I paddle in lively water I watch the waves in front of me, I watch the waves coming at me from the side. The waves march in rows and by watching them I can anticipate what they will do when the reach me. I can get ready to brace or shift my weight. I don’t like paddling in calm flat water. I like the bouncy feeling of flying on the waves. These are the waves of my metal clad tortured plywood reliefs.

Wax Humbaba

2008-07-22T10:50:00.003-04:00

Encaustic on luan plywood

32" X 16"

Googooly Eyes - Encaustic

2008-07-11T21:19:00.006-04:00

Wax on plywood 12" X 8"

Governors Island Art event

2008-07-01T07:18:00.014-04:00

Here’s my Governors Island Arts festival story.

Friday June 27th

I had asked for a parking lot to do a drawing at the Governors Island Figment Festival but instead I was generously given a big piece of open lawn called the Parade grounds. Unfortunately the grass was a little bit too high and the lines were a little too subtle.

Saturday June 28th

I asked for a parking lot because the lawn just was not working

Humbaba in the parking lot.

View towards the Butter Milk Channel

Audience participation.

He said he was from another planet Michael Ingbar added word's that end in "ic"

It rained that evening and everything washed away. So on Sunday June 29th I had a new asphalt canvas to work with. Here's Rider's Rider. 100 ft X 50 ft. Powdered chalk on asphalt.

Then it rained again and everything washed into the Butter Milk Channel

Gaia's Avenging Angel (alt 1 +2)

2008-06-24T08:53:00.003-04:00

Gaia's Avenging Angel

2008-06-24T08:45:00.004-04:00

2008-06-10T10:19:00.002-04:00

A rough sketch. Thinking and planing for the Governors Island event. Digital sketch on Goggle map.

Governors Island June 27th chalk work sketches

2008-06-01T09:46:00.008-04:00

Digital proposed sketches added to photos of the golf course where I will perform the dry line marker works.

X marks the golf course where I will perform the dry line marker works.

Governors Island

Now I’ve done it I’m going over to the dark side! I’m becoming one of them Earth artists.

This coming June 27th, 28th, and 29th I will be making some real big chalk drawings on Governors Island with a dry line marker (the push cart used to make lines on sports fields).

Figment NYC

Big art works for airplanes and helicopters.

There is a free ferry to Governors Island .

It supposed to be a fun event. Fresh air, old forts, canons, pre civil war barracks, big old trees and a tram that takes visitors on tours of the little island.

I've attached a photo of a test of my new dry line marker, the golf course where I will make my big drawing and a aerial view of Governors Island.

Dream Waves

2008-05-21T21:04:00.003-04:00

12" X 16" Zinc, copper and brass on tortured plywood. Picture taken outside.

Street test

2008-05-21T20:50:00.002-04:00

Just got my new dry line marker. Here is the first test.

2008-05-21T11:19:00.004-04:00

12" X 24" Copper Thrashing waves.

12" X 16" Copper, brass and zinc on tortured plywood with zinc coated screws.
Somehow the waves seem more dangerous in the vertical format.

The evolution of my recent relief works.

In 2006 I started working on a series of painted plywood reliefs. To jazz things up a bit I started adding metal leaf. The metal leaf seemed a little too bright and shiny to me so I brushed on chemicals to tarnish the metal. The resulting effects were breathtaking but flaky and unstable. Attempts to preserve these effects with lacquer ruined some of the pieces. The other problem with the metal leaf was that the tarnishing chemicals often ate right through the metal leaf. It became apparent that the ephemeral metal leaves were just a little too delicate for my purpose so I realized that I was going to have to make the switch to sheet metal.
With the first few pieces I continued the idea of tarnishing the metal but then I decided to texture the metal in order to give the tarnish a better grip on the surface. I then realized that the texture was a fine effect on its own so I decided to put the toxic chemicals aside.These pieces will tarnish slowly over time on their own and I embrace this idea of change.When I first started with the reliefs I decided to keep my decisions simple and use older works as references for forms and visual vocabulary so that I could concentrate on the idea of developing the tortured plywood relief. I then decided to use my stored kayaking experiences as the foundation for these works. At first the subject matter was about kayakers bouncing through the waves, the feeling of paddling in a group with various paddlers in different boats rising and falling, the waves light and lively, fierce and threatening, rolling and crashing. Soon it became clear that all that I needed as subject matter was the waves themselves.The push and pull of the relief shapes is one of the most important aspects of these works. I like to use the relief to play with perspective. I want the forward waves to recede and the background waves to push forward.There is an intimacy with the waves that kayakers experience. Waves sneak up behind us or slam us from the side. When I paddle in lively water I watch the waves in front of me, I watch the waves coming at me from the side. The waves march in rows and by watching them I can anticipate what they will do when the reach me. I can get ready to brace or shift my weight. I don’t like paddling in calm flat water. I like the bouncy feeling of flying on the waves. These are the waves of my metal clad tortured plywood reliefs.

Permutations

2008-04-03T09:01:00.007-04:00

Torched copper waves

Zinc Waves

Brass Waves

Proposed site works

2008-03-18T08:16:00.004-04:00

Clapotis III

2008-03-15T23:34:00.001-04:00

Clapotis II

2008-02-16T22:37:00.005-05:00

Brass, copper and zinc on tortured plywood. 24" X 24" X 4"

Clapotis

2008-02-02T13:51:00.003-05:00

Shiny waves

2008-02-02T13:31:00.000-05:00

2' X 2' textured copper, brass and zinc on tortured plywood.

Burnished Metal Waves

2008-01-18T19:15:00.000-05:00

copper, brass and zinc on tortured plywood

24" X 24"

Textured Waves #1

2008-01-11T23:10:00.000-05:00

Here is the 1st in a planned series of 3 based on the same basic shapes in alternate metals.

Copper, zinc and brass. 24" X 24"

Sunlit waves

2007-12-26T23:00:00.000-05:00

2007-12-18T09:29:00.000-05:00

Here are 3 views of Taciturn Waves taken in daylight showing the work in 3D relief. 16" X 24".
I'm starting to like the possibilities of this medium.
Rough sanding, tarnishing chemicals, rusted sheet metal inserts. Looks like this is going to be an interesting series.
I'm now working on the 3rd piece generated by the jig saw cuts that made these 1st 2.

Taciturn Waves

2007-12-16T11:33:00.000-05:00

When I cut out the pieces for Tarnished Metal Waves I cut through 3 layers of metal giving me the shapes for 3 works. This is the second piece.

Tarnished Metal Waves (finished)

2007-12-16T11:19:00.000-05:00

Copper, brass and zinc on tortured plywood. 24" X 16"

Tarnished Metal Waves

2007-11-29T12:00:00.000-05:00

24" X 16" Tarnished copper, brass and zinc. On tortured plywood relief. This is the first in this series using sheet metal instead of metal leaf.

2007-11-18T23:05:00.000-05:00

Here are some of my latest works. These are tarnished metalic leaf on tortured plywood reliefs.

They are all 24" wide.

tippy waves

2007-10-18T19:20:00.000-04:00

Acrylic on tortured plywood. 24" X 11"

Bad Painting

2007-10-14T11:25:00.000-04:00

I recently wrote the following about bad Art.

A painting can be unsuccessful without being Bad. Sometimes we (artists in general) struggle with our paintings. We try to do something very hard. We push ourselves to the edge of our ability or past the edge of our ability. This sometimes results in failure but not bad painting. Bad painting is not a failed painting it is a successful expression of bad taste. Like Pat Boone singing a Little Richard tune. He did it perfectly but he gutted the tune and insulted its spirit.

Thrashing Waves

2007-10-14T10:54:00.000-04:00

Acrylic on tortured plywood

2 new water colors

2007-08-31T19:14:00.000-04:00

Marching Waves

W's Perilous Waves

squirrelly waves

2007-08-11T08:33:00.000-04:00

Sometimes when the waves were confused and our kayaks would twist and turn in chaotic ways my friend Scott would complain that the water was way too squirrelly.

2007-08-08T09:39:00.000-04:00

These are 18” X 24” (45 cm X 61 cm) water colors on paper.
waves at dusk

lively waves

dream waves

wavy embrace

Clapitus

2007-07-26T10:53:00.000-04:00

2007-07-20T09:30:00.000-04:00

Paddler Ascending a Wave (homage to Duchamp)

2 new water colors

2007-07-19T16:38:00.000-04:00

Contrary waves

Dark wave

Water color waves

2007-06-26T08:18:00.001-04:00

Night Ocean Waves III

2007-06-19T22:12:00.000-04:00

48" X 48" acrylic on tortured plywood

Dark Waves

2007-06-19T22:07:00.000-04:00

Night Waves

2007-05-25T07:22:00.000-04:00

48" X 48"

acrylic on tortured plywood relief

2 acrylic washes and a water color

2007-05-17T08:05:00.000-04:00

water color
acrylic wash

acrylic wash

studies for my wave series.

Chop

2007-05-15T11:01:00.000-04:00

52" X 16" Acrylic and rusty metal on tortured plywood.

Meatspace group show

2007-05-15T10:51:00.000-04:00

Waves I

Waves II

Art lovers converse at opening

3 pieces in back room

Roof top of gallery

Ocean Waves II

2007-05-03T08:50:00.000-04:00

48" X 36"

Acrylic on tortured plywood relief.

palm device sketch

2007-04-29T21:08:00.000-04:00

rough sketch for one of the next works

Palm device sketch

2007-04-29T20:58:00.000-04:00

Rough sketch for next painting

Group Show

2007-04-28T09:01:00.000-04:00

Some of my work will be shown at the Meatspace gallery in LIC, NY opening May 10, '07

Oceas waves II

2007-04-27T22:00:00.000-04:00

2nd Ocean waves in progress. Plywood shimmed and screwed.

Ocean waves II

2007-04-27T21:58:00.000-04:00

Work in progress. Primed

Ocean waves

2007-04-27T21:46:00.000-04:00

Acrylic on tortured plywood.

48" X 36"

Night paddler

2007-04-14T15:56:00.000-04:00

Acrylic on papper 18" X 24"

2007-04-06T13:36:00.000-04:00

boy and kite

2007-04-06T13:22:00.000-04:00

Corbra snake neck tie

Who Do You Love? Lyrics: Bo DiddleyMusic: Bo DiddleyI walked forty seven miles of barbed wire I got a cobra snake for a necktie Got a brand house by the roadsideMade out of rattlesnake hide Brand new chimney set on topMade out of a human skull[And so] woman, come on childTell me who do you love?

Wind Driven Waves

2007-03-20T16:23:00.000-04:00

Scraps from previous works recombined to make something new. Acrylic on plywood relief. 50" X 14"

worm & crow

2007-03-06T07:46:00.000-05:00

48" X 33"

acrylic on plywood relief

Homage to Leger

2007-02-17T22:42:00.000-05:00

Acrylic on tortured plywood relief.

48" X 33"

I recently spent an afternoon in my cold meat locker studio making the relief for this painting. When I got home there was an e-mail informing me that my studio would have to close till the sprinkler system gets fixed.
The next day I called the landlord and I was told that I could go back into my studio if I am very careful. Careful??????????????? Careful!!!!
I was very careful and this is the result.

Shield #2

2007-02-09T22:06:00.000-05:00

4' X 4' acrylic on tortured plywood