May 17
ONE NIGHT ONLY, at MoCCA!

“ARTWORKS ASSEMBLE!” art show by Bob Kessel
Thursday May 17, 2012: 6pm, FREE

MoCCA (the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art) 594 Broadway, Suite 401 (btwn. Houston and Prince) New York, NY 10012, presents an exhibition of artworks by Bob Kessel. The show on May 17, 2012 at 6 pm is titled “ARTWORKS ASSEMBLE!” and features art inspired by comicbook super-heroes like Thor, Ironman, Captain America, Hulk, Batman, Superman, Spiderman and many more. The show primarily consists of prints on paper roughly 3 by 3 feet square, or should I say in many cases, diamond shaped. The art, much like comicbooks, is made out of black lines, in this case, straight lines, some razor thin, some massively thick, surrounding primary colors of red, blue and yellow. To describe Bob Kessel’s art in simple terms, his work is… simple.

“Making the simple complicated is commonplace;
making the complicated simple,
awesomely simple, that’s creativity.” 
- CHARLES MINGUS

This remark provides a clue to an aspect of Bob Kessel’s work that his apparent iconoclasm and irreverence have tended to conceal. He has remained in an important way a classical artist. Along with the images of superheroes there is an abiding commitment to composition. The language of form is what guides him to what lies behind his trivialized subjects, whether they come from pop culture or the history of art. Like all great artists, he uses  what is around him for inspiration, commentary, and, in Kessel’s case, a healthy amount of deconstructionist verve and wit. Like a jazz player, he takes a familiar tune and then uses that as a takeoff point to do his own original riffs on the theme.

Bob Kessel, born and raised in New York City, says about the show,

“Historically, artists have always painted mythological figures, Hercules, Venus, Apollo. Superheroes represent the new modern myths, so it stands to reason that they should be the subject of our modern art.”

Those familiar with Bob Kessel’s artwork know that he works in series. Many are based on his extensive knowledge of art history with takeoffs on Picasso’s Minotaurs, Matisse’s Odalisques, or Cezanne’s Bathers. He mixes together different art styles to produce unexpected hybrids. Like Japanese Kaiju (monsters) with Italian Futurism, or Hello Kitty with Edvard Munch.

Now Bob Kessel has created a new art series where he turns his Fine Art sensibilities on the world of Comics. He describes this show as, “The Comicbook World meets the Fine Art World.” Neither one will be the same again.

http://www.bobkessel.com/2012/03/30/artworks-assemble-a-new-art-series-by-bob-kessel/

The Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art is pleased to announce that we will be sponsoring a team for this year’s AIDS Walk New York, which will occur in and around Central Park on May 20th. As a supporter of the comic book and cartoon arts, we are sure you are aware of the tremendous toll HIV/AIDS has taken on the artistic community, and we feel our support of this annual event is the least we can do to stand in solidarity with our colleagues who have been personally affected by this ongoing health crisis.

But- we need your help! There are many ways that you can support MoCCA and the AIDS Walk this year, and we hope you will take advantage of the following options:

1. Be a member of the MoCCA Team! If you sign up as a member of the MoCCA Team, any funds you raise will be credited to both yourself and MoCCA. You are not obligated to raise any money, but we would love to have you walk with us under the MoCCA banner! Even better, we are providing incentives to MoCCA Walkers who raise money for the Walk. All MoCCA team members will receive a MoCCA T-Shirt, and Walkers who raise $100 or more in pledges will receive premiums from GMHC, organizer of the AIDS Walk! To register as a member of the MoCCA AIDS Walk team, sign up online at the AIDS Walk team page and make sure you sign up as a member of “Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art,” Team 0344. Or, contact Team Leader Christopher Stansfield at castansfield@gmail.com or (646) 385-5464 and ask to be added as a team member. This can be done even if you’ve already signed up individually as a walker.

2. Donate to AIDS Walk New York! If you don’t have the time to walk with us or raise money for the MoCCA team, please consider donating to a MoCCA Walker or the Museum directly. All proceeds are distributed to the GMHC and other New York-based health organizations and every contribution goes directly to the prevention and cure of HIV and the support of those already suffering with HIV/AIDS. To contribute, please logon at the MoCCA AIDS Walk page and either select a team member to contribute to or opt for the “General Team Donation.” Supporters who donate $100 or more will receive a FREE book from the Museum.

3. Spread the word! If options 1 and 2 are not feasible for you this year,or you’ve already contributed to another walker or team,  we hope you will consider forwarding this email to friends and family who might be interested. Feel free to post this information on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or anywhere else people might see it! And, if you’re already walking or a member of another team, please get in touch with Christopher Stansfield and let him know- MoCCA would love to walk in solidarity with other organizations who are fighting against HIV/AIDS!

Thank you for everything you already do to support MoCCA, and thank you in advance for your support of AIDS Walk New York 2012!