ID PORTRAIT #43

ALEX YERENA

the Society of the Spectacle, Thesis 43

Whereas during the primitive stage of capitalist accumulation “political economy considers the proletarian only as a worker,” who only needs to be allotted the indispensable minimum for maintaining his labor power, and never considers him “in his leisure and humanity,” this ruling-class perspective is revised as soon as commodity abundance reaches a level that requires an additional collaboration from him. Once his workday is over, the worker is suddenly redeemed from the total contempt toward him that is so clearly implied by every aspect of the organization and surveillance of production, and finds himself seemingly treated like a grownup, with a great show of politeness, in his new role as a consumer. At this point the humanism of the commodity takes charge of the worker’s “leisure and humanity” simply because political economy now can and must dominate those spheres as political economy. The “perfected denial of man” has thus taken charge of all human existence.

Guy Debord, 1967.

Final Paintings at OCD Chocolates

I have a show of ninety four paintings at OCD Chocolates, 63 E4th St (btwn Bowery & 2nd Ave,) that will be up for five weeks or so, say from 21 July until 28 August 2019. The opening was last night, and as it was in the middle of an extreme heat wave in the city here, not many people came out, for which I do not blame them, and thank those few who did.  I trust my friends here will see while they may and thank them.  The show is called Final Paintings, not because I intend them to be my last, but because these are paintings that I have planned for many years, one as long ago as forty five years, and now have managed to get them done.  I thank Sebastian Brecht for providing me with the ideal place to show them: his very remarkable chocolate shop, even though having diabetes I'm unable to sample most of his great confections.  He has begun to develop a line of sugarless and low sugar chocolates that are extraordinary in their own right.

Derron & the Hula Hoop

Derron Thweatt modeled for life drawing at Eureka Valley Rec a couple of days ago. The first half hour of 3 minute sketches was the highlight of the session for me, though I'm happy with the final 30 minute drawing as well. The one Thomasina DeMaio photographed and posted of me drawing was the first of the 30 minute drawings and is weirdly distorted, through no fault other than my own. The quick sketches were especially good because of Derron's very dynamic posing with a hula hoop. It was a brilliant idea.

Life Drawings of Maggie Stader-Oesting

 Maggie Stader-Oesting modeling at Eureka Valley Recreation Center, thanks to Thomasina DeMaio, almost three weeks ago or so. Really, not a bad drawing in the bunch that day, so I have much for which to thank her.