all or nothing #26 - what are you sweating?
table of contents
1.events 2.words 3.missed connections 4.horoscope 5.listen
»looking forward
parenthesis by shaan ken rao
in moments of pause, do you feel calm, or do you catch yourself sweating? parenthesis explores these this duality through photography, painting, and collage. the solo exhibition by shaan ken rao will be on view from august 8 - 15, 2024, at our chinatown location (119 hester street, new york, ny, 10002).
the path by aleksandra dougal (plant 486)
all street collective member aleksandra dougal is spreading her wings and flying all the way over to cobble hill with her large-scale paintings. her work will be on display at plant 486 for the month of august. so walk, run, bike or take the subway over and join us is on the path to her opening reception on august 1, from 6 - 8 pm at 486 Court St, Brooklyn, NY 11231.
»looking back
look down to look up installation
parallel universes exist in a single reflection, endlessly bleeding into the margins of our known world. multimedia artist maya de solages waded into the contemplative puddles of nyc and turned all street’s chinatown location into a chamber of reflection this passed weekend. sorry you missed, you may never get the chance to actually see yourself again.
words
+genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration & 100% reason to remember the name+
no one looks particularly cool when they lose their temper. veins pop, sweat forms, eyes bulge, and it's overall just an unpleasant display of the human condition. there's levels to it, though. sometimes getting angry is important, or even necessary. in the moment, it feels natural, but there's a point that goes from "ok, let it out," to "yikes." the worst part of it is that it's a relatively thin line based on nothing more than context. passion is seen as a good thing in society. without passion, you're essentially just a zombie flitting through life without concern or consequence. everyone is attracted to passionate people, whether romantically or platonically, because everyone wants purpose; often, passion is disguised or regarded as purpose. although this is perhaps a false equivalency, it does logically makes sense. if you find something you love, brings you joy, or makes you think, then it's understandable to pursue that thing to the greatest lengths possible. however, at what point are you pursuing something truly because you want to, or because a previous version of yourself chose to? theoretically, passion is a feeling removed from anger, but in practice, it exists in a similarly volatile capacity. this can manifest in a couple different ways. ambition and commitment are on the positive end of the spectrum, while obsession and mania are very much on the darker, less spoken about end of it. often misaligned with passion is conviction. it's assumed that those passionate about something are so single-mindedly determined to follow their path that this passion exists as a constant force driving them forward. in reality, though, passion wanes, spikes, dissipates, reappears, dominates, and cycles through every other state of a fleeting emotion - no different than anger. artists are frequently recognized as bastions of passion. the fraction of people that legitimately make a comfortable and un-supplemented living from their art is minuscule to nonexistent, so to pursue such a potentially difficult and fruitless existence must then indicate an absurd sense of confidence, a deeply felt passion, or maybe a healthy balance of both? but over any extended period of time, change is inevitable. whether it's growth, withering, or transitioning, change cannot be avoided. although success isn't the only measure of value, success does bring money and, in turn, allows for a greater sense of freedom in the world, i.e., privilege, comfort, and security. inversely, a lack of success brings stress and doubt, which has the potential to turn one's passion into a manifestation of pain and rejection. at what point does confidence become delusion and when does passion become fear? outside of a very visible population of celebrities, successful artists are not present in mainstream media. but once one is famous, is their success truly rooted in the continued practice of their art, or the continued performance of their celebrity persona? depending on the medium, such distinctions are inextricable. so, it's less about a choice in how or what to make, but rather a choice in becoming what's expected of you; the consideration of diverting from that persona is a complete mystery and, potentially, monumental failure. but, hey, we could theorize about all the potential nuances of art, passion, and success forever, but we made the decision to write this, you made the decision to read this, and, in honor of that cherished yet unspoken agreement, we're going to end this and allow you to get back to chasing your passions.
missed connections
+7.26 look down to look up
You: were looking in every direction other than mine
Me: apparently invisible??
Description:
i wasn’t trying to get your attention, but i wasn’t trying to be ignored either. your pupils flung around the room with effortless grace, dodging me at every turn. i envy the pair of eyes that catches your gaze.
+7.27 isle of monday pop-up
You: wearing frilled white socks with sambas
Me: wearing frilled white socks with loafers
Description:
we crossed paths for a moment, then said excuse me at the same time, like jinx. we giggled and laughed like it was on the way to hijinks, but then you was gone in a blink.
horoscopes
+Aries+
don’t sweat the small stuff. trust us. you have much, much bigger things to worry about.
+Taurus+
some people couldn’t care less, but that’s not you. you could always care more and that’s cool, too.
+Gemini+
do you come here often? well, you should. real growth only comes from consistency. the only way to achieve consistency is through discomfort. one day, you won’t want to be here and you won’t want to be doing this, but you must persist, no matter what. never give up, never back down. and now that’s out of the way, time to dig in. consider all that’s come before an amuse-bouche and, in this moment, you’re finally beginning to feast upon the meat and potatoes of life. find the nearest garbage can. retrieve the cleanest piece of trash you can see. then, find the nearest piece of street trash you can find and put that into the garbage can. if you take, you must also give. balance is key. on both sides there must always be. the absence of one causes the absence of the other and hides what you cannot see. repeat this process with as many trash receptacles as you can find. once you feel sufficiently balanced, gather all the pieces you’ve taken and lay them out. what do you see? what is there? are there any obvious patterns? but, most importantly, what don’t you see? find a hot glue gun. if you don’t already have one accessible in 2024, then i’m truly sorry for you and your inability to craft. but, alas, with either your trusty glue gun or newly acquired glue gun, begin assembling the pieces of trash into a magnifique sculpture of your own imagination. buck tradition and cohesiveness, and embrace the chaos of your deepest impulses. what’s the final result? what have you made? is it art? no, it’s trash. throw it out immediately before someone sees and thinks you’re unwell. and, as you’re lugging your monstrous rubbish sculpture to the bin, remember that sometimes it’s not about doing, but trying.
+Cancer+
you must put your all in it. put you back in it. put your foot in it. put your soul in it. because only what you put in will you get out.
+Leo+
they want you to believe when the going gets tough that the tough get going, but, in actuality, sometimes at the toughest times the weakest become the strongest and vice-versa, as well as versa-vice.
+Virgo+
you have more to offer than blood, toil, tears, and sweat. you have words, too. and if sticks and stones can break bones, then words can not only start wars, but stop them, too.
+Libra+
next time you have the burning desire to wipe that bead of sweat rolling down your forehead, don’t. make eye contact with the nearest stranger and just let it roll.
+Scorpio+
a famous Canadian once said, “i taste pain and regret in your sweat,” which is obviously a weird thing to say, but also is obviously wishful thinking because sweat is salty and regret is bitter.
+Sagittarius+
just ‘cause you can’t see something doesn’t mean it isn’t there. there are millions of living microscopic organisms running around on the surface of your skin. even when you feel alone, remember those miniature bug-like critters are relying on your sweaty, dirty, and skin cells to survive.
+Capricorn+
it’s important to stick to your goals, stick to your word, and stick to your morals. many decry the evils of humidity, but with great humidity comes great ability to stick to things.
+Aquarius+
sweat is the embodiment of the ephemerality of the physical. everything that is now will eventually not be in the future. exhaustion is temporary. exertion is temporary. sweat is temporary. you are temporary. thus, all those temptations, too, are temporary.
+Pisces+
you’re a puddle of insecurity.
playlist
+Send us your writing, ideas, notes, observations or anything you want to gallery@allstnyc.com to be considered for future editions of all or nothing+
image credits
livia weiner, lonely 1, oil on canvas
artwork are on view in the group exhibition my need for tender loving care through august 3, 2024, at all street’s 77 east third street location.