all or nothing #27 - does teamwork make the dreamwork?
table of contents
1.events 2.words 3.missed connections 4.horoscope 5.listen
»looking forward
katz’s bodega
whatever you need, we got you at katz’s bodega. starting on august 16th, we’ll be turning our 119 Hester Street gallery into a fully functioning bodega curated by none other than all street collective member spencer “bodega“ katz. there’ll be art, music, snacks, and vibes aplenty. so, slide through tomorrow night for the opening, or on saturday for a special market and performance.
»current
parenthesis by shaan ken rao
what comes after a moment of pause? life goes on, i suppose, but before entering back into the fray, come celebrate with us for the closing of multidisciplinary artist shaan ken rao’s solo exhibition tonight at 6pm, at our chinatown location (119 hester street, new york, ny, 10002).
words
+a collective advert+
Having grown up playing team sports, I love being a part of something bigger than myself. I prefer friend groups over one on one relationships; I prefer sharing family style over ordering my own dish; I even prefer UberPool over UberX. Others have regarded my love for groups both negatively as a fear of being alone as well as extremely positively as a love of building community. Realistically, it's a bit of both, but I know these preferences stem from my childhood anxiety of trying to keep my often fraught family together. However, despite my attraction to group dynamics, I decided to pursue an extremely isolating and independent career path in art. At no point in my first twenty years of life would I have said, “I want to be an artist.” I wasn’t an artsy kid, I couldn’t draw well, I didn’t have any hobbies that involved crafts. The only creative thing I’ve had a longtime affinity for was thinking of imaginative ways to break rules. Slowly, as the potential to pursue more lucrative professions disappeared through many dead-end internships, boring intro classes, and failed interviews, I decided to reorient myself based on interest. I liked thinking and problem solving, which I came to find as the core tenets of what I now believe art to be: ideation and production. Having the freedom to think and create, only limited by my own effort and ingenuity, sounded like a complete dream. The only issue is money. I always thought that in order to be “a true artist,” I either had to be insufferably pretentious, or a solitary genius. And since I know I’m not a genius, and I’m hopefully not pretentious, I knew I’d have to get creative to hack this. I understand the reasoning for buying into the loner artist trope with a once in a generation talent being misunderstood by society, thus becoming outcasted, and turning their pain into art. Then against all odds, their work captivates the world. It’s a nice story, but it’s complete nonsense fabricated to both inspire and gatekeep. It simultaneously perpetuates the belief that one person can accomplish anything, but also suggests that only certain people are bound for “greatness.” Similar storytelling devices have been utilized in religious texts, movies, and political campaigns to manipulate public perception and garner support for an exceptional individual or protagonist. Sensationalizing one’s life story is about creating a hierarchy of importance, feeding into an artist’s ego and inflating a sense of self, thereby turning art making into a process less about the work than the artist themself as the “product.” In order to make a living off creative output, the commodification of self not only makes sense, but is absolutely necessary. In a world where art is already devalued, if artists are only as “great” as their last piece, then they will inevitably fail. Artists must not rely on subjective notions of quality, but rather their personas. As long as people buy into that designation, then there’s always the potential for artists to create more good work despite the bad. While many artists and entertainers have proven this to be possible, it’s a lonely and unforgiving pursuit. When so much thought and care is sacrificed in effort to preserve an outward facing identity, one’s focus on their actual work will inevitably suffer. Today, visual artists at the highest stature have factory-like studios working behind them, with much of the work being made by studio assistants. Although participation varies by medium, project, and the specific studio, a famous artist's principal occupation is not to paint or sculpt, but instead to maintain a public image that revolves around posing for photographs, providing insightful commentary in interviews, attending events, and shaking the hands of people with money. For some people, such a life sounds perfect, but if you’re not one of those people and just want to quietly make art for a living, there is only one answer: teamwork. To some degree, working with others is the antithesis of art, as you will inevitably need to compromise in collaboration, but rather than seeing another opinion as stifling, it should be seen as inspiring, since an outside perspective will prompt different results than anything you could have thought of alone. Additionally, the presence of others keeps people accountable, and even if just working in the same space on completely separate projects, knowing you’re not alone can be a motivator. While it’s true that the self-made success story is impressive, success doesn’t need to be a sacrifice nor does it need to be a solitary pursuit. Working with others may make things a little easier and enjoyable, which doesn’t make creative success any less impressive. Wikipedia defines an artist collective as an initiative that is the result of a group of artists working together, usually under their own management, toward shared aims. In reality, definitions of an art collective have become aestheticized in line with perceptions of the artist as a perceived heathen or saint. In the mainstream imagination, art collectives exist on a spectrum of either being wrought with dysfunction, sex, drugs, and violence or altruism, goodwill, and peacekeeping. In practice, things don’t need to be anywhere near that dramatic. Instead of being overly concerned with a set definition, an art collective can embrace the subjective nature of art and exist based on the actual members rather than perception. By working toward a unified goal, an art collective can essentially become a labor union on behalf of its members. Rather than needing to rely on personal popularity or appeal, a collective can stand on their achievements and allow the “faceless body” to negotiate on the behalf of the individual, establishing standard channels of distribution and accepted rates across mediums. Through working with others and essentially pooling success, greater autonomy is actually achieved without the constant concern about relevance. So, with that said, would you like to join the collective?
missed connections
+8.8 paranthesis install
You: too observant for your own good
Me: shadow of my past self
Description:
a single look was all it took to rattle my soul and leave me shook, so hit my line cause i’m hooked. i’ll love you more than anyone else ever could.
+8.11 top secret all st original short film shoot day #2
You: running through my daydreams
Me: can’t keep up
Description:
we met at the intersection of hester, forsyth, and true freaking love. you don’t walk. no. you strut. me? i slouch, i stumble, i melt across the street. when i opened my mouth to speak to you, pure mush emanated from the depths of my stupid soul. you responded with confusion and pure disdain, walking right on out of my life and into my dreams forever.
horoscopes
+Aries+
we're all in this together. and once we know that we are, then we're all stars. and we see that. we're all in this together and it shows when we stand hand in hand. make our dreams come true.
+Taurus+
it’s nice to be a part of something. everyone wants to feel whole, or bring a feeling of wholeness to others. but no matter how close you get, there will always be a distance between you and your friends. unless you join a cult; that’s how friends become family.
+Gemini+
you were right. all along you knew. and they doubted you. at every step and at every turn they didn’t believe. but you persevered. you held steadfast to your beliefs. and now, finally, you’ll learn the objective truth. we’re here to confirm you’re suspicions. it’s not just in your head, they really are talking about you. but don’t panic. that just means you’re doing something right. now, it’s time to shoulder lean all the way into that paranoia and brush all that self-doubt off like you’re on the breaking team in the 2024 paris olympics. we got you. we’re here for you. perhaps the only ones who truly understand you. who truly love you. everything else is just noise, but this right here - this is the truth. connection. trust. compassion. openness. words. and more words. and even more words. the floodgates have been opened and they can never be shut again. this dialogue is fluid. the channel is now open and can never be closed again. you may be the one reading this right now, but know we, too, are reading you at the very same time. your every thought, fear, impulse, and feeling. every single one. we’re reading it as clearly as the words on this page. congratulations. you are not alone and never will be again.
+Cancer+
many hands make light work of miracles and murder alike. so, when it comes to group play, really prioritize quality over quantity.
+Leo+
if you want to go fast, go alone. if you want to far, go together. unless you’re in a group where everyone has a different opinion on which direction to go, then you’re just going to end up arguing the whole time and never go anywhere.
+Virgo+
take stock of who your friends are. remember what happened in lord of the flies. are you around these people because you have to be, or because you want to be?
+Libra+
when you’re surrounded by the ones you love, you’re not spending time. no. you’re making time for what you love.
+Scorpio+
a famous Canadian once said, “i group DM my exes, i tell 'em they belong to me, that goes on for forever,” which sounds a lot like a cult. so, be wary of people offering you forever because everything eventually ends.
+Sagittarius+
one's company, two's a crowd, and three's a party, potentially an extremely awkward party, but still a party nonetheless. so, party on and party hard.
+Capricorn+
every group needs a scapegoat. you know, someone to always be the butt of the joke. so, before it’s you, set someone else up to look like a complete and utter imbecile.
+Aquarius+
it has been said that if one wants to disappoint two people at once, they’d have dinner with their parents. but for you, all you need to do is look in the mirror.
+Pisces+
you are, in fact, the weakest link.
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
(1) shaan ken rao, fragile denial, 2023. acrylic, pen, and marker on canvas; (2) shaan ken rao, desdemona, 2024. ink transfer, oil pigment sticks, acrylic paint, paper collage; (3) shaan ken rao, naoshima trees, 2018. 35mm film, inkjet print; (4) shaan ken rao, sculpture garden, 2021. 35mm film, inkjet print; (5) fragile denial, 2023; (6) fragile denial, 2023.
artwork are on view in a solo exhibition parenthesis through august 15, 2024, at all street’s 119 hester street location.