Portray Magazine Issue No. 5

$14.99

NO. 5

UNPARALLELED VOYAGE

AL DIAZ

CARLA KRANENDONK

ROBERT SZOT

Ela Fidalgo Angela Gรณmez Durรกn

Ty Nathan Clark Hunter Gaylor

William Osorio Ajarb Bernard Ategwa

Donnalynn Patakos Editor in Chief

TABLE OF CONTENTS

FEATURES Editor's Note

03

Ajarb Bernard

05

Angela Gรณmez Durรกn

11

Carla Kranendonk

19

Reid Stowe Contributed by: Gregory de la Haba 44

Robert Szot

54

Al Diaz

61

William Osorio

68

Hunter Gaylor

Ela Fidalgo

27

Ty Nathan Clark

35

73

4

AJARB BERNARD ATEGWA

Written by Donnalynn Patakos

All photos courtesy of :Peres Projects

AGO PROJECTS/ CARPENTERS WORKSHOP GALLERY/ CONVERSO/ CRISTINA GRAJA L ES G A LL E RY/ D I D I E R LT D/ E R AST U D I O A PA RT M E N T– G A LL E RY/ ERIK THOMSEN G A LLE RY/ F R I E DM A N B E N DA / F U N CT I O N A L A RT G A LL ERY/ THE FUTURE PER F ECT/ G A L E R I E K R EO/ GA L E R I E PAT R I CK S EG U I N / GALERIE PHILIPP E G R AV I E R / G A L E R I E S C È N E O U V E RT E / G A L E R I E V I V I D/ GALLERIA ANTONE LLA V I LLA N OVA / GA LLE RY A LL / H O ST L ER BU R R OW S / JASON JACQUES GALLERY/ JOHN KEITH RUSSELL/ LEBRETON/ MAGEN H GALLERY/ M E R CA D O M O D E R N O/ M O D E R N E G A LL E RY/ O R N A M E N T U M / PIERRE MARIE GI R AU D/ R & C O M PA N Y/ SA LO N 9 4 D ES I G N / S I D E G A LL E RY/ SOK YO GALLERY/ SOU T H E R N GU I L D/ T I LE B LU S H / TO D D M E R R I LL ST U D I O/

Triple Lamp/ Deon Rubi, 2019/ Courtesy of Tile Blush, Photography by OOAI

DECEMB E R 4– 8, 2019 THE GLO BAL FO R UM FOR DES IGN

Some people may search for an emoji or meme to express a mood, Miami based artist Ángela Gómez Durán gets to work.

This sultry Spaniard works when she is having a profound moment. It is a way of ironing out her feelings. You often hear you know a good artist by how they draw the human hand. Hands are incorporated in many of her works. She somehow can draw a hand, as if it could smile, or frown. As if it had facial expression, emanating their feelings somehow off of the paper. They can be dangling a string on a heart, or cradling a body, or can even be exposed at times.

Make no bones about it, Angie likes a bit of shock in her work as well. The unexpected can come into play. She will expose the skeletal part of her subjects, and there are no limitations. She'll present Minnie, Ariel, even Ernie's skeleton. When you ask her why she says she loves to see the reaction it provokes in people. The raw feeling of being exposed is enlightening to her as an artist.

Reaching a step further into what is more than skin deep, exposing what is inside of us all that we maybe aren't comfortable with — the deep part of all of us.

It looks cool too. Angie also has a playful side of her works, like, Bad Popey, with Grillz and a studded pipe and gold chains, or her rendition of stormtroopers.

Born in Santandar Spain, she tends to enjoy painting or sketching on top of 1800's Spanish newspaper and signifying a history of where she was born, omnipresent in the background, that represents an essential piece of her life. She is bringing facts and places from a faraway place and connecting her (well known and sold), drawn iconic images from our childhood with modern-day technological devices. Such as Yoda with a selfie stick, or Fred Flintstone with a new Instagram follower. There's humor in some works, showing wit and in other paintings, hearts can be exposed. There is one of a woman lying on the ground nude with a sea of blue flowing hair ships are sailing on.

(Mother Earth never looked so good.)

Showing flexibility of her talent and confidence in her approach as she doesn't stick to one particular genre, or topic. She paints love, laughter, lust, and sometimes longing and like a well-played violin; occasionally, her paintings seem to sing.

When you paint or draw, what are you trying to express with the skeletal portions of some of your paintings?

What inspired you to draw on 1800's Spanish newspaper?

Tell me about your mural in Wynwood.

How was that experience for you?

When is your favorite time to create?

What else do you do?

Where have you shown your work?

ngela likes to create a comfort and shock at the same time bringing the unexpected into play.

THE COLORFUL CANVAS OF CARLA KRANENDONK

Written by: Donnalynn Patakos Photo courtesy of Carla Kranendonk

NEW YORK CITY Prepossessingly perched atop the Reception in the Whitby Hotel in New York City; two women are seated beside each other, clutching their beautifully embellished purses. You wonder what they may be chatting about as they seem to gaze just past you. Shrouded in brightly colored clothing and one in a headdress, they breathe oxygen into the senses with their vibrant, lady-like prose amidst the patrons coming and going, and one cannot help but ask, "Who did that??"That's exactly how it happened. I'm sure it happens all day long. The hotel employee obliged me and wrote the artist's name down because it was hard to catch it the first time they said it. My friend Ilene, (who has a great eye) walked me over to the hotel to see the art after she had a meeting there earlier in the day. If you haven't been, the Whitby is a lovely boutique hotel next to Central Park and is exceptionally pleasant for tea. The design is unique, and the rooms and decor are very well-appointed.

Written by:Donnalynn PatakosÂ

Lobby in the Whitby Hotel : Photo courtesy of Kit Kemp of Firmdale Hotels

ALL THE LOVERS

Photo credit: Tatiana Chausovsky

Photo courtesy of : Ela Fidalgo

Photo credit: Tatiana Chausovsky

COUTURE AND CANVAS

ALL THE LOVERS

Photo credit: Tatiana Chausovsky

Powerful Female Presence

"Great things happen in small places because of the need to survive. "

"Imagination is like magic to me."

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Ty Nathan Clark

THROWS AN "ENGAGEMENT" PARTY FOR EVERYONE

Written by Donnalynn Patakos Photos courtesy of :Ty Nathan Clark

"I find that miracles often come to fruition within the routine"

Imagine sustaining yourself on mung bean

At the same time, elevating your consciousness

sprouts and fish while at sea for over three

for when the sky does finally break and you're

years on a 70’ sailboat hewn with your own

reminded undoubtedly there is nothing but

hands. You take it upon yourself to simulate a

'water, water everywhere' surrounding you for

mission

better

days on end and you know full well that without

comprehend the physiological effects of not

this deep belief in a higher deity and the ritual of

touching land for such a great extent of time.

meditation you'd be sailing into the abyss of

Imagine meditating to the Green Goddess for

insanity. Imagine having your portrait painted by

protection because while at sea, with no land

Basquiat in St. Bart’s in 1985. That’s where you

in sight, solo, headed on a fast path to

both first met and he loved your island studio

enlightenment because out there there’s no

and wanted to paint you and he—in his 'radiant'

room for mistakes. You prove to yourself

gratitude for sharing your paints and studio—

over-and-over again how Tantric Buddhism's

gives you the portrait in return. Imagine during

mantras and spiritual practices that you've

this same time when St. Bart’s was home and

trained and disciplined in for years are now

loading-up your sailboat with tons (literally) of

not only serving and protecting your body,

marijuana headed for America was as casual

speech, and mind heroically well during

and ordinary as surf sessions with Julian

storms

Schnabel; because drug-running, like surfing, is

to

in

Mars

in

pitch-black

order

to

darkness

but

purposefully keeping you alive and steady.

is

what you did when not painting or sailing.

The downside of this balancing act was getting

hand, yours, and where the vibrations of the sea still

caught with bushels of fresh Colombian herb packed

hum in the very weathered stitching, sails, cleats, and

to the gills in your ship's hull in the mid 90's and then

ropes—all props in which to make art—from your

having to sell your Basquiat painting to Tony

epic journey around the world and back and because

Shafrazzi's cousin to pay your lawyer who happened

as a mystic—yes, you are one—there is no other way

to be strolling down a NYC street with your friend

to paint “the universe and everything in it.” Imagine

Anthony Haden-Guest when you called him for help

for a moment being on a truly epic adventure, over

from jail. Imagine spending 20 or 30 years on a single

one-thousand days at sea, the longest sea voyage in

painting done on sails that were stitched together by

history, and painting to live about it.

Welcome to the fantastical world of American artist and sailor extraordinaire, Reid Stowe (b.

January 6, 1952), an ingenious gentleman for whom the sea is his Absinthe. 'A life at sea', says Reid, 'invites absorption and meditation lending unlimited scope to the imagination.' Mr. Reid views sailing, especially his many longdays-alone-at-sea as high-performance art visà-vis spiritual and physical enlightenment.

For him, the physical act of being and making art is as sacred and as profound as the depths of the sea itself. The global journeys aboard his ship Anne where much of the art-making process begins and is sorted out becomes, therefore, not just a means to an end but a conduit to a means. A way to achieve higher consciousness in an environment burdened with constant fear (being capsized, getting sick or hurt which can lead to death) in order to allow those situations—coupled with absolute isolation —to foster the imagination to run wild and open up like a Lambo on a deserted highway.

Think tribal rituals before sacrificial offerings. It is indeed the ultimate opportunity to delve into the subconscious and, perhaps, into an even deeper place where God is revealed. With an average of thirty-one thousand waves a day (yes, he counted) rocking Mr. Reid's boat back and forth, up and down, and at times, over and under, a little touch of divinity can go a long way. Sailing for Reid isn't about traveling from point A to point B. It's about shining a light on man's maximum capabilities, unraveling and testing his almighty potential—a means to achieve sublime heights of enlightenment, spirituality, and clarity which can then be channeled into the process of creation and, hopefully, as the ultimate end result, revealed so that others are illuminated to the sanctity of life and the divine.

For Mr. Stowe, art is an elixir meant to alleviate earthly pains and elevate spiritual awareness.

William Reid Stowe grew up sailing along the Eastern seaboard from his home in Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina. He enjoyed building his own boats and by his mid 20's sailed both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. He sailed to Antarctic in 1986 and in1999 completed a 194-day journey without touching land on an expedition called "The Odyssey of the Sea Turtle".

Here, Reid would take conceptual art to new heights and be the first to use GPS as a drawing tool after charting a 5,500 mile circumference in the South Atlantic sea in the shape of an enormous sea turtle, a gesture to Aesop’s fable, “The Tortoise and the Hare” and Reid's reminder to take it slowly but surely in this short life instead of rashly and quickly. "Possibly the largest artwork ever created", says the now 67-years-young artist. But all of this was mere practice and planning for a quixotic journey he began concocting as a young man back on his small, 26-foot catamaran: to venture on what would be billed as the longest continuous sea voyage in the history of mankind without resupply or stepping on land. By 1997, Reid was promoting this insanely epic idea as 1000 Days at Sea: The Mars Ocean Odyssey. He had postulated in a paper titled One Thousand Days Non-Stop at Sea—Lessons for a Mission to Mars, co-authored with writer Albert A. Harrison, that the conditions of confinement and isolation experienced during extended sea voyages would mimic to some degree those any astronaut would experience for a Mars voyage.

In essence, Reid was trying to alert the Science community that he was the ideal type of specimen (in body, mind and spirit) that would make for the perfect astronaut to endure such a harrowing and long trip to a planet 140 million miles away and that would require at a minimum 150-300 days to complete. Many thought Mr. Stowe nuts. Even the famed Naval Officer and deep-sea explorer, Robert Ballard, who discovered the Titanic thought Reid's ocean journey an impossible dream.

But on April 21, 2007, from the 12th St. Pier in Hoboken, New Jersey, Reid Stowe, with a hull now packed with sprouts, water, dried goods and even pasta, tomato sauce and olive oils provided by his friends at Cipriani's, embarked on his quest that would last a resounding 1,152 days and take him thousands of nautical miles around the globe before returning safely, and sanely, to the Hudson River on June 17th, 2010.

REID STOWE A small and fascinating antidote to this story is that Reid's Dulcinea, Soanya Ahmad, accompanied him on the first 306 days of the journey but had to disembark due to—what was later discovered to be—morning sickness. Members of the Royal Perth Yacht Club, including yachtsman, Jon Sanders, a previous record holder for longest time solo at sea, assisted in bringing Ms. Ahmad back to terra firma while Reid continued on his mission, alone. In July 2008, with Reid still out at sea, Soanya gave birth to their son, Darshen whom Reid would see for the first time as a two-year-old on his eventual and triumphant return. Many in the sailing community who had followed his progress online thought Mr. Reid selfish and lambasted his decision to carry on while his wife was carrying child. In truth, Reid's life as an artist in search of his destiny is reminiscent of Siddhārtha Gautama's epic trials and tribulations away from his wife and son for six years before awakening and returning home to them with full Buddha status. Or when soldiers deploy into the enemy fire for eighteen months as their little ones are learning to walk and talk without them. Reid's journey was tantamount to the landing on the moon. And his determination to follow through regardless of setbacks and or unforeseen circumstances (rogue waves turning over the boat, torn sails in need of emergency stitching, de-salinization machine breaking down, running out of fresh water, getting sideswiped by a cargo ship, losing the ability to navigate against the wind, or when the First Mate abandons ship to give birth), begs anyone searching on their own path to ask: How bad do we really want the thing we set our sights on? How much are we willing to endure to turn a crazy idea into reality?

At the Paul Calendrillo Gallery in Chelsea, New York, where Mr. Stowe's large-scale paintings were on display this past October, it was apparent to this writer that there was something special going on within the framework of the draped sails hanging about the gallery's walls. Maybe it was the different dirt, soils, and wood chips he utilized in his work, earthly elements that he brought along on his journey and collected during all his previous years traveling (like orange dirt from Morocco) so he could smell them, touch them, and pour over his feet to keep his physiology in tune with the earth during the constant motions of the sea and that gave the paintings an alchemic element that— during opening night—drew the visitors near and, gasp, compelled many to touch the art. Maybe it's Reid's subtle use of black and white Op art meandering through colorful compositions that lend them an air of a long-lost blueprint, or a treasure map, to some magical destination than mere, unnavigable abstractions. Reid had stated that he's "empowered by past sailors, visions of Odysseus" and he sees himself as "the most ancient man" constantly aware of "attracting the positive vibes and spirits of the sea" because "the sea is death for humans." With Whale Tooth Sailor, a nine by eleven foot painting on an antique sail from the famed, hundred year old, fourmasted barque Peking (salvaged from the dustbins of history), Reid Stowe captures the prowess of his vision and the gravitas of his beliefs.

Reid Stowe explaining the painting Whale Truth Sailor to Gregory dela Haba

Impressive and awe-inspiring like

—To boldly go where no man

Get close to the work and you

the giant Moai stone sculptures

has gone before—

might hear wind hitting off the sail

found on Easter Island, Whale

Reid's small ship is a metaphor,

or reggae legend Peter Tosh

Tooth

a

perhaps, for a journey set to begin

singing:

alien-

for anyone willing to go the

Sailor

massive

consists

totemic

and

of

looking structure planted firmly at

distance into the unknown.

"Man of the past

center on the hand-woven, cotton

There is nothing foreboding about

And I'm livin' the present

cloth sail. Around it the artist

this journey, oddly, it appears

And I'm walking in the future

glued painted imagery of whale

familiar in its primitiveness, its

I'm just a mystic manGot to be

teeth, each approximately six

primordial aspect comforts us and

a mystic man"

inches in length, that lead the eye around and through the picture plane. A bright life-vest-orange sailing vessel, more makeshift raft than custom sailboat, is juxtaposed at its base and at a fraction of its size. As if to highlight the great odds against

the

weathered,

hand-stiched

weaves, again, make us want to

Whale Tooth Sailor is where

feel the work as much as we're

you'll feel hundreds of years of

obliged

Reid's

picture-making journeying across

paintings are masterfully tactile

the globe on the high seas and

and that human element allows for

coming into a new modern port

us a moment to ponder the origins

where

of man, our common ancestry,

paintings are empowered with

to

look

at

it.

Reid's

words,

"the

and from whence we all came, the

man and the universe, like the

the magic of the voyage", should

sea. This is a work symbolic of

be taken for face value. He's a

Starship

man's place in the world, small yet

mystic man.

Enterprise

zooming

light-years into the infinite galaxy

with infinite potential.

~ Gregory de la Haba

I met Robert Szot in New York City recently. I brought a friend with me, who I had shown his work. She, being an art advisor, thought his paintings are fantastic like I do.

We all know on a screen, art can be perceived quite differently than in real life. I was not prepared for how much more I was going to be taken with Rob's work, considering I liked it so much to start.

Each painting he would present thoughtfully, hanging one after the next as I would ask to see, and with each one, it just seemed to get better and better.

He, on the other hand, was quite humble about it all and promised me he wouldn't get a big head. So, let me delineate for a moment on his beautiful work.

The Anita Rogers Gallery is a splendid space. Light floods in, and as your heels create an echo between the wood floor and high ceilings; it hushes your tone as you begin appreciating what is displayed before you on the walls.

Somehow, the balance of the colors Robert presents in his works group to form a robust familial association.

There is a caprice to the story he unfolds on a canvas. It is considerate.

His paintings are striking, cradling complexion, and embody a gregarious nature, much like Robert himself. They seem to change moods, splendidly harmonizing within the environment elaborately put together.

Just getting his rhythm and rhyme of his craft, he shares with us what he has learned and how his art is evolving.

Are you emotionally exhausted after feeling like you have worked it all out?

RS- Just the opposite actually. I get quite charged up when I feel like a painting

has

reached

a

suitable

conclusion. So much tension gets bottled up during the process that finishing a work is a great relief, a euphoric feeling that compels me into the next project. I definitely feel it at the end of the work day though, no question I wear myself out.

When do you know concluded a painting?

you

have

RS- This is a real problem for me because I can’t say for sure if a painting is ever really finished. I think I know WHY I feel like that. I have always liked the idea that my paintings could communicate who I am to people who maybe never even had a conversation with me. So I think as I change, the ideas of my work change also. The result is a painting that can never feel finished to Photos courtesy of: Robert Szot

me because I am not the same person I was when I made it and my instinct is to want to change it, update it.

Are the colors chosen ahead, and if they are, are these like the "notes" dictating the direction, or is it an in the moment decision?

RS- All of my paints are thrown on a big table in the studio. It’s not that I just dip my hand in the pile and pull something out but I certainly don’t go into a project thinking ‘this is going to be a red painting or a blue painting’. I like to look for pleasing relationships in a composition and will choose a color that either compliments those relationships or challenges them. The most compelling force in my life is the fear of being boring.

If it’s boring to me I change it and conflict, or the perception of conflict, is rarely boring.

Who supported you most during your early years?

RS- My family, my two brothers especially. The early years are difficult because you likely have no gallery to help you navigate your career, I certainly didn’t.

I’ve always been the slightly odd one in my family and they have been supportive of my quirks. It’s immensely comforting.

Nowadays it’s my partner Kari (who also lives in NYC). She is independent and brilliant and I lean on her knowledge and experience quite a lot.

When did you begin to paint, do you remember the very first canvas you painted?

RS- I began painting in earnest when I was 23 years old. I had just returned from a trip to Florence, Italy and during that trip I had encountered the work of Egon Schiele for the first time. I remember thinking that here was a person who seemed to be able to express so much emotion with what I perceived to be a very small vocabulary. Frankly I could not wrap my head around it. How could a single line or a seemingly simple application of gouache say such tremendous things? How could something talk about ecstasy and pain and beauty and yet feel so effortless? So my first canvases were my attempts to understand what I had seen mostly through replicating, quite poorly of course, Schiele’s most famous works.

What led to the next?

RS- I think the next real step was during my birthday that same year when I received a book on the work of Mark Rothko as a present from a friend. Once again I was faced with the same dilemma as when confronted with Schiele but this time it was an artist using an even more economic language. I became fascinated with abstraction and determined that was the direction I was going to take my paintings. So for the next year I essentially made bad copies of Mark Rothko paintings.

Mind you I never tried to pass any of these paintings off as my own. I didn’t pursue exhibition opportunities or try to sell this work.

I was exploring, and that I had time in a studio to search out my answers was enough for me during this period. It’s odd thinking about those early days and looking at my work now, which I see as being overly complex at times.

Considering the genesis of my interest in painting came out of the drama I felt viewing what looked like simple application of color and line, I feel miles away from it when I am working. I’m still in love with those artists and they both show up in the corners and cracks if you look hard enough at one of my paintings.

How do you defrag after a good paint session?

RS-I have this stray cat that comes and goes in my backyard. She is really overweight so I think she shows up to eat a second dinner with me.

She’s noisy and a bit insistent but I like having her visit.

PAGE 49

"The most compelling force in my life is the fear of being boring."

When did you know you had real talent?

RS- I don’t trust that kind of sentiment really. I don’t look at my work in terms of being ‘good’ or ‘bad’ or myself as having ‘talent’. I recently had a discussion with a visitor at my latest exhibition and we were talking about the difficulties of continuing to work in the face of adversity. She was telling me about an artist she knew that had recently quit painting because he felt his work wasn’t fitting in with what the art buying public was interested in. I protested, of course. I told her that I felt an artist would never give up their practice because the motivation to create isn’t about public consumption, but rather an artist makes art because it HAS to be made regardless of circumstance or obstacle. So you see it isn’t about me at all, or if I have talent or an eye for color and composition. I paint because I feel I have to. It’s a compulsion more than anything. These paintings are questions and their results are answers and like all unanswered questions they haunt me if I ignore them.

I enjoy the act of discovery and can’t imagine having someone, a teacher for example, looking over my shoulder telling me I was doing something wrong.

Even if I was doing something wrong’, I would rather discover that fact for myself, and instead of correcting the error. I want the opportunity to make the error useful to the work. Errors are often the most interesting parts of a painting’s composition if you are able to take advantage of them. I don’t know what they can teach you in art school outside of material usage.

I’m sure the sense of community is useful to some people but that setting was never for me.

Like touching a hot stove, the most lasting lessons are the ones you teach yourself.

Tell me about your internal dialogue as you create, frustrate, and then conclude (from what I have gotten researching you and your process)... In the end, is it a small victory/ relief for you?

RS- I am not an ‘idea’ painter.

What I mean is: I avoid putting any messages or preconceived notions into my work. The result of this approach to painting is not having any real place to start and very little direction as the work moves forward. My internal dialogue normally kicks in when I’ve successfully covered an entire canvas in paint and I can start solving the compositional problems I had just created. I’m not very forgiving when it comes to self-criticism. Even when a work is finished I often kick myself for one thing or another.

I’m especially difficult on myself when I am in process and I run into a problem I know I have faced before in 50 other paintings but for some reason I can’t remember how I solved it in past works.

Tell me about how your work reflects NY and how living in NY has reflected on your work?

"This city is like a quiet voice in the room that informs all of my work and I am not convinced my work would be the same without its influence." Robert Szot

I moved to New York City because I wanted to have a shared experience with the painters that spend their formative years here, painters I love but never had the opportunity to meet. It was important to me to have access to a place they effortlessly incorporated into the work they made. So that’s why I came. I stay here because I feel I am at a point in my career where I can add back to New York City, just as these other painters did before me. This city is like a quiet voice in the room that informs all of my work and I am not convinced my work would be the same without its influence. It is difficult to explain but if you’ve ever tried to do something important in a place like this you know what I am talking about.

Having no formal training in art, how do you think this has benefitted you and your work?

RS-Maybe it has something to do with the fact these are all singularities and, as such, all have problems and solutions individual to themselves. I don’t know, but this frustration often leads me to do things like putting the painting in jeopardy by intentionally making a very counter-intuitive move. Some damn black line cutting the canvas in half or some such nonsense. I’m now forced to deal with this damage and the result, if everything goes as planned, is a much more interesting direction for the work. My little battles give a painting real velocity and a bit of mystery.

This goes on, in that order, until I feel like a conclusion is reached. It’s a big victory for me and for a few moments I do celebrate. I’m uncomfortable staying in that celebratory mindset for too long and will often move on to the next work before I pat myself on the back so hard I fall over.

ROBERT SZOT

If you lined up all of your works together, is there a common theme or thread that says, "That is a Szot for sure!"?

RS-I think so. All of my editing, all of my scrubbing and re-layering, these are all very distinct physical elements. I want all the work to do the same thing. I want it unfold over time for the viewer and to tell its story slowly and deliberately. I want that story to always be interesting. Perhaps that is a quality people will come to recognize in my work.

AL DIAZ

Conveying contemplation since 1978

BY DONNALYNN PATAKOS PHOTOS BY DONNALYNN PATAKOS

Every alley, door, and wall in NY has its own secret story. Every piece of concrete has its enumerating legend. Whether you are in the subway or the street, you can walk in the lower east side and still feel it's palpable memoirs. Though time has passed, the roads may be cleaner, and most of the buildings replaced or revamped; there is a vibe that, in many ways, has stayed the same. If only the walls could only talk. In this case, this is the point exactly. What if the walls that would silently scream in satire for inclusion, hope, question authority? State a sentiment and leave it to one's thoughts to deliberate with autonomy?

What was on the public spaces and walls in the 1970s may not be there now, but what was transcribed then on the grime and the piled

up concrete and dirty facade around campuses bears just as much a truth today as it did then. Paradigm shifts and cleanups do not white-out a need for a reinstitution of unwavering urgency that was written on the walls so many years ago to be imparted on us once again. In Italian, the word graffiti means a little scratch. "SAMO©" made a big dent in the late 1970s. Samo© has gone down in the books as probably the most recognizable graffiti writings across the board. If you lived in NY in the '70s and early 80's you saw it. SAMO© (insert thought) such as "SAMO© as a conglomerate of dormant geniuses," It's one of those things in life, you know when you know.. But do you know?

When Al Diaz was a young boy in the '60s, he lived in the lower east side with his parents, who migrated from Puerto Rico to the most densely populated neighborhood in the US at the time. Al would often visit family in Washington Heights. The kids there were different; they dressed and acted differently than where he came from, they were "cooler" according to Diaz. Al was drawn to it and picked up graffiti writing from the kids there. Back then, these kids he, and about four other boys (all-around 11 or 12) would write their graffiti names around the city. It wasn't a political statement, and it was more for showing off to each other than anyone else, and tagging your name in public places was a way to be known. At an age where one was seeking an identity, they all had unique handles, (street code names). For them, it was cool to see your name on a subway car, or wall. Al's handle was Bomb 1. Affectionately given to him after he pushed a kid in the bushes. His reactionary explosiveness during tense times earned him his name.

Removed from public school for truancy, Al was placed in the City as School High school, an alternative school, founded by Fred Koury and Rick Safran, where he met Jean Michel Basquiat. The school is unique in its approach to teaching. It was immersive, and the kids would go on field trips to learn. According to Al, most kids in public school learn about Picasso's Guernica from a book. The City as High school kids would be taken to a museum and learn about Guernica, standing in front of Picasso's actual painting, Guernica.

Al, Basquiat and some other students started a school paper they named the "Basement Blues Press." The Spring 1977 issue included an article written by Basquiat about an idealistic fictitious religion referred to as SAMO© . There is a dialogue in the story between Harry Sneed and Quasimodo Jones – as they eat at the Papaya King, Harry has a proclivity for a "modern and stylish" enlightenment. Quasimodo enamors Sneed the idea of "SAMO© ," "a guilt-free religion." Al and Jean Michel used to go over to a friend's house in Greenwich Village, where her parents would smoke pot with them.

The conversation was monotonous, but the pot was free, so they endured. "Do you want to go do the SAMO0L , SAMO-OL ?" They were young, they were looking for a voice, and SAMO© was their political statement and a way to bring up a thought, a notion, a passive, silent suggestion or innuendo that would hopefully make one think. Think about conformity, or about things that were going on. Al gives credit to the Graffiti writer Flint for the ellipsis (…) on the walls.

Graffiti being illegal, Al and Jean Michel would go into Ninja mode disappearing into crowds and wrote mostly on walls, not so much in subways, stealthily putting the messages for the world to ponder virtually unnoticed. It was about the words, and not them, and soon, people were questioning, Who is SAMO© ? Let's be clear; SAMO© was a two-person endeavor comprised of Al Diaz and Jean Michel Basquiat.

Basquiat, trying to make his way in with the "in crowd" at the time, came out and revealed he was SAMO©. I'm not saying he never mentioned Al, he did, but let's say, he went on television announcing himself as SAMO©. Perhaps it was that party hosted by Keith Haring, holding a wake for SAMO© at Club 57, as well as Basquiat's written proclamation "SAMO© is Dead" around the city, was where a line might have been drawn. Al was not plugged in on the passing of SAMO©. It was a case for contention between the two. Basquiat even signed his early artwork as SAMO©. Al was not happy with the way Basquiat handled it.

They had a falling out over it. Al was into music at the time but didn't bolster his career by shouting he was SAMO© and releasing an album with the name.

One finds themselves silently rooting for Al, once you know.

So, now, you know...

AL DIAZ The political climate has changed (let’s not even get started there), but there is true NYC Grit and it lives in Al Diaz, a legend in the Graffiti writing culture.He is as much a part of NY, and it's evolution than anyone I know. He's been there, witnessing the changes and watching them come and go.

He is left standing, and now communicating once more, with a limited, self conceived alphabet of 23 letters inspired by a wet paint tape he found and began to cut out the letters and then added familial subway signs.It is an art in and of itself trying to create messages and Al likes the challenge. He is once again using cryptic messages to wake the public. Al, who has re-emerged, wiser, more cogent even with his limited alphabet, he is able to make one think.

When you speak to Al, you begin to realize his brain is astute and inspirational. He published a book in 2017, "SAMO© ...SINCE 1978." He has with reverence, kept pure to the intention of SAMO©. It makes you think about how much time has passed when you realize artists that passed would probably not even understand modern examples of SAMO©, such as.. "SAMO© For the busy person trying to stay ahead, posting pictures of their food, where they've been and what was said." When I saw him, he showed me that he had received a citation of praise from the Mayor of New York for his work and a week or two later, a warning from the city of New York for graffiti. That says it all, revealing the need for Al Diaz to prevail, with the energy, the reverence, the generosity of consciousness, and sentiment. The masses walk by it; they may glance or read it, perhaps trying to figure out the symbols. The ones that get it, get it, and then there are those who aren't getting it, and that is also the whole point; we live our lives hearing clear messages all the time, and keep walking, and we just don't get the writing on the wall, it's so damn poignant, and by the way, that is the point — a quip on conformity itself. So, now, if you know, you know, or maybe you don't… Long live Bomb 1.

Written by: Donnalynn Patakos

William, with Harriet Tubman "The Illusionary Depth of Mirrors"

William Osorio

Photos courtesy of: LNS Gallery

Sassy

"The way the paint dries makes a reference to the way we age."

TALKING PLANES, PLANTS AND POLITICS WITH

WRITTEN BY DONNALYNN PATAKOS

Talking Planes, Plants and Politics with

Hunter Gaylor

Spending some time with businessman and author, Hunter Gaylor, will compel you to ponder on another plane. (pun, absolutely intended) At 29 years old, Hunter is perspicacious and understands how small details make a profound impact on a successful venture. He embodies a strong sense of wherewithal, intuition, and vigor.To say Hunter operates a private aviation company would be a broad statement. He does much more. What he is accomplishing, makes one reflect the minutes in a day, mental mindset, and possibilities. In college, Harvard educated, he started a series of technological companies, one of which called “Howler” competed with Groupon. He has worked for the Greek Consulate, embassies, and government entities at the Prime Minister level. As he says, “Aviation makes the world a smaller place.” In this vein, he looks at the world in reverse, realizing that a better world starts with a better you. His intent is helping others get to where they want to go, and as one develops a path of success, it, in turn, drives positivity into society.

I met Hunter through a great friend Cheryl Moody, a branding expert who also works with the private travel industry. She highly recommended Hunter. Once, I had a client who needed to know if an offered plane in a deal was of suitable value, and another time a friend of mine required a person to help him get the most ROI out of his private planes.

One thing Hunter can do is rent out planes for video shoots, or other creative purposes when not in the air. I called Hunter, and he answered right away and got on the phone with the clients when needed. He was present and insightful. It left an impression on me as an entrepreneur and left me wanting to recommend him to everyone who needed this sort of advice and service. When I heard he wrote a book, I wanted to talk about it. I feel like what he can impart, can navigate people into a spirit of bettering themselves, resulting in more significant results in their lives He is humble enough to admit it hasn’t always been a home run. He acknowledges that you have to be open and honest and that you aren’t going to impress everyone; it’s overcoming these trials and tribulations that empower oneself with the right mindset. He is open to learning from every circumstance. He has one resounding piece of advice, when people ask him how he does it all, “You wake up, and you work!”

Every day you get up, every day you hustle, and one day it will happen.”I spoke to him recently about his new book, Planes, Plants, and Politics and what he is working on now.

How did you take something you were zealous about and make it a business? What was your first step?

HG- Zealous is a pretty strong word, but customer service and attention to detail are critical, and when you do not get those two things right your whole business will be affected. This rings very true for the aviation, travel and hospitality industries. The first step was to just start solving the problem one step at a time. When I consult with family offices all around the world on there various holding and business investments, I always ask the question are those brands offering superior customer service. If they are it is probably a good investment.

We all know there are hiccups in business, what does your inside voice say that keeps you on target and focused, no matter the circumstance?

HG- Just focus on the customer. No matter what, focus on the customer and give them the best experience possible.

What part of being true to you, has an impact on intuition and circumstances in the end game?

HG- People want to deal with people that have Integrity. I was raised to be forthright and honest, even if it meant being less profitable.

Having this reputation within the industry changes how far you can go in the end game.

“As leaders, we are never responsible for filling anyone else's cup. Our responsibility is to empty ours.” being true to yourself in knowing who you are. The end game for me isn't really about creating famous brands, but rather creating effective ones. If we are effective in industry that is when we will have the greatest impact.

Talking Planes, Plants and Politics with

Hunter Gaylor

How do you balance and manage expectations on getting things done when you are dealing with different cultures and time zones?

HG- Fortunately, I have a great assistant and a great timepiece. Knowing my travel schedule in advance and the expected deliverables for all my projects allows me to always know what needs to be done and when it needs to be done by. Dealing all around the world I have to work with different people with different beliefs and different motivations. This can be difficult to handle at times. I always encourage people to come together around the table or (Skype) and work to our common goal. You see our beliefs affect our attitude and if we can believe in cooperation we will always get the deal done.

How do you better yourself regularly?

HG- Meditation and exercise. I find that taking time each day to have moments of quiet and reflection, which can be hard at times, helps me recenter what my priorities are. Building and designing an Airline is no small task.

Writing a book is no small task. Launching beverage brands is no small task. But every day, by taking the time to reflect on the WHY we are able to move closer to better ourselves by bettering others. I have a saying I always try to impart to my colleges in the aviation industry. “We are ladies and gentlemen flying ladies and gentlemen.”

Who is it Planes, Plants, and Politics written for?

HG- Planes, Plants, and Politics is written for both the aspiring businessman and the seasoned entrepreneur who wants to take their business success to greater heights.

What was the catalyst in the writing of the book, and what is the message you are imparting?

HG-When my co-author, Joseph Del Prete, and I sat down to write Planes Planets and Politics we wanted to focus on the fundamental traits needed for business success regardless of the industry that the individual works in. Throughout our life experience, we’ve encountered numerous individuals that lack the fundamentals to properly succeed in a business environment, despite otherwise being great people in other areas of life. We hope the readers will gain insight into the aviation industry, the agricultural industry, domestic politics and beyond. An individual’s business is the reflection of its operator, which is explored in the cross-industry parallels and lessons expounded upon in the book.

Tell me about Hunter Airways?

HG- The airline we discussed all first/ business class? (If I remember the name correctly.) I have always been and entrepreneur and believe in Going Big…so why not start and Airline. Hunter Airways (Great Name!!) is simple, and our goal is simple. Upgrade the Flying Experience. Hunter Airways’ goal is to always provide the best value proposition in the market: To truly be ladies and gentlemen flying ladies and gentlemen. The absolute highest levels of excellence in private travel, service, and comfort.There was a time when first class air travel in the United States was the standard in the industry, synonymous with luxury and the finest customer service money could buy. That deteriorated over the years as airlines increased seats and decreased amenities in an effort to reduce costs. The only true area of luxury in the air that a consumer can find is flying private.

We hope to try and move the needle in the industry by working with various stakeholders in upgrading the flight experience globally.

What are the top three benefits of private air travel.

HG- Time, Security, and Convenience...I always look at things from a business perspective. Time and opportunity cost. The majority of my clients are High Net Worth Individuals which means it’s not exclusively about the luxury of flying private but rather the ability to save time so they can get from point A to point B efficiently and still make it home to their families for dinner.

How can you help someone with their private jet experience, and how can they get in touch with you?

HG- Whether it is buying or selling, charting or leasing I am here to help guide our clients through the process. Having the pleasure of working and learning with Mr. Foulkrod at Avjet Global Sales we are really able to focus on the client and their mission profile. You can always contact me at HunterGaylor.com or AvjetGlobal.com or follow me on Instagram @HunterSGaylor How do you think small details enhance the big picture?

HG- They say don’t sweat the small stuff, but in my world the small details are everything. By giving great attention to detail we are able to enhance the bigger picture. In the art world a simple brush stroke on the canvas can affect the entire picture, and in turn change how someone sees something. I always try and put myself in the mindset of a formula one driver. They have 25 buttons on their steering wheel and one small button can affect the entire race. What button will you press

"They say don’t sweat the small stuff, but in my world, the small details are everything!"

How do you prioritize your goals?

HG- First I always write things down. Even though we live in a digitally connected age I always find that writing something down helps me focus on my goals.

I always prioritize my goals first by knowing when something needs to be done and who it needs to be done for.

What are you passionate about in your own growth professionally speaking?

HG- Continually making a larger impact on industry by developing my unique expertise and perspective to empower the right teams to solve real problems. I am very passionate about global business and connecting different cultures. Perhaps that is why I enjoy art so much. Building global coalitions that bring about large economic opportunities is something I am very passionate about. I look to be hopefully running very large corporations as my professional journey continues.

IIs private aviation more in people's reach than they think?

HG- Yes, to a point. The industry is always evolving with technology and innovation to bring flying closer to everyone and you see this with companies like UBER elevate and Jetsmarter, however, private aviation still remains a luxury industry with price points that target the affluent. In the years to come, we feel Hunter Airways will succeed in blending the luxury aspects of private aviation with the shared cost affordability offered by commercial jet travel.

BRAND-MARKET-IDEATE C H E R Y L M O O D Y , 7 1 3 . 8 2 5 . 4 1 0 0 C M O O D Y B R A N D I N G . C O M