"Klee and I are still at it," wrote Rafi Perez. The two artists have been showing an extensive collection of their work in Oil City's Graffiti gallery in August, but with no one filling in the September slot they asked to stay for another month to put on even more events and continue showing off their work..

"We have taken over Graffiti Gallery and we are not ready to let it go! That’s right! We are extending our show through September in Oil City."

Their work includes paintings, jewelry, sculptures, books, music, and more.

They welcome discussions with "creatives and forward thinkers" at all times.

"Come hang out and talk about life, listen to music, look at some art, and have a blast. The show runs through the month of September on Fridays from 4-7 and Saturdays from 11am-2pm. The gallery will also be open for private appointments, contact Rafi and Klee to schedule your private tour.

Below is a snippet from one of their original songs earlier in August.

To see when they are singing or cracking open a bottle of wine this month visit: https://rafiandklee.com/hi-were-still-here-you-cant-get-rid-of-us/

Here is the Eight & 322 post from August to learn more about these artist's and show.
​http://www.8and322.com/arts/new-kids-on-the-block

I did not know in 1997 that the body of work I completed for my grad school thesis was actually about 2022.

This drawing, which at one point was also a painting that I believe no longer exists (I had a bit of a burn cleanse a few years ago of pieces that didn't work that also had been over come from neglectful storage) has been on my mind a lot lately.

My thesis show was called "Issues of Gender"  which was horrible title. I was barely intellectually equipped to even know what I was talking about. But that has always been my work - I push into the murky unknown things I don't understand trusting that what I have to say has words somewhere. That the inner dialogue I think makes sense will eventually be deciphered and luminous. 

I have been looking at this work since the Supreme Court ruling to overturn the federal protection of women's autonomy was taken away back in May was leaked. This work, though it lacked what I was striving for so many years ago has stayed in my piles of work for a very good reason, because they hadn't yet been truly about what they are, indeed, about. They, sadly were made for this time in history that I wish had never come.

I considered doing new work, and have been slowly transforming some old pieces into new works that directly relate to this time. But some I don't think I can do anything to up-date them -  like this one.

I will rename this though: "Supreme Court Justice Samual Alito comes to call."

When the vessel weeps it is time to take pause.

Now the artists, who are prolific social media posters and internet creators with videos and music showcasing their crazy takes on life living as perpetual creators.

Next Friday they will give the area a full introduction to their work in an exhibition opening at the Graffiti Gallery in Oil City. They claim it will “knock your socks off.”

They are planning a bit of a retrospective with some work they have never shown before as well. Klee’s jewelry will be displayed with Rafi’s paintings and sculpture pieces. They will also be showing fresh work, some done right in the gallery itself.

The show runs through August featuring a few happenings, art creations, giveaways and several streaming opportunities to join them from afar. They are packing a lot into the month beginning with the opening reception from 6 to 8 p.m.  on August 5 featuring music, food and drink.

The following day they will welcome visitors to the gallery from noon to 6 p.m. to watch them create their work as well as their music. They promise to be available for engaging.

“Enjoy conversations about their travels, art, and why they moved to this amazing area,” they said in a press release. If you can’t attend this event they will live stream from 1 to 2 p.m.

“This laid back concert will be like hanging out with two friends while they sing and play guitar,” they said. The music too will be live streamed.

The following day Rafi will read from his books and be around to sell and sign copies. The gallery will be open from noon to 6 p.m. with readings from 4 to 5 p.m. The readings will also be live streamed.

The following week, August 19 and 20 they are hoping Bridgefest, a two-day music festival in Oil City, will bring many more visitors to the gallery. 

August 27 the doors will be open from noon to 6 p.m. for the show’s final day.

“We will be hanging out talking about art, life, and anywhere else the conversations take us” they said. “We will also be doing some giveaways that day as a big thank you to everyone that came to our exhibition.”

More information: Visit their website at https://rafiandklee.com/hi-were-new-here-rafi-and-klee-exhibition/
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There is nothing more poetic than the world inside a droplet of water.

Ever feel like you're juggling too many things at once?

​Well I'd be lying if I didn't say that has been my life of late It seems the candle can burn from both ends.

I've been putting my camera between my eyes and some interesting and fun things. A lot of freelance work for my friends at Allegheny College and last week, in-between AC gigs, a few sports and stories for Eight & 322 I participated in a photographer panel discussion and helped a fellow photographer out with an interesting fun shoot for a cookbook to go along with the Barrow-Civic Theatre production of Nonsense the Musical which will go on sale this week at the theater and hopefully in time for opening night..

Look for more on this show coming up and keep and eye of their Facebook page for updates.

I've been a photographer now for almost 40 years. I began with black and white film that I developed and printed myself. Oh and those things called slides that we suffered through pesky family gatherings after grandma and grandpa went to see the Grand Canyon  or Old Faithful or worse, visiting cousins we've never even met and likely never will meet.

I went to a professional photography school where I learned a lot about everything photography related. Some of which I remember, some I have to refresh from time to time.

Concepts of how to light everything from a huge factory to the tip of a pin.

I also went to art school after photography school and my photo work went all over the place. So I had a lot of options to figure out what I wanted to show. 

I don't know much about my fellow photographer's work that will be displayed all around my work, but there wasn't a theme for us to focus our work around. So I chose a series of on again off again images that explores what control over a person means - even when the person is alone. Much of this idea originated from the machismo teaching and a predominately male centered history that I grew up learning but was fortunate enough to question.

How women have been fitting into that notion has modern validity.

I look around me and there it is still still. Male dominating culture all around the world and even still in this country where we have made such great strides.... but not enough.

These images are a small part of greater explorations but they are connected in at least one key way visually - so I decided that would be the work I would show.

The tea cup is a delicate vessel into which we tend to pour warm liquids to enjoy quietly - often in a reflective quiet moment. The fancy tea cup does have a connotation of a gathering of women, a support group perhaps.

​This work explores tradition and even contemporary issues. It doesn't define anything, but hopefully leads us to ask further questions.
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I'm looking forward to seeing this show conceived and curated by Stewart Armstrong. Not because my work is in it, but to see what other photographers are doing.

It opens with a repletion on April fools Day (which may be appropriate for me)  from 5 to 8 p.m. The gallery is expected to remain open until April 24 with hours from noon to six on Saturdays and Sundays. The artist's and a few wonderful volunteers will sit at different times in the gallery. I have signed up for two Sundays April 10 and 24 noon to 3. I may be there noon to 6 on the 24th. 

Would love to see some old friends come by and say hello and see some work produced by local photographers.

Yesterday I sat outside in a lawn chair eating salad and a sandwich. Yes the date at the top of this post is correct. It is warm enough still to sit comfortable in the sun in November. The night's get cold and we have had enough of a frost to kill off most of the things pollinators live to...well pollinate. It's also taken away what these little fellas eat. So there are far fewer of them about and yesterday my normal reaction to shoo them away was taken over by a fascination to watch and the feeling of empathy that came over me.

This could be this hornet's last supper I thought. His last days of being. Is there a hornet heaven? Will it come back as a chihuahua? Or was this all its mortal coil had to give?

I think about this stuff sometimes.

So I began making some iphono photos because it is how I deal with this fleeting f life.

When I was done making photos, I carefully scraped off the food and bug onto the little plastic table so this being could still eat whatever it was trying to eat.

​And it stayed there.

I admit this little act made me feel good. I was able to be a friend to a fellow creature, even though this fella's relatives in the bee-hornet-world have been known to send me scurrying for Benadryl and hop in a car for a ride to the ER.

Still, they don't mean it, and this bee-ing sure did me no harm.

After I looked over the photos I began adjusting them within the edit feature in the Photos app on my phone. One move I made really saturated colors and it really reminded me of the artist Wayne Thiebald. So I pushed that idea as far as the equipment would allow. And I came up with something I thought really resembled a Thiebald.

Then a strange thing happened about an hour later, one of the art groups I follow on Facebook began posting Thiebald's works. Now, up until this point,  I had only thought these thoughts and not shared them with a soul. I didn't even utter them out loud for Siri and I didn't even look him up or  type his name - I just thought it.

So then I began getting all conspiracy theory wondering about Big Brother watching every move anyhow. Facebook is a scary thing and Google is even scarier.

Then I realized I'm over dramatizing and this stuff happened way before the inter webs. And no I con't think my COVID vaccine planted a microchip in me to read my every thought.

This was just a cool coincidence - one that made me think we're even more energy and spiritually connected than we really know.

​So I hope this wasp lived or is living out it's days as best as it can and I hope we all get to do the same. Maybe someday when I'm nearing the end and wandering aimlessly, someone will share a little bit of their salad and sandwich with me and not shoo me away.