Epic Proportions. Dan Colen @ Gogosian Gallery.

Epic Proportions. The Artwork Of Dan Colen.

“Secrets and Cymbals, Smoke and Scissors (My Friend Dash’s Wall in the Future)” is work by conceptual artist Dan Colen that is a life-size recreation of the interior wall of a friend. In Colen’s version, each element attached to the wall — every sticker, newspaper, photo and hand-written note — has been illusionistically painted by the artist. Colen extends this process of painting into other works that equally underscore value in the mundane and familiar through his painstakingly realist application.

Dash Snow 1981-2009.

On a sad note, this July 13, 2009 Dash Snow died of a drug overdose at the Lafayette House in New York City. I was never a fan of Dash Snow or his work but I feel that it is so sad that he became a product of the "art star" world and fell deeper into drug addiction until it over took his life.

Given his background in the de Menil art family he had tremendous resources to make great art and I never understood most of what he made. The only piece that I responded to was the book fort that he did for Rivington Arms a few years back. All opinion aside, it is sad to see such a young life ended and my condolences go out to his family and friends.