Bash Compacter: Blanck Check
Sebastian Blancks got quite the pedigree. Beyond academics, hes a founding member of the widely influential Black Dice, a solo musician and visual artist of worldwide proportionshes had exhibitions across the globe.
At the Robert Goff Gallery in Chelsea on Monday, the 33-year-old showed various mediums by celebrating his new album Alibi Coast, showing his most recent collection of collages and debuting video companions to both the music and art. With Modelos pulled from ice buckets and a relaxed vibe, the party found Blanck (a ringer for a young Abbie Hoffman) dolling out hugs to nearly everyone, all smiles.
Fashion-designer-turned party photographer Hanuk Kim captured the night with his Leica D–Lux 4. He accompanied fashion-designer-stayed fashion designer Victor Glemaud, the subject of one of Blancks collages, Jasons Pool.
Blancks visual work appears as straight painting at first, but upon inspection pop out as collages, painted paper meticulously cut and pasted. Some of his works take a week or so, but depending on the intricacy of patterns like in Shana, the eponymous subject wearing a plaid shirtsome compositions take over a month. A time-lapse video showed his complex process.
Hisham Bharoocha of Black Dice, Lightning Bolt and Soft Circle was another of Blancks subjects, as were other members of Black Dice. But Bharoocha was the only noisemaker spotted at the gallery.
Hal Willner, SNL music honcho was definitely present, however, showing off his iPad near the bar. Ive always loved the music Sebastian makes, he said, adding the caveat he hadnt heard Blancks new material. Nicolas Vernhes had, though; he recorded Alibi Coast at his Rare Book Room studios, along with many albums youve probably loved. His new label sharing the studio name is putting out Blancks album.
Before long, he took up the guitar for a few live tracks: sensitive, almost unimaginably tender folk-inspired love and travel songs. He was joined by a backing band for the first time live, and it seemingly went off without a hitch. On accompanying vocals were Lia Ices and Hannah Cohen supplying the harmonies floating throughout Alibi Coast.
Its hard to be critical of Blanck: he seems modest on all fronts, immensely fond of family and friends. All of this came about because people close to me just wanted to get involved, he said. Beyond collaging portraits of pals, the presence of his wife, artist Isca Greenfield-Sanders, in his work was undeniable: she graced composition after composition of Blancks and contributed the album cover for Alibi Coast.
Speaking of family ties: also present were Iscas sister Liliana, filmmaker wunderkind, along with their father, portraitist Timothy Greenfield-Sanders.
The thing that my art and music have in common is the autobiographical element, Blanck said. I draw immensely just from what Im doing in life.