A diverse crowd met at trendy Le Poisson Rouge in Greenwich Village last Thursday evening to drink, dance, and watch four painters face off for a solo exhibition in Brooklyn.  The painters’ real-time creations were judged by the enthusiastic response of the attendees and were offered for sale via silent auction– if you could find the elusive bid taker.

Check out this iPhone video from the event (be forewarned, the bass is a bit obnoxious) that I posted to a friend’s YouTube account; here’s the Art Battles website, where you can see the winning piece by Ben Angotti (and my personal preference of the four, the work by Kevin Ragnott).

For those of you in NYC tonight, check out this great opportunity to attend a VIP art event (most likely with free liquor, if that’s an added incentive)…

On Thursday, June 18th, ArtBattles invites a select group of art fans to the ‘Living Art Exhibition’ Collector’s Party running from 5-8pm.  Artwork will be available for viewing and purchase at exclusive prices.  Up to five readers of The Amateur Art Collector will be able to attend this invite-only event in downtown Manhattan AND win VIP tickets to a future Art Battle.  For a chance to attend, simply email the name of the artist who won the Kongzilla battle in March to Jess@artbattles.com.  Hint: the answer can be found on the ArtBattles website (or email Justin if you’re stumped!).

Pictured above is a recent drawing by a talented artist, Then, who I met at the Art Battle opening party that I attended last week.  Don’t let his moniker scare you off, he’s a genuinely friendly and approachable guy.  If you’re into graffiti and gritty, street art-inspired work, you should check out his website and the insightful press coverage he’s received: www.thenoneart.com.

I’m a sucker for an open bar, so I was delighted to receive an invitation to attend the Living Art Exhibition‘s opening event yesterday evening at the Red Bull Loft in NYC.  The concept is an interesting one: a live event in which visitors watch on in a lounge-like atmosphere as artwork is created by a variety of emerging artists who themselves are competing.  Competing for what you ask?  Well, in this case, the top four- as voted by the spectators- compete live during the Central Park Summer Stage events, thus receiving further public exposure.  The ‘top’ artist receives $20,000 and a commission for a mural on the side of a Manhattan building.

The crowd was as eclectic as the booze offerings (Colt 45 beer in ironic, individual brown paper bags was served beside Svedka vodka concoctions); in attendance were lots of media people, music industry folks, older gentlemen in suits from the supporting Alchemy Properties and some skinny boy art types, to name just a few.  The DJ played a combination of hip-hop, classic pop and dance.  The MC you’d more likely find at a Brooklyn rap show than a Chelsea art exhibit.  Looking around, I couldn’t help but wonder to whom they were actually marketing the event, which will be transformed into a public gallery space until June 19th.  Another fundamental issue struck me: do the artists really produce meaningful, thoughtful work in a competitive forum of this sort?  Clearly not.  But who wouldn’t want the publicity?  This was all about pretty and accessible paintings, advertising, and an entertaining environment– and by those standards it was a success.

More information, including the gallery schedule, can be found at www.artbattles.com.