Desert Time. Scenes From a Lapsed Blogger

Flyer for "Lost," Anonymous was a Vlog, 2018

Video Still, "Cloaked," Anonymous was a Vlog, 2018

Video Still, "Nature Girl," Anonymous was a Vlog, 2018

Desert Time. It's a real thing. I believe it means something along the lines of, "eventually." Since moving out of LA, I've been told on more than one occasion I'm "so professional." Usually this would be a complement, possibly even a side-effect of being in a career which requires one to be able to show up, make work and deliver shit by certain dates without being a total spaz. But hey, it's 2018 and enough of you sat the 2016 election out, and by sitting that out, I mean, "but her emails"— that I'm constantly negotiating what constitutes a sense of professionalism these days. Before Desert Time, there was The Slower Pace of the South.

I'm learning to unwind a little out here, but not really. This summer was unbearably hot. As a result of not being able to lift a finger for fear of heat exhaustion and outright lethargy, I began a vlog. Vlogging has been on my bucket list for a while. It's a rabbit hole of research for sure, but after having a conversation with an artist friend, I was inspired, and thus the first episode dropped mid-summer, July 5th, I believe. I only say 'dropped' becuase all the hipsters say dropped. What really happened was that I uploaded a low-res .mp4 to my YouTube account, mahvideo1000. The account name was inspired by Ursala 1000 back in the late 90s. File under Geek101.

The goal was and still is 52 episodes.  I'm not making the weekly quota, but as the Celestial Deity of Video Art and DIY Video Tutorials as my witness,  I'll get those 52 episodes done by next summer-ish. I'm at 12 eps now. September and October were a bit of a wash. I took on some freelance work—priorities and all.

Link to the current playlist here. And remember. they're low-res downloads because nothing in life is totally free.

I'll be reporting back with some upcoming shows and news for 2019. It's slow, but I have been productive.

Russian Roulette

She avoided doing the repair because dark, cramped spaces reminded her of the four years she lived in a cave and ate scorpions while waiting for the new regime—but then she got an estimate from a licensed contractor and put on a pot of Oleander tea. 

Tales From the Dump: Casual Friday

Casual Friday was his favorite day of the week but the summer had been stressful for us both. He took a long inhale and said he was taking off again- didn't know where or how long. As he exhaled he smiled and blew a ring of smoke in my face. I picked up my Heineken and took the last sip. No need to let good beer go to waste. They never found his other shoe.  

Desert Nights

When I was a kid I asked my mom whether she liked day or night the best. She said night. Being around 5 years old, the full spectrum of nighttime was over my head but it struck me as an adult answer, full of mystery and a little dangerous. Every time I pull in my desert driveway late at night, I feel like I'm in a David Lynch film.

And this. Soft Launch. We're still in beta. Hello Smack Handy!

http://www.smackhandyfilms.com

It's been a productive month or two. As an artist, it always seems like it's considered taboo to talk about things such as work, as in earning money for hire, but I for one, like the idea of combining work and pleasure; art and life; money and food. 

This past April marked the one year anniversary of my secret or not so secret investment into refreshing some tech skills, upgrading my equipment, and putting together a modest edit suite. I still have a few more items on my wish list, and thanks to planned obsolescence, I'll always be learning something new, but after returning from the residency (oh snap, I did mention the residency again) I felt the time was right to roll out the new site. 

Running a business is not easy. Running two businesses is twice as not easy, but I can't think of anything I'd rather do than work in the studio figuring out this soup called life and and work on films and video helping others doing the same. Take a look if you'd like and if you need an editor or have a story to tell, let me know. 

And if you're wondering where the name, Smack Handy came from, you'll have to visit the site and look for the clues.* 

I'm reading a good book. I had a bad dream my first night back, and the opening was great.

I extended my stay in ATL because it was a solo and I felt I deserved an extra night out of town. I like reading in hotel beds and waking up in semi-dark rooms two hours past my 6AM wake-up time.  It's a guilty pleasure that happens about once every three years. The opening was great. Super nice crowd. Very warm and welcoming. I met people for the first time and had tiny conversations that made sense. The word 'love' was tossed around. The work felt loved. I felt loved. It was a good night.

Mary Addison Hackett 

A Tin of Egyptian Cigarettes 

Marcia Wood Gallery MIDTOWN

1037 Monroe Dr NE Atlanta 30306

January 7 - February 6, 2016 

Opening reception: Thursday Jan 7, 2016,  7 - 9pm

Openings Round 1: Faculty Exhibition at Watkins College of Art, Design & Film

Monuments, Hotel Soap and Linear Progressions 
Sept. 4- 26, 2014
Brownlee O. Currey Jr. Gallery at Watkins College of Art, Design and Film

Critic's Pick in the Nashville Scene

Anywhere But Here up at ShoeboxLA

1968. It Was a Beautiful Cake. No Moths, 2014

A couple of years ago, I carted a suitcase full of small paintings back to LA for a huge all-painting  group show/event I had been invited to be in. Being on the fence about where I was actually living, I was maintaining the cover that I was still an LA artist. I didn't quite feel like a move across country for reasons other than art made me a "Nashville artist" anymore than living 2 months in Holland made me a Rotterdam artist. Long story short, as the result of that work and my comrades in the City of Angels, I was recently invited to take part in a project on spot relevant to my current work.

My contribution to the ShoeboxLA's curatorial project went live on Friday.
For the full post including the essay and image, please visit,  Anywhere But Here. 

Many thanks, ShoeboxLA!

Follow up.

Thanks to a to-the-point Critic's Pick in the Nashville Scene, we had a great turnout for the opening. The gallery is open by appointment for the duration of the show with somewhat regular hours during the week.

Still Lifes, Landscapes and Posers 

When: Sat., Feb. 23 2013

One of the most consistent complaints I hear about Nashville’s art scene is its lack of a strong painterly backbone. Maybe that’s why it’s not surprising that one of the most expansive exhibits of contemporary painting in Nashville is opening at Threesquared, a relatively crude gallery inside artist Dane Carder’s studio, and not one of our more traditional white-box spaces. Thank God Mary Addison Hackett has the gumption to organize and curate such a thing. The Nashville-based painter and Watkins instructor has brought paintings by Cole Case, Carla Knopp, Steven LaRose, Nomi Lubin and Gregory Martin from all four corners of the country, and her relationship to each of them is based on shared sensibilities, a respect for the process of painting, and the depth that each artist brings to the table.

— Laura Hutson

Thanks to the everyone who came out and especially Carla and Gregory who were able to come in town for the show, and of course, Dane Carder and threesquared.

Moving images.

Here is the teaser video that Dane at threesquared shot and put together for the Still Lifes, Landscapes, and Posers that opens this weekend. I worked above the line on this one.

I just sent out an exhibition update and listed 2 out of 4 current & upcoming events as happening in 2010, not 2011.

I just found another typo. I swear I hit spell check and proofed at least 3 times. My career is over. In all seriousness, I need an office assistnat. assistant. Okay, now I'm being funny. But seriously, typos are no laughing matter. 
And just when I was so excited to have formatted it for mobile viewing. 
Here is the corrected version:

Just a quick update on current news and upcoming shows.

Mary Addison Hackett

Hi everyone,  Just wanted to share some current news from my studio: Arts at the Airport, Flying Solo Exhibition Series March 15- September 8, 2011 Nashville International Airport Reception: April 6th, 3-6 pm RSVP for reception required by March 30. (615)275-1614 The paintings are hanging by the Southwest Terminal. If you're flying in, out, or through Nashville, take a peek.  Incognito Santa Monica Museum of Art Invitational exhibit and benefit April 30-May 1, 2011 Santa Monica, CA I've once again been invited to participate in Santa Monica Museum of Art's highly anticipated annual art exhibition and benefit. Each 8" x 10" work is signed on the back and artist identities are revealed only after purchase. All works are priced at $300.  Everything's Coming Up Roses WG News + Art 50 – 52 Dobbin Street Brooklyn, NY 11222 group show of works on paper  Curated by Luisa Caldwell and Mery Lynn McCorkle Reception: Friday, May 6, 2011   6 – 8 pm May 7 – 28: Open Saturdays 12 – 4 or by appointment: 917 304-6213/917 656-6048/706 528-2306 Press release I was awarded a year-long residency and exhibition at Cummins Station in downtown Nashville as part of their Community Arts Program. The residency began in February of 2011. My studio is a rehabbed train car and is open one day a week to the public. Feel free to contact me for a studio visit at the number listed below. I've been working on a series of abstract watercolors, and after two years of working on an intimate scale, I'm working large again. The exhibition will take place near the end of the residency, date TBA. and later this summer... Asynchronous Salon 4-person show Herron School of Art and Design, Marsh Gallery Indianapolis, IN  August, 2011 Exact date tba * I will be doing a live painting.

Copyright © 2011 Mary Addison Hackett, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email as an update from the studio of Mary Addison Hackett because at some point we've run into each other or you expressed an interest in my work. If you're just not into me anymore, you can follow the link to unsubscribe. I'm a one-person operation. I don't share my list and I won't spam you with minutia; I have a blog for that.

Now hiring: proofreader, office assistant.