HuffPost's QuickRead...ShareBox.ad = function (tag_id){if ($(tag_id) == undefined) return; if ($(tag_id).innerHTML != '') return;ad_spec = {"zone_info": "huffpost.new-york","ord": 1347017852,"tile": 3,"width": 300,"height": 250,"el_id": tag_id + "_js","class_name": "ad_block ad_wide top","type": "iframe"}HuffPoUtil.WEDGJE.write(ad_spec, tag_id);};Loading... HuffPost's QuickRead... 
Loading... September 11 Anniversary iPhone app iPad app Android phone app Android tablet app Log in Create Account Notifications Profile Settings Logout #topnav_margin_btm { margin:0 !important } September 7, 2012 
The Internet Newspaper: News, Blogs, Video, Community Edition: U.S. CA Canada FR France ES Spain US United States UK United Kingdom FRONT PAGEPolitics Ann Coulter's Controversial Sandra Fluke Tweet5kBill Clinton Asks Undecided Voters To Give Obama Another Chance47kGOP Strategist: 'This Convention Is Over'10kBill Clinton's Stunning Jobs Claim At DNC Actually True4kDemocrats Efforts To Reinsert 'God' And 'Jerusalem' Into Platform Met With Loud Opposition45k Go to Politics More in PoliticsPollster2012 BlogSpeculatronOff The BusElection DashboardYou might also likeWorldGreenBlack VoicesLatino VoicesGay VoicesBusiness Bill Clinton's Stunning Jobs Claim At DNC Actually True4kTeen With Down Syndrome Not Allowed To Fly First-Class2k11 Things The GOP Doesn't Want You To Know About The Deficit699Cashier Fired For Having Cancer To Get $100,000729U.S. Stocks Surge On Europe News3k Go to Business More in BusinessSmall BusinessMoneyYou might also likeWorldTechMediaArtsSportsWeird NewsCrimeEntertainment Which Celebrities Will Choose Romney In November? 432Chuck Norris Offers Dire Warning To America 17kSinger-Songwriter Joe South Dies At 72262PHOTOS: Kristen Stewart Stuns In First Red Carpet Appearance Since Scandal 82PHOTOS: Rihanna Debuts Short Hair At 2012 VMAs15 Go to Entertainment More in EntertainmentCelebrityTVYou might also likeComedyArtsBooksFoodStyleWeird NewsMoviefoneMedia Ann Coulter's Controversial Sandra Fluke Tweet5kPundits Praise Clinton's Speech 14kGOP Strategist: 'This Convention Is Over'10kTom Brokaw Taken To Hospital1kMSNBC Celebrates A Huge Victory5k Go to Media More in MediaEat The PressCalderone: The BackstoryYou might also likeEntertainmentTVComedyArtsBooksReligionMoviefoneStyle PHOTOS: See All The VMA 2012 Red Carpet Looks HERE!108PHOTOS: The MTV VMAs Fashion We'll Can Never Un-See32PHOTOS: Kim Kardashian's Cleavage Is Leaving Us Speechless1kPHOTOS: Pippa Middleton Is Apartment-Hunting In New York!155Katie Couric Slams Kate Middleton For Being 'Too Thin'885 Go to Style More in StyleBeautyModelsCelebrity StyleYou might also likeWomenParentsWeddingsTravelDivorcePost50ArtsFood There’s Corn Syrup In That?!498In-N-Out Faces Hefty Lawsuit896Ben & Jerry's Sues Hardcore Porn Maker Over 'Ben & Cherry's' Movies17Ice Cream Nachos?Yelp Study Shows Huge Effect Of Ratings Go to Food More in FoodChefsRestaurantsFood SafetyFast FoodWineBeerYou might also likeTasteStyleList HomeTravelGreenTech BUSTED!179Will We See These Features In The iPhone 5?143Amazon Unveils New, Super-Cheap Kindle Fires6047 Tech Titans Who've Cozied Up To Politicians53How Amazon's New Tablet Stacks Up Against The Competition 39 Go to Tech More in TechBest of TEDSocial MediaYou might also likeSmall BusinessGreenScienceNew YorkSan FranciscoTechCrunchEngadgetJoystiqArts Giant Sleeping Girl's Head Emerges From Rio Ocean58The Best Of Burning Man 2012Laser Pen Macro Photos!62The Steamiest Kisses In Art HistoryPHOTOS: Previewing 'Vivian Maier: Out Of The Shadows' Go to Arts More in ArtsPaintingFilmDesignPhotographyTheaterArchitectureYou might also likeBooksNew YorkLos AngelesGay Voices Young Man With Two Moms Inspires Convention9618 Must-See New Fall TV Shows5920 LGBT Celebrities Who Have Contributed To Political Campaigns11LOOK: Hot Firefighters (For Charity)!177Christian Doctor Prescribes Teen With Castration Drug As A 'Gay Cure' 857 Go to Gay Voices More in Gay VoicesTransgenderBisexualLesbianGay MarriageDon't Ask, Don't TellVoice to VoicePoll PositionYou might also likeBlack VoicesLatino VoicesStyleLIVE NextDemocrats React NextWhat Are Workers Worth? Coming UpKeeping Progress Alive Coming UpKicking Your Kids Out Coming UpNothing To Be Ashamed OfGo to HuffPost Live ALL SECTIONS NewsPoliticsWorldBusinessSmall BusinessMoneyMediaSportsEducationCrimeWeird NewsGood NewsEntertainmentEntertainmentCelebrityComedyArts & CultureBooksTVMoviefoneLife & StyleHealthy LivingGPS for the SoulStyleFoodTaste WeddingsTravelParentsDivorceHuff/Post 50StylelistStylelist HomeTech & ScienceTechScienceGreenTechCrunchEngadgetTUAWJoystiqVoicesWomenBlack VoicesLatino VoicesVoces (en español)Gay VoicesReligionCollegeTeenImpactLocalChicagoDCDenverDetroitMiamiNew YorkLos AngelesSan FranciscoPatch.comMapquestAOL Daily FinanceAOL JobsAOL AutosAutoblogAOL MusicAOL OnGames.comHeidi KlumAOL ShoppingReal EstatePatch.comNew YorkAround TownRestaurantsReal EstateNY ImpactBest of New YorkNYPD ScandalsPartiesMTAWTC .header-search {margin-bottom: 0px;} #ad_curtain {height:auto;margin:0 auto;width:938px} 
Featuring fresh takes and real-time analysis from HuffPost's signature lineup of contributorsHot on the BlogPatton OswaltRoseanne BarrAlan ThickeMarlo Thomas HuffPost Social Reading Some error occurred Login with Facebook to see what your friends are reading Enable Social Reading i Settings Read Share Settings Share everything I read Share only things safe for work Dont share what I'm reading Read Share History Learn More 
Daniel J. KushnerArts Journalist and Music Critic GET UPDATES FROM Daniel J. Kushner Like 24 3 Men and a Baby: When Macaulay Culkin Forms an Art Collective with Adam Green, Toby GoodshankPosted: 09/05/2012 7:34 pm React
AmazingInspiring
Funny
Scary
Hot
Crazy
Important
Weird
Read more
3mb, Le Poisson Rouge, Leisure Inferno, Macaulay Culkin, New York City Art Scene, Three Men And a Baby, Toby Goodshank, Adam Green, Anti-Folk, Art Collective, Visual Art, New York News#news_entries #ad_sharebox_260x60 img {padding:0px;margin:0px} share this story Submit this storydiggredditstumble
In the living room of Macaulay Culkin's New York City apartment, canvases occupy the space like so many peculiar yet irresistibly magnetic house guests. The room -- converted into an art studio -- is congested with the vestiges of creativity at work: bottles of paint huddle together in bunches, and paintbrushes spring up like wild vegetation.
What began in earnest in February 2012 as collaborative art-making between Culkin and two artist-musician friends Adam Green and Toby Goodshank -- both formerly of the anti-folk band The Moldy Peaches -- has coalesced into an art collective affectionately dubbed Three Men and a Baby, or 3MB. The collective's first art show, a group of frenetic, eclectic and irreverent paintings entitled Leisure Inferno, opens at Le Poisson Rouge (LPR) in New York's Greenwich Village on Thursday, September 13.
The 3MB Collective: Macaulay Culkin, Adam Green, and Toby Goodshank; photo by Dima Dubson.
As the title of the exhibition suggests, the prevailing motivation behind the making of the paintings was fun. That motivation naturally lent itself to a work environment rooted in playful camaraderie. Culkin -- who goes by the name "Mack" -- explains the open-ended process of beginning a painting:
"We would take two or three words--'disco'...'luau'...'Hellraiser' -- and we'd all just kind of giggle about that. 'Alright, let's do it.' We have no idea really what it's going to look like, or what our grand vision is, but we would have a good old laugh and just go for it. And I think the results speak for themselves in a certain kind of way."
Hellraiser Disco Luau; 5' 6 1/2" X 5' 5 1/2"; acrylic, mixed media on canvas. Photo by Dima Dubson.
The collaborative dynamic at work, while much more common in music, is rare in visual art. "Certainly we all have different techniques, but we found it fun to paint together at the same time, explains Green. "Just literally three people standing in front of the canvas with paintbrushes and painting at the same time." Perhaps this distinctive process can be linked to the brotherly bond between the artists. "The connection I feel with them is pretty extraordinary," says Goodshank. "It's lovely to get together with them all the time."
The show is populated with canvases wrought with wild colors ranging from bright quasi-fluorescents to darker, muddier hues; the style of shapes and brushstrokes vary with each new figure in the painting. Most of the works either incorporate multimedia collage or strongly hint at it. In "Hellraiser Disco Luau," the cartoon-inspired pig and mouse do the hula near a grass-skirt-wearing Pinhead and a highly abstract , serpentine version of Garfield -- all underneath a glittering disco ball, ocean-side. While this hyperactive melange of pop culture references and visual eye candy can be dizzying at first glance, a cohesiveness emerges amidst the seeming nonsensical and disparate elements. "I think we took a slant with it where there were really no mistakes," says Mack. "There was nothing wrong with a piece. I might have painted that corner differently than him, but it looks right. There are no mistakes in a show like this."
Even with all the thematic non sequiturs and "low brow" imagery -- and perhaps because of it -- Three Men and a Baby seem acutely aware of their distinct interplay with highbrow art and the implications of that relationship. Mack elaborates:
You go to the Met or something like that, and you see some of the paintings from the Renaissance era. A lot of those were probably the most technically proficient paintings in the entire museum. However, when you go to the Modern wing, they might not be as technically proficient, might not have as much skill--but those are the kind of things you want on your wall. Well, what do we want to put on our wall? It's not necessarily about technique, it's more about the ideas. It's more about just what you want to look at.
Green has a decidedly more tongue-in-cheek perspective. "We didn't have a lot to compare it to," he says of 3MB. "We didn't feel like we were competing with other three-men collaborative painting groups."
The ideas in Leisure Inferno are zany, sometimes edgy, but brimming with satirical affection. "RBI" portrays a baseball game in which Luigi pitches a fireball to former New York Yankee Don Mattingly. Elsewhere, Mario wanders through a gloomy expressionist landscape as Jean-Michel Basquiat and JonBenét Ramsay look on from distant perches in "Jean Benet Basquiat."
Jean Benet Basquiat; 24" X 30"; Oil stick, acrylic on canvas. Photo by Lippe.
In "Cast of Seinfeld," Jerry and Kramer stand on the set of "Wheel of Fortune" as they serve as nude models for the artists He-Man and Orko (Masters of the Universe). While these fabricated scenes are undoubtedly bizarre, there was an intriguing layer of reality that only added to the surreality. "There was some awareness that even Mack could be in a Leisure Inferno painting, you know?" says Green. "I think that is interesting."
Cast of Seinfeld; Oil stick, acrylic on canvas; 6' X 5'. Photo by Lippe.
The first manifestation of what would become the 3MB Collective goes back to 2010, during the making of Green's independently made feature-length film The Wrong Ferrari. Shot entire on an iPhone, the movie starred both Green and Culkin, with Goodshank shooting much of the film; all three collaborated on the set designs. Featuring ample amounts of provocation and pop culture, thoughtfulness and blistering self-awareness, the film was later made available for free online. "[Leisure Inferno] was more of a holdover from making the film... And it was just like, 'Why don't we try to focus that into a group art show?'" Culkin explains. "'Why don't we keep this momentum up, [this] creativity?' Next thing you know we're doing Leisure Inferno."
For Culkin, Goodshank, and Green alike, this art collective debut marks several milestones in their respective careers. Goodshank, a skilled draughtsman who had previously worked primarily with pen and ink, was new to the medium of painting prior to the collaboration. "I find that working with Mack and Adam, they're constantly inspiring me and encouraging me," says Goodshank of his foray into painting. For Green -- a voracious painter who has had two solo shows this year alone -- Leisure Inferno represents his first official group exhibition. The exhibition at Le Poisson Rouge will be Culkin's public debut as a visual artist. Green seems to sense an adventurous, risk-taking spirit inherent in the collective's work. "I do think that that attitude of just doing something for fun benefited the show a lot," says Green. "It allowed us to be prolific and to work without fear."
The Leisure Inferno exhibition at LPR continues through December 15, 2012.
This article is cross-posted at http://postpostrock.com.
Dogs Playing Poker; Vinyl paint, mixed media on vinyl; 5' ½" 7' ¼". Photo by Guy Eppel.
Follow Daniel J. Kushner on Twitter:www.twitter.com/danieljkushner
FOLLOW NEW YORK Like 24k Get Alerts #ad_bottom_article_text {margin-bottom: 15px} Loading... More in New York...
Yvette Clarke, Congresswoman, Says Slavery Still Around...NYPD In Israel: Police Department Opens Branch...Mo Gelber's 'Last Kiss' Photo Captures Mysterious...NYC Water Tank Converted Into Apartment Atop... 
Comments0Pending Comments0 View FAQ
Previewing Your Comment. This comment has not yet been posted You have exceeded your word limit by words. Please click the "Edit" button and shorten your comment.Post Comment Edit Cancel
You can post to us this information Contact us
Click here to leave a comment.HuffPost High School welcomes a lively, thoughtful debate in the comment section. Keep in mind that the articles here are penned by young authors, so please keep criticism respectful, and help us to keep this a safe and supportive place for writers of all ages to contribute.Post CommentPreview Comment To reply to a Comment: Click "Reply" at the bottom of the comment; after being approved your comment will appear directly underneath the comment you replied to. Post Comment Preview Comment To reply to a Comment: Click "Reply" at the bottom of the comment; after being approved your comment will appear directly underneath the comment you replied to. 
Share your Comment:
Post to Facebook. Post to Blogger. Post to Twitter. Post to WordPress. Post to TypePad. Post to Tumblr. Post to Yahoo! Blogger login: Blogger password: Select blog: refresh list Remember me: Wordpress host: Wordpress login: Wordpress password: Remember me: TypePad host: TypePad login: TypePad password: Select blog: refresh list Remember me: Tumblr login: Tumblr password: Remember me: Community Notice: We've made some changes to our badge program, including the additionof our newest badge: Community Curator.
View All Recency | Popularity new comment(s) on this entry — Click to refreshLoading comments… 1 2 3 4 5 See All Highlights in 
× people have highlighted this! Huzzah! This text has been highlighted. Highlights is a new way to discover the most interesting text on Huffington Post!
huff.use('highlights', function(HuffHighlights){ HuffHighlights.init(1); }); FOLLOW US
Connect with your friends Check out stories you might like, and see what your friends are sharing!
Most Popular on HuffPost ZJvVlqTgUa%2FaB8ZKCRNxHN%2F7jEdCnUHpyoJmbjwpYU%2FxRb24HlRETUKIZ7kj85P%2B1tk4cbVPY6V8nKCNXdWH6utfTk5H3vTA5g1MPa24J%2BZsQ3Fj85vcUuhfql6hnCGd4Np0ED8H%2FKFVssLvRvSvBCKXGSGtXUIK%2F9jTvrq1M8WgbQtwU2urzO1qJ%2B048pCQ1 of 2 Beyonce Not 'Crazy In Love' With Kim KardashianLike 117
It's Over For Will Arnett, Amy PoehlerLike 2k
Ann Coulter's Controversial Sandra Fluke TweetLike 3k
Bill Clinton's Stunning Jobs Claim At DNC Actually TrueRecommend 6k
How Much Does 'Honey Boo Boo' Make? Like 649
GOP Strategist: 'This Convention Is Over'Like 3k
Democrats Efforts To Reinsert 'God' And 'Jerusalem' Into Platform Met With Loud OppositionRecommend 9k
Teen With Down Syndrome Not Allowed To Fly First-ClassRecommend 7k
Tens Of Thousands Of Dead Fish, Birds Wash Up On Lake Erie ShoresRecommend 2k Don't Miss HuffPost Bloggers1 of 5
Patton OswaltI’m Voting for Obama Because I Love Money, But I’m Not Money’s B*tchRoseanne BarrI Approve This Message...Alan ThickeMoses And I Are In The Same DemographicMarlo ThomasBullying: It Begins on the BusRobert L. BorosageThe Old Dawg Still Can HuntRicky GervaisWhich Doctor?Cecile RichardsDispatch From Charlotte: The Stakes in NovemberJames FrancoThe Search for the Real: Part 2Greta Van SusterenWill We Ever Have a President Who Went to a Community College?Tavis SmileyRedefining Freedom in America TOP VIDEO PICKS1 of 9 Georgina Bloomberg Partners With Ariat Aron Sentenced to 40 Years Isabella and Jayden Top NYC Baby Names MOST DISCUSSED RIGHT NOW2RgnQXLokElFimSGDV8i8a43pip0bdKPiJKomeBLqmM3QvAVQ0trgKQA9zRBn5c91 of 2 
NYPD: 96 Percent of Shooting Victims Black or Latino
Glenn Beck Lashes Out At Popular Barbecue Restaurant In NYCHOT ON FACEBOOK2RgnQXLokElFimSGDV8i8TKPvBq8xPkmgYINREC4w8w%3DiJKomeBLqmM3QvAVQ0trgPTAYkCdRanfpr%2BnvSQA9QM%3DjpeKJKgSs0bJPlRX0pV4Fss35VaaM%2Fhsd5ArrOAf1yA%3DJdmQlDUGEs2hPhA65WV%2Fbw%3D%3D1 of 3
PHOTO: Does Anybody Know This Couple?
NYPD Opens Israeli Branch
HOT ON TWITTER2RgnQXLokElFimSGDV8i8f8ym0hHXTufiJKomeBLqmM3QvAVQ0trgDrc%2BaNUFZ3B1 of 2 RT @aol Bill Clinton asks voters to give Obama another chance http://t.co/zL7HJ7Me via @HuffPostPol 
aol Bill Clinton asks voters to give Obama another chance http://t.co/zL7HJ7Me via @HuffPostPol Retweet RT @aol Now live on the air: Today's edition of @huffpostlive! http://t.co/2ynVWIOc aol Now live on the air: Today's edition of @huffpostlive! http://t.co/2ynVWIOc Retweet HUFFPOST'S BIG NEWS PAGES Celebrities On Lunch Boxes, From The Beatles To Justin Bieber (PHOTOS)Video Beyonce, Kim Kardashian And Other Faux Celebrity Friendships (PHOTOS)Kanye West Celebrity Weight Loss: Stars Who Lost Weight For Movie Roles (PHOTOS)Celebrities National Cathedral Scales Back 9/11 Anniversary CommemorationSeptember 11 Anniversary D.C. Officer Won't Be Charged For Alleged Threat Against Michelle ObamaMichelle Obama White House Backs Blacklisting Militant OrganizationTerrorism Simpson-Bowles References In Obama, Biden DNC Speeches Vex Media, ProgressivesDebt Senator John Kerry Got Jokes (VIDEO)Democratic Convention Joe Biden Speech: Vice President Misuses The Word Literally (VIDEO)Joe Biden more big news pages » Advertise | Make HuffPost your Home Page | RSS | Careers | FAQ User Agreement | Privacy | Comment Policy | About Us | About Our Ads | Contact Us Copyright © 2012 TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc. | "The Huffington Post" is a registered trademark of TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc. All rights reserved. Part of HuffPost Local
HuffPost Lightbox
No comments:
Post a Comment