Lost Art #45: Place Charles de Gaulle, Paris

Hello, everyone! 

During this time that we've all been locked inside, there haven't been many objects lying around in the street, begging to be painted on. But now that we're all venturing back out into the sunlight again, somebody was kind enough to leave this wooden desk drawer out on the sidewalk for me to find, and you know what that means ... the return of Lost Art! I painted this one on the Place Charles de Gaulle, looking up at the Arc de Triomphe. I hope that someone will pick it up and take it home, perhaps as a celebration of our triumph over the lockdown period, or in hopes that we will one day triumph over the injustices that people are rallying to fight around the world. If you find it, please drop me a line to let me know! I wish you all a bright and liberating summer! 

This painting, acrylic on found desk drawer,  38cm x 42cm x 16cm, was left on Place Charles de Gaulle, 75008 Paris, on June 23rd, 2020, at 1:00 pm.

If you have found this piece, it is yours to keep, but please let me know in the comments!

Click here to View Lost Art #45 in a larger map

Lost Art #29: Quai de la Marne, Paris

Hello everyone! 

It's been a busy but fun time lately, with FIAC going on and all kinds of art to see in Paris, so I almost forgot to find the time to set this one free! But I had a lot of fun last week, painting on this skateboard deck alongside the canal de l'Ourcq in the 19th arrondissement. That is, until it started pouring rain and I had to run for it!  Anyway, I've always enjoyed the view of this railroad bridge, which I often pass by when I'm running, and I'm glad I finally had the chance to paint it. Hopefully someone else in the neighborhood, who also likes the view, will find this painting and get a kick out of it. Or hey, maybe even a young skater will decide that the deck is worth saving and screw some trucks and wheels onto it! If so, I hope he or she drops me a line and lets me know. I kinda like the idea that one of my paintings might wind up grinding a curb somewhere in the middle of the night! 

This painting, arylic on found skateboard deck, 78.5cm x 19.5cm, was left on the Quai de la Marne, in Paris, France on October 23rd, 2015 at 4:30pm.

If you have found this piece, please let me know in the comments!

Click here to View Lost Art #29 in a larger map

Lost Art #26: Rose Garden Park, Bethlehem PA (Update: Found!)

UPDATE: Lost Art #26 has been found!

My old friend Tara, who is living in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, was following the blog and noticed when I left this one not far from her house during my trip to the States. So she went out to look for it and found it before it disappeared! I'm so happy that this piece found a loving home. And I'm also very grateful to Tara, who was nice enough to send in this photo of the piece in its new environment. It's nice to know that some of these objects' stories have happy endings!  

Original Post:

Hello again, everyone! 

I haven't had quite as much time for painting on my US trip as I had hoped. But I wanted to make sure I did at least one while I was over here! I've been getting some requests to come back to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania so that's where I decided to paint my latest. I found this cool old oak barrel lid and took it into the park with me, where I enjoyed a lovely summer afternoon. I know of at least one person who will recognize the neighborhood and try to get over there to find this one! Whoever finds it, I hope it brightens their day :). And I look forward to getting back to this neck of the woods again in the near future. But for now, I'm on my way back to France!

This painting, acrylic on found oak barrel lid, 16.25" x  16.25", was left in Rose Garden Park, in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania on July 11th, 2015 at 10am.

If you have found this piece, please let me know in the comments!

Click here to View Lost Art #26 in a larger map

Lost Art #23: Palais Royal, Paris

It's official! Spring is now in full bloom. April in Paris, and all that jazz. The trees are leafy green and the temperature is getting very friendly. It even got a little hot while I was painting this one in the lovely garden at the Palais Royal. I headed over to the 1st arrondissement to do this painting so I could catch a glimpse of the Paris marathon on my way. I wished I could have been running in it, but since I wasn't registered, I was very happy to be doing something else I love: painting. Luckily, I found another soul enjoying the sunshine in the garden that day. I wonder if she noticed me painting her? In any case, I hope someone finds this one and enjoys it as much as I did! 

This painting, acrylic on found Styrofoam block, 22.25 cm x 22.25 cm, was left in the garden at Le Palais Royal, in the 1st arrondissement of Paris on April 23rd, 2015 at 4pm.

If you have found this piece, please let me know in the comments!

Click here to View Lost Art #23: Palais Royal in a larger map

Lost Art #21: Rue de Charenton, Paris

It's already March?

How did that happen? It's been unseasonably cold in Paris this year, and a little bit difficult to paint outside. But recently we have finally seen signs of the winter giving way, and the sunny days have cast a lovely light back into our beautiful city. So the other day I found myself on the rue de Charenton, where the rue de Prague turns into the rue Abel. And I also had with me this old jigsaw puzzle that I had picked up in the street. So I decided to sit down and take advantage of the pleasant light, the survivable temperatures, and this view of the Coulee Verte, to paint my 21st Lost Art. Then I brought the painting home to dry for a few days, and when I noticed that today was also looking sunny and pleasant, I went back out to leave it where it was painted. I hope that somebody else on an early-spring stroll picks it up and takes it home!

This painting, oil on found jigsaw puzzle, 36.5 cm x 49.5 cm, was left on the rue de Charenton, near the intersection of rue Abel, in the 12th arrondissement of Paris on March 2, 2015 at 12:00pm.

If you have found this piece, please let me know in the comments!

Click here to View Rue de Charenton in a larger map

Lost Art #16: Midan Bab-el-Louq, Cairo

There's more Lost Art on the streets of Cairo this week! Unfortunately we've been offline for several days, so I didn't get a chance to post this until now. But I'm excited to have finally left a painting on the Midan Bab-el-Louq, which is a place where we have spent a lot of our time in Cairo. I had a very interesting time painting this one. There were lots of curious people who approached me to ask questions, but I didn't have an interpreter with me, so most of it I didn't understand. There was a nice painting teacher from a local art school who hung out with us for a while and did some translating. He was even nice enough to send a message in to the blog and say hello! I hope that maybe he, or one of the other nice people I met in this neighborhood, finds and enjoys the painting. At the very least, I hope that is not found and enjoyed by the creepy guy who works at the public toilet who tried to kiss me when I was getting up to leave. (You know who you are, creepy guy. If you found this painting, please don't enjoy it ;) ). But anyone else who finds it is more than welcome to do with it whatever they wish. And as always, please leave a comment and let me know if you found it!  Now I'm off to scout new locations for my next few Cairo paintings. Still a month to go here! If you're in Cairo and want to suggest a neighborhood for me to paint in, please feel free to let me know in the comments. See you in the streets! 

This painting, oil on found wood, roughly 32.5 cm x 70 cm, was left at Midan Bab-el-Louq, Cairo on October 29th, 2014 at 2:30pm.

If you have found this piece, please let me know in the comments!

View Midan Bab-el-louk in a larger map

Lost Art #10: Place Dauphine, Paris

Lost Art continues in Paris again this week, this time at the Place Dauphine on the Île de la Cité. So far, there have still been no confirmed finds in Paris, so some lucky person has a chance to become the first Parisian participant if they discover this painting! I'll be in Paris again next week, and then out in the countryside for a few weeks (where I might leave a painting in some unsuspecting small village!) so this might be the last couple of chances to find one in Paris before the fall. Let me know if you or anyone you know might have found one! And I hope you're all having a great summer!

This painting, oil on found hardboard, 22.2 cm x 20.5 cm, was left at Place Dauphine on July17, 2014 at 1pm.

If you have found this piece, please let me know in the comments!

View Place Dauphine in a larger map

Lost Art #9: Avenue de France, Paris

Lost Art makes its triumphant return to Paris, France this week! 

I'm very happy to report that Lost Art #8 was found and given a home last week in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania on my trip to the United States. You can read all about that one here. 

Today's painting, #9, is on a bench overlooking the train tracks on Avenue de France, near the intersection of rue George Balanchine, in the neighborhood between Bibliothèque and the Pont de Bercy. As always, there's a map below to help you out if you're searching for it! I'm excited to be back in Paris and hoping that some of the paintings I do here over the summer will be discovered. Be sure to sign up for the blog if you want receive all the updates!

This painting, oil on found plywood, 32 1/2cm x 14cm, was left on Avenue de France on July 7, 2014 at 12:00pm.

If you have found this piece, please let me know in the comments!

View Av. de France in a larger map

Lost Art #6: Crystal Street, East Stroudsburg PA (Update: Found!)

UPDATE: Lost Art #6 has been found!

When I was visiting my hometown for the holidays last week, I was happy to discover that one of my Lost Art paintings from last year had found itself a home! One of the guys who lives on Crystal Street had picked it up and carried it into East Stroudsburg Hardware (the store that figures prominently in the painting) and given it to the owner, Jim, who now has it proudly hung on the front of one of his glass display cases. When I heard he had it, I went over there to introduce myself. It turns out that Jim is a big supporter of local artists and has several other paintings and pieces of art in his store. I'd been driving past his place for years and hadn't even known! He said that he would have gladly written in to the blog, except that he doesn't use the internet very much and wasn't sure about the address. So I'm very glad that the word got back to me that the painting had found an appreciative home. And I'm glad I was able to find Jim over the holidays and thank him for looking after it! Here are some pics I took of Jim and of the painting where it now hangs. Another Lost Art is found!

Original Post:

I'm excited to announce that this week, Lost Art makes its first official appearance in the United States! This morning, the sixth painting in the series was left on Crystal Street in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. I'm looking forward to hearing from whoever finds it! And keep your eyes open over the next few days if you happen to live across the river in Stroudsburg, or down the road in Bethlehem, as these are among the locations I'm considering for Lost Art number seven. 

This painting, acrylic on found discarded wood, 22 1/2" x 11 1/2", was left on Crystal Street in East Stroudsburg, PA, across from East Stroudsburg Hardware on June 17, 2014 at 9am.

If you have found this piece, please let me know in the comments!

View Crystal Street East Stroudsburg PA in a larger map

Lost Art #4: Quai Saint-Bernard, Paris

The saga continues!! 

I can only hope so far that all my pieces have found happy homes. No word yet from anyone about having found any of them, but maybe I'm just not hitting the right neighborhoods yet :). There is, however, one great piece of encouraging news. The other day I heard from UK photographer David Wise who was inspired by the Lost Art project to leave his camera to be found on a mountaintop in Sri Lanka. He also wrote about that decision, and about my project, on his terrific N.U.M.A. blog, which I highly recommend. This bit of response, and the reminder of how far and fast an idea can travel, has definitely helped me find the motivation to continue. Thanks David!  Today's painting was left on the left bank of the Seine, which should be crowded on such a lovely day. And the wait begins again!

This painting, oil on found wood, 32cm x 14.5cm, 
was left on the Quai Saint-Bernard in Paris on June 1, 2014 at 12:30pm. 

If you have found this piece, please let me know in the comments!

View Quai Saint-Bernard in a larger map

Lost Art #2: Place de l'Émir Abd el-Kader, Paris

Hello again! It's time for Lost Art #2!

No word yet about the fate of the first piece, but the project continues...

This painting, oil on found wood, 23.5cm x 13.5cm, 
was left at the  Place de l'Émir Abd el-Kader in Paris on May 18, 2014 at 4pm. 

If you have found this piece, please let me know in the comments!

View Lost Art #2: Place de l'Émir Abd el-Kader in a larger map

An Introduction to Lost Art...

I've always had a hard time letting go, especially of my work. I've always been afraid that once it left my possession my work would somehow get lost, or thrown out, or forgotten, or in some way cease to exist. And I imagine that this fear is rooted in my fear that I too will someday cease to exist. And if my work is what I hope to leave behind, then I must do everything in my power to protect it, right? But this protectiveness I felt toward my work eventually became a crippling burden. I didn't want to show my art, or sell it, and at some point, I didn't even want to do it. I started getting protective of my ideas before they even left my mind. I was shrinking away from the very interaction with the outside world that I so desperately craved. I needed to do something to get back on the horse, to open the channels of creativity and exchange. I had to find a way to let go. And this is how I conceived the Lost Art project.

Being a bit of a pack rat, I have for years collected materials from the streets. Any time I saw a smooth piece of wood, a nice chunk of marble, a large strip of fabric, I would gather it up and carry it back to my little basement studio, where I would horde it in piles, imagining that someday it would be made into something even more beautiful than it already was. But that day didn't seem to be coming, and the piles just seemed to be growing. So, facing the possibility that I would simply run out of space in my cave, I decided to start releasing these acquisitions back into the wild. But not before I found a way to put my mark on them.

I decided that I would take these things I'd found in the street, these bits of wood or canvas or plastic, and paint on them. I would paint the scenes that I'd seen in the streets where I'd found them. And then, after letting the paintings dry for a few days, I would take the objects back out into the street where they were found and simply leave them at the locations where I'd painted on them. You know, because, if you love something set it free, right? I needed to experience the freedom of turning these paintings loose into the world and being forced to make peace with whatever might become of them.

I assume that some of them will be thrown out, some will be damaged or destroyed, and some will merely go unnoticed for countless cold and rainy nights. But I also have the hope that maybe a few of them will be discovered and find homes. Just as these objects appeared to me as 'found art,' they will now be lost again, and perhaps they will go on to be found once more. And perhaps their new owners will even turn them into new works of art, or give them totally different functions altogether. The important thing is that they will go on to have lives after me, and after my artistic relationship with them. Their stories will not just end in my basement, in a whirlpool of anal-retentive self-doubt.

But despite my relinquishing control over the destinies of these objects, I will remain curious about whether they are ever found, or appreciated, or hated or loved. They are, after all, things that have passed through the inside of me, and they now carry with them some trace of my vulnerability and insecurity off into the streets, wherever they go. So I have marked the back of each one with the title of the project, and the internet address for this blog, in the hopes that anybody who finds one of them might get in touch and let me know what has become of the work. 

In each blog post, I will include a photo of the painting, and a map to where I've left it, so that anybody who has found one will be able to recognize what they've found. Then hopefully, we will get some news from the future lives of these pieces. Perhaps we will see a photo or two of a painting in its new home, or one that has been damaged and salvaged, or even one that has been painted over by an artist who fancies their own vision more than mine and is happy to have discovered a new canvas on which to work. And surely, there will also be a few that are never heard from again. But I won't be able to predict or control which ones. And that's what I'm in it for. It's like art shock therapy. 

So if you're interested to see where the project goes, and what does or doesn't become of the paintings as I deposit them back into their native environments, please sign up to follow the blog. If none of the pieces are heard from again, I'll still be interested to hear whether you think the project is worth doing. And if you find one of the pieces, please do whatever you wish with it, but make sure to visit the blog and tell us all about it!