From the series No One Here Gets Out Alive, 2009 by William Powhida

For the just-released Issue #23 of Map Magazine, Paddy Johnson (a JBP friend, and the brains behind Art Fag City) has a feature about a series of interviews she conducted with six artists or arts organizations about what it means to survive in New York City. Her subjects include Harlem non-profit gallery Triple Candie, the Executive Director of Rhizome, and artist (and sometimes-revolutionary) William Powhida.

You can read all about William's artistic beginnings in the big city—jobs he had to take to get by, dismal apartments he's lived in, and the sacrifices he made to maintain a studio space. The accompanying article in Map Magazine is an overview of all six of Paddy's interviews—and stands out as an unusually honest, fascinating and insightful look at the challenges (and potential joys!) of making it—or just scraping by—in the NYC art world.

On the subject of successes, we're happy to announce to all you London art-goers that William will have work in a bold new group show called Dirty Kunst at Seventeen Gallery, alongside the likes of Jota Castro and Lisa Yuskavage, (to name just a couple). This exhibition will open this Thursday November 18th.

From the gallery's press release:

Dirty Kunst is a show with Tourette's. An exhibition of artists committed to what George Orwell called significant 'mental rebellions,' it lives and breathes according to the idea that there is no such thing as dirty art, just dirty minds. A rough version of the hippie mandate to 'speak truth to power,' the spirit behind this batch of 'dirty kunst' is one that seeks out extreme responses. Cruelty, venality, lubriciousness, perversity, black humour, misanthropy - all of these count as genuine paths to artistic expression and - why not - a certain twisted redemption.

The show is certain to generate some buzz - make sure to stop by and have a look if you're in or around London!

The Details:
Dirty Kunst
On View: Thursday November 18th - Thursday December 23rd, 2010
at Seventeen Gallery
17 Kingsland Road, London, E2 8AA