Hard to believe that I made this over 4 years ago now.

I was an inch away from calling it off. Throwing in the towel. Kept telling myself it was stupid. Was never going to work. I was going to fail. But when it was done… Man did I feel good.

I keep reminding myself to get back to that feeling. That gut level creativity. Where you turn off your mind and just make things. That’s how children do it. And it’s amazing to watch. It’s amazing to feel.

I have to get back to that.

In 2002 I decided to start putting my art and photography on the web. I was still learning to use a computer. Learning Flash and Photoshop and various other software. I was learning photography. I had been shooting for years (mostly in the mountains on climbing trips) but knew nothing of real technique or lenses or shutter speeds. But in 99 I had bought my first computer and in 2000 my first digital camera and I experimented for days, weeks and months. It became an obsession you might say and I found a renewed identity as an artist, and a creative outlet that required no one else.

I needed a place to put the work I was making. I didn’t want it associated with me, or with my name. Figuring that most of the people to see it would be friends or family I didn’t want the work to be colored by anyone’s preconceived ideas about who or what I was as a person. And so ELEVENTHREEHUNDRED was born. A collection of photographs and digital art that I updated whenever I had something new to show. Lot’s of self portraits and experiments. I started getting emails and compliments and made friends through the work. Then in 2004 I was invited to participate in a little show on the east coast. And less than a week later my laptop died and I lost everything I had made. All the original files. The website was still up but I could never update it again. And I had none of the high res originals to print and show. A hard lesson in the price paid for not backing up your work.

But I put my nose down and created a whole new series that in my opinion was a huge step forward from even the best of the old work. I called it “Three Is The Key”. I rebuilt my website from the ground up. I printed the best of the new work and went to the show on the east coast and had one of the best experiences of my life. Since then I’ve shown the work in many galleries around LA and one show in Vegas. I’ve made friends and fans with people all over the world. But in the last 4 years my creative work has moved more into motion pictures and so it is time to re-imagine ELEVENTHREEHUNDRED. I am working on “V3″ now. Cannot say when it will be done but hopefully soon, depending on how busy I stay with work. I’m excited though and I think this is going to be the best one yet.

The two previous editions are now archives, and V1 has not been available online for almost 5 years. I must admit that more than a few of the old works make me cringe a little but I put them all up anyway. I would be delighted if you checked them out.

ELEVENTHREEHUNDRED

ELEVENTHREEHUNDRED.COM

I hope you can make the SHOW

Coming this Saturday to The HIVE

BEEROTICA

I’m pretty excited to be in this show. The Hive is a very cool gallery in downtown LA and Nathan always has excellent shows.

My little piece from ELEVENTHREEHUNDRED will be in a special section curated by my good friend Heidi Calvert.

Here’s the official Press Release..

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THE HIVE GALLERY And bluegirl Productions presents:

An Erotic art show themed “Bee-Rotica” curated by Nathan Cartwright
and a specially Curated erotic art show curated by Heidi bluegirl

September 2008 Group Art Show & Performances
Opening: 09/06/08 8PM-12:30AM

The Hive Gallery and Studios
729 S. Spring St.
LA, CA 90014

$8 at door for night of performances and amazing art from around the country
$5 for those entering in erotic gear/costume
all ages/ beverages available for 21+
Show runs September 6th-27th
For more info: www.thehivegallery.com

Featured Artist 1: Jason Hernandez
Featured Artist 2: NC Winters
Tall Wall Artist: Matt Dickson
Small Wall Artist: Billy Dyson
Installation Artist: Michael Alvarez

bluegirl Show:
Clive Barker / Brad Miller / Heidi Calvert / Dave Naz / Oriana Small / Molly Crabapple / Eban Lehrer / Yun Bai / Miss Numa / Yvette Ulrich / Debra Haden / James Stiles / Bill Bronson / Darren Saravis / Eva Samaha / Tricia Van Cleef / Eliza Frye / Wil Cohen / Karla Rosado / James Groves / Remco Vanden Bosch / Eleventhreehundred

September “Bee-rotica” Show
Ted Von Heiland / Art Weeks / Milla Zeltzer / Snow Mack / Nicole Bruckman / Andee Eve Husney / Jehan Choo / Michael Pukac / Nick Wildermuth / Dion Macellari / Alex Feliciano / Mike Bilz / Yuki Miyazaki / Brendan Sharkey / Steven Katz / Erick Rodriguez / Jessica Valencia / Robert Vargas / Craig Cartwright /K.Y. Park / Mike Lewis / Rob Tokarz / Shannon O’Connor / Dustin Myers / LD Grant / Megan Elizabeth Ford / Anthony G.Hurd / Shay / Terry Kim / Natalie Repp / Bryan Collins / Ken Dougherty / Rick Strieck / Macsorro / Vladimir Sierra / Hembert Guardado / Emi Motokawa / Lisa Moneypenny / Juice Ink / Tara Macswiney / Mylan Nguyen / Andrea Young / Big Toe / Ichae Ackso / 13:11 / Danni Shinya Luo / Paul Torres / Tom Denney / Brandt Marshall / Kenji Tanaka / Justin Schaefer / Holly Wood / Gyorgy BP Szabo / Carl Lozada / Julie Bossinger / Marlon McWilliams / Henry F. Cram / Linda Alvarez / Marianne Williams / Catherine Brooks / Zoetica Ebb / Eitan Alexander / Taslimur / Peter Gullerud / Kio Griffith / Gentry / Andrew Paul / Frida Kamau-Hathorn / Delphia / Laura Diamond / Chantal Menard / Cristina McAllister / Tony Koehl / Henry F. Cram / Ching Ching Cheng / Gilbert Oh / Monica Martinez / Chase Osborne / Jeremy Cross

PERFORMANCES:
FRONT Stage:
8:00 – 8:45 – graffiti61
9:00 – 9:15 – Nance Broderzen
9:30 – 10:00 – Joyce Rooks
10:30 – 11:00 – Nylon Pink
11:15 – 11:30 – Feminine Oddities
12:00 – 12:30 – Nerd Droid

BACK Stage/DJ Booth:
8:00 – 8:30 – The Hive house mix
8:30 – 9:30 – DJ J-Nyce
9:30 – 10:30 – DJ Frank Marina
10:30 – 11:30 – Kizz
11:30 – 12:30 – Gonzo Jonez & DJ Kronick

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Ohh and… Here’s the deal… I am in Idaho working real hard and wont bee (gettit? BEE) able to attend. If anyone would bee so kind as to take some snapshots of my piece on the wall, I would bee eternally grateful.. I will post them right here. And it would bee worth a cocktail or two from me when I return to Los Angeles.
Think about it.

-Staley Out